I just purchased a 95 lude SI, 2.3l 5 speed. 202K, I bought it directly from its original female owner. She has all maintenance records, interior is like new. My question is with 202K what oil should I run? Synthetic or high mileage or other? Thanks

 

high mileage oil. dont use synthetic on an old engine unless you got time and money to replace any gaskets that may end up leaking-the front and rear engine oil seals can be a pain to get to. it can cause leaks in old gaskets by cleaning sludge that is preventing leaks.

 

stay away from synthetic, use a heavy weight regular oil or use that high mileage oil. Just like he said synthetic will cause you more problems than good cause it has detergents and stuff to keep the engine clean and if it wasn't used before theres prob gunk holding leaks back.

 

Ive always heard that using 10w 30 is always been a good idea for older model cars...especially hondas. And so ive stuck to it, also using high mileage oil too. Would using heavier weight help the motor or not really? In help i mean not burn quicker or just last longer..same thing id say!!

 

10-30 high mileage penzoil.

 

agreed-and use the 10w-30 is a better choice then the 5w-30 in a high mileage vehicle unless the temp is near 0 or below a lot where you are currently at

 

If you're worried about a certain type of oil breaking loose deposits that can cause your old seals to leak then you aren't properly taking care of the car.

 

over a certain amount of mileage gunk will most likely build up regardless of how well you take care of it. but if your the first owner of your vehicle and change the oil every 3000 miles then you will have a higher chance of a long living engine. old seals dont like seafoam for sure though

 

my suggestion would to use 10w-30 regular oil and a quart of Lucas Oil Stabilizer

 

Thanks for all the responses, I will go with 10w-30 high mileage. I dont know anything about Lucas oil stablilizer?

 

Never had any problems with Lucas in my cars, its cheap insurance though.

 

10w-30

 

It's neither cheap or insurance.

Unless you're already burning oil, stick with a quality 5w30 and a good filter. Check your oil frequently and change every 5k or so

 

Invader 100% correct. Follow owner's manual recommendations, change no less than every 5K miles. Every 3000 is a myth perpetuated by the oil change shops and totally unnecessary. I challenge anybody to show me a passenger car owner's manual that says to change the oil every 3000 miles. Remember that the owner's manual is put together by the engineers who built the car.

 

I would use a synthetic high mileage blend. The Valvoline Max Life in the red bottle works well for aged engines if it is switched over early enough. The blend is conventional and synthetic with detergents and additives. My dad and I have had good luck with it in our cars.

Use synthetic oil at your discretion. Dad changes his oil every 3000 miles, and I change mine every 5000 because my car is newer and younger. As for frequency, that's something else to determine at your discretion. With an engine that old, I would change every 3000.

If miles are high enough, which they are in your case, I would stick with Valvoline's conventional oil at the weight recommended by your manual for your engine for all seasons.