Author Topic: Recommended Oils  (Read 4616 times)

Izzy

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Recommended Oils
« on: June 17, 2018, 10:32:18 PM »
High guys
  I just wondering what oils does every one recommend for engine, gearbox and final drive pls I do like Castrol my self.
Does the forum have discount's from any major supplier. Your help is most appreciated. 

Jocko

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2018, 06:05:48 AM »
Gearbox and final drive are one and the same and you should use Honda's recommended gearbox oil. Castrol is great in the engine. Use fully synthetic of the correct grade, and change the oil filter too.

hemming

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2018, 09:22:46 AM »
On my previous car (a Polo) I used fully synthetic oil which remained clear for most of a year at about 8,000 mile p.a.
However, on my 63 reg Jazz CVT, semi-synthetic has been used (by both Honda dealership and independent garage) and I've noticed the oil gets black within 100/200 miles. Is this normal and do most members of the Forum a) use fully synthetic or b) notice the oil turning black very quickly?

culzean

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2018, 09:44:42 AM »
On my previous car (a Polo) I used fully synthetic oil which remained clear for most of a year at about 8,000 mile p.a.
However, on my 63 reg Jazz CVT, semi-synthetic has been used (by both Honda dealership and independent garage) and I've noticed the oil gets black within 100/200 miles. Is this normal and do most members of the Forum a) use fully synthetic or b) notice the oil turning black very quickly?

If an oil turns black it is doing its job to clean out the engine and mop up combustion products that blow by the piston rings etc. also heating the oil will darken it (oil is used as a coolant as well as a lubricant in engines).   I use fully synthetic Castrol Magnatec 5W30 in Jazz and Civic and it is going darker within 1000 miles,  but neither of them use a drop of oil between changes, non of my Hondas ever have, even when I was covering 25,000 miles a year +.   I have used semi and fully synth in the past (remember using Mobil 1 fully synth in a Ford Sierra when the oil first came out in late 70's early 80's and it went black pretty quick). VAG vehicles used to be notorious for developing the 'black sludge' due to being very heavy on their oil,  a lot of engines were ruined that way until engines redesigned and better oils cured the problem,  but VAG still recommend using their own branded engine oils (as my bro found out with his Skoda).   A lot of car engines were ( maybe still are if incorrect oil used or left in too long), prone to develop sludge - but IIRC Honda was never among them.

https://blog.amsoil.com/why-does-motor-oil-turn-black/

https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/vw-audi-settle-class-action-suit-over-engine-sludge/

http://casestudies.atlanticmotorcar.com/vw-passat-v6-engine-oil-sludge-incorrect-oil-grade-used/

When I check oil level (about once a month, but never varies) I will rub the oil from dipstick between thumb and forefinger to see if it still feels 'slippery' - if it feels 'sticky' I take that as a sign the oil will ned changing soon.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2018, 12:47:48 PM by culzean »
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Jocko

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2018, 10:21:43 AM »
My engine oil never gets "black". It darkens over the course of the year but always remains transparent on the dipstick. I'd call it hazel nut brown! I use Comma X-Tech 5W-30 Fully Synthetic oil.

Izzy

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2018, 09:52:51 PM »
Thanks Guys All good stuff personally I have always used Castrol in all my cars except my Lotus Cortina you may not remember Duckhams Oil (think it was swallowed up by Castrol back in the day) really good oil but very searching it found every little nook and grannie to leak from.
 I did however have to used Honda oils for my 2010 CRV gearbox and rear axle oils.

Jocko

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2018, 10:04:11 PM »
Duckhams is back.
https://www.duckhams.com/

culzean

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2018, 09:45:02 AM »
Thanks Guys All good stuff personally I have always used Castrol in all my cars except my Lotus Cortina you may not remember Duckhams Oil (think it was swallowed up by Castrol back in the day) really good oil but very searching it found every little nook and grannie to leak from.
 I did however have to used Honda oils for my 2010 CRV gearbox and rear axle oils.

I remember Duckhams being the colour of mushy peas and thin as water,  only used it once  as did not trust anything that thin to protect my engine.  My brother put BP 'visco-static' in his motorbike in the 60's ,  that was supposed to be a revolutionary new oil - it was not at all revolutionary as it effectively seized his engine and stopped it revolving altogether.   At that time Castrol was king (always has been in my book) and Duckhams  sold reasonably well,  but Visco static was a flop, BP then took over both Duckhams and Burmah-Castrol .

http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2013/07/bp-super-v-visco-static-oil.html

I like the comment in the above article 'possibly did not sell well because it is a crap oil'.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2018, 10:17:20 AM »
I never found Duckhams all that thin. It was, and still is, a 20W-50. I used to use it before I swapped to Mobil 1. Now that was a thin oil (pretty much the norm by today's standards).

dave456

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2018, 11:01:50 AM »
Hi culzean  is the castrol magnatec 5w/30 you use c3 or a5 stop and start

culzean

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2018, 12:15:53 PM »
Hi culzean  is the castrol magnatec 5w/30 you use c3 or a5 stop and start

C3 is fine

https://www.oilspecifications.org/acea.php

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-69393-castrol-magnatec-stop-start-5w-30-c3-fully-synthetic-car-engine-oil.aspx

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/engine-oil/castrol-magnatec-5w30-c3-oil-4-litre

Looks cheaper from Opie but by the time you have paid over £4 for delivery (only free above £60) may as well get it from Halfords.  Sometimes Halfords have offers on oil.

For manual gearboxes Castrol Syntrans V-FE 75W-80 is a great oil (despite the 75W-80 rating it is about same viscosity as engine oil,  but has loads of extreme pressure anti-wear additives)  this can be used in i-shift (which is an automated manual box).  For CVT use only Honda ATF,   CVT fluids are very specialised and formulated by each car maker to suit their CVT, they have to allow a certain amount of grip as well as lubrication and are compatible with the materials used in their CVT.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2018, 12:43:53 PM by culzean »
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MicktheMonster

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2018, 11:29:37 PM »
In my gearbox I put Smith & Allan MTF-94 which is an old formula for honda and rover gearboxes, found it to be much quieter than the 15 year old/75000 miles Honda fluid I removed, been in there a couple of months now, no issues so far, cost £23 from Smith & Allan's ebay site (cheaper than using their own website) for 5 litres which should allow for 3 refills. I would normally stick to manufacturers exact recommendations but as this is an old car I just tried something different, seems to be good stuff, if it wrecks my gearbox I'll update.
In the engine, last week, I changed the oil & filter and put in Elf Evolution 5w30 (A5), again much quieter and smoother than the stuff that was in there (not sure what it was, changed at last service about 18months/7000 miles ago by local garage). I cant find any reason to fault this oil, it was £20, again from Smith & Allan's ebay site, I only chose it because it seemed to be a good spec, brand name oil at a really cheap price, works really well and I'm really happy with it at this price, if it was the same price as Castrol, I'd buy the Castrol.

culzean

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2018, 08:55:02 AM »
In my gearbox I put Smith & Allan MTF-94 which is an old formula for honda and rover gearboxes, found it to be much quieter than the 15 year old/75000 miles Honda fluid I removed, been in there a couple of months now, no issues so far, cost £23 from Smith & Allan's ebay site (cheaper than using their own website) for 5 litres which should allow for 3 refills. I would normally stick to manufacturers exact recommendations but as this is an old car I just tried something different, seems to be good stuff, if it wrecks my gearbox I'll update.
In the engine, last week, I changed the oil & filter and put in Elf Evolution 5w30 (A5), again much quieter and smoother than the stuff that was in there (not sure what it was, changed at last service about 18months/7000 miles ago by local garage). I cant find any reason to fault this oil, it was £20, again from Smith & Allan's ebay site, I only chose it because it seemed to be a good spec, brand name oil at a really cheap price, works really well and I'm really happy with it at this price, if it was the same price as Castrol, I'd buy the Castrol.

It is quieter because S&A MTF-94 is higher viscosity than Castrol Syntrans V-FE 75W-80,  which will undoubtedly result in worse MPG   - who knows how much this will erode the £6.50 / litre lower price (£13 total  @opie oils price) over 70,000 miles of use LOL.  In general I am not a fan of thin oils (won't use lower than 5W-30 in engine),  but reduction of churning losses in the gearbox can make a big difference to efficiency.

I just changed Civic gearbox oil and used Castrol Syntrans V-FE and am happy that the Castrol has a real pungent 'gearbox oil' smell (completely different to engine oil).
« Last Edit: June 21, 2018, 09:16:52 AM by culzean »
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MicktheMonster

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2018, 04:59:54 AM »
I understand it's moving thicker oil around the gearbox which will use more energy and therefore fuel, I didn't change it to MTF-94 to save money, I just wanted to try something different, I don't keep exact mpg figures, I just keep an eye on what the built in computer tells me, resetting it each time I fuel up. I know it's not exactly accurate but haven't noticed anything significant (yet!) and it usually reads between somewhere 44-48 mpg depending on driving conditions, use and enthusiasm. Truth be told I expect thinner oil would get a gain of 1 or 2 mpg.
I was just answering the original question, what oils do you use? The more people who use different stuff, the more opinions we'll have and the better placed we'll be to make decisions about what to use next time, I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said in fact if I was looking for ultimate economy I'd follow your advice.

guest7246

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Re: Recommended Oils
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2018, 11:52:29 AM »
 8) Just changed my oil & filter, using MPM Premium Synthetic C3 DPF 5W-30..... seems good stuff. ;)  8)

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