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PilotCrazy said:
Can you give me some reasons why syntheic oil is better than regular oil? I have never used it.
Synthetic oil is better because:

1. It is developed in a controlled environment as opposed to a petroleum product that has been refined from crude oil.

2. It is pure. Petroleum contains parrafin and other contaminants that can lead to deposits.

3. It is slicker. Imagine a bottle full of BB's. Every molecule is consistent in size and shape and flow in and around engine parts very easily. Petroleum, imagine a bottle full of gravel. Every molecule is of a different size and shape and creates heat and friction when flowing.

4. Reduces operating temps. See above.

5. Lasts longer. Synthetics are able to hold engine combustion byproducts is suspension better and will not cause deposits to form.

6. Keeps operating components clean. Synthetics have a natural detergent action that is inherent with their chemical properties.

Just like beer, not all synthetics are alike. Be sure the basestock is an extremely high quality Group III or is a Group IV basestock.

And stay away from semi-synthetics. There are no rules in the marketplace dictating what percentage of synthetic there has to be in the product. Most are 5% or less synthetic. You'll be paying extra for not much value.
 
Synthetic oil is better because:

Great discriptin Aggie.

Two things to remember;
1) Good enough is good enough,
2) Better may be no better!

For most people good quality conventional oil is 'good enough',
For most people better quality synthetic oil is 'no better'!

:2: :2: :2: :2: :2: :2:
 
for those who use 5w-30

Do you noticed a change in you MPG?
 
Do you guys think that Mobil1 5W30 is actually "slicker" than a petro-based 5W20???
 
Re: for those who use 5w-30

timchen said:
Do you noticed a change in you MPG?
I changed mine yesterday and switched to 5W30. I'll monitor my mileage and report back.

:)

YMMV
 
Re: Re: for those who use 5w-30

colorider said:


I changed mine yesterday and switched to 5W30. I'll monitor my mileage and report back.

:)

YMMV
Did you ever post a follow-up on this? I might have missed it...

Never mind. found it.
 
Honda Recommends 5W30 !

In light of all of the discussion on oil viscosity...

Look what I found on the Ownerlink site tonight:

DID YOU KNOW...
Honda recommends using a 5W30 motor oil year-round. Heavy oils make an engine harder to start, which can strain the electrical system. Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts.

I guess 5W30 isn't so bad after all...
 
Re: Honda Recommends 5W30 !

rtrypilot said:
In light of all of the discussion on oil viscosity...

Look what I found on the Ownerlink site tonight:

DID YOU KNOW...
Honda recommends using a 5W30 motor oil year-round. Heavy oils make an engine harder to start, which can strain the electrical system. Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts.

I guess 5W30 isn't so bad after all...
Interesting! I don't remember that on the site the last time I looked. I used 5W30 at my change at 5K and will use it again at 10K shortly. The price is right and is available virtually everywhere.

Thanks for the update!
:)
 
Re: Honda Recommends 5W30 !

rtrypilot said:
In light of all of the discussion on oil viscosity...

Look what I found on the Ownerlink site tonight:

DID YOU KNOW...
Honda recommends using a 5W30 motor oil year-round. Heavy oils make an engine harder to start, which can strain the electrical system. Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts.

I guess 5W30 isn't so bad after all...
Where did you see that?
Was it a general recommendation or Pilot specific?

As for as I know Honda recommends 5W20 for the Pilot all year round.
 
Where I found 5W30

Pilot specific

After you sign in (to the Ownerlink site), chose "My Pilot."

The opening screen starts off with "DID YOU KNOW..."

I can email you a screen capture in Word format if you'd like, just PM me if you would like it.

Has anyone else successfully found what I did?

rtrypilot
 
Yes, I just saw the 5W30 recommendation for honda cars under the "Did You Know?" I get a different "did you know" each time I log in. I would still go with what's in the owner's manual. That way, there can be no warranty dispute over whether or not the oil you used caused the problem.
 
5W30 & Warranty

MG Pilot said:
You can bet that most Honda dealers don't adhere to their own recommendations. The ones I called, all use 5W30.
Regarding possible warranty issues, if the dealer is changing oil in Pilots and replacing it with 5W30 (printed on the work order), I doubt the warranty would be affected. If it is affected, the dealer that changes the oil can step up to the plate and take care of the warranty for servicing the vehicle outside of Honda's "recommendations." To keep confusion to a minimum, it would be nice if the owner's manual and the Ownerlink website contained the same content. All said, I believe Honda "recommends" 5W20 in the owner's manual to ensure the EPA that they are promoting LEV/ULEV standards after the sale. The minimal difference between 5W20 and 5W30 must not be that significant if Honda is going to recommend it to the masses on their Ownerlink site.
 
Re: Honda Recommends 5W30 !

rtrypilot said:

DID YOU KNOW...
Honda recommends using a 5W30 motor oil year-round. Heavy oils make an engine harder to start, which can strain the electrical system. Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts.

I guess 5W30 isn't so bad after all...
I'm wondering if that would apply to my 92 Accord as well or if the engines are so different that it would not.
 
Let me get this straight. Florida Guy has posted over 1100 times, but he doesn't own a Pilot. What's wrong with this picture?
 
Re: Re: Honda Recommends 5W30 !

florida_guy said:

I'm wondering if that would apply to my 92 Accord as well or if the engines are so different that it would not.
I'm guessing at 198K miles, it won't make a lot of difference - 'cept maybe start using (more) oil.

:)
 
Re: Where I found 5W30

rtrypilot said:
Pilot specific

After you sign in (to the Ownerlink site), chose "My Pilot."

The opening screen starts off with "DID YOU KNOW..."

I can email you a screen capture in Word format if you'd like, just PM me if you would like it.

Has anyone else successfully found what I did?

rtrypilot
I am betting the "did you know?" stuff on teh web site is generic.
I went through this whoile discussion with people in a forum, my dealer, and finally Honda (Torance) to get a clear answer when I got my '02 CR-V.

The final answer from Honda agreed with the manual; Recommended 5W20, alternate if unavailable 5W30, under no conditions 10W anything.

From OwnerLink:
Choosing a Motor Oil
Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts. Please consult your owner's manual for the recommended motor oil for your model
 
When I went to my dealer for the 7500 mile service they were going to use Castrol 10w30 until I asked them to use 5w20. This means I probably got 10w30 at 3750 mile oil change because I didn't ask.

If Honda strictly recommends 5w20 or 5w30 why are their dealers not falling in line?
 
beowulf777 said:
. . .
If Honda strictly recommends 5w20 or 5w30 why are their dealers not falling in line?
Because they are not controlled by Honda.
I would bet that more are using 5W20 or at worst 5W30 now that all the new cars recommend it.
 
guitarman said:
Let me get this straight. Florida Guy has posted over 1100 times, but he doesn't own a Pilot. What's wrong with this picture?
You haven't been reading my signature line? :) At first it was research which caused me to decide to wait for the 2004's but by then I had made friends I wanted to keep in touch with and I also wanted to keep up to date on any changes and also practice writing run on sentences.
 
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