hybrid_eg

my 2nd oil change is up and i'm debating if i should switch to mobil 1 full synthetic oil? On all my hondas i always used castrol 5w-30 and never had any problems.. thats the oil i used on my first oil change for my 01 itr.. i heard if you start using synthetic you should use it from then on all the time? is there any benefit of doing this? what if i decide to go turbo later on?? still use the same oil or switch to a thicker one? give me your opinions? thanks!

S13Koop

i used Castrol in my old civic, when I got my R , I decided to go Mobil 1. Running good so far

Hooch'n

Oil is Oil..............With today's oil....any name brand is ok for your engine. Just pic one

norice

Use synthetic if it makes you feel better. Will not make any difference in either the longevity or performance of your car though.

Flux

Then what is synthetic for... ?

figment

Synthetic oil FAQ
http://www.seansa4page.com/resource/synth.html
http://www.pecuniary.com/synthetics/motoroils.html
Other interests:
http://www.seansa4page.com/resource/autotech.html



[Modified by figment, 1:06 AM 7/31/2001]

norice

> Then what is synthetic for... ?

The profit margins on synthetics are far higher than on conventional oils so they provide higher profits for oil companies.

nsxtcjr

Synthetic oil flows better when cold, and is more resistant to breakdown when hot.

I want the best for my engine so I use synthetic.

Ibuprofen

thats like saying all integra's are the same, why buy a type-r when u can own an LS. (synthetic vs conventional)

norice

> thats like saying all integra's are the same, why buy a type-r when u can own an LS. (synthetic vs conventional)

Ah - no. That is not even close to what I am saying. A better analogy for the synthetic versus conventional debate would be someone claiming that yellow Type-Rs were faster than black ones. Or that a car with a Mugen sticker would beat a car with a less expensive sticker.

While you will find thousands of anecdotal stories on the web touting the benefits of synthetic over conventional oils, I challenge you to find one article in a peer reviewed independent scientific journal demonstrating the practial benefits of synthetic oil in a road car.

A good example of the quality of anecdotal evidence is contained in the link posted above (http://www.seansa4page.com/resource/synth.html). The author claims a 10% increase in fuel mileage when using synthetic oil. Lordy - if he were only half right all US based manufacturers would have synthetic in their car to lower their CAFE average. The extra $10 or so cost per car would be more than offset by the hundreds of millions of dollars profits they could make be selling higher margin less fuel efficient cars.

Nobody is going to argue that synthetics have some better measurable characteristics than conventional oils - the question is if it matters in a road car. I have never seen real (read, non anecdotal) evidence that it does.


[Modified by norice, 5:52 PM 7/30/2001]

nsxtcjr

That's nonsense. Synthetics are measurably better than conventional oils at flowing in cold temperatures, and at resisting breakdown at hot temperatures. Despite the jokes about differences in colors and stickers, there is no measurable difference in the examples you give here.

Thank you for agreeing with my point.

figment

Peace bro's. If they made synthetic cookies, I'd eat em

hybrid_eg

hmm...the replies above didnt really help much.. i need to go buy oil tonight to change it.. i have 2 1/2 hrs left before pep boys closes HAHAHAAH.. hurry up people.. buy or dont buy..

there has got to be something different between two oils.. its almost 4 bucks more per quart! anyhow if i start using that oil i have to stick with it in the future.. right?

thanks all

oz#227

Wow.... I don't believe what I'm hearing... No difference between Dino and Synth... Haha.

Better Flow, More stable, No inpurities, No sludge, No discolouration(build-up on metal), Lasts longer,......Cost is the last thing I'm worried about, seeing it lasts twice as long as Dino Oil, There's only a couple a dollars in it.
I use Mobil 1 0w-40 since 10,000 kms service. Now up to 25,000kms. NO PROBLEMS.
I know that some folks think 0w-40 is both over and under Spec, but that's what Mobile recommend here in Australia for Type'R's.
Later.

oz#227

Sorry, the short answer is YES. You can't mix Synth with Dino. But complete change with Filter?....I don't know. Once your motor has loosened-up ( After about 10,000 Kms or 6,000 Miles) then it's ready for Synth.
Bye-now.

hybrid_eg

yeah it has exactly 6K miles right now.. thats why i'm asking if i should switch to synth or wait another 3K to begin..

nsxtcjr

You CAN mix synthetic with conventional oil. (In fact, most of the oil companies pre-mix them as "synthetic blends".) And you CAN switch back and forth. But you won't get the full benefits of synthetic the way you would from using it all the time.

Just get synthetic 5W30 Mobil 1 and use it.

tjtruong

I've used Mobil 1 since the first oil change w/ honda oil filter. Car runs fine and i drive my car hard everyday. Hope this helps.. Personally, i don't really think you need synthetic unless you drive hard or plan to keep your car for a long time ( as in 10+ years) I plan to keep mine so I use sythetic just to make me feel better. Well hope this helps.

thomas
tjtruong@aol.com

hybrid_eg

yeah i dont intend to keep mine past 3yrs most likely as i have never owned a car for more then 1.5 yrs.. but then again.. i really like what i drive now its just that its a bit slow.. (that will change soon) then who knows i might even keep it.. but i do certanly drive very hard on it every single day.. so that why i would consider going synth..

figment

You may be beyond help

hybrid_eg

yeah so i bought the synth finally.. after going to 3 pep boys stores that simply ran out of 5w30 mobil1 i ended up at target that was overstocked on mobil1 so i bought it there.. kinda sucked that i ened up going to 4 different location to spend $5 per quart.. oil must be good i assume since it was sold out at all other places.. hehehehe

norice

norice:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nobody is going to argue that synthetics have some better measurable characteristics than conventional oils
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nsxtcjr> Thank you for agreeing with my point.

Cutting somebody off in mid sentence to win a cheap debating point is hardly polite. My full sentence read:

Nobody is going to argue that synthetics have some better measurable characteristics than conventional oils - the question is if it matters in a road car.

I have never seen a whit of scientific evidence *anywhere* that synthetic oil provides any tangible benefits in a road car.

Mike K

Why is it that when I had my Civic w/ built ITR motor(11.8:1 compression, Spoon cams, etc.) the Castrol 5w30 would turn black within 1000 miles... then when I switched to Mobil1 5w30 it stayed golden for at least 1500?

Also, do a little experimant. Take a 5w30 or 10w30 organic oil like Pennzoil or Mobil regular, and put it in a cup. Then pour some Mobil1 in a cup. Put them in the freezer overnight. Take em out in the morning and pour em out. Which pours out faster? Which one looks like maple syrup??
Yea you guessed it. Mobil1 is the ****.

norice

I am not disputing that synthetic oil provides protection for longer or has better cold flow characteristics - the question is does this matter? I have never seen evidence that it does. The longevity and cold flow characteristics of conventional oil is more than adequate for road cars. Why use an overengineered solution if it has no practical benefits (and costs 2-3 times as much)?

ITR764

ask you acura tech and they'll tell you you don't need synthetic crap. mine did.