What's up all,

I have a 2000 Honda Accord SE 2.3L V-TEC (same car as in my sig). The owners manual says it should use 5W-30. My dad keeps on telling me to use 20W-50 (or something close like 30 or 40). Should I listen to him or use what the owner’s manual says. The only reason I'm asking this is b/c I've heard that sometimes other grade oil is better for your car. One more thing, I've been using Castrol high mileage (95,000+ miles on the car). The service center has Honda motor oil. It's a lot more expensive. Is it worth it?

When responding to this question, please tell me what type of oil to use and why. Thanks in advance.





Modified by Riga89 at 8:30 AM 9/28/2007

 

5w-30

 

Woah! 20W-50? Geez. If you live in really hot weather or racing applications, sure..... But regular driving, I use any name brand synthetic. 5W-30. Quaker State Full synthetic and Mobil one are the best IMO.

 

My friend's Volkswagen uses 20W-50, but he says that is rare for cars to have that high a weight. Use the 5W-30. Why? Because the people who made the engine think its best!

I wouldn't get Honda motor oil... I just get Pennzoil stuff. But, I don't have any idea what the difference is, besides in price.

 

when it comes to conventional oil Castrol GTX > everything else. and 20w-50 is way too thick, your going to sacrifice performance, mileage, and make your oil pump work harder than it needs to. this aint the old days with chevy small blocks and shyt, modern day engines have very tight tolerances and too thick of oil can sometimes cause catastrophic failure. stick with 5-30 is a good all season oil, if your state never sees temperature below 0 degree celsius (aka freezing) than 10-30 is a better choice.

 

5w-30 stick with it, thats what honda reccomends.

 

5w-30 is recommended for a reason

 

So, should you trust the company that has sold millions of cars, or your dad?

Seriously, trust Honda on this one. Use 5w-30. As for which brand, you are right in that Honda brand fluids are really needed in some situations like transmission fluid, but for motor oil just use a decent brand. I personally use Castrol GTX (I have a '99 LX, I4, 90,000 miles).


Modified by Heat at 1:10 PM 9/28/2007

 

I use 10W-30 in the summer and 5W-30 in the winter. Right now I'm using a synthetic blend and using that Lucas Oil Treatment stuff. It seems to work quite nicely, I'm noticing a power gain after using the Lucas. If course with the car being that new, I'd be careful.

 

Ok. Thanks everybody for there input. I will stick with the Castrol GTX 5W-30 high mileage. I'll tell the old man I'm using his suggestion but stick to what I know is right for my car.

 

ok if your some around the 100,000 mark use 10w-30, i only use, castrol, mobil, royal purple. i stay away from penzoil's and crap like that, AUTOZONE carries all three. Ive heard sludge build up and stuff like that.

 

Someone said 5-30 winter, 10-30 summer. Perfect if you have cold winters and warmer summers.

Your dad sounds like an older V-8 head- 10-40 and such. I am of the V-8 era, but you really need to do what HONDA says (it probably recommends 5-30, with 10-30 for hot summers and/or towing).

Buy good quality oil and filters, you will be fine. Wrenchy

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by oodie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">5w-30</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

ok ok, this isnt back in the days, dont listen to your dad. with the thicker oil in the summer, and thinner in the winter, its kind of like that thing they used to do change out
the thermostats as well, running a cooler one in the summer and a hotter on in the winter.

these days engines with sensors up the *** they're supposed to work at the same temperature. if its to hot, they start flowing the coolant and turn on the fans.
so our engines are running the same temperature summer and winter meaning you dont
bounce from thicker to thinner oil from season to season.

if im wrong please someone correct me.

 

use what HONDA recommends

 

 

I just rock 5W-30 year round on my '94...Just go with what the manual says or the label above the airbox.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rleonekc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">5w-30 stick with it, thats what honda reccomends. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Several years ago Honda changed changed thier recomendation on 98-02 accords to 5w20.

 

I use Redline Oil 10w30.

 

dude no way

If you race,speed or do alot of short trips

use 10-40 castrol and 1 lucas


if u only use your car once in awhile or just very little

use 5-30

 

wow, durablend for the budget win!!! too bad i donated like 90+ quarts to a church doing oil changes and kept the synthetic for myself

 

"Dads" can be a pain in the ***. I am a dad, but I know both the older v-8 and v-6 engines as well as having owned many 4's.

Ignorance of oil types is realted to the "age" of the "dad". V-8 and V-6 engines used heavier oils; 10-40/20-50 type weights. Almost all the smaller engines use 5-30 or 10-30. TRUE racing engines use heavier oils.

Use what the manual says, PERIOD. The manual will probably say 5-30. It will note to possibly go heavier for very hot seasons/climates or "torture" such as towing. This is probably listed as 10-30 range.

Do what you want. I have been working on engines for 30+ years. I use 5-30 in my Avalon, Accord and XTerra in the winter (gets VERY cold here). In the summer, I use 10-30 in the Avalon (the freeway runner) and the Accord (high-revving engine). Both could stay with the 5-30, but run slightly better with the 10-30 at peak summer heat. I stay with 5-30 in the Xterra in the summer because I do not tow and the engine runs pretty low rpm's.

Arguments for needing heavier oils if you are going to "race" the car? I always laugh at this one. Most kids buy used Accords with at least 100+K miles on the engines. "Race" an engine like that hard enough to demand heavier "racing-oils" and you will be building an engine very shortly. If the engine is built up for racing, then use the heavier oils. If not, don't.

No doubt some 16 year old kid will argue with me here, that's why I don't post too much anymore. Hell, I've only owned and been working on cars for 30+ years, a LOT of cars, pickups and 4WD's over the years. I rarely get less than 150K out of an engine, especialyy one I build. (I no longer build engines for racing uses).

I am getting ready to pull the Accord block this winter and build it out, the ENTIRE car has already been restored/built except the engine. The engine build will not be too extreme, normally aspirated with cam/header/HP forged pistons/shotpeened rods/balanced crank, etc. It'll run when I get done (I build suspension/brake systems first-always).

What will I use for oil? The same. Synthetic 5-30 for most of the year and 10-30 for the really hot season. And I never, ever use oil-additives for street-use engines.

The only exception is if I have ever bought a used engine or car, then I'll run a quart of "gunk" or other cleaner through the block the first oil-change. By the way-my oil weights/types/non-use of additives is in line with friends I have had who were master-mechanincs, what they used for THEIR cars.

So, this advice is also from master-mechanics, what they do for THEIR vehicles. But, the arguments will now start, I have no doubts. Some 16 year old kid out there will tell you to use 80-90WT. gear-oil so you have enough "body" in the oil to push it to 12000 rpm regularly.

Probably the same one who NEVER uses a crush-washer for the pan-bolt, the car doesn't "use one". Does it? Check a SCHEMATIC of the block at Majestic Honda (a typical Haynes will not show it/differs by model).

Surprise! MANY of the Honda models do use them! (About $0.10 at the dealer/throw some in your toolbox) Wrenchy

 

nice this helped me out i put 5w 30 in my 92 teg and they told me it was wrong that i needed to put thicker oil.:relieved:

 

mobil 1

5-30w

plain and simple

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr Wonderfull &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

ummmm, No. Its garbage... My built head consumed itself running that ****... LOOK AT THE TEST... It did HORRIBLY (especially for the price).. For 1 dollar a QT... RP is cheap insurance</TD></TR></TABLE>


do i have to break out the pictures for them again brian?







-looks at his reciepts- .. i dunno about cheap insurance, but it's affordable