5w-30

5 is for when cold, like when starting the car in cold temps

30 is for the hot protection when warm, but 5w-30 has less protection than a 10w-30 in hot conditions due the additives that burn off after 1,000 miles that is needed to make a 5 weight oil.

when you go below 20 degrees you should be using a 5 or less weight.

 

i heard synthetic builds up in layers and thus becoms bad for the engine... is this true?

 

no regular oil builds up and the synthetic doesn't. on a high mileage motor this build up can prevent burning oil by filling in the gaps. that's why some people say they burn oil with synthetic since it, doesn't fill in the gaps, it slips through.

 

see... now that was a halfway decent answer... thank-you...

 

OK - 2 companies that I know of have 5W-20 full synth. oils. I have both - but have yet to need to change my oil in my 2003 Coupe.

The 2 companes are AMSOil - probably the best and omsst reliable oil company in hte world, and Royal Purple. I plan on using the AMSOil first. I'm also using K&N Gold Filters (And using urolator PureONE Filters once they become available.)

Ask me any questions about Oils that you want - and I'll probably be able to answer them.

BTW -I plan on switching out the original dino oil at 5K, and changing my synth. oil every 5K thereafter. Seeing as tohough I bought 12 qts. of AMSOil and 20 Qts. of Royal Purple as soon as I knew I was getting my car, I think i"m pretty well set, at least for the next 25-30K miles. hah.

 

So since it doesn't get below 40 degrees here in So Cal but it does get hot like 100+ in the summer. 10W30 would be better for my 96 Accord?

I've always used 5w30.

 

Royal purple, I've heard bad things about their oil. Something about clumping...I don't recall entirely.

 

i switched over from dino oil to mobil 1 5w-30 at 80k miles. My car is now at 96k and did a oil change two weeks ago...hardly any oil is burning. I believe my engine is in super great shape.

btw...i am using 20w-50(i think thats what i bought)in my car now. Since its getting old, i'd figure better protection. Am i thinking right?

Dave

 

yeah i would switch at least for the summer months.

 

http://www.atis.net/oil_faq.html

hope this helps...

noel