cthree

My $0.02

The engine is not engineered for synthetic oil. If it were, it would come that way from the factory like my BMW does. I used M1 @ 7800mi and removed it at 15Kmi as I found that the extra price is not worth it. The longevity gains from M1 have not been proven in the F20C and I was advised by woodwork not to use it until the first scheduled oil change at 7500mi otherwise it will impede break-in.

I would rather change the oil twice as often than use M1. I recommend using a high quality normal oil like GTX and change it every 4-5000 miles. There is no subsitute for changing the oil and filter IMO.

ultimate lurker

Anecdotal, but I switched to M1 at around 3000 miles (unless Honda asks, then I didn't :-). No loss in power according to the seat of the pants dyno. On a local dynojet the car put down 203.x hp to the wheels. No before readings unfortunately, but if I did lose some power I must have a pretty powerful car :-)

Frankly, I don't think you'll see any actual power gain or loss with most oils, at least if you compare them brand new at the same weight. If you choose to go to a lighter weight synthetic you might gain a small amount of power vs. a heavier conventional, on the order of 1%. You can often go to a lighter weight synthetic because of the more optimal properties of the oil.

UL

jschmidt

I've used Mobil1 in my Z28 from 7000 miles. It now has 110,000. While the rest of the car is falling apart, the big V8 is still strong! That's all the evidence I need.

I just wish there was a Mobil1 for plastic parts.

joe_s2k

[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper
[B]
My next oil change will be @ 15000 km so I'm going to synthetic.

axcilla

Switched to Mobil One at 31,000 and 1500 miles later I think it makes the car run better. At the break-in period the car is not subject to RPMS above 5500 (a least they should not). With the Mobil One, Mabye it just likes higher RPMS

Just A Thought.


Axcilla

derryck

When I did my first oil change I was also doing a couple of mods, including installing the Denso Iridium plugs so I was on the dyno anyways and decided to check it out. I switched to Mobil at about 4500 miles. According to the dyno, I lost between 1-2 hp, I know that this could be attributed to the tolerances of the dyno. However, the one thing I noticed the most was that the VTEC transition was noticably smoother (on the dyno and the butt dyno) after the Mobil 1. The combination of Mobil 1 and the Denso plugs smoothed the transition even more.

johev

intersting...I have denso and run reg oil, the m1 must smooth the transition....

Silver Bullet

I've been using Mobil 1 in my '87 Accord since it had about 7500 miles on its odometer. It now has close to 168,000 and is still running strong. No oil leaks, no loss in power, lots of city and highway miles, a few summers in Phoenix, commuting, etc. I don't always baby this car either. I'm just careful not to push it until the engine is thoroughly warmed up. Also change the oil every 3500 miles.

I've been using Mobil 1 in my Stook since 7500 miles. I didn't notice any change in power (I've only noticed a drop in power due to extreme, 90+

cdelena

I suspect that power changes that people perceive with oil changes has to do with viscosity differences when the oil is not fully warmed. Viscosity rating is done at test temperatures but oils may vary substantially at other temperatures and therefore introduce more or less friction, and maybe even affect the engagement quickness of VTEC. But once up to full operating temperature it is highly unlikely there would be enough performance difference for the driver to feel, and the operation of VTEC should not be affected. I have not felt any difference but this is the only explanation I can come up with to explain what others have described.