which gas do u use? edit:: +oil
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I believe our EX takes 3.7 quarts of oil, or right around 3 and a half liters. I use Castrol GTX 5w20 w/Purolator Pure One or Wix Gold or Ultra? filter every 3k miles. I buy el cheapo 87 octane gas, and when I don't have to share my 'Vic anymore, I'll feed her 0w20 or 30 Mobil 1 synthetic simply because I like the peace of mind it brings to know my oil can take the abuse of an F1 car.
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From: Eureka, CA
Rep Power: 0 Sorry if that confused you zen_master. For your mostly stock car, 5w20 regular oil would work fine. If it gets really hot in the summer up there, get something thicker for the summer like 5w30 or 10w30. I want to go with a light synthetic that can the heat I generate revvin' and Cali summers, so I want to switch to Mobil 1 because I drive kinda hard.
hmhmhmhm..
thanx for the advices!
i think im gonna use 5w20...castrol gtx will do just fine, i think..
damn, but now i start to revvin my car a lil' bit....hm, which oil will do better?
it's pretty hot in summer...but it doesn't hold that long...hot summer only last less than 3 months in here...
so, i think it's either castrol gtx 5w20 or mobil 1 synthetic 5w30...
hm..
thanx for the advices!
i think im gonna use 5w20...castrol gtx will do just fine, i think..
damn, but now i start to revvin my car a lil' bit....hm, which oil will do better?
it's pretty hot in summer...but it doesn't hold that long...hot summer only last less than 3 months in here...
so, i think it's either castrol gtx 5w20 or mobil 1 synthetic 5w30...
hm..
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Originally posted by zen_master
hmhmhmhm...now im really confused....which oil...
5w30 synthetic Mobil 1 or...
5w20 non-syntehic Castrol GTX... or..
0w20 synthetic Mobil 1..... or..
arh....which one...
hmhmhmhm...now im really confused....which oil...
5w30 synthetic Mobil 1 or...
5w20 non-syntehic Castrol GTX... or..
0w20 synthetic Mobil 1..... or..
arh....which one...
Use 5w20 regular or 0w20 synthetic year around. Hot or cold outside the engine is going to heat the oil up. As it heats up the oil becomes thinner. The oil you use in the Winter is more important than the Summer. When your car sits in the Winter the oil becomes cold and thick making it difficult for the car to start, so you want to start out with a thinner oil in the Winter.
Last edited by pheaton; Mar 15, 2004 at 06:54 PM.
really2 thanx for the info..
i've just done lot's of search button and comes with some questions..
first of all, i found that Castrol GTX now have the Syntec 5w20..
so now, the question is between:
Mobil1 0w20 (i've search and read that this is good for Honda)
OR
Castrol Syntec 5W20?
However, I haven't see 5W20 in my local wal-mart....
i saw tons of 0W20 mobil1 in wal-mart though...
do u guys happen to know an oil-change place where they got both oils?
or....places which got the 5w20 castrol syntec?
wal-mart got the 0w20 for sure...
EDIT::
oh sh*t, now i got a doubt..
USING THE 0W20 IN THE SUMMER, is that a GOOD or BAD thing to do?
seems like using 0W20 in Winter is a good thing...
i think, using 5W20 in all season is still good, cos' it's recommended by Honda
EDIT2::
I've done some search again..
seems like I put my doubt in Castrol Syntec...cos' it's a type III oil which is not purely synthetic, right? it seems that it was from dino juice..
hm, mobil 1 0w20 is fully synthetic, right?
i've just done lot's of search button and comes with some questions..
first of all, i found that Castrol GTX now have the Syntec 5w20..
so now, the question is between:
Mobil1 0w20 (i've search and read that this is good for Honda)
OR
Castrol Syntec 5W20?
However, I haven't see 5W20 in my local wal-mart....
i saw tons of 0W20 mobil1 in wal-mart though...
do u guys happen to know an oil-change place where they got both oils?
or....places which got the 5w20 castrol syntec?
wal-mart got the 0w20 for sure...
EDIT::
oh sh*t, now i got a doubt..
USING THE 0W20 IN THE SUMMER, is that a GOOD or BAD thing to do?
seems like using 0W20 in Winter is a good thing...
i think, using 5W20 in all season is still good, cos' it's recommended by Honda
EDIT2::
I've done some search again..
seems like I put my doubt in Castrol Syntec...cos' it's a type III oil which is not purely synthetic, right? it seems that it was from dino juice..
hm, mobil 1 0w20 is fully synthetic, right?
Last edited by zen_master; Mar 18, 2004 at 10:34 AM.
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Rep Power: 0 Yes, Mobil 1 is pure synthetic. You would be fine running either 5w20 Castrol GTX or Syntec year-round. But if you switch to a FULL synthetic, your car will be wanting you to continue using full synthetic because it causes the valve seals to swell up and if you go back to regular they shrink back down. If you have any leaky valve seals, going back to regular would cause you to leak oil into the combustion chamber and burn it, which isn't good for your car. So if you go with Mobil 1 or ANY full synthetic, It would be a good idea to continue to use for as long as you have the car, especially if you switch to Synth. on a high mileage car, to stay with synthetic. Hope this helps.
hm!
it really help, thanx!!
however, since Mobil 1 does not carry 5W20, now I've to ask the final question:
is 0W20 good for Summer driving?
(if yes, then i'll stick with 0w20)
(if no....it's between 5w20 castrol gtx OR syntec)
we know that summer is coming...right? so, right now i'm confused about it..
it really help, thanx!!
however, since Mobil 1 does not carry 5W20, now I've to ask the final question:
is 0W20 good for Summer driving?
(if yes, then i'll stick with 0w20)
(if no....it's between 5w20 castrol gtx OR syntec)
we know that summer is coming...right? so, right now i'm confused about it..
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From: shertown, TX
Rep Power: 0 now i use 93 at shell
and what ever you guys are saying i do get better gas milage... when i put in 87 into my 02 ex i always got Less than 300 miles per tank
now i put in 93 and ive been getting 330 and over.... i think its worth it for extra 20 cents a gallon........
and what ever you guys are saying i do get better gas milage... when i put in 87 into my 02 ex i always got Less than 300 miles per tank
now i put in 93 and ive been getting 330 and over.... i think its worth it for extra 20 cents a gallon........
hm, now there are some pro and cons...
anywa, i decided to use Mobil 1 0W20 for my next oil change..
as for the gas...i'm still deciding, cos i'm using 87 right now...seems there are no different from the last time i filled my gas tank with 93..
anywa, i decided to use Mobil 1 0W20 for my next oil change..
as for the gas...i'm still deciding, cos i'm using 87 right now...seems there are no different from the last time i filled my gas tank with 93..
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From: Charleston, South Carolina
Rep Power: 0 1.87 gas (proven no different than 93)
You don't need anything but 87 unless you are runnin turbo......or racing bro
sAve your $$$$
2. Read your manual man. Use 5w-20 regular oil. You don't need synthetic and 5w-20
(thin, light oil) gives us better gas mileage and runs more efficiently in our 7th gen civics. I use castrol gtx 5w-20 for small engines
You don't need anything but 87 unless you are runnin turbo......or racing bro
sAve your $$$$
2. Read your manual man. Use 5w-20 regular oil. You don't need synthetic and 5w-20
(thin, light oil) gives us better gas mileage and runs more efficiently in our 7th gen civics. I use castrol gtx 5w-20 for small engines
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From: NJ
Rep Power: 0 Get super gas. You get a little better milage and it's not that big of a difference between regular and super gas prices. It's about 20 cents more. Whoopie.
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Rep Power: 334 Okay, so higher octane gasoline burns hotter. Would the higher octane gas help protect your spark plugs from carbon buildup? By burning hotter, it burns away the carbon?
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Rep Power: 380 Ok this has been covered MANY times. so here goes....
The type of gasoline to use is one of the most misunderstood areas of vehicle ownership. I am going to offer some ideas that I hope will save you a few bucks on gasoline.
The first rule of thumb is that higher octane gasoline is not necessarily better for your vehicle.
WHAT IS OCTANE RATING?
Octane, by definition, is the resistance to burn or detonation. The higher the rating, the slower the burn when ignited during the compression burn cycle of the piston. The higher octane allows for better control of burning for high compression engines. So we want to match the correct octane rating of the gasoline to the engine design to ensure complete burning of the gasoline by the engine for maximum fuel economy and clean emissions.
I THOUGHT GASOLINE WITH HIGHER OCTANE REDUCED ENGINE KNOCK?
It did in older engines using carburetors to regulate air/gas mix They cannot as accurately regulate the air/fuel mix going into the engine as a computerized fuel injector. Carburetors need adjustment, as a part of regular maintenance, to keep the air/fuel mix as accurate as possible. So many times, these adjustments were not made regularly causing too much fuel to be mixed with the air. When this happened the gasoline would not burn completely soaking into carbon deposits. This would cause a premature ignition of the gasoline due to the intense heat in the engine cylinder creating "engine knock." When this happened, people would change to the higher octane/slower burning gasoline to resist the premature burn, thus minimizing the knocking problem. And it worked. Good solution.
However, since the middle to late 80’s, engines are designed to use fuel injectors with computers to accurately control the air/fuel mix under all types of temperature and environment concerns. However the accuracy of the fuel injectors and computers is based on using the recommended gasoline for that engine.
Most cars are designed to burn regular unleaded fuels with an octane rating of 87. If the vehicle needs a higher octane rating of 89-93, there is documentation in the owner’s manual, as well as possibly under the fuel gauge and by the fuel fill hole. Usually you will see this rating for high performance engines only.
WHAT IF I PREFER TO USE GASOLINE WITH HIGHER OCTANE RATINGS?
You can, but there are no real benefits, other than the gasoline manufacturers making more money off of you. When you use a fuel with a higher octane rating than your vehicle requires, you can send this unburned fuel into the emissions system. It can also collect in the catalytic converter. When you over stress any system, it can malfunction or not do what it was designed to do properly. In the early 90's, an early warning symptom was a rotten egg smell from the tailpipe. Easy fix, go back to using regular 87 octane gasoline. The rude odor usually disappears after several tanks of gasoline.
DOESN'T HIGHER OCTANE GASOLINE HAVE MORE CLEANING ADDITIVES THAT ARE GOOD FOR MY ENGINE?
No. Government regulations require that all gasoline contain basically the same amount of additives to clean the injectors and valves. The only differences are the type to help create the different octane ratings. All gasoline burns at the same rate, it is the additives that create the different octane ratings for the different types of engines.
Stolen from here...
reinforced by this.
And this...
and about a bazilion other articles....
The type of gasoline to use is one of the most misunderstood areas of vehicle ownership. I am going to offer some ideas that I hope will save you a few bucks on gasoline.
The first rule of thumb is that higher octane gasoline is not necessarily better for your vehicle.
WHAT IS OCTANE RATING?
Octane, by definition, is the resistance to burn or detonation. The higher the rating, the slower the burn when ignited during the compression burn cycle of the piston. The higher octane allows for better control of burning for high compression engines. So we want to match the correct octane rating of the gasoline to the engine design to ensure complete burning of the gasoline by the engine for maximum fuel economy and clean emissions.
I THOUGHT GASOLINE WITH HIGHER OCTANE REDUCED ENGINE KNOCK?
It did in older engines using carburetors to regulate air/gas mix They cannot as accurately regulate the air/fuel mix going into the engine as a computerized fuel injector. Carburetors need adjustment, as a part of regular maintenance, to keep the air/fuel mix as accurate as possible. So many times, these adjustments were not made regularly causing too much fuel to be mixed with the air. When this happened the gasoline would not burn completely soaking into carbon deposits. This would cause a premature ignition of the gasoline due to the intense heat in the engine cylinder creating "engine knock." When this happened, people would change to the higher octane/slower burning gasoline to resist the premature burn, thus minimizing the knocking problem. And it worked. Good solution.
However, since the middle to late 80’s, engines are designed to use fuel injectors with computers to accurately control the air/fuel mix under all types of temperature and environment concerns. However the accuracy of the fuel injectors and computers is based on using the recommended gasoline for that engine.
Most cars are designed to burn regular unleaded fuels with an octane rating of 87. If the vehicle needs a higher octane rating of 89-93, there is documentation in the owner’s manual, as well as possibly under the fuel gauge and by the fuel fill hole. Usually you will see this rating for high performance engines only.
WHAT IF I PREFER TO USE GASOLINE WITH HIGHER OCTANE RATINGS?
You can, but there are no real benefits, other than the gasoline manufacturers making more money off of you. When you use a fuel with a higher octane rating than your vehicle requires, you can send this unburned fuel into the emissions system. It can also collect in the catalytic converter. When you over stress any system, it can malfunction or not do what it was designed to do properly. In the early 90's, an early warning symptom was a rotten egg smell from the tailpipe. Easy fix, go back to using regular 87 octane gasoline. The rude odor usually disappears after several tanks of gasoline.
DOESN'T HIGHER OCTANE GASOLINE HAVE MORE CLEANING ADDITIVES THAT ARE GOOD FOR MY ENGINE?
No. Government regulations require that all gasoline contain basically the same amount of additives to clean the injectors and valves. The only differences are the type to help create the different octane ratings. All gasoline burns at the same rate, it is the additives that create the different octane ratings for the different types of engines.
Stolen from here...
reinforced by this.
And this...
and about a bazilion other articles....
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From: St.Louis(st.peters)
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man... This is so confusing~ everyone uses diff. oils&gas
I'd just stick with the stuffz that Honda recommands.
and for oil, i've heard from lots of people there's not a whole difference btw 87~93
by the way i use octane 87, and 5w20 castrol gtx for oil.
I usually get about 350 per tank. Best one i've got was 390mi
worst one was like 300 in the winter time. 
hehe
and yea~ i'm just a normal daily driver
man... This is so confusing~ everyone uses diff. oils&gas
I'd just stick with the stuffz that Honda recommands.
and for oil, i've heard from lots of people there's not a whole difference btw 87~93
by the way i use octane 87, and 5w20 castrol gtx for oil.
I usually get about 350 per tank. Best one i've got was 390mi
worst one was like 300 in the winter time. heheand yea~ i'm just a normal daily driver
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From: SoCal OC / LA / San Diego
Rep Power: 273 Arco 87 Octane and Redline Synthetics
Jesus, it's a flamewar in here, so I think I'll speak my piece 
I use http://www.gasbuddy.com/ to buy the absolute cheapest gas I can (In San Diego, thats currently at 2.25 within a reasonable space...) and I use 87 Octane. The quote earlier about octane is dead on, and I'm glad someone finally put the beat down on that once and for all.
*Disclaimer: I am one of those guys who likes to keep a car for as long as possible before any major repairs, so I'm fanatical about "the best" for my baby so I don't have to even think about walking into a sleazy car dealership for the next 8-10 years... I also live in SoCal, where driving conditions are about as stop-go as you can get. Knowing that, here's my take on the most important stuff you do for your car.
Oil and filters are a COMPLETELY different animal. I'm a big believer in synthetics after my old camry V-6 lasted 220K with no engine rebuilds after using RedLine Synthetic (The tranny finally gave way because I drive like a maniac and it was an A/T... got a stick now). Also, with most all syns, you can do an extended drain of 6k miles, AS LONG AS you change the oil filter at 3K (Change filter at 3K, top off lost oil, do full change both oil and filter at 6k)
I use Red Line 5w20 Synthetic Oil. They take phone orders and ship anywhere factory direct. 2 days after I bought it, the fedex guy comes up and freaking hands me a case of oil. How cool is that?
One of my buddies has used it in his explorer for about 150K. needed to get his timing belt done, and when they took stuff off, they were wondering why the engine looked so clean.
Redline, however, is not cheap at about 7.75 a qt, but their 5w20 has about as much moly as the stock honda stuff, and thats a good thing. They make a badass Manual Tranny fluid that works very well on cold days when the stock OEM fluid won't engage the synchros.
don't forget the OIL FILTER is probably the most overlooked part in the car. I know too many people who put crappy nuclear orange FRAM's on their vehicles and wonder why they idle rough or it seems that their oil comes out blacker than it used to. Use a good quality filter like a Mobil 1 or K&N (Mobil 1 filters best, K&N has a little better flow for racing / hard starts) so that your oil stays nice and clean, and change the filter every 3k.
Pics of Bad / Good filters:
http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml
http://www.bergware.net/tmbwww/oilfilter89honda.html
http://www.lesabret.com/filters/filter.html
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html
http://uploadpics.tk/
Those are actually prelude filters in the first link. very interesting.
Hope that helps and wasn't too much of a rant.
I use http://www.gasbuddy.com/ to buy the absolute cheapest gas I can (In San Diego, thats currently at 2.25 within a reasonable space...) and I use 87 Octane. The quote earlier about octane is dead on, and I'm glad someone finally put the beat down on that once and for all.
*Disclaimer: I am one of those guys who likes to keep a car for as long as possible before any major repairs, so I'm fanatical about "the best" for my baby so I don't have to even think about walking into a sleazy car dealership for the next 8-10 years... I also live in SoCal, where driving conditions are about as stop-go as you can get. Knowing that, here's my take on the most important stuff you do for your car.
Oil and filters are a COMPLETELY different animal. I'm a big believer in synthetics after my old camry V-6 lasted 220K with no engine rebuilds after using RedLine Synthetic (The tranny finally gave way because I drive like a maniac and it was an A/T... got a stick now). Also, with most all syns, you can do an extended drain of 6k miles, AS LONG AS you change the oil filter at 3K (Change filter at 3K, top off lost oil, do full change both oil and filter at 6k)
I use Red Line 5w20 Synthetic Oil. They take phone orders and ship anywhere factory direct. 2 days after I bought it, the fedex guy comes up and freaking hands me a case of oil. How cool is that?
One of my buddies has used it in his explorer for about 150K. needed to get his timing belt done, and when they took stuff off, they were wondering why the engine looked so clean.
Redline, however, is not cheap at about 7.75 a qt, but their 5w20 has about as much moly as the stock honda stuff, and thats a good thing. They make a badass Manual Tranny fluid that works very well on cold days when the stock OEM fluid won't engage the synchros.
don't forget the OIL FILTER is probably the most overlooked part in the car. I know too many people who put crappy nuclear orange FRAM's on their vehicles and wonder why they idle rough or it seems that their oil comes out blacker than it used to. Use a good quality filter like a Mobil 1 or K&N (Mobil 1 filters best, K&N has a little better flow for racing / hard starts) so that your oil stays nice and clean, and change the filter every 3k.
Pics of Bad / Good filters:
http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml
http://www.bergware.net/tmbwww/oilfilter89honda.html
http://www.lesabret.com/filters/filter.html
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html
http://uploadpics.tk/
Those are actually prelude filters in the first link. very interesting.
Hope that helps and wasn't too much of a rant.
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