Best oil for TL
09-06-2011, 06:28 PM
#1
Best oil for TL
What's the best oil for a tl? Have a 08 with 18k. Synthetic is good but takes longer to thin out and protect. Were regular oil thins out and protects quicker. But once hot synthetic protects better. So whats the best to go with? I plan to keep this car for awhile so I want to use the best. I usually use mobile 1.
09-06-2011, 06:46 PM
#5
I know you're new here, but if you take a little time to browse our previous oil threads, you could pick up a lot!
Check out some of these threads, I dug up. Take note of what I hate cars says.
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/amsoil-vs-royal-purple-oil-filters-726719/
http://wwtl.acurazine.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=808158
I am running M1 0w-40.
Check out some of these threads, I dug up. Take note of what I hate cars says.
Another oil thread with no real direction....
I get tired of explaining it so here's a chart. cSt is the viscosity. 100 degrees celsius is 210F and it's the oil temp that most engines run at so it's the "hot" viscosity of the oil.
Chart won't post so here's the link:http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/
This also shows that the myth that the winter rating (w) is done at 32F. The temperature changes with the rating, it's not one set temp.
The red chart shows the viscosity range for each SAE viscosity designation.
For Atlanta even in the winter, a 10w-30 would work fine. You can see by the chart that a 10w is good to -20C. Personally I would stay away from any extreme ends of this chart. If it's getting down to -15 I would be running a 0w or 5w, not a 10w even though it's acceptable.
0w-20, 5w-20, and 5w-30 will all be fine in the winter too.
Oil pressure and flow appear just as quickly with a 10w-30 as with a 0w-20 because our oil pumps are a positive displacement pump. The exception to this is if it goes into bypass.
A synthetic 5w-30 will give you the best of all worlds in the TL and you won't have the need to switch oil weights from season to season. If you're using dino I would use a 10w-30 in the summer.
A 0w-20 will compromise HTHS which compromises hot engine protection. It's fine if you live in a very cold area and the oil never hits full temp.
A 5w-30 synthetic will usually have a higher HTHS rating than a dino oil in the same weight. This is one area besides very cold climates where a synthetic accels. When dealing with dino oils it's better to keep the low and high numbers as close together as possible. If you use a 5w-40 dino, it's going to have a ton of VIIs and shear like crazy.
I get tired of explaining it so here's a chart. cSt is the viscosity. 100 degrees celsius is 210F and it's the oil temp that most engines run at so it's the "hot" viscosity of the oil.
Chart won't post so here's the link:http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/
This also shows that the myth that the winter rating (w) is done at 32F. The temperature changes with the rating, it's not one set temp.
The red chart shows the viscosity range for each SAE viscosity designation.
For Atlanta even in the winter, a 10w-30 would work fine. You can see by the chart that a 10w is good to -20C. Personally I would stay away from any extreme ends of this chart. If it's getting down to -15 I would be running a 0w or 5w, not a 10w even though it's acceptable.
0w-20, 5w-20, and 5w-30 will all be fine in the winter too.
Oil pressure and flow appear just as quickly with a 10w-30 as with a 0w-20 because our oil pumps are a positive displacement pump. The exception to this is if it goes into bypass.
A synthetic 5w-30 will give you the best of all worlds in the TL and you won't have the need to switch oil weights from season to season. If you're using dino I would use a 10w-30 in the summer.
A 0w-20 will compromise HTHS which compromises hot engine protection. It's fine if you live in a very cold area and the oil never hits full temp.
A 5w-30 synthetic will usually have a higher HTHS rating than a dino oil in the same weight. This is one area besides very cold climates where a synthetic accels. When dealing with dino oils it's better to keep the low and high numbers as close together as possible. If you use a 5w-40 dino, it's going to have a ton of VIIs and shear like crazy.
Originally Posted by I hate cars with a passion!
I ended up going with the Redline over Amsoil for several reasons. Amsoil was great, I can only say good things about it. However, I figured if I was going to go with a synthetic I might as well go with the best. Redline offers a higher HTHS, thinner cold starting viscosity, it's an ester so it has a natural cleaning ability which means a cleaner engine and less detergents are needed. It has the stoutest additive package I've ever seen, tons of moly and ZDDP. Great HTHS retention meaning you can take it to track days and run it hard all day long and never worry about having to change it out early. It's a straight 30wt but flows like a 5w-30 so you get all the advantges of both a multi-weight and straight weigh oil. It's overkill no doubt but I figured why do it half ass. Even the Amsoil was overkill but that's my OCD getting the best of me.
http://wwtl.acurazine.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=808158
I am running M1 0w-40.
Last edited by justnspace; 09-06-2011 at 06:55 PM.
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jhumbo (09-14-2011)
09-06-2011, 07:49 PM
#11
Senior Moderator
iTrader: (1)
dino.
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jhumbo (09-14-2011)
09-06-2011, 07:58 PM
#12
Suzuka Master
iTrader: (2)
What's the best oil for a tl? Have a 08 with 18k. Synthetic is good but takes longer to thin out and protect. Were regular oil thins out and protects quicker. But once hot synthetic protects better. So whats the best to go with? I plan to keep this car for awhile so I want to use the best. I usually use mobile 1.
09-06-2011, 08:00 PM
#13
3G TL/2G MDX Owner
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dealer oil 5W-20 and OEM filter...no problems.
synthetic vs dino has already been debated...its really hard to mess up motor oil unless you have no idea what the application of the oil is for (ie the varying weights and what conditions they are ideally used for in an engine). go with the ideal for your application or by the manual. regular maintenance is what will keep the car happy. oh and BTW follow your MID and not that silly 3k mi oil change rule.
synthetic vs dino has already been debated...its really hard to mess up motor oil unless you have no idea what the application of the oil is for (ie the varying weights and what conditions they are ideally used for in an engine). go with the ideal for your application or by the manual. regular maintenance is what will keep the car happy. oh and BTW follow your MID and not that silly 3k mi oil change rule.
09-06-2011, 08:31 PM
#16
Racer
What's the best oil for a tl? Have a 08 with 18k. Synthetic is good but takes longer to thin out and protect. Were regular oil thins out and protects quicker. But once hot synthetic protects better. So whats the best to go with? I plan to keep this car for awhile so I want to use the best. I usually use mobile 1.
EDIT. Forgot to say. I use Purolator PureONE oil filters. FWIW, there's a $3 rebate right now on each one up to 4 filters. Advance Auto Parts or Amazon usually have the best prices.
Last edited by Pat04TL; 09-06-2011 at 08:36 PM.
09-06-2011, 10:16 PM
#19
Senior Moderator
Amsoil/Mobil 1 with Fram filters and 15k intervals. Never a issue. first motor (pulled out to do type-s motor and 6 speed swap had over 220k on it. Never a issue, type-s motor now has over 250k with same intervals. No issues.
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jhumbo (09-14-2011)
09-07-2011, 07:04 AM
#22
Registered Member
All of the major oils out there are fine to use. It really boils down to whether or not you are going to go with synthetic or dino, and which viscosity you prefer. Use a quality oil and filter and some good common sense and you'll be fine.
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jhumbo (09-14-2011)
09-07-2011, 08:43 AM
#23
Oil
Just wanted to add a little something...
About 75% of all engine wear can be attributed to initial start ups where the oil has not lubricated the necessary parts yet. So for those of you (especially with bikes) who like to gun it right on start up, have fun with the inevitable engine lock coming your way. Ever have sex with a completely dry girl...
lol.
Anyways, I just run full synthetic due to the intervals mobil 1 5W-20 every 7500 miles, it probably lasts longer but for peace of mind I swap it.
So most high mileage cars 200k+ with normal oil changes have less overall wear (on average) than those who make many short trips when the car can not reach its normal operating temp. I am sure most of you know this I just wanted to burn some time at work before the next meeting!
About 75% of all engine wear can be attributed to initial start ups where the oil has not lubricated the necessary parts yet. So for those of you (especially with bikes) who like to gun it right on start up, have fun with the inevitable engine lock coming your way. Ever have sex with a completely dry girl...
lol. Anyways, I just run full synthetic due to the intervals mobil 1 5W-20 every 7500 miles, it probably lasts longer but for peace of mind I swap it.
So most high mileage cars 200k+ with normal oil changes have less overall wear (on average) than those who make many short trips when the car can not reach its normal operating temp. I am sure most of you know this I just wanted to burn some time at work before the next meeting!
09-07-2011, 11:44 AM
#25
If you driver conservatively and enjoy good mileage all the time, get Mobil-1 0w20. You will save money.
If your not that concerned with fuel economy, but still drive normal-to-conservative, get Mobil-1 5w20
If you want a little extra protection for more spirited driving, use Mobil-1 0w30 (I'm using it now and lost 1mpg over 5w20)
If you drive hard all the time, then Mobil-1 or Redline 5w30.
If you race, you should be doing oil-pressure & temp testing to determine what weight of oil works best for the conditions.
0w oils will help a lot more in the winter months as well as these oils flow better and start lubricating sooner at startup.
BTW: Autozone has that $10-off coupon for the 5qt jugs of M1 again. You can take it to Walmart and have the customer service manager do an "ad-match" on it (just ask at the service desk). That's how you get 5qts of M1 for $14. Lots of the super walmarts are carrying the 0w20 & 0w30 in the 5qt jugs now...
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/lan...0829_sz_slot_2
If your not that concerned with fuel economy, but still drive normal-to-conservative, get Mobil-1 5w20
If you want a little extra protection for more spirited driving, use Mobil-1 0w30 (I'm using it now and lost 1mpg over 5w20)
If you drive hard all the time, then Mobil-1 or Redline 5w30.
If you race, you should be doing oil-pressure & temp testing to determine what weight of oil works best for the conditions.
0w oils will help a lot more in the winter months as well as these oils flow better and start lubricating sooner at startup.
BTW: Autozone has that $10-off coupon for the 5qt jugs of M1 again. You can take it to Walmart and have the customer service manager do an "ad-match" on it (just ask at the service desk). That's how you get 5qts of M1 for $14. Lots of the super walmarts are carrying the 0w20 & 0w30 in the 5qt jugs now...
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/lan...0829_sz_slot_2
Last edited by 94eg!; 09-07-2011 at 11:47 AM.
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09-07-2011, 01:32 PM
#26
Advanced
Running Amsoil 0W-20 synthetic + OEM Honda filter. Running ~10k (kms) intervals on my '05 Supercharged TL for 1 season. No issues to report at all so far.
http://www.amsoil.com/articlespr/2007/pr_asm.aspx
http://www.amsoil.com/articlespr/2007/pr_asm.aspx
09-07-2011, 03:41 PM
#28
Senior Moderator
There is no "best oil". You will be fine with any oil that meets the requirements set forth in your owners manual.
My personal preference is Pennzoil, I use their oil in all 3 of my cars and haven't had any issues. The RDX which we've owned since new and now with 81K is spotless under the valve cover. The TL I bought used with 60K (kms) has a bit of varnish under the hood but it's not bad. I think the TL is extending the oil change interval out a lot further then the RDX is.
Hopefully overtime the Pennzoil Platinum cleans up the TL as well. Oh and the 96 Accord it surprisingly very very clean for the mileage and also it's on regular Pennzoil oil vs Synthetic.
My personal preference is Pennzoil, I use their oil in all 3 of my cars and haven't had any issues. The RDX which we've owned since new and now with 81K is spotless under the valve cover. The TL I bought used with 60K (kms) has a bit of varnish under the hood but it's not bad. I think the TL is extending the oil change interval out a lot further then the RDX is.
Hopefully overtime the Pennzoil Platinum cleans up the TL as well. Oh and the 96 Accord it surprisingly very very clean for the mileage and also it's on regular Pennzoil oil vs Synthetic.
09-07-2011, 05:07 PM
#29
Burning Brakes
I went with Royal Purple last oil change but think I'm going to switch to Amsoil next change, Always OEM filter
09-07-2011, 08:44 PM
#31
09-07-2011, 09:27 PM
#32
Team Owner
Agreed.Just wanted to add a little something...
About 75% of all engine wear can be attributed to initial start ups where the oil has not lubricated the necessary parts yet. So for those of you (especially with bikes) who like to gun it right on start up, have fun with the inevitable engine lock coming your way. Ever have sex with a completely dry girl... lol.
Anyways, I just run full synthetic due to the intervals mobil 1 5W-20 every 7500 miles, it probably lasts longer but for peace of mind I swap it.
So most high mileage cars 200k+ with normal oil changes have less overall wear (on average) than those who make many short trips when the car can not reach its normal operating temp. I am sure most of you know this I just wanted to burn some time at work before the next meeting!
About 75% of all engine wear can be attributed to initial start ups where the oil has not lubricated the necessary parts yet. So for those of you (especially with bikes) who like to gun it right on start up, have fun with the inevitable engine lock coming your way. Ever have sex with a completely dry girl...
lol. Anyways, I just run full synthetic due to the intervals mobil 1 5W-20 every 7500 miles, it probably lasts longer but for peace of mind I swap it.
So most high mileage cars 200k+ with normal oil changes have less overall wear (on average) than those who make many short trips when the car can not reach its normal operating temp. I am sure most of you know this I just wanted to burn some time at work before the next meeting!
I use Redline since it's an ester and very polar to eliminate dry starts even though an actual dry start is pretty much impossible. Oil sticks to cylinders and pistons, cam lobes usually are bathed in a little bucket of oil so lube is instant. Rod and main bearings have oil left in them and do not require instant pressure to get that hydrodynamic wedge to keep things separate. Oil pumps are positive displacement pumps so pressure and flow are instant.
You're literally talking miliseconds before you have full lube even on the first start in the morning. Many people have this idea that it takes seconds, even minutes to get lube but in reality it's under 1 second even in the winter with a thick oil.
Mobil One is not "full synthetic" it's a grpIII dino oil.
If you driver conservatively and enjoy good mileage all the time, get Mobil-1 0w20. You will save money.
If your not that concerned with fuel economy, but still drive normal-to-conservative, get Mobil-1 5w20
If you want a little extra protection for more spirited driving, use Mobil-1 0w30 (I'm using it now and lost 1mpg over 5w20)
If you drive hard all the time, then Mobil-1 or Redline 5w30.
If you race, you should be doing oil-pressure & temp testing to determine what weight of oil works best for the conditions.
0w oils will help a lot more in the winter months as well as these oils flow better and start lubricating sooner at startup.
BTW: Autozone has that $10-off coupon for the 5qt jugs of M1 again. You can take it to Walmart and have the customer service manager do an "ad-match" on it (just ask at the service desk). That's how you get 5qts of M1 for $14. Lots of the super walmarts are carrying the 0w20 & 0w30 in the 5qt jugs now...
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/lan...0829_sz_slot_2
If your not that concerned with fuel economy, but still drive normal-to-conservative, get Mobil-1 5w20
If you want a little extra protection for more spirited driving, use Mobil-1 0w30 (I'm using it now and lost 1mpg over 5w20)
If you drive hard all the time, then Mobil-1 or Redline 5w30.
If you race, you should be doing oil-pressure & temp testing to determine what weight of oil works best for the conditions.
0w oils will help a lot more in the winter months as well as these oils flow better and start lubricating sooner at startup.
BTW: Autozone has that $10-off coupon for the 5qt jugs of M1 again. You can take it to Walmart and have the customer service manager do an "ad-match" on it (just ask at the service desk). That's how you get 5qts of M1 for $14. Lots of the super walmarts are carrying the 0w20 & 0w30 in the 5qt jugs now...
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/lan...0829_sz_slot_2
I would not use a 0w oil unless I was running the car in well below 0F temps. It's completely unnecessary for 90% of the US.
A change in fuel economy from a 0w-20 to a 5w-20 is not measurable. The people that have gone from a 5w-20 to a 0w-40 haven't seen a change in mpg. It would take going from a 0w-20 to a straight 60wt to even think about seeing a measurable difference.
A friend of mine just put a straight 60wt in his 350z (long story) and no measurable change in mpg. I don't recommend this but it goes to show that you will never ever see a change between a 0w-20 and 5w-20. They're the same viscosity at operating temp anyway.
Let's not forget, a 10w-40 is good to 0F. 10w-30 is easily good to 0F.
To the OP, a synthetic will not thicken as much when cold, won't thin as much when hot. This is what you want and it does it all with less VIIs.
09-07-2011, 09:28 PM
#33
Team Owner
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Florida Wen (10-21-2023)
09-08-2011, 12:33 AM
#35
I'm surprised people still buy these Honda filters. OEM A02 filter is actually the bottom of the barrel filter. It's a cheap Fram (Honeywell) painted blue, with a silicon anti-drain-back valve. If you want OEM, then spend extra for the S2000 filter.
Discontinued Honda A01 (original small can filter) vs Fram cheapo:
Current Honda A02 (same as Fram above):
Discontinued Honda A01 (original small can filter) vs Fram cheapo:
Current Honda A02 (same as Fram above):
09-08-2011, 12:39 AM
#36
So mobile 1 full synthetic really isn't? Cant I just run 5w30 all year round and be ok I am on Pa so it gets hot and cold. But I don't beat my car either.
BITOG has some very ignorant members that spout off misguided opinions as fact. Be very careful what you read over there. Edit: I just read a couple of the articles on the main page and it's just sad the direction that site has gone. There's a lot of misinformation in just the 3 pages I read.
Agreed.
It's not so much the dry start, it's the warm up cycle. When cold you have more piston to cylinder clearance and some of the ep oil additives are not active until the oil hits a minimum temp. It's more the fact that all clearances are loose than anything else.
I use Redline since it's an ester and very polar to eliminate dry starts even though an actual dry start is pretty much impossible. Oil sticks to cylinders and pistons, cam lobes usually are bathed in a little bucket of oil so lube is instant. Rod and main bearings have oil left in them and do not require instant pressure to get that hydrodynamic wedge to keep things separate. Oil pumps are positive displacement pumps so pressure and flow are instant.
You're literally talking miliseconds before you have full lube even on the first start in the morning. Many people have this idea that it takes seconds, even minutes to get lube but in reality it's under 1 second even in the winter with a thick oil.
Mobil One is not "full synthetic" it's a grpIII dino oil.
Again, flow and pressure are pretty much instant as long as you use the correct oil for the ambient temp and there's a ton of room for error. A 0w drastically lowers HTHS and hot protection. I would run Redline 5w-20 over Mobil One 0w-30 any day if I wanted the best protection plus they're about the same viscosity down to freezing. There's way too much emphasis put on cold flow. Think about the old days with grpI dino oils that were super thick during startup with carbureted engines that would usually bring the rpms way up immediately. The multi weights of today, even the thicker ones are far, far superior to the old oils and engine clearances have not changed over the years.
I would not use a 0w oil unless I was running the car in well below 0F temps. It's completely unnecessary for 90% of the US.
A change in fuel economy from a 0w-20 to a 5w-20 is not measurable. The people that have gone from a 5w-20 to a 0w-40 haven't seen a change in mpg. It would take going from a 0w-20 to a straight 60wt to even think about seeing a measurable difference.
A friend of mine just put a straight 60wt in his 350z (long story) and no measurable change in mpg. I don't recommend this but it goes to show that you will never ever see a change between a 0w-20 and 5w-20. They're the same viscosity at operating temp anyway.
Let's not forget, a 10w-40 is good to 0F. 10w-30 is easily good to 0F.
To the OP, a synthetic will not thicken as much when cold, won't thin as much when hot. This is what you want and it does it all with less VIIs.
Agreed.It's not so much the dry start, it's the warm up cycle. When cold you have more piston to cylinder clearance and some of the ep oil additives are not active until the oil hits a minimum temp. It's more the fact that all clearances are loose than anything else.
I use Redline since it's an ester and very polar to eliminate dry starts even though an actual dry start is pretty much impossible. Oil sticks to cylinders and pistons, cam lobes usually are bathed in a little bucket of oil so lube is instant. Rod and main bearings have oil left in them and do not require instant pressure to get that hydrodynamic wedge to keep things separate. Oil pumps are positive displacement pumps so pressure and flow are instant.
You're literally talking miliseconds before you have full lube even on the first start in the morning. Many people have this idea that it takes seconds, even minutes to get lube but in reality it's under 1 second even in the winter with a thick oil.
Mobil One is not "full synthetic" it's a grpIII dino oil.
Again, flow and pressure are pretty much instant as long as you use the correct oil for the ambient temp and there's a ton of room for error. A 0w drastically lowers HTHS and hot protection. I would run Redline 5w-20 over Mobil One 0w-30 any day if I wanted the best protection plus they're about the same viscosity down to freezing. There's way too much emphasis put on cold flow. Think about the old days with grpI dino oils that were super thick during startup with carbureted engines that would usually bring the rpms way up immediately. The multi weights of today, even the thicker ones are far, far superior to the old oils and engine clearances have not changed over the years.
I would not use a 0w oil unless I was running the car in well below 0F temps. It's completely unnecessary for 90% of the US.
A change in fuel economy from a 0w-20 to a 5w-20 is not measurable. The people that have gone from a 5w-20 to a 0w-40 haven't seen a change in mpg. It would take going from a 0w-20 to a straight 60wt to even think about seeing a measurable difference.
A friend of mine just put a straight 60wt in his 350z (long story) and no measurable change in mpg. I don't recommend this but it goes to show that you will never ever see a change between a 0w-20 and 5w-20. They're the same viscosity at operating temp anyway.
Let's not forget, a 10w-40 is good to 0F. 10w-30 is easily good to 0F.
To the OP, a synthetic will not thicken as much when cold, won't thin as much when hot. This is what you want and it does it all with less VIIs.
09-08-2011, 01:26 AM
#37
I basically just want what's best for the car. I am deff running a royal purple filter. Just got to pick a oil and weight. Redline seems very liked on this site. I just don't know any one who used it.
09-08-2011, 01:28 AM
#38
P.s. You can laugh at this or say it's a waste of money buy I change my oil and filter every 3k no matter what. Yes even if its a royal filter for 16$ I will change every 3k.
