Which oil does Honda recommend??

[woodster]

So I get a phone call from my mate who has the same car as me to make sure I'm topping the oil up (we got our CTRs on the same week). Now as we're both performance hungry freaks, we obviously want the best for our cars. So when he tells me that he's been advised to use Shell Optima for best performance I twitch a little bit.
The reason for the involuntary reaction is that I've been using Mobil 1 (just because I've been happy with it before).
Now I hear someone else has told my mate to use Castrol Magnatec.

It's a minefield out there!

What are you using?

[Don]

Couldn't tell you with respect to Honda...but I know that both TVR and Porsche recommend Mobil 1 for their cars...

So that's what I put in 'em.

[M@H]

Yeah, but TVR also reccomend Millers Full Synth... and probably several other brands who have paid them to

[adeewuff]

I had to top up my oil a couple of weeks back and I referred to the manual. Surprisingly it claims that any oil will do as long as it's high quality... read into that what you will. As long as it's not cheap and nasty stuff I really wouldn't worry about it.

[mhibbins]

My prelude vtec used to use some oil when I used the vtec a lot and the best thing you can do is phone the dealer who last serviced it and top up with exactly the same stuff they used.

In my case it was magnatec.

Hope this helps,

Mark

PS. I used to check the level weekly and more often than not it required topping up a little. The dealer assured me this was normal if I used the vtec rev range a lot (which I did). This oil usage was completely elliminated when I gave the car to my wife for the last year we had it (she also never warped the front discs whereas I got through 2 sets a year). This was a 91 car by the way so I don't know if it applies to your car.

>> Edited by mhibbins on Wednesday 14th August 13:13

[douglasr]

My S2000 uses mineral 10W30 until the first service - this is to bed in the pistons properly (I dont think the CTR engine is the same). Thereafter, the dealer recommends Shell Helix fully synthetic. I will probably take along my own Mobil 1 and save some dosh though.

[dougal]

I was told to use Shell helix Fully Synthetic by my dealer, it's what they use when servicing them. They couldn't tell me what went in at the factory, but it's not mineral (running-in oil) like the S2000.

[Noodles]

I also own a 2002 CTR, and which oil to use was one of the things I fretted over.

From what I have been able to find there does not seem to be any hard and fast rules. Everyone has a slightly different opinion, and this includes the Honda dealerships (different dealerships have told different people different things)!

There are plenty of previous threads on the subject oil both on Honda R Board (www.r-forum.net/) and the UK Honda board (http://hondaforums.co.uk/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=2).

If you are interested then I would suggest you use the search facility on both boards to look for the word "oil" and you'll get plenty of results.

After reading all the varying opinions, what I decided to do is as follows:

- Run on semi synthetic for the first 6K miles. I'm using Castrol Magnatec 10w40.

- After 6k miles I'm going to put it into the dealership for a full oil change and start using fully synthetic oil from then on. I plan to swap over to Castrol Formula SLX which is grade 0W-30.

As I said though, that is just what I'm doing and you'll find other people have different opinions...
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Black 2002 CTR #13793