Dealer Switched from Castrol to Mobil Oil - Downgrade?

My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol to
Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer indicate
the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving" oil, SAE
5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).

I had an impression from years ago that Castrol was considered a superior
brand. Is that still true, and if so, why?

The service manager at Mel Rapton Honda in Sacramento, CA, says one reason
he switched is price. Mobil is cheaper. And he assures me it meets all the
factory specs, although I can't verify that because I can't see the label
for what they put in my car.

He also says that all Hondas come with Mobil oil in the crankcase from the
factory, whether in the US or Japan. Is that true?

OK, so Mobil is cheaper. Assuming the product is marked as meeting the
factory specs for my car, is it good enough?

I am not asking here about synthetic oil; please limit responses to
conventional oil products only.

And please, I hope to hear informed and expert knowledge here, not
speculation and guesses. Thank you.

- Don

 

speculation and guesses are what you will get. you are not paying for
this advice directly. of course, it can be argued that you are paying
for electricity to power the computer, the purchase price of the
computer, the internet connection, etc...

there is nothing wrong with mobil. you are silly if you think
otherwise. clean, fresh oil of the proper (as per the particular
vehicle manual) viscosity is all you need and all you need to worry
about.

bob z.

 

OK, zee, thank you. If my dealer is using "Mobil Clean" then according to
the Mobil web site it does meet the owner's manual specs for my car. Not
only as to viscosity, but also as to API service rating SJ and "energy
conserving" in my case.

- Don

 

i was having a bad day so please forgive my abrasiveness.

bob z.

 

Ah, I see we have yet another multi-posting newbie!

Identical message posted independently to at least two groups.

I have already supplied a sublime and penetrating response in the other
group you posted to. Go find it. You know where it is (but nobody else
does!).

Oh, and you may wish to educate youself as to certain Usenet etiquette
conventions, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossposting

 

Here in the southeast Mobil is the distributor for Honda motor oil. I'm not
sure about the rest of the country. The Honda branded oil is formulated by
Mobil to Honda specs. There's not much better for your car. As for Castrol,
it's a fine motor oil. Probably no better or worse than any other major
motor oil manufacturer, except for some of the premium and/or racing oils or
synthetics.
What Castrol is best for is marketing. There is no oil company that spends
more time and money on marketing and promoting its product than Castrol.
They spend millions on promoting and the result is what many people
including yourself think that it is better and consequently it pays them
back in sales. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't better. But there is not much
difference between equivalent spec Mobil or Castrol or most other major
brands for that matter.
If you want superior, use Amsoil or Royal Purple, but be prepared to pay a
handsome price for something that will make little or no difference in a
well maintained properly oil changed vehicle.
Howard

 

If you follow an average oil change interval, any API spec oil is just fine.
All modern oils are essentially good and better than they used to be.

 

not "any" oil. motorcraft api spec "semi-synthetic" makes the seals on
my 89 civic leak like sieves. subsequently running castrol or mobil
oil, i've had no leakage problems from the same seals whatsoever.

first line oil analysis is spark spectrometry. [quick and cheap.]
that's good for inorganic components like zinc, but useless for organic
component analysis. on spark analysis, motorcraft oil appears to have
an inorganic additive package just as good as other oils. but if it's
causing leakage, clearly it's missing organic components like seal
conditioners - and this would never show on spectrometry. guess that's
why it's cheap.

 

I don't know about the Service Specs, etc, but I have been using Castrol
for over 25 years and have 3 High Mileage cars.

Also, I picked up a Supra a couple years ago, and the vale stem seals need
replacing. Big cloud of blue smoke on startup. Started using Castrol High
Mileage..no more blue smoke. After the next oil change I'll switch back to
regular Castrol.

If you can do your own changes, do it. They're easy. They don't cost a lot
less, but you'll get what you want for oil and filters.

 

In my forty plus years of fiddlin' with cars, I have found Castrol to
cut consumption by as much as 50% regardless of the type of car involved
in ever case.

Just like in politics, it's a case of, "Follow the money."

It's just that simple...

JT

 

cut consumption by 50%? maybe /you/ need to cut the consumption
before posting on the internet.

bob z.

 

J.T. is a good source of info on a wide range of cars (not just Hondas.) How
is it not possible he is right about this? I haven't had cars that consume
significant oil for quite a while so I couldn't say myself, but I have to
credit his observation as "could be."

Mike

 

May be the problem is with the Honda OEM seals not the oil.

///snipped///

DaveD

 

I thought my reply was funny!

"No, it wasn't."

"Sure, it was. Its funny."

"No."

"damn..."

:~)>

 

I guess we have to get to know you better.

 

In my varied experience, I've found Castrol to be the best and Quaker
State/Penzoil to be the worst.

Of course, seal condition etc. plays a greater role when it comes to
leakage.

OTOH, if one of my vintage Studebakers were to suddenly stop leaking,
i.e., no drip marks on the pavement... I would become very concerned
that it might be empty..

JT

 

Grumpy AuContraire wrote:

lol!

 

My motorhead brother tells me to stay away from Havoline, that he's seen too
many engines with carbon deposits in its wake....

Mike

 

Generally, I've found that most major oil company brands to be mediocre.

Castrol and probably the less promoted Valvoline are pretty near equal
on the high end with Penzoil and Quacker (pun intended) State rounding
out the bottom.

As for synthetics, I'm strictly RedLine which I use in trannies and
differentials...

JT

 

Thanks, Tegger, I went to the Wikipedia link, which led to another link, and
the resulting consensus seems to be:

1) Where possible, post to only one group, but

2) If there is a reason, it's OK to post to two and not more than three
groups, and

3) If I post to more than one group, I should take care to NOT "double post"
(what I did) but rather to "crosspost" such that the resulting messages will
show both groups in the header, and such that replies from either group will
go to both groups..

I understand the traffic problems that result from posting in more than one
group, especially if replies then go to more than one group.

But there is a special problem here: There are two Honda groups, not one.
And both get a lot of traffic. If I only post to one, 1/3 or more of the
Honda community won't see my post. Tegger, are you suggesting I should pick
just one group (maybe the one with the most traffic, or the one with the
least spam, or the one with the fewest unpleasant people) and limit my posts
to that one?

I do wish the two groups would combine into one, but as there is no
administrative mechanism to accomplish that, posting to two (in whatever is
the least objectionable way) seems the next best solution.

- Don