Synthetic oil in new V6 accord? Is it worth it?

I am about to buy a 2005 V6 Accord. Since I am starting with a fresh
engine, I have considered going with synthetic oil.
However, it is not clear if the benefits are worth the added cost.
To anyone who has tried synthetic oil with their Accord, what benefits
have you noticed (smoother running, longer engine life, less engine
problems etc.)
Thanks

 

I have an '04 Accord EX-L with the 4-cyl. I believe I get about 1 to 1 1/2
miles per galoom better mileage. To me that offsets the extra cost of the
oil and i like the idea of better protection. Scott

 

I wouldn't put synthetic into a new engine. I'd wait for about 30,000km
(about 18K miles) until switching to synthetic. Taking into consideration
the high gas prices and the improved fuel efficiency obtained from using
synthetic oil, my 2000 Civic will compensate for cost of synthetic after
four fill-ups (That's after switching to mobel-1 0w20).

Pars

 

I have used Mobil One since it came out. I use it in everything Here's
the report
1989 Honda Accord, sold to my friend, he sold it to his brother, has
410K on the original engine, usual stuff plugs points, tires,
brakes,exhaust,body rust (In NY) but no motor job
1996 Nissan Hardbody Pick up, 318K on original motor Usual stuff, Body
rust (NY winters) but no motor job
1998 Toyota Camry 115K on original motor,usual maintence, FL car I will
keep for 250K
2001 Toyota Tundra 24K (Last PU I will ever buy)
2001 Toyota Rav 4 86K, plan on keeping 250K
I put M1 in before it was driven from the dealers lot,totally protects
the motor during start up in ANY temperature, I also use it in my 15
year old lawn mower, and my 10 year old snowblower I left in NY. My
brother now uses it, and continues to use M1.
I'd use nothing else, oh and none of my Toyota's have succumbed to the
engine sludge problem, that plague mineral oil users Use it in
confidence.

 

Oh yeah,forgot about the gas mileage
Accord 89 29.86 constantly
Nissan Hardbody 27.32
Tundra had reg oil until 5K as it was a demo. It got 16mpg, w/ Mobil 1
it has been getting 21.41 with 3.4L V-6
Rav 4 26.2

 

You should wait until the engine is broken in before you change to
synthetic. At least to 10k miles. A Honda mechanic I trust recommended the
change for my Prelude at 30k miles.

 

i hate to say it, but you can get the same results on a decent quality
conventional oil as well. my crx had 305k on conventional oil and it
ran like a rocket.

 

You do not get better gas mileage with synthetic. Phone
1-800-ASK-MOBIL, and they will tell you so. You may get better engine
protection, at least with a turbocharger.

 

That information applies only to very old engine designs whose piston
rings need more friction to seat properly. It doesn't apply to anything
made in the past 15-20 years, and some cars, such as Corvettes, come
from the factory with Mobil 1 synthetic in them. See the answer to the
5th question in the following FAQ from 1996:

----------------------------------------------------------

All
Synthetic Oil
auto

The following is quoted from Mobil Oil's fact sheet about its Mobil 1
synthetic oils. Call 1-800-ASK-MOBIL for more information.


Q: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE OIL WHEN USING MOBIL 1?

A: A number of factors influence oil change frequency, including
your driving habits, typical road conditions and environmental
conditions. We recommend that you follow the oil and filter
change frequencies shown in your owner's manual, especially
during the warranty period. The excellent protection you get from
Mobil 1 gives you the confidence to go the full length of the
mileage or time frame recommended for changes by the
manufacturer.

Q: WHY DOESN'T MOBIL CLAIM 25,000 MILE DRAIN INTERVALS ANY MORE?

A: Each auto manufacturer develops and specifies oil and filter
requirements for their vehicles. Mobil respects their oil drain
recommendations and does not want to put the consumer in a
position that is in conflict with the auto manufacturer
recommendations. While Mobil 1 has given excellent results in
extended oil drain tests, we prefer to remain conservative with
our oil drain recommendations. We recommend that you can go all
the way to the maximum mileage or time shown in your owner's
manual for oil changes when using Mobil 1.

This allows the reserve protection capabilities of Mobil 1 to
cover unusual or unexpected driving conditions.

Q: WHAT VISCOSITY GRADE SHOULD I USE? WILL A HIGHER VISCOSITY GRADE
(15W-50) PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTION?

A: Mobil recommends that you follow your engine manufacturer's
recommendations as indicated in the owner's manual. For maximum
wear protection and maximum fuel economy, use the lightest oil
viscosity that is recommended by the engine manufacturer for the
temperature range expected. Heavier oils lower fuel economy and
rob horsepower. For normal driving conditions, 5W-30 and 10W-30
are the primary current recommendations of automotive
manufacturers.

Q: DO I NEED TO FLUSH MY ENGINE BEFORE CONVERTING TO MOBIL 1?

A: No. There is no special preparation necessary when converting
from conventional oil to Mobil 1. In fact, Mobil 1 is compatible
with conventional oil should it be necessary to mix the two.
However, the superior performance characteristics of Mobil 1 will
be reduced by diluting it with conventional oil.

Mixing different types of synthetic oils is not recommended since
different oils may be composed of different types of synthetic
stocks. Change the oil and filter before changing from another
synthetic oil to Mobil 1.

Q: WHEN CAN I START USING MOBIL 1? CAN MOBIL 1 BE USED IN AN OLDER
VEHICLE?

A: You can start using Mobil 1 in new vehicles at any time. In
fact, Mobil 1 is the factory fill for the Corvette LT-1 and LT-5
engines. One of the myths that persists about Mobil 1 is that new
engines require a break-in period with conventional oil. Current
engine manufacturing technology does not require this break-in
period. As the decision by the engineers who design the Corvette
engine indicates, Mobil 1 can be used in an engine from the day
you drive the car off the showroom floor.

Mobil 1 can be used in older vehicles with high mileage on them.
However, in older vehicles, if there is a problem with oil
consumption or leakage, it may not be economically wise to
convert it to Mobil 1 until such mechanical problems have been
corrected.

Q: WILL THE USE OF MOBIL 1 VOID MY NEW CAR WARRANTY?

A: Absolutely not. Mobil 1 exceeds the API engine oil service
requirements of all new car manufacturers. This includes both
American and foreign-made autos. The only exception to this is
the Mazda RX-7 rotary engine which recommends against using any
synthetic oil.

Q: CAN I OR SHOULD I USE ADDITIVE SUPPLEMENTS AND/OR ENGINE
TREATMENTS WITH MOBIL 1?

A: We DO NOT recommend the use of any additive supplements or engine
treatments with Mobil 1. Mobil 1 has been formulated to greatly
exceed the most severe industry and engine manufacturers'
requirements. Using additive supplements will not improve the
long-term performance of Mobil 1, and our tests indicated that
use may actually degrade product performance. The American
Petroleum Institute (API) and American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) have stated that "certified oils eliminate the
need for supplemental engine oil additives."

Tests have shown that some additive supplements may significantly
alter the performance and properties of any lubricant. In
several cases, additive supplements have been detrimental to
viscosity, storage stability and reduced protection against the
formation of deposits.

 

have you ever heard of product placement?

for contrast, dig around in the scion [toyota] web site & get their
recommendation on the use of synthetics. basically, they say don't
bother.

now, which is known for better longevity, chevy or toyota? [rhetorical]

 

Doesn't exactly sound like a blanket statement for Toyota.

Do they saw NOT to use them?

 

you'll have to look for yourself. seems the scion site is now
flash-only, and i don't do flash. but the point is, you have one of the
most technologically advanced auto manufacturers in the world bringing
you cars that perform at 30%-50% of rated engine power for many 10's of
thousands of hours performing perfectly well on conventional oils vs.
chevy who run at 15%-25% of rated power for barely one 10 thousand hour
time block, even with synthetics.

 

Wow!
Where did you find all that info?

 

seems the scion site is now flash-only,

Ditto, although I can't quite make engineering sense of the statements
above.

Chevies will last only about 10k hours and running only at about 20% of
rated power on synthetic oil, but they last much longer and at higher powers
on conventional oil?

The only other interpretation I could make is that this is a comment on the
Chevy v. Toyota engine design, disregarding oil considerations.

 

eh? sorry if i confused you two. what i meant was that you have
trouble getting 10k out of a chevy, even though it's only running at a
low power percentage and running a synthetic whereas you have no trouble
getting several times more life out of a toyota running at a higher
percentage of rated output running conventional.

that work?

[i think] you raise the point about whether toyotas would last even
longer on synthetics, and maybe they would, but it seems irrelevant,
particularly if toyota has not been approached for product placement.

 

Your writing sucks eggs. ;-)

Glad I could help.

Could be a lot of reasons behind this.

Read the above again, Jim.

 

If you are on the fence about synthetic, one option is Castrol Syntec
Blend 5W-20. I've used this with good results so far.

 

I wouldn't rule it out, but I mentioned this only to show that 100%
synthetic could be safely used in a brand new engine.

John M. Feiereisen used to post the same, and he wrote with authority:
He designed oil additive packages. His recommendation was to use the
cheapest oil with a high quality rating (www.api.org certification SJ,
SL, etc.) and the right viscosity range, except possibly for
turbocharged engines and engines operated in extremely cold climates.

In red states or blue states?

 

My 1991 Accord on 420000 miles with Syn. oil since day one still running
strong. Is it worth

 

i had it on my 99 v6 accord and car runs fun.

i had the comptech supercharger, header and everything.

i change my tranny fluid a lot so my accord had very very less of
issue.