Oil change done with wrong grade oil - damage?

This is not true. A lot of marketing money is spent to convince people that
well known brand name oil is higher quality and therefore worth spending
extra money on. All brands and generic motor oil sold in US and Canada must
meet API, SAE and other standards and is of equal quality. Don't feel bad
though, lots of others are fooled by this too and it applies with many other
products as well.

 

The point is that Valvoline, Quaker State, Castrol etc. are not ipso
facto better than Exxon, Shell, Texaco, Chevron or other gas station
brand oils.

I never said that all brands are the same, but I did say that with the
new SM generation the practical differences between them are smaller
than ever, a statement which I stand behind. I also said that the
ConocoPhillips brands do appear to be exactly the same product in
different bottles.

Shell continues to have slightly different formulations for most of
their Shell, Quaker State and Pennzoil branded oils, but the differences
are becoming less meaningful all the time.

I am also quite certain about the Motorcraft-Conoco connection as
opposed to a Motorcraft-Chevron connection.

John

 

not all motor oils are OK. there are differences. i wouldn't go to the
dollar store and buy whatever cheapo brand they have and think it's going to
protect my engine in cold weather. if you want your engine to start knocking
go ahead and use whatever generic made is cheapest. name brand oils are in
competition for the best product so they are better than odd branded ones.
maybe in the original posters case shell brand oil may be suitable for a
honda but i would still prefer penzoil or castrol or quaker state or
valvoline over it myself.

-jeff

 

Sounds like your old Civic is a good candidate for one of the high
mileage formulations and that GTX works well for you. Perhaps GTX has
some of those seal conditioners in it as well. Castrol High Mileage
might do even better for you.

Old leaky cars are a special case which often benefit from a special
solution.

John

 

I agree with you in spirit but not in detail. All oils have to meet the
same minimum standards, but that does not mean that all oils are of
equal quality. Just ask VW about that some time . They have
published a short list of oil approved to their tests which are more
strict than API standards and the engines on some VWs are highly prone
to sludging if only minimal quality oils are used.

All tires sold in the US have to meet certain DOT minimum requirements,
but there are massive differences in performance and longevity amoungst
the various tires being offered.

John

 

Oil will not cause knocking. That is caused by gas that has too low an
octane number for your engine.

 

seems to be lots of knowledge about oil here
have an opinion on Mobil 1

i currently use Mobil 1 5w20 or 10w30 in '93 Civic Si
with mobil 1 filter or motorcraft or puralator

is there a better oil solution

 

believe it or not, the car doen't leak at all now. as in, it doesn't
leave drips on the garage floor. there's still a little weeping, but as
i say, nothing sufficient to drip - and no teardrops of oil hanging
under the car when you get underneath like before. i'm using standard
[cheaper] castrol gtx.

before, it used to leave oil all over the floor and at stop lights at
night, you could see smoke come out from under the hood where it was
dripping on the exhaust. i bought a gasket/seal kit in anticipation of
repairs, but haven't used it since i changed oil brand.

 

with respect, i don't buy that. this may not be you, but it scares me
that people rely on the rudimentary spark spectrum analysis from bitog
to form opinions because it just doesn't cover the key issues of
detergency, thermal stability, viscosity index improver stability,
oxidation resistance, acid resistance, anti-foaming, seal conditioner
[etc] packages that are vital to the long term viability of any motor
oil. just throw in a bit of moly [or something cheap & spark testable]
& the bitog folk are happy!

ok, the bar is raised. doesn't mean they all achieve the same margin
above that bar though.

ok. i think they change from time to time.

 

ok, the bar is raised. doesn't mean they all achieve the same margin
above that bar though.[/QUOTE]

yes, but the engine is designed *to that bar*. Not to anything above it.

All the engine requires is the SAE rating. Period.

Now, that being said, is it good to go above and beyond that bar?

Maybe.

Where is the cost/benefit analysis? Where is the point of diminishing
returns?

Should one use the lower priced oil and go 3K miles between changes, or
should one use the higher price/name brand oil (with possibly increased
"margin above the bar") with longer change intervals?

 

I'm not in New Brunswick, that's where you find Herring Chokers. Maybe

It's been available here since before December of 2000, when I did my first
oil change on my 2001 Accord. Then it was expensive (close to $5.00 a litre)
since then it has come down in price. Even in April of 2001 a case of 5W20
could be purchased from the Ford dealers in town for $17.00.

 

yes, but the engine is designed *to that bar*. Not to anything above it.[/QUOTE]

[hypothetically] if the engine were able to be in a non-wear situation
as opposed to a wear situation based on improved lube, would the engine
not benefit? even though it's already a highly wear resistant motor?

that's the minimum. detroit [sae] only cares about 100k miles. and
most motors can do that within their wear tolerance, even on crappy oil.

good question. for a [detroit] manufacturer, anything over 100k is
diminished returns. honda otoh built their reputation on reliability
and longevity.

based on my experience with leaky oil seals, /definitely/ go with the
better oil and the longer service interval. the lube economics are the
same but the service issues are reduced.

 

seems to be lots of knowledge about oil here
have an opinion on Mobil 1

i currently use Mobil 1 5w20 or 10w30 in '93 Civic Si
with mobil 1 filter or motorcraft or puralator

is there a better oil solution

TIA
rob

 

The 5w20 oils of today from any of the major brands are all going to do
you a good job in Honda engines that require this weight. If you want
to go extended drain intervals it is best to have a used oil analysis
done. That will guide you better than anything as it will give you an
oil life expectancy that is fairly accurate.

Also, there is no real need to go to full synthetic oil except under the
most severe conditions. There is an excellent oil additive called LC20
(LubeControl20) that is made in Texas and has been around for years.
Some of the most respected people in the oil analysis business as well
as countless customers swear by this stuff. A few ounces added to your
oil and you can use dino as if it were a synthetic (and at a much
cheaper cost overall). In fact, quite a few motorists go 10K with just
dino and LC.

I personally will use Havoline 5w20 in my Honda Ridgeline and LC20 and
change oil by the oil life monitor. I still have the factory fill in my
Ridge but other owners have reported the OLM will show service due at
15% oil life expectancy (somewhere between 5-7K depending on driving
habits). To be sure that the oil and the OLM are in synch, I will have
an analysis done on my first or second change. This is really the only
way to tell if your monitor is accurate and if the engine likes the oil
you choose to use.

MARTY

 

Oil can cause knocking if the grade is too thin. Different knocking,
like main bearings.
You wont have too many problems in the USA but you will in hotter climes
like on the equator maybe.

Smart people use a militiary grade oil in Australia, because most oils
specified for the usa market is too thin for the local market. Reverse
problem

 

Even on modern computerized engines?

J.

 

I dont think a computer can pick up mechanical knocking, though it can
pick up low oil pressure ? Maybe on some...