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Went to get my oil changed and the guy asked: 10W30 or 5W30

I put in 10W30. The Manual says 5W30.

What now?
Derek

That's pretty thick oil for an OHC engine. I run 5W50 full synthetic, Castrol. Hopefully, with the warmer weather you shouldn't have as much of a problem, but if it stays cold much longer I'd just put it up on some ramps, drain and refill it with something thinner.

why is 10W30 bad for the engine?

I dont think for one oil change it will make a hugh difference. Next time put 5W in. Where do you go for your oil changes?

5w30 is a thinner oil and better for your engine because it has less crap in it... the less crap the merrier... I use Mobil 1 5w30 Tri-Synthetic.. everone on this board uses it and says its the best choice for the tour.. unless you go all the way and get Amsoil

I went to Penzoil 10 min on Leslie St. in Newmarket...huge freaking rip off...like $40 bucks for it...I thought it was only going to be $20...my bad...

The reason I asked because I wondered if you went to the "rapid lube" that is what they used to be called where the old Walmart used to be. I forget what they are called now. They are really bad. They broke a couple of things on my car and needless to say I stopped going there. You know the Ford dealer in Aurora has a quick lube facility too. I am not sure how much but I dont think they are too bad for price.

Save your money and do it yourself! I do it myself in the garage, 15 min, $30 for 6.5L Mobil Synthetic and $5 for good filter (preferably Motorcraft or pure1) if you don't drive like a race car driver this setup is good for 10,000 kms+ though I change it every 5,000 kms since I am a oil change Nazi :p :p

It's not really bad for the engine, just a little thick. It's more appropriate for pushrod-style motors, where the bulk of the oil remains in the crankcase. Because it is subjected to more mechanical turbulence and more heating via the metal in the crankshaft and bearings, the oil thins out via heat transfer.

OTOH, in an OHC cam engine, the oil has to travel further, up through the channels and covering the cams and valves. The oil spends most of its time (especially in the Duratec which is notoriously hard on oil) in the heads. In order to flow properly, the oil needs to be thinner and thus have a lower viscosity in order to move about freely.

As the temperature of the air increases, the oil remains thinner in the crankcase during start-up. This also reduces engine wear as it's easier for the oil to move around in it's cold state. With colder weather, a thick oil takes more time to "loosen up" and move around the engine.

Traditionally, thicker oil is used in the summer than the winter, but those are tricks from days long gone by. Now-a-days I would think it better to stick to manufacturers reccomendation, especially with OHC technology.

With the weather we are having now you are fine. Don't worry about it. In the summer it would actually be better. The smaller the difference in the two numbers, the fewer chemicals that are added to enhance viscosity. Only the last number is really important. That number states how thick the oil will get when it is heated.
Actually 10W30 is actually more shear stable than 5W30. I would switch to 5W30 for winter use though.
Happy Motoring