I am about to take ownership of my first real sports car with the S2000 this Saturday. I have always used Castrol GTX in all of my 4 cylinder cars and wondered if this is a good oil to use in the S2000, given the high RPM rate this car can attain. Does anyone have any suggestions for good/proper oil for the S2000? Is synthetic oil better than non-synthetic? I read that synthetic should only be used after the proper break in period or it could take longer to break in? Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

Yes, go Synthetic after break-in.

The question is: "When does break-in end?"

This varies from 1,000 miles to 10,000 miles according to the so-called, self-proclaimed "experts".

I personally switched to synthetic at my first oil change which was at 3,750 miles. I am following Honda's Severe Duty Maintenance Schedule. I am considering an even shorter oil change interval because I would rather err on the conservative side and keep engine wear to a minimum.

As far as engine brands are concerned, you're touching on a "religious" issue as people get pretty emotional about one brand vs. another. Quite frankly, any high quality synthetic oil will be fine. Whether people know it or not, they are usually debating about the last "nth degree" of performance which the vast majority of people will never notice.

I currently am running Mobil 1 10W30 which costs about $4.39 per quart. Although the Mobil 1 has been fine, next week I will be switching to Red Line Synthetic 10W30 which costs $7.99 per quart.

Will I notice any difference? Probably not.

 

I agree with the above post completely, including the Red Line oil. It is all a comfort thing (how comfortable you are with the oil you choose and how much money you are comfortable spending on oil) I use red line in all of my cars now that I found someone local who has it.

 

IMO just about any premium oil that is changed regularly will work well 99% of the time, so you are ok with GTX. Synthetics do better in extreme cold and hot but few of us see those temps, and in tests synthetics do a slightly better job reducing friction. I suggest waiting for full break-in (probably > 6000 miles) before changing to synthetics. I use Mobil 1 because it is reasonably priced and don

 

I have over 141,000 miles on my '92 Grand Am Gt with 2.3 liter 4-cylinder(180 hp) 5-speed and have always used Castrol GTX (non-synthetic) and change it every 7500 miles (I drive mostly highway miles or trips greater than 25 miles one way) and have not had a single problem with the engine. For my S2000 however, I plan to use Mobil 1 (synthetic) after my second planned oil change, which should be around 7500 miles, and will follow the "service extreme" maintenance schedule (6 months or 3,750 miles) going forward.

 

Hey Golfnut,

Congratulations on getting one of the most fun cars in the world today!

Yes, Castrol GTX is fine oil and is perfect for the S2K.

No, synthetic oil is not better than non-synthetic oil. It is different, but not better. It is more expensive, but there is absolutely NO evidence that it will have ANY performance or longevity benefits for your engine, which will probably outlast the other bits of the car. You may wish to use it if you want to spend 400-500% more money on your oil costs.

Wait until 7500 miles to change the oil the first time, but check it frequently and top it off with non-synthetic 10W30 if necessary. If you drive your car VERY hard (i.e track or autocross), you may wish to change earlier, but not before 3750. There is no magic to it: the best engine manufacturer in the world put the ideal maintenance instructions for the S2000 in the owners manual. Follow their instructions and you will have no problems! Good luck!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by LATEOTT
[B]
No, synthetic oil is not better than non-synthetic oil.

 

Hang on a sec... there's been PLENTY of tests proven that synthetic has better film strength, hold up better under heat, flows better when cold, and does not break down as fast as regular dino oil. There *are* evidence that synthetic is better than regular dino oil. If all of those attributes don't add up to better protection, I don't know what will.

There ARE plenty of evidence that synthetic is better than dino. Saying that it's not is completely false.
[/B][/QUOTE]

I

 

Wow! I didn't expect to open up a can of worms with this questions. I guess it's up to the drivers taste as to whether to use synthetic or regular. I have 217,000+ miles on my 89 Accord and have never had any major engine work done, and that was using Castrol GTX all the time. As long as the Castrol will protect the S2000 at the higher revs, sound like I can keep using it.

Thanks for the feed back. I'm getting the car tomorrow and CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by shingles
[B][QUOTE]Originally posted by LATEOTT
[b]
No, synthetic oil is not better than non-synthetic oil.