Oil

[dxd]

What type of oil should I use? I am buying a 97' NSX with 9500 miles and the owner only changed the oil 3 times in the 9 years. He used (Acura dealer) Valvoline. Two questions: 1) is synthetic better (mobile 1)? 2) should I be concerned about any "sludge" in the engine do to the age of the car and only 3 oil changes??

Thanks for the answers/suggestions

 

[DocL]

What type of oil should I use? I am buying a 97' NSX with 9500 miles and the owner only changed the oil 3 times in the 9 years. He used (Acura dealer) Valvoline. Two questions: 1) is synthetic better (mobile 1)? 2) should I be concerned about any "sludge" in the engine do to the age of the car and only 3 oil changes??

Thanks for the answers/suggestions

Wow, that is gross neglect. The first thing I'd do is change it to Mobil One 10W-30. I'd probably change it again 500 miles later.

 

[Briank]

You worry to much, any good 10w-30 oil will work fine. Valvoline, Castrol, Mobil 1 .......

 

[aaronkamloops]

Wow, that is gross neglect. The first thing I'd do is change it to Mobil One 10W-30. I'd probably change it again 500 miles later.

Why is it neglect? Three oil changes in 9500 miles sounds ok to me (i'm no mechanic tho). I also was curious about build-up of oil as a car sits. I am looking at a 22,000 km '91 and felt that things like oil pan gaskets and some seals would need replacing simply due to their age. Regardless of the fact it has just a tad over 20k in kilometres - i'm concerned about build-up. What if the first owner of the car had it sitting for a long period of time with out having oil going thru the system? What are the implications? The current owner is the second owner so it may be hard to determine if the car sat for years without so much as a start-up. Any opinions out there?

 

[mystican]

Get a "boroscope" and get the internals of the engine checked out...look for caking, scoring, dirt, sludge, etc ... I would be worried about that car...but if it all checks out...then have fun...

 

[jond]

Why is it neglect? Three oil changes in 9500 miles sounds ok to me (i'm no mechanic tho).

Its every 3,000 or 3 months. Whichever is first.
Would you feel safe driving a car with 3 year old oil in it???

 

[dxd]

Thanks for the tip. What is the cost of the boroscope and where can I have it done? Thanks, Dennis

Get a "boroscope" and get the internals of the engine checked out...look for caking, scoring, dirt, sludge, etc ... I would be worried about that car...but if it all checks out...then have fun...

 

[nsxtasy]

What type of oil should I use?

The NSX owner's manual and service manual recommend using 10W30 viscosity oil.

To see what other owners are using in their NSXs, click here.

1) is synthetic better (mobile 1)?

Yes. Synthetic oil is more resistant to breakdown at very high temperatures, and flows better at very low temperatures.

2) should I be concerned about any "sludge" in the engine do to the age of the car and only 3 oil changes??

I would follow Rob's (DocL's) advice, and otherwise not be concerned.

Its every 3,000 or 3 months. Whichever is first.

Not necessarily. That's an old refrain that mechanics have been using for at least 50-60 years, maybe more, despite improvements in engines and oils. There are lots of opinions about how often to change the oil. That's merely one of them.

The owner's manual and service manual for the '91-96 NSX say that the oil should be changed every 7500 miles or six months, whichever comes first, and more often than that if you drive under severe conditions (defined as lots of short trips, or driving in dust, severe cold, road salt, or rough or muddy roads). I believe the recommended intervals are longer than that for some of the later years but I'm not sure what they are.

 

[redbird92]

Due to several negative reformulations To car oil in the last 4 years, I ONLY run 10/30 Amsoil FULL stnthetic in my red rocket , period
The oil manufactures have taken out 3 important antifriction additives , and replaced them with claeners and sludge control stuff for emmissions .
ANY good motorcycle oil IE ,Honda HP4,or silkolene is good too

 

[Daedalus]

Thanks for the tip. What is the cost of the boroscope and where can I have it done? Thanks, Dennis

Don't waste your money on a borescope inspection. An engine's health is best measured with oil pressure, vacuum, compression and leak-down.

 

[OLDMNSX]

I have found that removing the valve covers will show you what the inside of the engine looks like. There are many areas where oil settles and if there is any sludge you will see it. I would really doubt if your engine is anything but clean. I would really consider Mobile 1 and be sure to use OEM oil filters.

Look at my pictures in the "Gallery" and you can see the inside of my engine. It has had Mobile 1 used in it for 99k miles. I think that there are other oils out there that are good too, that is just what mine had in it. Wal-Mart sells a 5 Qt container for around $22. I think that it is worth it.

Brad

 

[nsxhk]

Due to several negative reformulations To car oil in the last 4 years, I ONLY run 10/30 Amsoil FULL stnthetic in my red rocket , period
The oil manufactures have taken out 3 important antifriction additives , and replaced them with claeners and sludge control stuff for emmissions .
ANY good motorcycle oil IE ,Honda HP4,or silkolene is good too

Maybe..... just maybe their new formula don't need the 3 important antifriction addtives anymore? Or else they're asking for law suits.

Henry.

 

[dxd]

I was told that there is some kind of "fluid" that I can put into the engine that will break down the sludge/oil. My friend told me that you can only run the engine for about 5 munutes and then you need to drain the oil (with this other fluid) and rplace with new oil/filter etc.. This "fluid" (don't know the name) will break down oil/sludge - almost like an NSX enima!

Any truth to this so called fluid?? And what else would you guys recommend to "clean out" andy potential build up of oil in the NSX that has had only 3 oil changes in 9 years (only 9500 miles though)?

As always - thanks for the advice!!

 

[95 CRUZER]

If I was buying the car I would have an oil analysis done. blackstone laboratories has done them for me in the past. I think the cost is like $16.00.
From a sampling of the oil they can tell you the condition of the engine. They look for differant elements in the oil. High amounts of copper, lead, or tin in parts per million would indacate bearing problems. A high amount of anti-freeze, maybe a bad head gasket or a cracked block. They will send you a complete report on there findings. It's almost as if they tore down the engine to find problems. Check it out, it's a small price to pay to know what condition the engine is in. There phone # is 219 744-2380.

 

[nsxotic911]

I was told that there is some kind of "fluid" that I can put into the engine that will break down the sludge/oil. My friend told me that you can only run the engine for about 5 munutes and then you need to drain the oil (with this other fluid) and rplace with new oil/filter etc.. This "fluid" (don't know the name) will break down oil/sludge - almost like an NSX enima!

Any truth to this so called fluid?? And what else would you guys recommend to "clean out" andy potential build up of oil in the NSX that has had only 3 oil changes in 9 years (only 9500 miles though)?

As always - thanks for the advice!!

There are a number of products, most of them suck and/or will clog your oil filter and cause more damage, but there is one (and a couple of others) that is getting a fair amount of positive attention.

It's called auto-rx, available at www.auto-rx.com.
On Bob The Oil Guy forum (http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB5) , there is lots of talk on it. It seems to me to be 50/50 that say it does miracles, others that it's a waste of money..

I personally purchased a few bottles and will give it a shot and try to report results.

"Shake n' Bake!" :tongue: (For those that haven't seen Talladega Nights, I recommend it...:biggrin: )

 

[Ski_Banker]

If I was buying the car I would have an oil analysis done. blackstone laboratories has done them for me in the past. I think the cost is like $16.00.
From a sampling of the oil they can tell you the condition of the engine. They look for differant elements in the oil. High amounts of copper, lead, or tin in parts per million would indacate bearing problems. A high amount of anti-freeze, maybe a bad head gasket or a cracked block. They will send you a complete report on there findings. It's almost as if they tore down the engine to find problems. Check it out, it's a small price to pay to know what condition the engine is in. There phone # is 219 744-2380.

I've never done this (but will, periodically starting with my next oil change...I'm neurotic about this stuff too :smile: ). But, I don't think it would help in this situation -- looking at an NSX that has been sitting. Unless you can convince the owner to 1) let you change the oil immediately and then 2) put a couple hundred miles on it with fresh stuff.


This really gets to the heart of a question I have asked once or twice of the NSXGURUS -- what happens when an NSX (or any car) sits idle, and how long does it take for those things to happen? Is 1 week, for the weekend warriors, enough to "damage" the engine or other components? Or can a car be driven only once a month and still be perfectly ok, consistant with its low mileage?

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Well I use the "old refrain", but then again, I am. I change every 3k Miles.

I agree with OLDMNSX looking under the valve covers tells an valid story.

I also think oil analysis as mentioned by 95 CRUZER is really accurate and will tell alot. When I have done this the instructions are to drain the oil warm, and after about 1/2 is drained catch a sample with the little vial they supply.

As far as the NSX or any other car in regard to sitting, I see little problem with that as long as you do it correctly. My car(1991 43k miles) has been under cover since November, in a heated garage, fresh oil(Mobil 1 - 10w30), and a battery trickle charger, with 50psi in the tires(OEM). It will remain there until about April. I do this every winter and I start the car and drive away, my engine innards look perfect.(The ABS is usually a little cranky for the first few minutes)

I use synthetic, even though I do 3K oil changes, mainly because the car does sit through the winter. It is my understanding that dino oil has more acidic properties then synth, so I choose it for that reason.

My $.02.

Regards,
LarryB