The owner's manual on my 2005 elantra says use 5w-30 oil. I, recently, got my first oil change at the dealer and they used 10w-30. Is this okay? Should I continue with 10w-30?

10w30 is most likely ok however...

1. be sure to warm up your engine before you drive, specially if its cold outside.
2. at the next oil change, use 5w30 oil.
3. do not exceed 3000 miles with the thicker oil, if possible change it at 2000 miles just to be safe.


I am always paranoid about oil changes, hence my quickness to change it much much earlier than the owners manual suggests.

i normally change my oil every 2500 miles to give myself a 500 mile "cushion" in the rare case that im mid-road trip when the 2500 miles comes up

I've changed oil in the middle of a trip before. But that was with the Suzuki and we had driven 3100 HARD miles already so we stopped at a dealer.

I personally use 10W30 year round at around 4-4500 mile intervals. But I also don't have CVVT to worry about.

I'm no expert on oil, but I would say if the dealer put it in the car they have to warrenty, it should be fine.

^^ yEP, KEEP THE recipt and if you have a problem, BAM there it is.

Just because the dealer put it in there does not make it OK. Look at the problems people are having with the auto trannies not being warranted due to non-SP III fluid being used, and the flush was done by a dealer.

As far as your oil, 10w-30 is fine. It is speced as the prefered oil in the 2004 manual, which is the exact same engine as the '05.

Also, you live in Alabama. Of course you don't need 5w-30. It doesn't get cold enough to matter.

I use 10-30 myself (Texas). If you look at the owner's manual, it's fine unless it's reeeeally cold.

I use Mobile 1 5w-30 synthetic.

Another thing that you should realize is that the dealers use a certain type of oil based on geography. A Hyundai dealer in New York (5w30) is going to use a different grade of oil than is used in Houston, TX (10w40).