Mobil 1: Odd Recommendation

Joined
Jan 25, 2003
Messages
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Location
Decatur AL USA
I entered my 2002 Honda Accord J30A1 on the Mobil 1 Site and it came back with one recommendation that seemed.slighly odd...

Mobil 1 ESP X2 0W-20

Not really what I would have expected.
 
Why would you listen to a website vs the manufacturers manual?

I have no intention of using either M1 ESP X2 or Honda Motor Oil. I simply found it strange that M1 recommended an oil that does not have the "Starburst". The fact that they recommended a 0W-20 doesn't.


Honda Owner's Manual
Primary - 5W-20
Alternate - 5W-30
Additional Requirements - APi Certification Seal for Gasoline Engines
"It is highly recommended that you use Honda Motor Oil in your vehicle for as long as you own it"
 
I have no intention of using either M1 ESP X2 or Honda Motor Oil. I simply found it strange that M1 recommended an oil that does not have the "Starburst". The fact that they recommended a 0W-20 doesn't.


Honda Owner's Manual
Primary - 5W-20
Alternate - 5W-30
Additional Requirements - APi Certification Seal for Gasoline Engines
"It is highly recommended that you use Honda Motor Oil in your vehicle for as long as you own it"
The Mobil 1 product you reference is API licensed, that’s all that really matters in your list above. The rest is either a suggestion or marketing.
 
The Mobil 1 product you reference is API SP licensed, that’s all that really matters in your list above. The rest is either a suggestion or marketing.
The Mobil 1 product you reference is API licensed, that’s all that really matters in your list above. The rest is either a suggestion or marketing.

"Always use a premium-grade detergent oil displaying the API Certification Seal".
"Make sure the APi Certification Seal says - For Gasoline Engines"

The wording certainly made it sound like a requirent to have the Starburst with the use of "Always" and "Make sure" instead of words like "Should" or "Recommended".

Regardless I'm not planning on using the M1 ESP X2 0W-20. I just found the recommendation an odd one for this vehicle. I would have thought M1 AFS 5W-20 would have come up instead.
 
"Always use a premium-grade detergent oil displaying the API Certification Seal".
"Make sure the APi Certification Seal says - For Gasoline Engines"

The wording certainly made it sound like a requirent to have the Starburst with the use of "Always" and "Make sure" instead of words like "Should" or "Recommended".

Regardless I'm not planning on using the M1 ESP X2 0W-20. I just found the recommendation an odd one for this vehicle. I would have thought M1 AFS 5W-20 would have come up instead.
This is an example of the API Certification Seal which is not the Starburst. And it may or may not have the “Resource Conserving” notation.

If the product is API licensed it will have the seal. But I’ll agree that although the recommendation is not wrong it is odd. Are you sure you were looking on the US website?

2C83B771-07F9-4A91-A108-F9C1C6F58E71.jpeg
 
"Always use a premium-grade detergent oil displaying the API Certification Seal".
"Make sure the APi Certification Seal says - For Gasoline Engines"

The wording certainly made it sound like a requirent to have the Starburst with the use of "Always" and "Make sure" instead of words like "Should" or "Recommended".

Regardless I'm not planning on using the M1 ESP X2 0W-20. I just found the recommendation an odd one for this vehicle. I would have thought M1 AFS 5W-20 would have come up instead.
I think you are confusing the API Certification donut with the ILSAC starburst. The first one indicates whether the oil is SM/SN/SN Plus/SP...etc and the 2nd the GF-5/GF-6...etc.
 
I think you are confusing the API Certification donut with the ILSAC starburst. The first one indicates whether the oil is SM/SN/SN Plus/SP...etc and the 2nd the GF-5/GF-6...etc.
API calls the Donut "API Service Symbol"
API calls the Starburst "API Certification Mark"
The Donut is not availble with "For Gasoline Engines" in it.

Honda has the "API Certification Seal" pictured and it's a Starburst with "For Gasoline Engines" in it which they state to make sure it has.

Again I just found it an odd recommendation. I don't believe it will actually hurt it. I checked the 2000 model which has the same J30A1 but was when they stated preferred oil was 5W-30 and M1 recommends 5W-30 and 0W-30 but not any of them an ESP.
 
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API calls the Donut "API Service Symbol"
API calls the Starburst "API Certification Mark"
The Donut is not availble with "For Gasoline Engines" in it.
Honda has the "API Certification Seal" pictured and it's a Starburst with "For Gasoline Engines" in it which they state to make sure it has.

Again I just found it an odd recommendation. I don't believe it will actually hurt it. I checked the 2000 model which has the same J30A1 but was when they stated preferred oil was 5W-30 and M1 recommends 5W-30 and 0W-30 but not any of them an ESP.
Yes, the language is a bit confusing, so I understand why you are a little into the weeds on this.

From Lubrizol:

It’s a sign of performance–the API Certification Mark, or as it’s commonly called, the “Starburst.” The mark is familiar to many in our industry–but which oils get marked? What performance standards does the mark confirm? How are these standards defined? And developed?

In simple terms, the mark means that a given lubricant meets current fuel economy and engine protection requirements defined within the current International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) GF oil specification.


So the Starburst, as I noted, denotes the ILSAC GF-xx compliance.

And then we have, as @kschachn noted, the API Service Symbol, which denotes API SN/SN Plus/SP...etc and can be for Gasoline (API Sx), Diesel (API Cx) or both.
Screen Shot 2022-02-11 at 6.18.33 PM.jpg


You are right that it sounds like Honda's language implies the ILSAC Starburst, but I expect they indicate an API service category there somewhere. Mobil is of course on the board of the API, so their interpretation here is a bit interesting.

In either instance, the oil is approved by the API, but Euro lubes are often not ILSAC certified.

 
Lol, they can say whatever they want and I don't care.

0w20 will work for Gene K.

0w20 is better than 5w20. It's nothing worth losing sleep over.
No it doesn't. Do you ever read the replies people make to you on this?
 
Am I doing something wrong? Because I keep getting High Mileage Extended Performance 0w20.
 
API calls the Donut "API Service Symbol"
API calls the Starburst "API Certification Mark"
The Donut is not availble with "For Gasoline Engines" in it.

Honda has the "API Certification Seal" pictured and it's a Starburst with "For Gasoline Engines" in it which they state to make sure it has.
You’re correct I may have been misinterpreting that. I was stuck on the notion that Honda would be first and foremost concerned with API licensing and the donut states the oil is licensed and gives the license designation. Although the Starburst does contain the word “Certified” as you note.
 
Yes, the language is a bit confusing, so I understand why you are a little into the weeds on this.

From Lubrizol:

It’s a sign of performance–the API Certification Mark, or as it’s commonly called, the “Starburst.” The mark is familiar to many in our industry–but which oils get marked? What performance standards does the mark confirm? How are these standards defined? And developed?

In simple terms, the mark means that a given lubricant meets current fuel economy and engine protection requirements defined within the current International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) GF oil specification.


So the Starburst, as I noted, denotes the ILSAC GF-xx compliance.

And then we have, as @kschachn noted, the API Service Symbol, which denotes API SN/SN Plus/SP...etc and can be for Gasoline (API Sx), Diesel (API Cx) or both.


You are right that it sounds like Honda's language implies the ILSAC Starburst, but I expect they indicate an API service category there somewhere. Mobil is of course on the board of the API, so their interpretation here is a bit interesting.

In either instance, the oil is approved by the API, but Euro lubes are often not ILSAC certified.
No service category at all listed anywhere in the manual I can find. It appears to me they are depending on the Starburst "For Gasoline Engies" combined with 5W-20 (preferred) or5W30 (alternative) to insure the latest lubricant in the correct grade. I guess it has the advantage of not having people trying to find SL Oil 20 years after the fact. Still I would worry about people finding ancient stuff at yard sales.
 
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