Which oil should I be using?

[MisfitIISociety]

I just bought a 91 Accord LX and swaped it with a 92 accord engine with 96K. The car didn't come wit a drivers Manuel so I would like to know what oil should I put in my car?

[noobcake]

any 10w 30

[MisfitIISociety]

Thanks.

I was told that by the mechanic but also heard about I should use syntetic 5/30 or somethin like that.. I jut don't want any conflicts wit my engine because of damn oil lol

[93blackcb7]

ive always used 10w 30

[Johnz826]

I use 10w 30 synthetic in mine. Runs like a champ

[SH4D0W]

I've heard 10/30 in the summer, and 10/40 in the winter. Any informed opinions on this?

[hondalude86]

it would more than likely be 10w30 in the winter and 10w40 in the summer sh4dow... when the oil is cold it is alot heavier or less viscous... the highier the number the less viscous it is... so 10w30 would have the same viscosity of 10w40 when it is at a much lower temp...

[cb786]

Honda oil 10w/30

[SH4D0W]

it would more than likely be 10w30 in the winter and 10w40 in the summer sh4dow... when the oil is cold it is alot heavier or less viscous... the highier the number the less viscous it is... so 10w30 would have the same viscosity of 10w40 when it is at a much lower temp...

that could be correct. I have a habit of transposing things like that.

[mercyboy]

for only it depends....If i were you, use synthetic or high mileage oil..it will make your car sound new again

[SinCityCB702]

is 10w30 fine for my 300k on the clock?

[batever]

short answer: the manual specifies 5w-30 or 10w-40, with 10w-40 being for higher ambient temperarure (summerlike, above 80F) operation and 5w-30 being for all other operation.

is 10w30 fine for my 300k on the clock?

My understanding: as long as the engine is in good condition and not burning oil, there is no reason to use a higher viscosity oil than normal for a high mileage engine. But if you did want to use a higher viscosity oil, the number in the oil designation to be concerned about is the 30 or 40. (40 being a higher viscosity grade than 30)

semi-knowledgeable tech talk:

5w-30 and 10w-30 (or 10w-40) are "multigrade" designations. Various additives are added to the base oil to cause it to have lower than normal viscosity at starting temperature and result in oils with the "5w-30", "5w-40" or "10w-40" or whatever designation. These decreased viscosity is to reduce wear at startup, which, with a daily driver car, is frequent. The "30" or "40" in the multigrade designation means that at running temperature (oil temperature at around 200 deg F), the oil has a viscosity rating of 30 or 40, either of which is fine for these engines. If you live in a very hot climate, or run the car continuously at high speeds (meaning higher oil temperatures on average) then go with the 40, because as temperature increases, oil viscosity decreases.

The downside of a multigrade oil is that it can have "viscosity drop" at high temps and high operating pressures because the additives fail to have their normal effects under those conditions. (so multigrade oils are not used as, say, a race oil in a dedicated race car). In a daily driver this is normally not an issue and a multigrade oil is best though.

As to the 5w-xx or 10w-xx part of the designation, *the lower the better*, 5w is better than 10w, because that part of the designation tells how well the oil flows at room temperature/startup temperature. And there is no oil on the planet that flows well enough at that temperature to actually lubricate the engine well so the lower the better...5w would be better for a daily driver than 10w, theoretically. If you can get a 0W 30 synthetic oil, even better.

Personally, I just use 5w-30 because it's the oil that flows best at room temperature that doesn't cost $30 an oil change. I don't like spending $30 on oil for every oil change.

A straight race oil would not be multigrade and might even be 50 or so. Because a straight grade oil is more stable at high operating temps than a multigrade oil (will not "drop down" to, say , 10 or 5 viscosity under severe hear or pressure, like a multigrade oil can do). That being said, a straight race oil designed for continuous medium-to-high rpm running is inappropriate for normal operation, mostly because they don't usually have the detergent and acid buffering additives that multigrade, everyday oil has in it. This is to allow the oil the maximum lubricating effect for a race event, since race cars often get an oil change after every event and/or run long enough to evaporate any water in the engine which thus helps prevent acid formation in the engine.

[batever]

it would more than likely be 10w30 in the winter and 10w40 in the summer sh4dow... when the oil is cold it is alot heavier or less viscous... the highier the number the less viscous it is... so 10w30 would have the same viscosity of 10w40 when it is at a much lower temp...

But keep in mind that at running temp the oil is generally at or around 190-200F, winter or summer (although in winter it takes longer to get to that temp), so the more important factor is the viscosity at startup temp. In almost all cases, 5w-whatever oil will be better than 10w-oil in the winter or actually even in the summer in many parts of the country. I only use 10w-40 if I think my oil change is going to last only basically the summer (I live in Massachusetts and in the summer it is anywhere from 75-90F out). The rest of the year I use 5W-30.

I have never used synthetic oils in my car so I can't speak to that from experience.

[SH4D0W]

Thank you for explaining it so we can understand.

[92accordcb7ex]

for mine always use 10w-30 as around here it doesnt really get to cold. but depends on how the weather is in your area.