Hey, I've tried to read different threads about oil changes, but i just ended up getting myself more confused since i don't have a service manual or anything......My S2k is an 01 and has 43XXX miles on it. I'm not sure what kinda of oil the last owner used and I'm not sure if i should be using synthetic or non-synthetic oil. I never found a straight answer on to which one should be used. Also I'm not too sure about the intervals of changing....Some say 7500 and some say 3250 or something like that.....if someone can please just give the basic details for me it would be greatly appreciated.

What kind of oil? (synthetic/non-synthetic)
(If non-synthetic, at what milage should i switch to synthetic if at all?)
How often to change oil?
and how many quarts can the s2k hold?(im pretty sure it's 5.5 but i want to double check)
Thanks in Advanced!

 

It's advised to switch to synthetic after 10,000 miles. You are well past this, so go ahead and use synth. A good brand would be Amsoil, Mobil 1 or Redline, and only use 10w30. Its been said (haven't read it on this board) that you shouldn't switch to synth after XXX miles because your gaskets will leak or some bologna, but I find this to be hogwash.

Basically you need to fill the car with enough oil so it measures correctly on the dip stick. The manual states 5.2 qt with a filter change (I don't have a manual but I think thats what it says). Some find this to be ample, while others need to fill 5.5qt, and still others can stick in 6 qt. Depends on how much you drain out I suppose. I've only changed the oil in my S2k once (only owned it for 4k miles so far), and mine was spot on with 5.5 qt.

As far as the interval is concerned.. thats up to you. Some poeple are religious and change their synth every 3k miles, but unless it gets dirty, you can definitely go longer. I generally change around 3.5-4k miles since its a small price to pay for a healthy engine, and this still under the limit.

 

cool! Thanks for all the info. So it's not so different from other cars....the threads just made it seem so much more complicated.

 

A lot more simple,get to your dealer,and order a manual;will be usefull.!!!

 

That's mainly because whenever you have a gathering of any kind of car owners, you'll get a certain % of them being compulsive/obsessive and anal retentive. Every little thing and every little noise becomes a major event.
I would suggest getting an owner's manual so you can reference this type of information in future.
Also, check out all the stickies at the top of the major forums to see all the useful FAQs. These will answer many of the questions that people come up with.
You can't go wrong with using the "severe" schedule, which is every 3750 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first.

I'll respond to some of "vtec9's" statements here:
There is some merit to this statement. The flow characteristics of full synthetic is such that it tends to find its way out any small leaks that are already present. Initial leaks become small leaks, small leaks become big leaks and big leaks become a nightmare. Also, many S2000 owners have noted that if their engines have a tendency to consume oil, using synthetic "can" aggravate this situation. They've found that switching back to conventional oil alleviates this issue.

A couple of things .........................................
It is rare that even new oil after a change stays clean looking for very long. It's supposed to get dirty looking. If it doesn't get dirty within a reasonable amount of time, you need to begin to wonder why. The oil needs to take up the by-products of combustion. If it doesn't get dirty, it's not doing this well. Then you wonder where all the crud is going.
As a point of interest, oil analysis by owners here have shown that most brand name oils, even at 7500 miles operating under "severe" conditions show there is still life left. That doesn't mean we should all go with the "normal" schedule for oil changes. Personally, I think an oil change is one of the cheapest things you can do for your car. I'd rather be safe than sorry.