Honda Car Forum

My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol to
Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer indicate
the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving" oil, SAE
5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).

I had an impression from years ago that Castrol was considered a superior
brand. Is that still true, and if so, why?

The service manager at Mel Rapton Honda in Sacramento, CA, says one reason
he switched is price. Mobil is cheaper. And he assures me it meets all the
factory specs, although I can't verify that because I can't see the label
for what they put in my car.

He also says that all Hondas come with Mobil oil in the crankcase from the
factory, whether in the US or Japan. Is that true?

OK, so Mobil is cheaper. Assuming the product is marked as meeting the
factory specs for my car, is it good enough?

I am not asking here about synthetic oil; please limit responses to
conventional oil products only.

And please, I hope to hear informed and expert knowledge here, not
speculation and guesses. Thank you.

- Don

On May 10, 1:40 pm, "Don Enderton" <Ender...@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote:

>
> And please, I hope to hear informed and expert knowledge here, not
> speculation and guesses. Thank you.

speculation and guesses are what you will get. you are not paying for
this advice directly. of course, it can be argued that you are paying
for electricity to power the computer, the purchase price of the
computer, the internet connection, etc...

there is nothing wrong with mobil. you are silly if you think
otherwise. clean, fresh oil of the proper (as per the particular
vehicle manual) viscosity is all you need and all you need to worry
about.

bob z.

OK, zee, thank you. If my dealer is using "Mobil Clean" then according to
the Mobil web site it does meet the owner's manual specs for my car. Not
only as to viscosity, but also as to API service rating SJ and "energy
conserving" in my case.

- Don

"bob zee" <bobzee1@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1178819913.090294.67810@h2g2000hsg.googlegrou ps.com...
> On May 10, 1:40 pm, "Don Enderton" <Ender...@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote:
>
>>
>> And please, I hope to hear informed and expert knowledge here, not
>> speculation and guesses. Thank you.
>
> speculation and guesses are what you will get. you are not paying for
> this advice directly. of course, it can be argued that you are paying
> for electricity to power the computer, the purchase price of the
> computer, the internet connection, etc...
>
> there is nothing wrong with mobil. you are silly if you think
> otherwise. clean, fresh oil of the proper (as per the particular
> vehicle manual) viscosity is all you need and all you need to worry
> about.
>
> bob z.
>

On May 10, 3:00 pm, "Don Enderton" <Ender...@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote:
> OK, zee, thank you. If my dealer is using "Mobil Clean" then according to
> the Mobil web site it does meet the owner's manual specs for my car. Not
> only as to viscosity, but also as to API service rating SJ and "energy
> conserving" in my case.
>
> - Don


i was having a bad day so please forgive my abrasiveness.

bob z.

"Don Enderton" <Enderton@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote in
news:sOI0i.5504$yM2.3404@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:



Ah, I see we have yet another multi-posting newbie!

Identical message posted independently to at least two groups.

I have already supplied a sublime and penetrating response in the other
group you posted to. Go find it. You know where it is (but nobody else
does!).

Oh, and you may wish to educate youself as to certain Usenet etiquette
conventions, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossposting

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Here in the southeast Mobil is the distributor for Honda motor oil. I'm not
sure about the rest of the country. The Honda branded oil is formulated by
Mobil to Honda specs. There's not much better for your car. As for Castrol,
it's a fine motor oil. Probably no better or worse than any other major
motor oil manufacturer, except for some of the premium and/or racing oils or
synthetics.
What Castrol is best for is marketing. There is no oil company that spends
more time and money on marketing and promoting its product than Castrol.
They spend millions on promoting and the result is what many people
including yourself think that it is better and consequently it pays them
back in sales. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't better. But there is not much
difference between equivalent spec Mobil or Castrol or most other major
brands for that matter.
If you want superior, use Amsoil or Royal Purple, but be prepared to pay a
handsome price for something that will make little or no difference in a
well maintained properly oil changed vehicle.
Howard
"Don Enderton" <Enderton@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote in message
news:sOI0i.5504$yM2.3404@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol
> to Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer
> indicate the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving"
> oil, SAE 5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).
>
> I had an impression from years ago that Castrol was considered a superior
> brand. Is that still true, and if so, why?
>
> The service manager at Mel Rapton Honda in Sacramento, CA, says one reason
> he switched is price. Mobil is cheaper. And he assures me it meets all
> the factory specs, although I can't verify that because I can't see the
> label for what they put in my car.
>
> He also says that all Hondas come with Mobil oil in the crankcase from the
> factory, whether in the US or Japan. Is that true?
>
> OK, so Mobil is cheaper. Assuming the product is marked as meeting the
> factory specs for my car, is it good enough?
>
> I am not asking here about synthetic oil; please limit responses to
> conventional oil products only.
>
> And please, I hope to hear informed and expert knowledge here, not
> speculation and guesses. Thank you.
>
> - Don
>

"Don Enderton" <Enderton@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote in message
news:sOI0i.5504$yM2.3404@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol
> to Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer
> indicate the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving"
> oil, SAE 5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).
>
> I had an impression from years ago that Castrol was considered a superior
> brand. Is that still true, and if so, why?
>

If you follow an average oil change interval, any API spec oil is just fine.
All modern oils are essentially good and better than they used to be.

MAT wrote:
> "Don Enderton" <Enderton@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote in message
> news:sOI0i.5504$yM2.3404@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>> My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol
>> to Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer
>> indicate the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving"
>> oil, SAE 5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).
>>
>> I had an impression from years ago that Castrol was considered a superior
>> brand. Is that still true, and if so, why?
>>
>
> If you follow an average oil change interval, any API spec oil is just fine.

not "any" oil. motorcraft api spec "semi-synthetic" makes the seals on
my 89 civic leak like sieves. subsequently running castrol or mobil
oil, i've had no leakage problems from the same seals whatsoever.

first line oil analysis is spark spectrometry. [quick and cheap.]
that's good for inorganic components like zinc, but useless for organic
component analysis. on spark analysis, motorcraft oil appears to have
an inorganic additive package just as good as other oils. but if it's
causing leakage, clearly it's missing organic components like seal
conditioners - and this would never show on spectrometry. guess that's
why it's cheap.

> All modern oils are essentially good and better than they used to be.
>
>

On Thu, 10 May 2007 17:40:40 +0000, Don Enderton wrote:

>
> My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol
> to Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer
> indicate the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving"
> oil, SAE 5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).


I don't know about the Service Specs, etc, but I have been using Castrol
for over 25 years and have 3 High Mileage cars.

Also, I picked up a Supra a couple years ago, and the vale stem seals need
replacing. Big cloud of blue smoke on startup. Started using Castrol High
Mileage..no more blue smoke. After the next oil change I'll switch back to
regular Castrol.

If you can do your own changes, do it. They're easy. They don't cost a lot
less, but you'll get what you want for oil and filters.

In my forty plus years of fiddlin' with cars, I have found Castrol to
cut consumption by as much as 50% regardless of the type of car involved
in ever case.

Just like in politics, it's a case of, "Follow the money."

It's just that simple...

JT




Howard wrote:
> Here in the southeast Mobil is the distributor for Honda motor oil. I'm not
> sure about the rest of the country. The Honda branded oil is formulated by
> Mobil to Honda specs. There's not much better for your car. As for Castrol,
> it's a fine motor oil. Probably no better or worse than any other major
> motor oil manufacturer, except for some of the premium and/or racing oils or
> synthetics.
> What Castrol is best for is marketing. There is no oil company that spends
> more time and money on marketing and promoting its product than Castrol.
> They spend millions on promoting and the result is what many people
> including yourself think that it is better and consequently it pays them
> back in sales. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't better. But there is not much
> difference between equivalent spec Mobil or Castrol or most other major
> brands for that matter.
> If you want superior, use Amsoil or Royal Purple, but be prepared to pay a
> handsome price for something that will make little or no difference in a
> well maintained properly oil changed vehicle.
> Howard
> "Don Enderton" <Enderton@nosuchaddress.duh> wrote in message
> news:sOI0i.5504$yM2.3404@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
>>My local Honda dealer, where I get my oil changed, switched from Castrol
>>to Mobil oil. Also, the paperwork and windshield sticker no longer
>>indicate the grade or weight (should be API service SJ "energy conserving"
>>oil, SAE 5-30 viscosity, for my particular year and model).
>>
>>I had an impression from years ago that Castrol was considered a superior
>>brand. Is that still true, and if so, why?
>>
>>The service manager at Mel Rapton Honda in Sacramento, CA, says one reason
>>he switched is price. Mobil is cheaper. And he assures me it meets all
>>the factory specs, although I can't verify that because I can't see the
>>label for what they put in my car.
>>
>>He also says that all Hondas come with Mobil oil in the crankcase from the
>>factory, whether in the US or Japan. Is that true?
>>
>>OK, so Mobil is cheaper. Assuming the product is marked as meeting the
>>factory specs for my car, is it good enough?
>>
>>I am not asking here about synthetic oil; please limit responses to
>>conventional oil products only.
>>
>>And please, I hope to hear informed and expert knowledge here, not
>>speculation and guesses. Thank you.
>>
>>- Don
>>
>
>
>