Buy 5W-20 engine oil

5W-20 is an American-shaped grade: Ford, Honda, Mazda and many US models specify it, European manufacturers virtually never. It is deliberately thin and belongs only in engines built for it - check that in the oil finder or in the owner's manual.

Which vehicle?

Enter your vehicle - we show only what belongs in it.

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Who calls for 5W-20

These are the specifications behind it most often:

**Ford** with its own approvals from the WSS-M2C series, across many petrol engines
**Honda and Mazda**, there usually classified via API and ILSAC
**US imports** from various brands whose handbooks name 5W-20 as standard

If you see 5W-20 in a European service book, check twice: as a rule the specification there is 5W-30 or 0W-20, and the grades are not freely interchangeable.

Why the grade is laid out thin

5W-20 reduces internal friction compared with a 30 grade, which the manufacturer counts towards fuel consumption and CO2. For that to work without wear, bearing clearances, oil pump and piston rings are matched to it. Which is precisely why topping up with a thicker oil is not an improvement but a departure from the design - and, during the warranty period, wrong on paper.

Approvals that should be on the label

API SP and ILSAC GF-6A - the current level for petrol engines, with LSPI protection for turbocharged direct injection
the Ford number from the WSS-M2C series named for your model (on 5W-20 engines often WSS-M2C948-B)
on older vehicles, API SN or SM as the minimum level

If a WSS-M2C number appears in your manual, exactly that number has to be on the container - API SP alone does not replace it, and the numbers differ between model years.

Topping up and intervals

Keep a 1-litre bottle of the same product in the car: 5W-20 is less widely stocked in Europe than 5W-30, and finding a suitable bottle on the road is a matter of luck. For the interval, the manufacturer's figure applies; on imported vehicles it is often given in miles, which is easily missed - 5,000 miles is around 8,000 kilometres, not 5,000.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a 5W-30 instead of 5W-20?

Only if the manufacturer approves it - some Ford and Honda models name both grades, many do not. Without approval you increase internal friction and depart from the design specification. As a one-off top-up in an emergency it is the lesser evil.

Why does 5W-20 rarely appear in European handbooks?

Because European manufacturers work with ACEA classes and their own Longlife approvals, which lead to other viscosities. 5W-20 is established above all in North America and with Japanese brands.

Is 5W-20 the same as 0W-20?

In a warm engine yes, at cold start no: 0W-20 stays more fluid in frost. That still does not make both automatically approved - what counts is the grade your manufacturer names.