Synthetic Oils

[Lime Green NSX]

Hi everyone, I know this subject gets a bit beaten on once in a while but new owners are and there are a lot of vets still here. I am wondering what the word out there is on the oils that we use on our machines. So I am wanting hear what everyone opinions are.

Neo
Mobile1
Redline
Amsoil
Royal Purpal
Motul

Any other great products out there that you might recommend?

Cheers!

 

[Osiris_x11]

Other popular synthetic motor oils used by NSX owners...

- Pennzoil Platinum
- Pennzoil Ultra
- G-Oil
- Quaker State Ultimate Durability

 

[stuntman]

Shell Rotella T6

 

[g3driver]

I track my car a lot and switched to joe Gibbs 5-30. Love it. You can see the oil analysis here
http://www.outrageousracing.com/blog/2013/3/20/oil-analysis.html

 

[94710]

Mobil 1

 

[944turbo]

It's not as simple as just grouping them in by brand - M1 for example has many different synthetic products at specific weights with completely different properties. Most of the major brands are of high quality, it's simply a matter of finding the combination of basestock/weight and additives that suits a particular motor best.

Also, most "synthetics" aren't actually synthetics at all. That's not to say there is anything wrong with them, only that it's worth pointing out that they are a different type of product with different properties. Shell Rotella T6 is a great example of that. Not a true synthetic but still great oil ( I don't know about T6 for an NSX since it tends to dwell on the high side of a given viscosity rating and has a very high HTHS value would generally makes it desireable for low rpm, high-torque turbo engines more than others).

 

[rbilder]

Yep other threads that have beat on this before... but new products keep coming out.

The previous owners had all kept Mobile 1 in mine. I did too until a couple years back & have switched to Penzoil Ultra. I believe Amsoil is still one of the best out there.

Bob is the oil guy is a good resource out there: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

 

[SaleenS7Rs]

I use royal purple. It seems to give me a little bit better gas mileage.

 

[kookoo4nsx]

A few years back my father bought a 4 year old BMW 740I.......................with 200k miles on it. The owner used Mobil 1 every 15k miles and the car ran like a gem from the day we bought it until the day we sold it 7 years later. That being said, I just changed the oil in my NSX and used Pennzoil synthetic because it was 5 qts and an oil filter for 29.00 at autozone.

 

[Honcho]

I use exclusively Mobil 1 10W-30 full synth in my daily driven and tracked NSX. Engine internals are gleaming, compression is nearly brand-new spec @ 87,000 miles. I am very satisfied with the product. Incidentally, this is the factory fill option if you go to an Acura dealer.

In reality, any quality synth is going to be fine as long as you change at the specified interval. If I didn't use M1, I would try Pennzoil Ultra, based on some favorable feedback from other NSX owners.

 

[Ponyboy]

Bob is the oil guy is a good resource out there: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

I stay away from that site like the plague. Once you start reading 8 hours will pass like 5 minutes and then you'll have to stop "working."

To expand the OP's list of reputable brands:

Neo
Mobile1
Redline
Amsoil
Royal Purple
Motul
Eneos
Liqui Moly
Pennzoil Ultra
Shell Rotella (isn't this a canned tomato and vegetable product?)

 

[jond]

Mobile 1 for me.
1. I know our engine can go 3-400,000+ miles pretty easily on Mobile 1, so the real question is if you can get past 400,000 miles by going to some expensive small 'magic' oil.
2. Oils are purpose built(racing, stop and go, cold weather, etc). The same oil that protects a race engine under a 1G oil starving turn may also leave deposits over the course of 200,000 miles. The same oil that doesn't break down under extreme heat created by racing may also not flow fast during startup. Etc, etc.
3. IMO, if a race oil worked well in a street car, then they're probably short changing racers. I don't think you can do both well.
4. IMO, you're more likely to shorten your engine life than extend it with the small race oils.
5. A lot of the wear tests done by companies like zmax and some of the oils mentions above are often BS fake tests.


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[nsxtasy]

I use exclusively Mobil 1 10W-30 full synth in my daily driven and tracked NSX. Engine internals are gleaming, compression is nearly brand-new spec @ 87,000 miles. I am very satisfied with the product. Incidentally, this is the factory fill option if you go to an Acura dealer.

There's no such thing as a "factory fill option" (except for what they put in the engine when it leaves the factory when the car is new). Different Acura dealers carry different brands of oil, including synthetics and conventional oils. Some carry Mobil 1 10W30. Others may have other brands. Some don't even stock synthetic 10W30 and if you want it they send someone down the street to buy some.

 

[Lime Green NSX]

Very interesting, and good info.

There seems to be a bunch of products and opinions and as we are owners of this great machine, it is up to us to take care of them.
I wouldn’t mine hearing from the guys that race and their opinion of what they use? And how often do they change their oil?

Last year I only put on 1500 miles on my car and I changed the oil right before I parked it for the winter. So I had new oil sitting in the aluminum housing.

What are your feelings about that? Should I change it again before I insure it for the spring and summer? And does it make a difference to change before parking?

Cheers!

 

[nsxtasy]

I wouldn’t mine hearing from the guys that race and their opinion of what they use? And how often do they change their oil?

I always used major-brand full synthetic 10W30 - Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, etc. Which you can buy in five-quart jugs at Walmart for around $25-28. I figure, there's a lot more difference between synthetic oil and conventional oil (with synthetic's resistance to breakdown at high temperatures, and better flow characteristics at low temperatures), than there is between a major brand of synthetic and a superpremium brand (Amsoil, Royal Purple) that costs twice as much. And I never had any oil-related problems in my NSX, even after 13K actual track miles.

My NSX usually sat unused from late October to early April. I never changed oil when I put the car away for the winter, and always changed engine oil (and brake fluid) when I first took it out in spring. Before track events later in the year, if I put more than around 3-4K miles on it since the spring oil change, I'd change the engine oil again.

 

[stuntman]

It's not as simple as just grouping them in by brand - M1 for example has many different synthetic products at specific weights with completely different properties. Most of the major brands are of high quality, it's simply a matter of finding the combination of basestock/weight and additives that suits a particular motor best.

Also, most "synthetics" aren't actually synthetics at all. That's not to say there is anything wrong with them, only that it's worth pointing out that they are a different type of product with different properties. Shell Rotella T6 is a great example of that. Not a true synthetic but still great oil ( I don't know about T6 for an NSX since it tends to dwell on the high side of a given viscosity rating and has a very high HTHS value would generally makes it desireable for low rpm, high-torque turbo engines more than others).

What's wrong with a high HTHS especially for a tracked car? Even on the higher side of a viscosity rating, the 5W base rating isn't bad and the 40 is helpful for heavy track use and turbo applications. The T6s high Zinc content is pretty beneficial as well.

I've seen quite a few S2Ks running T6 and its common on street bikes (R6, CBR600RR, GSXR600, 1000s, etc...). Its pretty popular in the MP3 crowd and had great results with it in my E36 MP3.

0.02

 

[N-Wing]

I tend to agree with kookoo4nsx. The engine is solid for 200+k miles with normal to moderate use. Mobile 1 seems fine and likely almost any other major brand (too make it simple). If you really race the car, that may be different. I bet some track time doesn't really warrant changing either. If you are actually racing, there is probably some specialty stuff to use. I used Royal Purple for a while and noticed no difference from Mobile one and it was more expensive and a bit harder to get. Walmart carries M1 and that is covienient.

For me Mobile 1 (10w30) is more than good enough. I do tend to change it at about 4k miles which is probably a bit overkill but I am ok with that. I put about 5k miles on a year and drive 'spirited' as the say. Just came in from a drive in fact...

 

[Kouki Monster]

T6 is choice with the MS3 crowd for track duty. On one of the forms the did an oil anylsis with great results. 5w-40 seems like a great choice
for NSX that see some track time.

 

[nsxtasy]

For those who use Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic, or their premium Pennzoil Ultra full synthetic, they currently have a nice rebate offer, with a $10 rebate plus a $5 coupon on a purchase of five quarts. When you consider that Platinum runs around $23 for a five-quart jug at Walmart and Ultra around $27, that's a heck of a deal. Click here for details.

 

[goa360]

What's wrong with a high HTHS especially for a tracked car? Even on the higher side of a viscosity rating, the 5W base rating isn't bad and the 40 is helpful for heavy track use and turbo applications. The T6s high Zinc content is pretty beneficial as well.

I've seen quite a few S2Ks running T6 and its common on street bikes (R6, CBR600RR, GSXR600, 1000s, etc...). Its pretty popular in the MP3 crowd and had great results with it in my E36 MP3.

0.02

+1. Started using T6 on R1. So far great and heard a lot of people use it. Used Amsoil before and not anymore...

 

[nsx24]

I have owned my Nsx for 12 years and have only used Mobile1 during my ownership. In the latter years it doesnt get driven much, maybe 800-1000 miles a year so I am only changing once a year. I also use it in my 187,000 mile civic that still purs like a kitten. I recently changed the TB/WP and had the valve cover off and you would not believe the inside. A light glowing brown with NO build up or sludge anywhere. I ussually put about 30,000 miles a year so I am changing oil around 7500-8000 miles. I am a believer of MOBILE1.......

 

[Ponyboy]

For those who use Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic, or their premium Pennzoil Ultra full synthetic, they currently have a nice rebate offer, with a $10 rebate plus a $5 coupon on a purchase of five quarts. When you consider that Platinum runs around $23 for a five-quart jug at Walmart and Ultra around $27, that's a heck of a deal. Click here for details.

I bought a few jubs of this for the MDX and used the coupon. Best deal on oil right now.

Just use the coupon!

 

[Mikexike]

I use Honda 10w30 synthetic blend from my dealership for 5 bucks a qt, for walk in customers.

 

[BATMANs]

I just love these debates and opinions.

So far the only person that I find credible is Stuntman.

He's in the extreme end of abUSING the NSX in a track environment.

I'm positive that he's opened up the engine a few times and rebuild and replaced parts.

Obviously inspection of the internals is a given.

Some of ya'll know about my engine rebuild project on the NSX.

Prior to that I've had plenty of rebuilds with RX7 engines as well as my GTO engine.

I've had the luxury of inspecting the internally lubricated parts.

From this I can ascertain which oils perform better than others.

I doubt most of ya'll have even cracked open an engine. So there is tons of bench science here and there.

As I've mentioned in the DIY engine build thread for FI engines, my engine builder who has been doing it for over 2 decades (he's done some super exotic stuff like Indy engines) thought my NSX engine had 25k~ miles on it when he opened it up and inspected the parts. He asked what oil I used and I told him it was Pennzoil Platinum and then Ultra (when it was released after). He was blown away since the old Pennzoil (prior to Shell acquiring them) was probably the worst thing you can put in your engine. I told him my engine had about an additional 100k~ miles than what his experienced conjecture was based on the wear and tear.

These are the ONLY brands of oils that I will ever near my cars and truck:

Pennzoil Ultra
Amsoil
Torco
Neo Oil
Motul

I stopped using Redline when it was eating up my RX7 tranny twice.

Mobil 1? The most marketed synthetic oil. Word on the street was that since they lost that lawsuit against Castrol's Syntec on Group 4 (what they use) vs. Group 3, M1 has started using Group 3 or some sorta blend. But they don't have the type of additives that Pennzoil Ultra has. Prices are the same for M1. So basically the consumers are paying too much for a Group 3.

 

[greenberet]

Kaz - one of the Honda Formula 1 engineers who helped design the NSX - discussed engine oils a bit on the NSX Club of Britain's website here. The gist of his post is that the engine oil you put into your NSX should meet the API service classification Honda specified, the viscosity should be close to what is recommended in the manual, and - most importantly - you should replace it regularly.

What oil has been in his NSX for almost all of its life and after inspecting its internally lubricated parts, what is he going to continue using? Mobil 1. See here.

I'm confident that Shell Helix Ultra (branded Pennzoil Ultra in the USA) is a very good oil as well. I've got some in my NSX's crankcase right now. But writing off Mobil 1 because of the "word on the street" isn't very convincing given Kaz's background and the fact that he puts it in his own NSX.