diyer

94 Accord Ex Sedan
160k
Auto trans, VTEC


What viscosity synthetic would you use for the purpose of cleaning the internal moving parts and oil passages etc. of a gas combustion engine, if you did not use a synthetic as the regular engine oil? I recently acquired a 94 Accord. The former owner did not maintain the vehicle and it was really dirty - inside and out. I replaced the tranny and engine oils immediately.

My general plan was to keep the petro dino oil in until it got dirty and then I was going to add some Gunk engine flush (5 min run time) before I change it, and then perhaps run the gunk a second time with new clean oil for 5 minutes again. Then fill with a synthetic for awhile to clean it up some more.

I saw some synthetic oils in various weights. I was not going to use a synthetic motor oil in this Accord until I could determine how much oil it consumed regularly. I feel that having to top it up with a synthetic on an engine that consumes alot of oil is too costly.


# 1, will adding the synthetic cause the seals to shrink? If yes, will the seals swell again when I resume use of the petro oil?

# 2, Viscosities:

10W-30 – Higher-Mileage Vehicle Formula. What is considerd higher mileage on a [Honda] vehicle?

5W-30 – Newer Vehicle Formula. Does that mean low mileage engines or just more modern cars with computers and sensors, etc?

0W-30 – Enhanced Fuel Economy Formula - but what about this for cleaning purposes?

Any opinions on the best viscosity for short term use for cleaning purposes?

I'm leaning towards the 0-30, thinking it will flow easier and get the crud out of smaller nooks & crannies.

D21X

OW-30 is too thin for summer driving. i'd stick with just regular 5W-30 because your engine isnt much of a performance engine and besides synthetic is too expensive!!!

bobsnow

I have been using Mobil 1 since my 94 Accord EX was new. I did use 0w30 for winter and 5w30 summer and never added a drop of oil between twice a year changes. After about 90k I just went with 5w30 and anual changes.

With 160k I would avoid 0w30 and go with 5w30 year round if the engine is tight, but 10w30 if it's tired. DO NOT FLUSH. Any modern detergent oil should help to clean things up. A flush could damage seals or disolve more than can safely held in suspension. It is my understanding that synthetic oil keeps your engine cleaner because it does not itself contribute to the contaminants by breaking down at high temperature. I think the detergents used are pretty much the same as conventional oil. Dark oil does not necessarily mean dirty oil. Lot's of gunk and solids under the valve cover is a much better indicator of dirty oil.

The best thing about synthetic is how well it flows when cold. At ten years old, my Accord probably has less engine wear because synthetic flows so much better during a cold start. Also lubricates better at very high temperatures and needs fewer viscosity enhancers to acheive the same range.

Justin Klemgold

The original owner of my Accord used the dino juice from 0-242,000 miles, every 3,000 chnages...then I got it and I continued putting the same oil in (he used valvoline dino oil)...my next oil change, I'm going with synthetic. I run synthetic in my Type-R so why not in the Accord?

It's hardly overpriced...I believe the price justifies the better protection....easily.

IVI

i use mobil 1 synthetic
10w

adjust for winter or summer

Maxx PARANOiA

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by diyer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">94 Accord Ex Sedan
160k
Auto trans, VTEC
....I replaced the tranny and engine oils immediately.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'd suggest sticking with the recommended viscosity (being 5w30 for a 94 accord vtech)...However, I'd be more concerned about your transmission...I know this is a bit off-topic, but I feel I should speak up on this...And since you've already done it, I hope the best for you...I know for a fact that once transmissions get to a certain point (generally around 80k miles) without being maintained, it's best to leave them un-maintained because by flushing/changing the fluid inside, you change conditions and can remove gunk and deposits that are keeping damaged seals tight and stir up problems that may not have been noticable prior to servicing. I also know for a fact that Honda doesn't make the best automatic transmissions either, so that's why it concerns me...I wish you the best with your trans.

Justin Klemgold

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Maxx PARANOiA &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I'd suggest sticking with the recommended viscosity (being 5w30 for a 94 accord vtech)...However, I'd be more concerned about your transmission...I know this is a bit off-topic, but I feel I should speak up on this...And since you've already done it, I hope the best for you...I know for a fact that once transmissions get to a certain point (generally around 80k miles) without being maintained, it's best to leave them un-maintained because by flushing/changing the fluid inside, you change conditions and can remove gunk and deposits that are keeping damaged seals tight and stir up problems that may not have been noticable prior to servicing. I also know for a fact that Honda doesn't make the best automatic transmissions either, so that's why it concerns me...I wish you the best with your trans. </TD></TR></TABLE>

First of all, it's VTEC, not VTECH, he doesn't drive a phone...

Secondly, that is the biggest load of **** I've ever heard...I changed my tranny fluid at 242k (the previous change had occurred over 100k earlier) and it didn't leak, it shifts better, and it's holding up perfectly fine. What you said is faaaaaaaaar from a fact, it's all just hearsay, and hearsay is useless.

ex90ranger

I am new to this Honda thing, but from what I know of Rangers adding synthetic oil to an engine that’s run dyno all its life is the worst thing you can do. it will leak out of the engine like you drilled a one inch hole in the block because when it "cleans" the engine it will take all the gunk and junk away that is plugging pores on the seals. After that, the seals will never be the same and will have to be replaced.

But this might not be the case with Honda, like I said; I have only been at this for about 2 weeks now.

Good luck

ex90

ejprimo

the only synthetic that would clean your motor well is a group 5 ester based oil such as redline. or you can try auto-rx which is an ester based engine cleaner that really works: http://www.auto-rx.com/

if you cant afford this you can use any 15w-40 diesel motor oil which has more detergents than any regular motor oil. if you dont think you can use a diesel oil in your gas engine, then you can look for the API SL label on the bottle which approves it for gasoline engines also.

Justin Klemgold

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ex90ranger &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am new to this Honda thing, but from what I know of Rangers adding synthetic oil to an engine that’s run dyno all its life is the worst thing you can do. it will leak out of the engine like you drilled a one inch hole in the block because when it "cleans" the engine it will take all the gunk and junk away that is plugging pores on the seals. After that, the seals will never be the same and will have to be replaced.

But this might not be the case with Honda, like I said; I have only been at this for about 2 weeks now.

Good luck

ex90
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hearsay hearsay hearsay...let's not go on hearsay...put synthetic in your car if you want....synthetic oil does not cause leaks, bad seals cause leaks.

diyer

I hear what your all saying on the leak issues. My understanding is that if dino based paraffin oils were used and not changed, then the varnish, lacquer deposit stuff builds up, and when it comes loose for whatever reason, the seals that were bad but plugged up, then leak. Synthetics I am told have a smaller molecule and therefore work their way past a bad seal easier. There was some discussion about certain types of rubber seals, like the cheaper silicone ones, being problematic too. VITON and BUNA And TEFLON are supposed to be better quality seals.

In the end it is probably a simple thing but getting to the truth (as always because of $$$ being the primary misleading cause), can be a maze of information to sift thru. The you need to analyze your vehicle and decide what to do and what not to do.

Toyota shops claim to have a machine made by an independent mfr. that flushes engines safely - think it is called envirolution. The engine is not run at all. It is done thru pressure and special chemicals. I wonder if Honda has this? I was just looking for a cheaper, albeit slower approach over time. Now what about carbon buildup.


What about a high carbon buildup problem in the system. At one extreme some methods seem cheap but take possibly years to reduce the carbon. At the other
extreme is an expensive but quicker solution with head removal, and how many non mechanics can tackle that? And then there are a few methods in between. Motovac supposedly gets rid of high carbon buildup. Not sure if a fuel system cleaner, like Techron (aka polyetheramine), via a bottle in gas tank periodically; adding a 3M fuel system cleaner via pressurized can; the Motovac (not sure how its done), or just taking the head off is the way to go?

diyer


Modified by diyer at 1:01 PM 6/18/2004

Justin Klemgold

248k all on dino oil...today, I'm switching to synthetic, I'll let you know if it begins leaking :snickers to himself: