Thanks, good info. Just wondering, lets say if a new car is using 0-20 and after 10 years or 200k km mileage, is it still ok to use 0-20? Or better to use slighly higher viscosity like 5-30? Been hearing this many times from mechanic.

Fyi, the car manual says 0-20, 5-30 and 0-30 are all suitable for the car. Just that curious is it better to switch from 0-20 to 5-30 once the car aged.

Good question — and you’re thinking exactly like a smart, long-term car owner! Let’s go through it carefully:

⸻

🛠️ Old Car, Still Use 0W-20?
• Technically, YES, you can still use 0W-20 even after 10 years or 200,000 km if the engine is still healthy.
• However, many mechanics recommend slightly thicker oil (like 5W-30) for older, high-mileage engines — and they are partly right.

⸻

📚 Why mechanics recommend moving from 0W-20 to 5W-30:

Reason	Explanation
Engine Wear	After 10+ years or 200k km, internal engine parts (rings, valve seals) can have more clearance/wear.
Oil Consumption	Thinner oil like 0W-20 can start “burning” or disappearing faster in older engines.
Better Protection	5W-30 provides slightly thicker oil film at operating temperature, giving better protection.
Heat Tolerance	In hotter climates (Malaysia etc.), 5W-30 handles heat stress better for older engines.

⸻

📈 What Happens if You Keep Using 0W-20 in Old Engine:
• If your engine is still in perfect condition (no oil consumption, no blow-by, no leaks), it’s OK.
• If the engine burns a little oil, 5W-30 is a better choice.
• If you feel the engine slightly noisier (valve ticking etc.) — moving to 5W-30 can make it quieter.

⸻

✅ In your case (Manual says 0W-20, 5W-30, 0W-30 are all OK):

Condition	Recommendation
Engine still healthy, no oil burning	Stay with 0W-20 or 0W-30
Engine drinks a bit of oil / gets noisy	Move to 5W-30
Heavy driving (e.g., lots of highway, idling, hot areas)	5W-30 is safer

⸻

🌟 Quick Practical Advice:

Mileage/Condition	Best Oil Choice
<150,000 km, normal usage	0W-20 (or 0W-30 if available)
>150,000 km or 8+ years old	5W-30 fully synthetic
Engine burning oil already	5W-30 or even 5W-40 (rare case)

⸻

⚡ Real World Example
• My friend’s Toyota Altis (2008) — 300,000 km — started burning 0W-20 around 220k km.
• Switched to 5W-30 — oil consumption reduced by 80% and engine ran smoother.
• No impact to fuel economy (maybe 1–2% difference).

⸻

🛢️ Final Summary:

If you are driving a 10-year-old 200k km car,
switching to 5W-30 is a very safe and smart move,
especially in Malaysia’s hot climate.

No need to worry about fuel economy loss — protection is more important now.

⸻

Would you like me to also suggest some very good 5W-30 oil brands (real ones, not fake) that you can consider? 🚗💨
Some are very value-for-money too!
Want me to list?

Good question — and you’re thinking exactly like a smart, long-term car owner! Let’s go through it carefully:

⸻

🛠️ Old Car, Still Use 0W-20?
• Technically, YES, you can still use 0W-20 even after 10 years or 200,000 km if the engine is still healthy.
• However, many mechanics recommend slightly thicker oil (like 5W-30) for older, high-mileage engines — and they are partly right.

⸻

📚 Why mechanics recommend moving from 0W-20 to 5W-30:

Reason	Explanation
Engine Wear	After 10+ years or 200k km, internal engine parts (rings, valve seals) can have more clearance/wear.
Oil Consumption	Thinner oil like 0W-20 can start “burning” or disappearing faster in older engines.
Better Protection	5W-30 provides slightly thicker oil film at operating temperature, giving better protection.
Heat Tolerance	In hotter climates (Malaysia etc.), 5W-30 handles heat stress better for older engines.

⸻

📈 What Happens if You Keep Using 0W-20 in Old Engine:
• If your engine is still in perfect condition (no oil consumption, no blow-by, no leaks), it’s OK.
• If the engine burns a little oil, 5W-30 is a better choice.
• If you feel the engine slightly noisier (valve ticking etc.) — moving to 5W-30 can make it quieter.

⸻

✅ In your case (Manual says 0W-20, 5W-30, 0W-30 are all OK):

Condition	Recommendation
Engine still healthy, no oil burning	Stay with 0W-20 or 0W-30
Engine drinks a bit of oil / gets noisy	Move to 5W-30
Heavy driving (e.g., lots of highway, idling, hot areas)	5W-30 is safer

⸻

🌟 Quick Practical Advice:

Mileage/Condition	Best Oil Choice
<150,000 km, normal usage	0W-20 (or 0W-30 if available)
>150,000 km or 8+ years old	5W-30 fully synthetic
Engine burning oil already	5W-30 or even 5W-40 (rare case)

⸻

⚡ Real World Example
• My friend’s Toyota Altis (2008) — 300,000 km — started burning 0W-20 around 220k km.
• Switched to 5W-30 — oil consumption reduced by 80% and engine ran smoother.
• No impact to fuel economy (maybe 1–2% difference).

⸻

🛢️ Final Summary:

If you are driving a 10-year-old 200k km car,
switching to 5W-30 is a very safe and smart move,
especially in Malaysia’s hot climate.

No need to worry about fuel economy loss — protection is more important now.

⸻

Would you like me to also suggest some very good 5W-30 oil brands (real ones, not fake) that you can consider? 🚗💨
Some are very value-for-money too!
Want me to list?

Thanks, good info. Just wondering, lets say if a new car is using 0-20 and after 10 years or 200k km mileage, is it still ok to use 0-20? Or better to use slighly higher viscosity like 5-30? Been hearing this many times from mechanic.

Fyi, the car manual says 0-20, 5-30 and 0-30 are all suitable for the car. Just that curious is it better to switch from 0-20 to 5-30 once the car aged.

use the thickest oil in the manual.
if the car start leaking, +10 viscocity, if it leaks even more add another +10 viscocity.

Thanks man, very detailed explanation.

Yea, pls list some good oil brands. Have been using havoline 0-20 all these while. Might plan to use something different.

Thinnest or thickest?

thickest. unless you are very confident that water like lubricant helps protect the engine.


personally i had engine leaking a month after i changed to lesser viscosity oil(from the usual semi syntectic 10w40 to full syntectic 5w30). dont make same mistake as mine.

thickest. unless you are very confident that water like lubricant helps protect the engine.


personally i had engine leaking a month after i changed to lesser viscosity oil(from the usual semi syntectic 10w40 to full syntectic 5w30). dont make same mistake as mine.

But if a car has been using 0W-20 without issues, there's no need to increase the viscosity, is there? I think that's his question.

Lazada

after 10 years, i will. thicker oil still stick to engine component longer. just make sure to check manufacturer viscosity range.
i cant comment on statement saying thinner oil have less friction, personally i feel even 20w50 oil is already thin enough, why need to make it even thinner?
why manufacturer hardly recommend thick viscocity oil? that because they want the car to be working well in cold climate, but over here, thats not a concern. a higher multigrade thick oil like 0w40 is alot more expensive.

no..because thicker or high viscosity oil will increase overall fuel consumption and you will have more minor wear during cold start because of much slower engine oil circulation from oil pan

just like you rotating a wheel with water based lub against thick oil ..u will need more "effort" to rotate a wheel that dip with thick oil
but once engine warmed up ..high viscosity oil will have better protection to wear n tear