Hello All...
I am the type of guy that actually enjoys doing the oil change.. Probably one of the only remaining things a gentleman mechanic can do...!! My last free dealer oill change is due on my 2002 TL
Acura recommends 5W20 oil, and so far I have not found any 5W20 in a fully synthetic oil ( I'm sold on Mobil 1..0W30 is the closest..).
Any recommendation from those who use full synthetics oils

 

Check this out this thread:

http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...&highlight=oil

 

Be careful with Mobil One. There is a post on the CL board....as soon as it comes up I'll find it... about Mobil changing the makeup of their synthetic oil.

The jist of the post is that their product is going down the tubes, all for the sake of saving a few bucks.

Redline is great. A friend of mine uses it exclusively in his race car.

 

The US 2000 TL manual recommends 5W30; I see a lot of people saying their manual recommends 5W20 - Is this a regional thing (cold Canada) or did Acura change the oil recommendations across the board after 2000+?

 

I believe 2002+ call for 5w20.

 

I have a '00 and the recommeded weight is 5W30...so I don't think it is regional.

 

http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/index.html

this web site is VERY informative about motor oils...true, its a web site geared for AMSOIL oil but they still have valid info about motor oils on the market today. for example, castrol syntec is not actually a synthetic but rather a petroleum-based product and does not have the usual PAO's that are found in true synthetics...also, the purpose of using 5W20 is actually for fuel economy purposes, not for engine purposes...

 

FYI..
I found on the Amsoil website a new 5W20 weight oil,
Full synthetic.
After a call or two at some local speed shops, looks like
it will be availble for about $13.00 (CAD)/per litre.
One shop said I have to buy the case because its so new....
Jean

 

just use 5w-30, it's better.

 

Better.. any reasons why..??
The Mobil 1 web ste informs me that fuel economy might/will decrease with a thicker oil.

IF there is no difference.. I might as well just use the Mobil 1,
Its more economical and available.
What do you use..??

 

you yourself will never notice the difference between 20 and 30 weight oil, only the internals of your car will.

it takes complicated equipment and extensive testing to see if there really is a noticeable difference between them.

my friend runs 20w50 in all of his autos, and his gas mileage is better than mine.

20w oil is thinner and provides less protection.

it will not stick to the metal as well as a thicker weight and
there is nothing different about your engine than mine, save for the fact of different headers and exhaust setup (canada spec.).

Acura North America reccomends 5w-30 here, b/c it saves fuel, not that much fuel, but enough. It doesn't protect as well as a thicker weight oil would since 30 is thicker than 20 at operating temperatures.

The environment of your engine is a warzone. There is extreme heat, friction, explosions, poisionous gases, acids from combustion, etc...

Using a thinner oil just means that much less protection you are giving your car. It has to survive that torture and still do it's job.

Petro. Oil is not suited to the job that we require it to do.

 

check this site out. http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm

 

Now that was an interesting read ....:wow:
Makes me kinda feel I was right all along and just stick with my tried and true...(although Amsoil likes to dis Mobile 1...!!!)
I really beginning to lean towards a 5W30 or a 0W30
J

 

Don't use 5w-20 it's only being recommended to meet fuel mileage and emission quotas. If you want the best protection for your engine use Amsoil 0w-30 or 5w-30 with a mobil one oversize oil filter #M1-105.

 

That sounds pretty good to me...
Thanks for the Mobil filter info.. the only problem I have is I havnt seen hyde or hair of a Mobil filter.. ( how much does it cost in your neck of the woods..??) I can get Amsoil --13.00CAD-- and filter here, no probs, but that filter is fairly expensive -- 26.00 CAD.
Do you mainly keep the oil and change the filter..??
and at what intervals..??

 

I have discovered several oversize filters that will work perfect on our car. Why use a stock size small one when a larger one is available that will hold more contaminants and oil. Two oversize filters are available; First, the oversize filters with the same OEM diameter as stock but longer than stock; Purolator Pure One PF 24458, Amsoil SDF 20, Mobil One M1 208. Second, the oversize filters with a larger than OEM diameter and slightly longer than stock: Mobil One M1 105. I have only listed the above filters because I have tried them all and they work fine. They all have the exact same gasket diameters as stock. I also feel these three filters are the best ones available. Mobil One filters are sold in all Auto Zone retail stores. They also carry Bosch and STP filters which are also better than most. Mobil One filters run about $10, the same for Amsoil. Pure One filters run about $6. If you want to run a cheaper filter, ($4) the AC Delco I feel is much better than other national brand run of the mill filters.

 

same gasket but wider? Explain.

 

The overall diameter of the filter is larger than stock, but the oil sealing gasket is the exact same diameter as a stock sized filter so it aligns with the filter flange on the engine and seals properly. The Mobil One M1 105 does this perfectly. Its not the physical size of the filter that determines if it is appropriate for an application, it is: the thread size and pitch (20mm), the gasket diameter so it matches the engine flange, The flow rate in GPM, presence of an anti-drain back and by pass valve (almost every filter now days has these) and the burst strength if racing is a consideration. The physical size of the filter is only an issue if it cannot be tightened enough for the gasket to seat against the flange to prevent leaking. Hope this answers your question.

 

These Pics may help......

http://www.dirthurts.com/images/mustangss/dscn1277.jpg
http://www.dirthurts.com/images/mustangss/dscn1279.jpg
http://www.dirthurts.com/images/mustangss/dscn1277.jpg

 

Forgot the main one....Gaskets removed....all are same diameter!http://www.dirthurts.com/images/mustangss/dscn1280.jpg

 

You say that these are all oversized? It seems to me that the amsoil and the one left of it might look like the regular honda filter. Hmmm....is it possible to swap out the filter WITHOUT changing the oil? I recently had an oil change using Redline 5w20, but didnt have a filter on me so I went ahead and let the garage use whatever filter they were using. Oh all the filters listed above...do you know which one hold the largest volume of oil?

 

Thanks for all the details
This will save me a lot of research time... now I have the fun part of tracking these filters down.......None of the above are available here...!!(excpet for the Amsoil...but its pricy...)

 

It is always possible to change a filter and leave the oil in the sump....You will need to top up the oil because of the loss during the filter change ( shouldnt be more than 300-400ml).

 

Dude. go to Mobil 1 page and read on.... 5W-30 is better substitute for 5W-20. And yeah, guys do not buy Castrol Synthect, cause it realy isn't fully synthetic oil. Mobil 1 is...

 

I guess the consensus has it -- 5W20 has fallen out of favor. So it will be 5W30 during the pleasant seasons and 0W30 for the hash Canadian winter. (Well for the little of winter this car is going to see anyway...;-).

Now for a simple observation during this thread, a few of my esteemed colleagues has claimed (and Amsoils in a VERY big way - on their web-site) that Castrol -and others- is NOT a full synthetic oil....
Hmmmm Sadly I just did the oil change on the family minivan to Castrol Syntec.... and by golly it says "FULL SYNTHETIC" on the jug.. and it has the API starburst symbol on it to boot...
Now a little bell sounds off here..How can a Company claim to be selling a full synthetic oil, when it is claimed that it isn't...
Does API not check these things before it lets loose a product on the market...???
(Did i open a can of worms here....):wow:

 

The AC Delco filter has many brothers.

It also goes by the SuperTech/Walmart Brand and it sells for $1.97.

It's a very good quality filter, I would bet that it would rival the OEM filter or better it.

Where can you find a bag of washers for cheap?