Re: Will the wrong oil weight cause damage?
In addition to lubrication and cooling, oil also traps the dirty byproducts of combustion and carries them to the oil filter. Eventually the filter is full and the oil is dirty, hence the need for periodic changing.
There is NOT much difference between 0W and 5W Mobil1 for the type of driving most of us do. I suspect the big-*** sump of 8.5 qts barely gets warmed up if you drive short trips, so starting off with a lower viscosity oil helps distribute lubrication to the engine faster and prevents wear.