question: best engine oil?

[ichiban]

hi, not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes...

I'm not the most informed person when it comes to the finer points about motoring but its come time to change engine oil. One of my mates been steering me towards Mobil 1 full-synthetic (5-50). A guy who worked in the autopro store told me the Mobil 1's 50 might be too thick for my '98 accord (4cyl 2.3L vtec) and suggested the Castrol magnatec semi-synthetic (10-40).

I know this question probably sounds very newb, but its my first car and first servicing. I just want what's best for my honda :o

[T-onedc2]

I've used Mobil 1 Supersyn 5w-50w in last two cars, a 4AGE 20 valve and now B18C, and oil consumption has been very low. Can see no reason to change type.
However Ichishima-san from Spoon suggests that Honda OEM oil would be just as good.

[jamchen]

cost wise why not try motul xcess 8100 5w-40 full syn? my MDX has it for around 1000k and i am very pleased with the oil...
but it really depends on ur driving habits and the intervals between services...

[mr crex]

I use Genuine Honda Performance oil on my typeR, previously used Motul300 on the old CRX.

[kenji]

Yeah normal OEM Honda Oil are good ... 10w30

[gelo]

hannys recommend mobile 1 10w30

[Terry]

In Best Motoring Vtec Club Vol.1...... Mr. Spoon said factory DC2R engine oil is the best for road/track use

[Chi]

In Best Motoring Vtec Club Vol.1...... Mr. Spoon said factory DC2R engine oil is the best for road/track use

He said OEM honda oil not dc2r engine oil.

Get your quotes right.

Or Valvoline by Tsuchiya or 76 by Hattori!

Ariga - V !

[EG5[KRT]]

yeah honda oem oil is good

but i prefer motul 300v

or endless oil.

[**Ghost**]

i use genuine honda or mobil synthetic or motul from autobarn....

but lets be all honest here..... it really does not make a fk of a difference in reality does it as long as the rating is right??

[ichiban]

i use genuine honda or mobil synthetic or motul from autobarn....

but lets be all honest here..... it really does not make a fk of a difference in reality does it as long as the rating is right??

that sounds about right, now all i need to know is what rating is right for my car :) would the mobil syn 0-50 be too thick like the guy in autopro said? if so how much would the honda OEM stuff cost?

[aaronng]

For a car that is from 1998, 50wt oil is ok. You should be using a 40wt instead, but since 50wt is one step away, it'll be fine. If you put in 30wt, you'll probably start exposing leaks in the combustion chambers. BTW, I don't like Magnatec. You're better off putting in 0W-50 Mobil 1, rather than 10W-40 Magnatec, and I think Magnatec is a mineral oil. It's good as a mineral oiil, but a semi-synthetic or full synthetic is more resistant to oil breakdown.

[ichiban]

firstly let me say thanks for all the replies, been a great help. far as i understand, i should definately go with something that is a fully synthetic oil. Now that I've got that straight...

Quoted from honda website "Honda FEO is a multigrade SAE 10W-30 API SJ rated engine oil"

Since OEM is 10-30, my big question now is would using 5-50 be too thick for my for my '98 accord (4cyl 2.3L vtec) at higher temperatures? Since checking the mobil website they do offer a 0-40 and a 10-30 as well...

[keric_02]

firstly let me say thanks for all the replies, been a great help. far as i understand, i should definately go with something that is a fully synthetic oil. Now that I've got that straight...

Quoted from honda website "Honda FEO is a multigrade SAE 10W-30 API SJ rated engine oil"

Since OEM is 10-30, my big question now is would using 5-50 be too thick for my for my '98 accord (4cyl 2.3L vtec) at higher temperatures? Since checking the mobil website they do offer a 0-40 and a 10-30 as well...


I very much doubt it'll be too thick for your engine. Just incase, I'd stick to something in the 30-40 range though.

FEO is excellent value ($30 - 5L) for money and plus it's design specifically for Honda's so you can't go wrong. Why not try Castrol Syn R 5-30 ($50 - 5L). It's got a better winter rating plus its fully synthetic.

[Maxx]

while every honda friend around me used OEM Honda Oil ( for high performance?), from my memory they are only semi-synthetic oil, someone correct me?

i only use fully synthetic oil, motul 300V and redline oil is my choice

[sivic]

semi synthetic is fine as long as its changed often enough.
redline is a waste of money unless you are constantly tracking your car. its 4x the cost of most decent synthetic oils.
if the CEO of spoon sees honda feo fit to be used i'm sure its good enough.
you cant really just judge oil based upon synthetic / semi synth. some fully synth are crap compared to some semi.
castrol R 5W-30 is really thin, even for a 5W-30. you can feel the improvement but you'll go through it pretty damn fast

[b20b]

I use castrol r syn 10w 60 and i track my car alot. With this oil its a big must.... to warm the engine up to operating temp before you drive. it is thick but if you like to use the rev limit alot this oil is great . Standard oil at high temps thins out to much which equals less protection

[CRX-Ando]

I'm running the Motul 300V range in my boosted CRX SiR...although on the expensive side of the equation, she thrives on it though hence my affinity towards this brand...

[jamchen]

but just to recalled my memory, there were a similar thread and someone said certain dealerships are actually using castrol semi-syn.. correct me if i am wrong.. so i think it will be best if you bring ur own oil so at least you can trust on the oil...just my little thought... and remember to ask the dealer for the left over oil...

[narcoleptic]

I use Homebrand canola oil :P

300v

[T-onedc2]

while every honda friend around me used OEM Honda Oil ( for high performance?), from my memory they are only semi-synthetic oil, someone correct me?

i only use fully synthetic oil, motul 300V and redline oil is my choice

That's correct. OEM is 10w-30w semi-synthetic.
I just called service at Honda and the guy said fully sythetic Mobil 1 is fine. I've been using it a while now and no probs, but wanna try Motul 300V.

[jords]

I only use fully snthetic in my DC2R, I figure that spending a little more on oil now may save a few $$$$ later!

[Civic Type R]

Honda dont make oils gents. They buy it from manufacturers such as Mobil or Shell and relabel it as Honda FEO.

[aaronng]

My dealer puts in Magnatec! Oh the horror! Castrol Formula R 5-30W may look thin at room temperature, but when in the engine at above 100 degrees, the semi-synthetics and mineral oils start to become thin, while Formula R stays the same.

[T-onedc2]

Spoke to a few different people today about oil before I changed mine
later on. One older bloke who has worked on many engines in past and has had the opportunity to test a countless types of oil under different conditions was an absolute wealth of info, couldn't believe it, he actually teaches this stuff. Although Motul is excellent he couldn't see any reason why I should change from my current Mobil 1 5w-50w with supersyn. Reckons really it's the best you could buy, definitely better than Shell Helix.

However Mobil 1 Fully Synthetic has 3 types, 0w-40w (most suitable in very cold climates like europe), 10w-30w (most suitable for new engines up to 60,000km's or so), 5w-50w (a few more k's like most of our cars here).

As for me I stuck with the Mobil 1 5w-50w again and happy to do so.

[SLPJCooL]

Do all you people 'flush' your engine when changing oil? Cos' from what I heard from above, 5w-50 seems to be the way to go, but I'm currently using Castrol Syn-R 5w-30. It runs good but I'm just scared it'll play on me after awhile. Better be safe than sorry rite? Oh yeah, I've got 120,00km's on my clock!

[T-onedc2]

Flushing your engine is a BIG NO NO from what I heard. Ichishima-san (courtesy of Best Motoring "VTEC Club"), owner of Spoon says definitely no because it can lodge tiny particles into very small crevices between moving parts and will then wear these parts prematurely, or something like that. :thumbsup:

[SLPJCooL]

T-onedc2, Do you warm up for you car for ages in the mornings? Cos' wouldn't 5w-50 be a little bit thick for some???

[sivic]

Flushing your engine is a BIG NO NO from what I heard. Ichishima-san (courtesy of Best Motoring "VTEC Club"), owner of Spoon says definitely no because it can lodge tiny particles into very small crevices between moving parts and will then wear these parts prematurely, or something like that. :thumbsup:
mr spoon was referring to engine flush products. not flushing an engine with oil. how could flushing with oil dislodge stuff that cant be dislodged while the engine is actually running day to day?
nothing wrong with flushing some clean oil through during a change. just use some cheaper and thicker stuff

[T-onedc2]

T-onedc2, Do you warm up for you car for ages in the mornings? Cos' wouldn't 5w-50 be a little bit thick for some???
1 minute maybe, but no reason, just the way it happens. Well the only other Mobil 1 synthetic oils are 0w-40w (too thin for our climate), 10w-30w (for new engines). Sounds like your concern rests with the oil not reaching the valvetrain fast enough when cold, Mobil 1 synthetic oils (and some others) however have "Syntec" which leaves a coating on these parts to protect the engine at start-up. This bloke I was talking to was more concerned about oils with a 0w being too thin in our hot weather therefore not lubricating the engine at all really, then seizing.
BTW, this is just my experience and it works for me. I suggest talking to a few reputable engine builders/mechanics regarding the best choice for you, who you trust can give you the truth on the matter.:)

[T-onedc2]

mr spoon was referring to engine flush products. not flushing an engine with oil. how could flushing with oil dislodge stuff that cant be dislodged while the engine is actually running day to day?
nothing wrong with flushing some clean oil through during a change. just use some cheaper and thicker stuff
I assumed we were talking engine flush products, but yes flushing with engine oil would be better. What I meant is the particles in question would be suspended until being lodged somewhere from the pressure of flushing.
I thought about this last night for a bit, that the way to do it effectively is run a cheaper oil for a few hours/day/or two then drain again. What do you reckon? :)

[tinkerbell]

I use castrol r syn 10w 60 and i track my car alot. With this oil its a big must.... to warm the engine up to operating temp before you drive. it is thick but if you like to use the rev limit alot this oil is great . Standard oil at high temps thins out to much which equals less protection

i was running castrol "blue" 5w-30 when i spun a rod bearing at the track...

will only be usning Xw-40 plus oil from now on...

[smoknhothonda]

that sounds about right, now all i need to know is what rating is right for my car :) would the mobil syn 0-50 be too thick like the guy in autopro said? if so how much would the honda OEM stuff cost?

Tell the sales rep to get his head out of the sand mate! Mobil dont offer a 0W-50 to start, they offer a 5w-50 (which I presume you are reffering to) and this stuff is fine to use. I have used it previuosly in my 10 year old accord with no oil usage wat so ever! but there are better oils out there for that price, I found that the Mobil 1 started to gum up after 7000kays, whereas something like Castrol 0W-40 for around the same money performs a lot better.

You cant go worng with any of the Motul oils also :thumbsup:

Grades dont mean a great deal for daily driving, other then the fact you dont want to be using something like 15w-60! a synthetic 10W-30 0w-40 even a 0W-20 can be used in a daily driver.

I have been using the Fuchs Titan GT in my accord for the past 2 years, and it is by far the best oil I have ever used (I havent compared it to the motul 0w-20 yet)

[vividjazz]

I've found that you can lose alot of oil between changes with 0W oils as a bit thin. I don't think its a good sign when your oil level drops significantly between changes.

In a Honda car would now only use Genuine Honda oil and in a Honda bikes only Honda or HRC with genuine Honda oil filters and a new crush washer each time. Change oil every 5,000kms. Constant stop start city driving is severe conditions.

For cars found Mobil1 5W the best of the rest.

I find different oils more noticable in bikes than cars. Couldn't tell I'd even done an oil change with Motuel, Castrol or Shell, always feel the difference from a fresh change with Mobil1 Racing 4T and Honda racing oil makes the bike rev sooo much faster, shifts so much smoother and increases the pucker factor. You have to remember on a bike unlike a car your one lot of oil lubes you gear box as well as your engine so is even more important.

[T-onedc2]

I've found that you can lose alot of oil between changes with 0W oils as a bit thin. I don't think its a good sign when your oil level drops significantly between changes.

In a Honda car would now only use Genuine Honda oil and in a Honda bikes only Honda or HRC with genuine Honda oil filters and a new crush washer each time. Change oil every 5,000kms. Constant stop start city driving is severe conditions.

For cars found Mobil1 5W the best of the rest.

I find different oils more noticable in bikes than cars. Couldn't tell I'd even done an oil change with Motuel, Castrol or Shell, always feel the difference from a fresh change with Mobil1 Racing 4T and Honda racing oil makes the bike rev sooo much faster, shifts so much smoother and increases the pucker factor. You have to remember on a bike unlike a car your one lot of oil lubes you gear box as well as your engine so is even more important.
Agree, definitely change oil every 5,000km without question unless you ONLY do long country trips. :)

[aaronng]

You guys are using oil ratings, but I think you've got it wrong. the first number is the viscosity equivalent rating to SAE at 0 degrees C, while the 2nd number is at 100 degrees C. 0 won't be too thin for our climate. What you need to worry about is the 2nd number, which actually can determnine oil viscosity at room temperature. so 40 or 50 is fine for cars a fwe years old. 30 for new cars, and 20 is the same as flushing oil!

[smoknhothonda]

[QUOTE=vividjazz]I've found that you can lose alot of oil between changes with 0W oils as a bit thin. I don't think its a good sign when your oil level drops significantly between changes.

In a Honda car would now only use Genuine Honda oil and in a Honda bikes only Honda or HRC with genuine Honda oil filters and a new crush washer each time. Change oil every 5,000kms. Constant stop start city driving is severe conditions.

I have a 10 year old accord and have been using 0w-20 and 0w-40 for near 3 years and I am yet to use any oil! I admit my car is just a daily driver with the occasional thrashing, but 9 out of 10 ppl wouldn't ever see the need for a 5w-50 or 10w-60 unless they compete in a track day.

If you are using Honda FEO mineral oils yes you need to change the oil every 5k kays, but if you are using synthetics you are basically throwing money away changing it that often in a every day car.

[pashka]

hey sorry to bring up an old thread but whats the best oil for my crx B16a2 Vtec?

[simon]

how much is OEM honda oil?

[n/a]

meet too, 89 Si Civic with under 100,000kms?

im using fuscht titan GT 20-50W. that good or bad for my car?

[sivic]

i think that would be fine for a 17yr old engine.

[bennyBear]

Oil decision depends heavily on engine wear (how many kms) and your style of driving.

I now use motul 10w 30 as i am just ticking over 120, 000kms, to lighter grade does not provide sufficient protection, better to be a little too thick than a little too thin!

[Banana]

hanny's gave me mobil one in my dc5R. the car fells more smooth now since oil change.
mobil = :thumbsup:

[T-onedc2]

hey sorry to bring up an old thread but whats the best oil for my crx B16a2 Vtec?
Have you read the rest of this thread? You should find the answer there. I have used Mobil fully synthetic 5w-50w in my last 2 cars now and am very happy with it.:)

[tinkerbell]

hey sorry to bring up an old thread but whats the best oil for my crx B16a2 Vtec?

the best you can afford...

[egSi]

FEO y0! :thumbsup:


i think rrp on FEO 5L is like $30.00

[crispy]

Id go Feo or mobil 1. I use mobil one and ive noticed the car runs cooler, idles better, just overall better. But feo is designed for hondas and much cheaper than mobil 1. this is to extend the life of your car, so i would pick the best and only the best

[**Ghost**]

if u really want BEST... buy motul... but its fking expensive and u feel bankrupt when u see it pour outta ur enigne when u change ur oil

[aaronng]

If you are changing every 6 months, Motul Turbolight 4100 is priced ok at about $45 for 5L. It's a 10w-40 I think.

[n/a]

you could get redline engine oil, $120 per 5ltrs :thumbdwn:

that's just stupid. supposeldy it's good for 30,000kms though.