What brand engine oil do you use?

Micah

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In before the Amsoil zealots start posting...

Amsoil is arguably good but definitely overpriced and suspiciously lacking certification seals on their bottles.

I have used Eneos, Royal Purple, Catrol Syntec, Motul, and Penzoil, in the past...but Mobil 1 is the oil I have always gone back to. Generally use a 3-5k interval based on how dark the oil on the dipstick looks. Blackstone labs pil analysis costs a bit more than changing your own oil but will give you a better judgement than "looks dirty/smells funny". Walmart and Advanced auto often have deals on it. For now I am 3000 miles deep on the factory fill oil and still driving.

IMO the point of using a synthetic is to avoid the breakdown characteristics of non-synthetic. Going for extended intervals seems to negate the benefits. I know they sell high mileage variants now but I have not tried them yet.
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dredsen

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Does not idemitsu make both the honda and Subaru ow20 oem oils?
 

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It probably makes me a bad person... but whatever is the right viscosity, is labeled full synthetic, and is on sale.

Lately, it's been the Castrol Magnatec. It didn't get any hate I could find over at BITOG, is claimed to have ester related goodness... or at least marketing goodness... to where it clings to engine parts so there's less wear upon startup.

It cost me a little around $16-18 for 5 quarts off Amazon on a subscribe and I've got 2 jugs standing by for the Odyssey and Civic. I don't send my oil to get used analysis done. It's just not something I worry about. For folks who are very interested in those things, good on them. That's one thing about cars I've never worried or cared too much about. 20 years of driving cars... some new... some old... some very old. Never had an oil related problem... no sludge... consumption... compression issue (or at least one that wasn't preexisting)... nothing. While past performance doesn't necessarily guarantee future success... it's just not something I pine over. I also follow the MM and don't do any shorter intervals.

If you're looking for the best... you can spend days reading UOAs over at BITOG and look at a lot of facts mixed with opinions. All oils are a little different... but one thing I got out of reading (and was said many times over): They are all good enough under a manufacturer's dictated change periodicity. If you want to go longer... then it may be a different story. There was a long debate over Supertech from Walmart and other store brands... and it was just settled that they were all just fine. I don't think you can buy a non-API certified motor oil. That's the only thing that the book calls for... an API certified oil in the right viscosity... and that it can be synthetic, though I don't think 0w oil exists unless it's at least a synthetic blend.

Use whatever you want and makes you feel like you're doing right by your car. As long as you don't abuse it, the engine will likely still be running by the time the car around it falls apart. If you are doing track duty or extended cycles, then you may need to be choosy.
 

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For our simple daily driven/light duty cars we utilize Eneos. For our race vehicles and harder pushed ones I have had great experience with Motul.
 


PMMonly4HATCH

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For our simple daily driven/light duty cars we utilize Eneos. For our race vehicles and harder pushed ones I have had great experience with Motul.
I've seen the name brands burn when they are not in 0w-20. As far as Motul, people who stutter namely speech impediment, they pronounce Mobil like Motul. But seriously, these are the top 3 specs when you are gawking oil.

1. cst @ 100 or KV100
2. VI or Viscosity Index
3. HT/HS

4. seat of the pants but this is highly unscientific and frowned upon in the research establishments. but MC 5w-20 fell into this category. But seriously seriously, the 0w-20 don't burn in the Texas heat, it's the #1 stunner.
 
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hawk02

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In before the Amsoil zealots start posting...

Amsoil is arguably good but definitely overpriced and suspiciously lacking certification seals on their bottles.

I have used Eneos, Royal Purple, Catrol Syntec, Motul, and Penzoil, in the past...but Mobil 1 is the oil I have always gone back to. Generally use a 3-5k interval based on how dark the oil on the dipstick looks. Blackstone labs pil analysis costs a bit more than changing your own oil but will give you a better judgement than "looks dirty/smells funny". Walmart and Advanced auto often have deals on it. For now I am 3000 miles deep on the factory fill oil and still driving.

IMO the point of using a synthetic is to avoid the breakdown characteristics of non-synthetic. Going for extended intervals seems to negate the benefits. I know they sell high mileage variants now but I have not tried them yet.
Certifications cost money to get, does NOT make them better than those without, they just choose not to PAY for a label on their bottles, Asmoil SS, Motul, RedLine, torco and a FEW other are the only one's on the general market that are FULLY synthetic group4/5, done.
 

Krazieness

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Heard Royal Purple got bought out and quality hasn't been same since. I use Mobil 1.
My question is, people who use Mobil 1, do you use Mobil oil filters too? or use Honda OEM with it? Heard some people say Honda OEM filters are good but I doubted them that they are better than Mobil 1's.
 

Gruber

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I have been using Mobil 1 extended in my cr-v and followed MM which with my driving style in this car led to 10k oil changes.
I will be doing the same thing for the 1.5L/T civic HB except might switch to the new Mobil 1 1 year oil which is a little more expensive. I might also shorten a bit the intervals and possibly replace 1-2 quarts between oil changes.

Inhave been using $4 Honda OEM filters which I believe are completely adequate. I might use "better" synthetic filters for the civic because the cost difference is irrelevant.
How long the oil lasts depends on how well the engine is cooled with minimum hot spots and how brutally it is driven, including cold starting and stop and go. I'm 100% sure that for me any more effort put in lubrication would not bring any detectable dofference.
 

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honestly, the FRAM Ultra with that synthetic media, along with full synthetic oil (at that time, I used QSUD 5w-30) was a tremendous combination. I am really tempted to pair this 0w-20 full syn (Idemitsu on deck) oil with that synthetic media filter cause it was like hot knife to butter. This 0w-20 doesn't burn like the 5w-30s and even the 10w-30s. Not sure if the engine design determines that or the oil, this is the big gray area. you don't know until you try.
 


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I'm running AMSOIL SS. Here are two analysis from Honda factory fill and AMSOIL. Decide for yourself.
 

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