Who's using 5w/30 in their Si??

[17siturb0]

Remember to use the correct oil type folks.


On the video skip to 4:00 and watch the rest. That is what I’ve been stressing with oil type and any kind of VVT engines. Yes our cars don’t have traditional VTEC but this is for all and any engines with Variable valve timing which our cars do have.

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[zroger73]

Remember to use the correct oil type folks.

On the video skip to 4:00 and watch the rest. That is what I’ve been stressing with oil type and any kind of VVT engines. Yes our cars don’t have traditional VTEC but this is for all and any engines with Variable valve timing which our cars do have.

It's good to see people like Scotty Kilmer, Jason Fenske (Engineering Explained), and John Cadogan (AutoExpertTV) clearing up myths and misconceptions.

 

[charleswrivers]

Low viscosity oils have been *the* oil for OHC cars for awhile.

CAFE certainly is there to push better fuel economy. More power due to less resistance from a thicker oil isn't a bad thing. Having an oil that's easy to pump gets it flowing good on startup... and having an oil that doesn't honey up when cold and flow poorly means easier and less wear on cold starts. When I was in upstate NY, I was having hard starts on my RSX. At first I thought battery but it was fine. I found shifting from the 5w-30 to 0w-30 (admittedly, I went from a high mileage synthetic blend to full synthetic as well) greatly improved cold weather starts in ~-20F weather.

The entering arguement in why to use a higher viscosity oil is that is provides something protection-wise that the thinner oil doesn't. Whether that's better performance at high loads... especially at your bearings, specially towing... high RPMs... extreme high temperature... not coking at the turbo... less loss do to lower volitility... effects of fuel dilution that further lowers viscosity... all the while any negative effects being negligable or negated by the fact many engine designs we have from ~15 years ago or more are still from the pre-5w-20 era (which I'll lump in with 0w-20).

It just comes to reading a million qualitative things and opinions and a bunch of quantified data, much of which is skewed towards marketing a product. That's where feelings comes into play. We don't have a chart in our manual that shows multiple viscosity grades that cover a wide range of temperature ranges like a pile of other cars I've had... but, in the end, a wide range of oils ought to work safely. The only reason one would choose to forgo 0w-20, which is essentially a 'universal' oil for our car... covering the entire posted temperature range... with the benefit of improved fuel economy is the belief, justified or not, that it's better for the car to use a different oil.

In that arena... you do you. I am sure whatever longevity testing Honda did was based on the oil they recommend in bold in the manual, at least. Using an other-than-recommended oil... using zinc additives (I've watched a bunch if videos touting the magic powers of zinc, improving power and minimizing wear)... not API certed oil... etc... puts you in uncertain terms with regard to your car's durability when it comes to all the testing that was done by the manufacturer to make them comfortable to put out a car that would last to their customers satisfaction and maintain their reputation for putting out reliable cars.

Then again, I have my ECU reflashed and have screwed with the basemap's... so who am I to talk? Get a spoon! 5w/0w-30 shouldn't do anymore damage with trying to get 1/4 or more torque out of the engine. I'm sure your engine will last as long as any other 0w-20 fed engine... but with a almost unnotiably loss in power and fuel economy. I'm not sure it's helping... but if you're doing right by your car... so be it.

 

[hawk02]

So Astroglide and Vasalube???? Sounds good to me. Someone did mention increased boost and TQ would benefit........so anyone tuned would benefit from a bit heavier oil, thanks!!!!! I could see all this craziness if I were going to use 10w30, 10w40 or 20w50 but really, 0w20 to 5w30 is soooo negligible it probably won't do anything, all I originally asked was if anyone else was going to use it....................if not no biggie.

 

[hawk02]

This was my original post..........Going to try 5/30 for my 1st oil change. It is an option in the printed manual if 0/20 in not available and we all know that the 0/20 if for the fuel economy ratings not better protection, especially in the turbo. Wanted to try Shell Helix Ultra that's used in F1 but not readily available here in the states and after a little research, Pennzoil Ultra Platinum is Shell Helix Ultra just branded for the US market, so that's what I'm gonna go with and see. $32shipped for 5 qt jug. Anyone else going the 5/30 route?" And the "oil passage comment"....come on, the European 1.5 internals are the same and say 0 or 5w30 so that comment in null and void.

 

[JSPeruzzi]

As long as i'm under warranty, i'll use 0w20. Just did my first service and used LiquiMoly 0w20 AA full synthetic.

 

[hawk02]

As long as i'm under warranty, i'll use 0w20. Just did my first service and used LiquiMoly 0w20 AA full synthetic.

Nice choice of oil, liquid moly is great stuff!!!!!

 

[JSPeruzzi]

Nice choice of oil, liquid moly is great stuff!!!!!

I spent the first 6000 miles of ownership researching oil. It was either Liquimoly or Idemitsu. And your oil cap is perfect, I have the same one in red!

 

[hawk02]

I spent the first 6000 miles of ownership researching oil. It was either Liquimoly or Idemitsu. And your oil cap is perfect, I have the same one in red!

Thanks and that's my problem, I research stuff to death....wanted the shell helix ultra but it can't be gotten here in the states without crazy shipping si I messaged shell motorsport and the indirectly said the ultra platinum was rebottled helix ultra for the u.s. market as they own pennzoil and Quaker state

 

[zroger73]

I just use whatever the manual recommends. There's no risk of warranty issues and I haven't lost an engine in 30 years of driving. I don't understand what people are trying to gain by attempting to outsmart the manufacturer's recommendation - an engine that lasts 450,000 miles instead of 400,000 miles perhaps? How many vehicles have you actually kept that long...seriously?

But, people don't always make rational decisions. If they did, everybody would be driving a Honda.

 

[hawk02]

I just use whatever the manual recommends. There's no risk of warranty issues and I haven't lost an engine in 30 years of driving. I don't understand what people are trying to gain by attempting to outsmart the manufacturer's recommendation - an engine that lasts 450,000 miles instead of 400,000 miles perhaps? How many vehicles have you actually kept that long...seriously?

But, people don't always make rational decisions. If they did, everybody would be driving a Honda.

Nothing to do with lasting longer just better protection for a turbo spinning at 100,000+rpms......0 weight scares me....sorry, not sorry........and I'm about irrational as they come......old and thick headed

 

[zroger73]

Nothing to do with lasting longer just better protection for a turbo spinning at 100,000+rpms......0 weight scares me....sorry, not sorry........and I'm about irrational as they come......old and thick headed

Honda have a reputation for vehicles that last hundreds of thousands of miles. Do you really think they ignored the turbocharger when they spec'd the engine oil? While you were sleeping, a transition occurred - the three models that make up the vast majority of Honda's sales (Civic, CR-V, and Accord) now have turbochargers including half the Civic lineup, three-quarters of the CR-V lineup, and every Accord. I assure you that if Honda weren't very confident all of these vehicles would last for hundreds of thousands of miles when maintained per their recommendations like their normally-aspirated predecessors, they'd have made different recommendations.

This isn't 1980 anymore. Run-on timers are history. Turbos are now cooled by oil and water. Machining is more precise. Tolerances are tighter. Materials have improved. The Maintenance Minder is very aware there is a turbocharger pushing air into the engine and it knows exactly how hard it works as a factor in calculating the remaining oil life.

I understand - old habits are hard to break. Like I say, it took me years to move from 3K-mile oil changes to 9K-miles oil changes, but my bank account has thanked me ever since. When it comes to cooling turbochargers, the thinner the oil the quicker it flows and the more effectively it cools. The residence time of thick oil is longer because it flows more slowly which causes it to get hotter and break down faster. Heat kills.

 

[hawk02]

Honda have a reputation for vehicles that last hundreds of thousands of miles. Do you really think they ignored the turbocharger when they spec'd the engine oil? While you were sleeping, a transition occurred - the three models that make up the vast majority of Honda's sales (Civic, CR-V, and Accord) now have turbochargers including half the Civic lineup, three-quarters of the CR-V lineup, and every Accord. I assure you that if Honda weren't very confident all of these vehicles would last for hundreds of thousands of miles when maintained per their recommendations like their normally-aspirated predecessors, they'd have made different recommendations.

This isn't 1980 anymore. Run-on timers are history. Turbos are now cooled by oil and water. Machining is more precise. Tolerances are tighter. Materials have improved. The Maintenance Minder is very aware there is a turbocharger pushing air into the engine and it knows exactly how hard it works as a factor in calculating the remaining oil life.

I understand - old habits are hard to break. Like I say, it took me years to move from 3K-mile oil changes to 9K-miles oil changes, but my bank account has thanked me ever since. When it comes to cooling turbochargers, the thinner the oil the quicker it flows and the more effectively it cools. The residence time of thick oil is longer because it flows more slowly which causes it to get hotter and break down faster. Heat kills.

LOL, this is all old news but thanks anyway, in the end all that matters is that we are happy with our decisions, and LOL at the maint. minder, those are a joke and take nothing from the turbo into consideration, nothing new happened while I was sleeping. Heat does kill and will kill 0 weight much faster,,,,,,,,,add in fuel dilution to oil that's already like water and oh boy......guess I was sleeping. Have a great night.....and BTW the oil is spec'd for fuel economy first, protection 2nd. I prefer the other way around.

 

[jakabony]

LOL, this is all old news but thanks anyway, in the end all that matters is that we are happy with our decisions, and LOL at the maint. minder, those are a joke and take nothing from the turbo into consideration, nothing new happened while I was sleeping. Heat does kill and will kill 0 weight much faster,,,,,,,,,add in fuel dilution to oil that's already like water and oh boy......guess I was sleeping. Have a great night.....and BTW the oil is spec'd for fuel economy first, protection 2nd. I prefer the other way around.

“All that matters is that we are happy with our decisions”. I’m pretty sure Jim Jones and David Koresh used that same line hahahahaha

 

[hawk02]

“All that matters is that we are happy with our decisions”. I’m pretty sure Jim Jones and David Koresh used that same line hahahahaha

Outstanding!!!!!! Thanks again.

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