I went from 5W-30 to 10W-30 becaue the guy at the parts store suggested the higher weight on a high mileage car, 160K presently. Well, I’m guessing this added weight might have contributed to my decline in MPG. Will it be a big deal to go back to 5W-30 to see if my MPG goes up after a year or maybe 2 of using 10W-30?
he suggested that because parts wear. so if u got a lot of miles on ur car. it would be a little better. just stay with 10w-30
Anybody know whats the difference between that new high mileage engine oil? I have been using the Castrol GTX High Mileage 10w-40 stuff and i like it.
I only use Castrol GTX in my teg. I’ve tried lots of others and only the Castrol seems to give me better MPG and less engine noise. It also comes out clean. I was going to try their new Higher Mileage one the next oil change. They probably have some additive that moistens the seals or something… that’s what they other higher mileages ones do.
I’m running 5w-30 Mobil 1 Synthetic for almost 2 years. The only thing that make noise is the radiator fan, belt turning, and filter sucking air.
Re: Going from 10W-30 to 5W-30
Originally posted by 9integra2
I went from 5W-30 to 10W-30 becaue the guy at the parts store suggested the higher weight on a high mileage car, 160K presently. Well, I’m guessing this added weight might have contributed to my decline in MPG. Will it be a big deal to go back to 5W-30 to see if my MPG goes up after a year or maybe 2 of using 10W-30?
there’s a reason he told u 10w30, becasue your over 140,000, your car needs the thicker oil
Ok guys, what the hell is up with this needs stuff. Here is the deal if you have been running 5w30 WITHOUT issues leave it ALONE, if your loosing oil from burning NOT dripping the try a higher vescocity iol. the more weight you put in the more it will break down your parts. these engines are designed for 5w30 or the NEW faboulous 5w20 that motorcraft makes. 5w20 by far is the best with gas milage but other then that dont use UNLESS you car has less the 75000 miles on it or doesnt eat oil at all!.
BTW if your leaking oil please check the oil pan gasket, that is the most common issue!!!:vomit: :lol: :read: 
honda manufacturer wants 20w/50 in 1990 tegs (my auto mechanic teacher worked at a hando manufacturer.
Originally posted by Integra Style
honda manufacturer wants 20w/50 in 1990 tegs (my auto mechanic teacher worked at a hando manufacturer.
is that when it was new or now that its 12 years old? i was losing a quart a month with 10w-40 (different brands), then after i swapped heads with new seals i changed to 5w-30 syntec and lose maybe 1/4quart every 2months.
mobil says that their synths dont affect high mileage cars now and you can safely switch. even mixing is fine.
i say if you arent burning much oil (or just dont care) and want better mpg, go ahead and try a lighter weight and/or synth, and if you dont like it then just go back.
The_Oz is the oil guy here so you can ask him in one of his threads
X Thanks for the compliment. To address your issue, I highly doubt going to a 50wt. type oil will fix any of your burning problems. If you’re still consuming quite a considerable amount with a 40wt., then that just tells you that you have some serious problems on your hands. Oil can only go so far when it comes to oil consumption issues which I will explain in a minute.
surge2k Certain high mileage type oils have been blended with Group V Ester or any other additive that can swell seals. However, observation should be used here. Some seal-swell agents only react to swell certain type of seals. For instance, if a swell agent were only capable of swelling rubber seals, then obviously seals composed of rubber would benefit versus seals composed of polyurethane.
Which brings me to answer XDeep’s problem…that oils can only go so far. It could be that a) you are using the best oil for the engine, but yet the seals are still leaking because they cannot expand anymore to fill the gaps OR b) the seal-swell agent in the oil is not the right additive for your seals.
And to tell you the truth surge2k, I really do not know what type of seal swellant is inside Castrol High Mileage. People are telling me Ester (albeit not 100% confirmed), but Ester is quite expensive to be any effective considering the cheap price of Castrol High Mileage.
One word to describe 5W20 oils…CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy)…well okay, maybe 4 words 
Regarding this 5W30/10W30 schmeal. Note: This is probably the few rare times where I actually would agree with a service manual like Helms regarding oil
I want to discuss with you fine gentlemen (and women) about recommended oil weights based on ambient temperature the engine will be exposed under. I recently was able to ahem retrieve a copy of a 88-91 B16 Helms Manual Supplement (does not give full engine details unfortunately) The copy was printed by Honda UK, btw. Actually, even the USDM Helms, Haynes, and Honda North America Owner’s Handbook has some neat info.
So, here is a quick run-down on recommended oil weights for the B16 (88-91), B18 (90-93), & B17 (92-93) based on ambient temperature ranges
UK Helms B16: Recommended oil is 10W30 (take note it’s not 5W30)
Multi-Grade Recommendations
Farenheit numbers are approximate since I no longer live in the US
5W20: below -30C(-20F) to -10C(15F)
5W30: below -30C(-20F) to 0C(32F)
10W30: -20C(-5F) to 32C(85F)
10W40: -20C(-5F) to greater than 40C(100F)
15W40 & 15W50: -15C(5F) to greater than 40C(100F)
20W40 & 20W50: -10C(15F) to greater than 40C(100F)
USDM Helms B18: Recommended oil is 5W30
5W30: below -30C(-20F) to greater than 40C(100F) (hmm…:roll: )
10W30: -20C(-5F) to greater than 40C(100F)
USDM Helms B17: Recommended oil is 10W30
5W30: below -30C(-20F) to 0C(32F)
10W30: -20C(-5F) to greater than 40C(100F)
Analysis: Hmmm…10W30 on the VTEC motors for a supposedly “tight tolerance” engine? Weird ain’t it :roll: And notice also how 5W30 is not recommend past 0C(32F) for the VTECs? Gee, I wonder what did Honda do to make the B18 run reliably on 5W30 (ummmm…did they even bother? :shrug: ). And why was there no 40wt/50wt. recommendations for the B17? Oh wait, the early 90s was the phasing out of 40wt. recommendations in North America…and was being replaced by 30wt. :roll: And now, after 10 years, Honda and Ford recommends 20wts. (notice at what temperature range the 5W20 is recommended for the B16).
Granted, certain oils have improved over the years (ie. Mobil Synthetics, certain AMSOIL products, Redline, etc), some have been downgraded (ie. Castrol Syntec, AMSOIL XL7500, Valvoline MaxLife, etc). In some cases, a well-formulated 5W30 can outperform a 10W30 and vice versa.
One of the big reasons why 10W30 is so highly recommended for high mileage engines is that it is very shear stable (compared to 5W30). Therefore retaining its 30wt. characteristic longer than 5W30 can. This gives most people the impression that it is thicker than 5W30 when it’s technically not. Remember that at 100C(212F), both oils flow as a 30wt…so which one is thicker?
Here is kicker for you dino-loving people 
Notice how some 5W30 labels say that 5W30 is suppose to improve gas mileage? Indeed it does. BUT, how does it accomplish this when it is just as thick as 10W30 during normal operating temperatures? Unknown to the public, 5W30 formulated oils are purposely made to shear down to 5W20 very quickly. Dino oils are more prone to this compared to pure synthetics of course. Which adds to the myth as to why 5W30 is “thinner” than 10W30. Just remember that in order to meet the rating of the SAE Grade 5W30, it only has to do it once for a very short amount of time
Are the oil companies bad or what…hehehehe
Regards,
Oz
P.S. I know I haven’t really said much. Keep in mind - apart from ambient temps - Driving habits, and driving conditions play an important role in what type of oil should be used inside the engine. I personally recommend 10W30 minimum in all B-Series motors (new or old) unless the engine is exposed under cold climates.
:bowdown:
I don’t think I’ve ever absorbed so much from a single post. lol
just kinda breezed through oz’s reply b/c i’ve read so many of his other oil post’s. 
but if he didn’t mention the “higher mileage” oil has some more additives in them theat are supposed to condition old seals to seal better.
sorry to stray off-topic, but is it bad to mix 5w-30 and 10w-30 together?
Originally posted by tushai
sorry to stray off-topic, but is it bad to mix 5w-30 and 10w-30 together?
I have discussed this before here in G2IC, but I’ll reiterate it again…just for you 
In regards to 5W30 with 10W30:
If you’re doing this on a short-term basis, then no, there are no side effects. If you’re doing this on a long-term basis, then that depends (I’ll explain in a second). Will you gain anything? No.
Normally, different oil brands are compatible with each other. Note: The following refers to a 50/50 mix of 5W30 and 10W30.
So, mixing Castrol GTX 5W30 with Castrol GTX 10W30 shouldn’t pose a problem. Pretty much the same basestock and the same additives. Now, what if you use GTX 5W30 with Mobil 1 SuperSyn 10W30? There is a possibility that no harm will be done. However, there is a good possibility that you will 1) throw off one or the other’s basestock formulation AND/OR 2) throw off one or the other’s additive formulation. If this does happen, the consequences will be in the long-term rather than in the short-term.
Regards,
Oz
intersting read…
I am currently wanting to change to synthetic oil for my g2 gsr. yes yes im using non syn… ahhh
My question is… do I need to do an engine flush or anything? or can I just change the oil straight up?
What do you recommend as far as brand goes? mobil 1 is what I am leaning at. My car has 152k km just a little less than 100k miles. We get about 2-3 months or so with -20c or more weather here in Edmonton. Thanks.
Originally posted by Lethal
[B]intersting read…
I am currently wanting to change to synthetic oil for my g2 gsr. yes yes im using non syn… ahhh
My question is… do I need to do an engine flush or anything? or can I just change the oil straight up?
What do you recommend as far as brand goes? mobil 1 is what I am leaning at. My car has 152k km just a little less than 100k miles. We get about 2-3 months or so with -20c or more weather here in Edmonton. Thanks. [/B]
Lethal,
I know Calgary can get pretty nippy with their -40C temps., and I assume it’s no better in Edmonton since you are north of Calgary. In that case, I do not recommend 10W30 at all. I would stick with 5W30 or better yet 0W30…and I would keep the aggressive driving down to a minimum (if you aggressively drive, of course).
Mobil may not have the 0W30 SuperSyn available to Canada, so maybe looking for SuperSyn 0W40 might be in order. I believe AMSOIL’s Series 3000 has a 0W30 formulation as well. So, that’s another option if you want to try a Group IV synthetic.
As for engine cleaners, the only good engine cleaner that I keep hearing about from “real” customers is called Auto-RX. You are going to have to special order this stuff from the US if you want it.
Regards,
Oz
P.S. If you aggressively drive in the spring/summer/fall, I would recommend either a 0W40 or 5W40 weight formulation.
thanks oz! u da man
Originally posted by The_Oz
[B]Lethal,
I know Calgary can get pretty nippy with their -40C temps., and I assume it’s no better in Edmonton since you are north of Calgary. In that case, I do not recommend 10W30 at all. I would stick with 5W30 or better yet 0W30…and I would keep the aggressive driving down to a minimum (if you aggressively drive, of course).
Mobil may not have the 0W30 SuperSyn available to Canada, so maybe looking for SuperSyn 0W40 might be in order. I believe AMSOIL’s Series 3000 has a 0W30 formulation as well. So, that’s another option if you want to try a Group IV synthetic.
As for engine cleaners, the only good engine cleaner that I keep hearing about from “real” customers is called Auto-RX. You are going to have to special order this stuff from the US if you want it.
Regards,
Oz
P.S. If you aggressively drive in the spring/summer/fall, I would recommend either a 0W40 or 5W40 weight formulation. [/B]
Ya I see Mobil1 5w30 for about 25cdn for 4l. Amsoil cost way too much. ouch! The weather here is exactly like Calgary most of the time. Got -20c and lower weather from late nov to like march/arpil. I think I’ll use 5w30 mobil1 for that time.
“and I would keep the aggressive driving down to a minimum”
well I dont know I think i drive aggressive? I do not auto x or anything though at a track, I just like to cruise alot and rev high . It sees 6k+ rpm daily! I think I push that suka to 8k at least once a day and usually shift from 4-7k. hehe its been a year and everything is in tact! got the car with 100k km now its got 152k km. I am using non syn oil at the momment so I want to change now! 0w40 and 5w40 good for aggressive driving I assume? cool, thanks for tips.
So mobil1 5w30=cold, winter etc
0w40/5w40= summer,spring etc if you drive agressive.
changing from non syn to syn does not require and engine oil flush? i wont kill anything right? thanks. you the man!
Originally posted by Lethal
[B]Ya I see Mobil1 5w30 for about 25cdn for 4l. Amsoil cost way too much. ouch! The weather here is exactly like Calgary most of the time. Got -20c and lower weather from late nov to like march/arpil. I think I’ll use 5w30 mobil1 for that time.
“and I would keep the aggressive driving down to a minimum”
well I dont know I think i drive aggressive? I do not auto x or anything though at a track, I just like to cruise alot and rev high . It sees 6k+ rpm daily! I think I push that suka to 8k at least once a day and usually shift from 4-7k. hehe its been a year and everything is in tact! got the car with 100k km now its got 152k km. I am using non syn oil at the momment so I want to change now! 0w40 and 5w40 good for aggressive driving I assume? cool, thanks for tips.
So mobil1 5w30=cold, winter etc
0w40/5w40= summer,spring etc if you drive agressive.
changing from non syn to syn does not require and engine oil flush? i wont kill anything right? thanks. you the man! [/B]
High-revving and having a lead foot is what I consider aggressive driving
Over-the-counter(ie. places like WalMart and Crappy Tire), the only 100% synthetic available is Mobil SuperSyn, Tri-Synthetic, and Delvac 1. The rest (ie. Castrol, Quaker State, Pennzoil, etc) are all Group III severely hydrocracked petroleum oil. Petro Canada sells a 5W30 Full Synthetic brand, but the rest of its API SL lineup is Group III severely hydrocracked as well. So, just a word of caution when you are buying a synthetic oil.
To Recap:
Edmontonian Winter: 0W30 or 0W40 and keep aggressive driving to a minimum (ie. no lead-foot, no high RPM shifting, follow speed limit).
Spring/Summer/Fall: 0W40, 5W40 for moderate aggressive driving.
Good luck,
Oz
P.S. A good alternative in getting your engine internals cleaned is to use a diesel rated oil with a minimum CH-4 rating. For Group IV PAO Synthetic, AMSOIL has a Series 2000 (I think) 5W30 diesel-rated oil, and Mobil Delvac 1 5W40. Other alternatives are Group III based such as Petro Canada Duron 5W40, Chevron Delo 5W40, Shell Rotella 5W40, and Havoline Synthetic 5W40 (still dino-oil though). I personally am using Mobil Delvac 1 5W40 year-round for my B16.
oz: thanks for all the info!