Hi all. Nice to see so many fans of such a new car! I pick up my yellow O-Z next week, and am looking forward to driving it.

Wondering if you guys are using synthetics in your trannies and crankcases? If so, what weights? This is a 5 speed, btw.

This vehicle will be my "to-work" ride, so I'll be averaging about 50k kms a year and I want it to last. Also, how long did you leave the dino oil in for the break-in period, before switching to synth?

Great forums - I'll be over on the Canadian Lancer board.

Take care all,
PHIL

 

Most manufacturers have additives in the oil of new vehicles, and it is a very good idea not to drain it until the recommended milage. As far as switching to synthetic many people including myself wouldnt switch before 10k, to allow proper break in.

 

Phil - This thread topic relates to yet another of the old wives tales about motor oil and new vehicle break in.

The idea of "mfgs put special additives in motor oil for break in and you shouldn't take it out early" always give me a laugh. Why? Consider the question...What do you think is contained in all passenger car motor oil on the shelves everywhere from Kmart to Pep Boys when you buy oil?

Additives or course!

Every oil mfg conjures up their cocktail of additives they add to the oil basestock (dino or synthetic) for detergency, antiwear, viscosity improvement, and other properties. Without additives, motor oil (dino or synthetic) would pretty much suck.

Synthetic oil doesn't lubricate (meaning resistance to wear) an engine any differently from dino when both are doped with identical additives. They do perform differently in other areas such as resistance to thermal breakdown or cold start pumpability - this is where the synthetics pull ahead of an equivalent dino oil. But one must remember that the synths don't eliminate friction or wear - they may wear less, in some cases they may wear more - it all depends on the additive package!

Unless the owner's manual specifically prohibits the use of a particular type of oil (which it doesn't), you could drop your oil in the crankcase right now and switch to another oil. Select an oil that is API / ILSAC approved with at least an SJ or CD rating (per my '02 owners manual) and you're still fully within your new vehicle warranty. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, look at your owners manual

Mobil 1 is factory fill in Vettes, Porsches, and some others I can't remember. Hence, no mystery break in oil. I'd take a rough guess here that it's more than safe for the Lancer if you want to put it in now.

Some people (including myself) recite the mantra of no switch to synthetic until 10k miles to insure the engine is well broken in. I only follow this since over the few vehicles I've owned / leased I did have a bad experience switching to synthetic at 500 mi on a Subaru 2.5L DOHC flat four in a previous car.

If you decide on synth now, you really can't go wrong with any of the following brands:

Mobil1
Redline
Amsoil

good luck

EDIT: Should have added - use the search feature on OIL. You'll see all the debate(s) posted thus far.

 

Thanks for the opinions diesel...

I've been driving Mitsu truck engines for years. My current one has 240,000kms, and the valve stem seals are starting to let oil past (finally), so I use dino oil in the old girl...

The new car will be driven almost all highway, so I'll be putting synth in at the first oil change interval. We got my wife a new Suzuki Esteem Wagon last year (EXcellent gas milage!), and the main recommendation in terms of break-in was not to stay at the same RPM for extended times during the break-in period... on long hwy drives for the first couple of thousand kms we'd simply shift back to fourth every now and then, or smoothly accelerate up and down a little. Not sure how much it helped, but after the breakin period the gas mileage got even better...

Agreed on the additives - not all oils are created equal, that's for sure. The prevailing opinion around here is to stick with dyno for the break-in because of the extra friction, which lets the new parts "wear in". But, as you alluded to, this is in contradiction to manufacturers who pour in Mobil 1 right from the factory, eh? I really can't see Accura engineers wanting to risk the NSX engine, if synth wasn't safe right away?

As always, everyone's opinion on the subject will be slightly different, but dialogue is (usu) good regardless, eh?

Nice to be here! See you around,

PHIL

 

Phil - The biggest thing my Dad pounded into my head when I bought my first new car was to always vary speed/rpms to get a nice break in. I believe the man knows his stuff since he basically rebuilt his own Pontiac 389 engine out of his 66 Bonneville convertible. Using his method, across all the vehicles that have been "mine", I always get MPG's at or above sticker and never burn or use any oil between changes.

I completely agree with you about the whole befuddlement caused out there by auto mfgs who tout synth as factory fill. Usually the high quality synths have better anti wear props so they would cause a slightly longer / different break in for components such as rings.

I think the biggest controversy that's brewing out there in the oil world right now is the whole 5W-20 as recommended grade in order for the auto mfgs to meet CAFE standards in as cheap a way as possible. Not sure about long term engine wear, but I've been watching posts on the rsx forum and a few oil related BB's i've been on to look at oil analysis results for wear metals and things like that.

Best of luck with your new and have fun.

 

How's this for an interesting technical service bulliten sent to Honda Dealers?

See the last few points regarding break in, and synthetics.

 

Erm, pardon the monstrous size, but the image isn't hosted by me, so I can't do anything about it.

 

go synthetic...dats what i have done...and get urself a good filter....like fram...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sunder
[B]How's this for an interesting technical service bulliten sent to Honda Dealers?

See the last few points regarding break in, and synthetics.
QUOTE] awww man i was plannin to get an s2000 as my next car.. oh well guess im movin to the evo