does anybody think it would hurt our engines if i used the mobil one 15w-30 preformance oil? i know we are suppost to use 10w-30 but when i hit 10k miles i want to switch over to the synthetic but it says on the bottle that the 15w-30 is for high performance engines which i think our engines are

 

Just use the 10W-30, ignore what the bottle says.

 

You may want to do a search, but I think I have heard of others using a full synthetic with a weight of 5W - 50. Not sure if you know what the #'s mean, but basically the lower # states that the oil will flow like a 5 weight when cold, and protect like a 50 weight when hot or at operating temp. I personally wouldn't use a 15W - 30.

 

thanks for the info guys

 

Jonathan - Your post in Under the Hood got some pretty wild replys, so I'll reply here. The bottom line is that I doubt it would cause any harm, but also think it won't give you substantive benefit. The wording on the bottle is mainly for marketing. ANY high quality motor oil will protect your engine for well over 100k miles if you change it regularly. I'm choosing to follow Honda's recommended 10W-30 weight just so the dealer can't claim I didn't follow manufacturer's recommendations with the oil if I have any engine problems.

BTW, I'm using Mobil 1. After the oil was in my car for 5k miles I had it analyzed and the lab stated it could have remained in service longer.

 

thanks for the info, i am just going to stick with the 10w-30 but wc one keeps saying its bad for hot weather whats that about?

 

Some people are opinionated. Also, I've noticed that 3 topics are very controversial on public web boards - politics, religion and motor oil selection.

This concept may harken back to the days of single grade oils and when multi-grade oils were not very stable due to their viscosity extenders and other additives. Back in "the days" thinner, lower weight oil, like SAE 20, was used in the winter and thicker, higher weight oil, like SAE 40 or 50, was used in the summer. This was because the thicker oils would protect well at high temperatures, but didn't flow worth beans at low temps. Thus, on start-up in the winter, an engine would be oil-starved upon startup. Not a good thing! One would religiously change oil every Fall and Spring to accomodate the different temperatures. Then multi-grade oil came along, simplifying lives, but bringing its own set of problems. In order to make multi-grade oil, SAE 20W 50 for example, compounds were added to the oil that broke down over time at high temperatures, such as those that occur in a car engine. Modern oils are vastly superior to these oils of the 50s and 60s. They are more stable and lubricate better. Synthetic oils like Mobil 1 are especially superior in these regards.

Honda specifies 10W 30 oil for the S2000. That means that the engineers have determined that this grade oil is compatible with the design goals of low emissions and long engine life. It is thinner than the oil grades of yore, probably due to tighter tolerances in the engine and the improved lubrication abilities of modern oil. BTW, the grade 10W 30 means the oil flows like SAE 10 at low temperatures and like SAE 30 at high temps. SAE stands for the Society of Automotive Engineers and is a grading scheme for oil viscosity.

BTW, I've never seen Mobil 1 15W 30 oil before. Is it a new grade, or is it really 15W 50?

HTH