I just realized that I accidentally purchased Mobil 1 5W-30 the other day to change my oil. I haven't changed it yet and was curious how much of an issue it would be to use 5W-30 instead of the recommended 10W-30.

Could it damage my engine?
Any performance issues?

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

You should be ok to use the 5W vs 10W. The oil will be a tad thinner when warmed up..but not enough to make a difference. We do have a couple people around that are using a 0W-30..

Being Mobil 1 it won't break down and you probably won't see any differences.

Don't worry about it. It won't hurt anything.

you wont notice a difference. EVER.

It wont hurt a thing............

I think you should be going the other direction, 10W-40. I've been using MaxLife 10W-40 since May 04, 2006. I was previously using Chevron Supreme 10W-30 or Castrol GTX 10W-30.

With the 10W-40, I'm getting a smoother engine with less buzz, way better gas milelage, and quicker accelleration. I suspect the reason for that is the MaxLife is actually a synthetic blend, although it is not marketed as such. I chose the Maxlife because it is on the thin side of a 10W-40.

I use Amsoil 5w-30 in mine and it'* fine. You should be fine and the thinner oil may, in theory, increase your gas mileage even.

It will help........

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback.

I went ahead and changed it yesterday and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary so far. Can't say I'm getting the best mileage, though, considering we've been in the 100s for the past month, and are having to use the AC quite a bit. :?

Thats why.