Time For a New Gasoline Experiment in the Pilot

[rstsco]

Changed the oil last weekend on the 2025 Pilot on an abbreviated OCI of 3k miles. The OCI before this was 5.6k miles. The 5.6k filter had a surprising amount of carbon deposits. I'd been running 87 octane from Top Tier stations, mostly one specific Quik Trip close to my house, which was built in the past two years and is always busy.

This recent 3k interval, I switched to running Shell premium to see if the gas may have been the culprit. The filter media was clean. Hmmm.

This OCI, I'm going to stick to using Shell gas, but 87 octane, since it's much less expensive and what Honda recommends. In addition, I'll be adding Amsoil Upper Cylinder Lubricant about every other fill-up. I've also verified using Sport or Tow drive modes prevents the VCM system from activating, so will be running only one or the other of those modes.

And... I just switched from AMSOIL Signature Series to HPL Premium Plus PCMO this last oil change, too.

I realize there are too many changes being made at once to draw any meaningful conclusions, but if this combination keeps carbon deposits at bay, it will be a sustainable solution for how we use the Pilot.

Does this sound as crazy to you as it does me as I read back through what I typed?

 

[Klutch9]

It doesn’t sound unreasonable. I also find that when I use 93 in the Carnival, the oil seems to stay cleaner longer and doesn’t smell of fuel as much.

 

[iCurious]

We had a few fuel dilution threads on the 1.5T engines from Honda. Some are reporting fuel dilution improvement when using 91 octane.

 

[tired_old_dave]

Lots of good info in these three posts. In my post about the ridgeline trip with wind and speed I put the truck in sport mode and immediately the rpm’s jumped up a lot. I didn’t know if the transmission was ever hunting gears too much in drive mode but I couldn’t feel anything and I should’ve pursued it more. I returned to drive mode and concentrated on driving.

I know our engines and transmission’s are different and from the video at Weber auto I know the zf9 has what four overdrive gear ratios with drive going through gears 2-9. But our engines are 11.5 to 1 compression.

On the h3 forum years ago the topic of timing, fuel, and compression was discussed. I found goingplacesanddoingstuff’s comment about DI and dynamic timing interesting.

While I started doing the easy oil changes with Valvoline Restore and Protect in the forester, I do twice a year oil changes at the dealer for the ridgeline and of course the MM isn’t used. Better half bought the $500+ twice a year for life oil changes. I advised against it but now even though honda uses ConocoPhillips, it’s less garage floor exercise.

I’ve used boutique redline 5w-30 in the h3 and v-6 Malibu, convenient both same oil, and was noticeable more so in the h3 3.5 five cylinder. I would suggest Valvoline Restore and Protect 5k intervals and premium gas with your favorite pea product.

 

[rstsco]

I’ve used boutique redline 5w-30 in the h3 and v-6 Malibu, convenient both same oil, and was noticeable more so in the h3 3.5 five cylinder. I would suggest Valvoline Restore and Protect 5k intervals and premium gas with your favorite pea product.

Were I starting over, I'd probably just run Valvoline Restore and Protect from the first oil change and keep the OCI at 5k miles or less. It's a great oil, but not designed for long intervals.

I've run Amsoil most of my life, so it seemed only reasonable to continue doing so, so that's what the Pilot had been fed since 494 miles. Finding BITOG about the same time as getting the Pilot, I drank the HPL Kool-Aid and now have five cases of their Premium Plus, including the six quarts I just put I the sump less than 50 miles ago. I'll keep the first OCI at 5k miles, but if all looks good, will extend that a few thousand miles... maybe. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Pilot reacts to the HPL. Hopefully, very good, as I have enough of their oil for the next four or five years.

Since the original post, I've been reading and watching more videos in regards to using premium vs regular in Hondas, most related to fuel dilution, not carbon deposits, and now rethinking my strategy of dropping back to 87 octane using Shell instead of the Quik Trip, and adding a bottle of Amsoil Upper Cylinder Lubricant every one or two fill-ups. I'll definitely run a bottle of Redline SI-1 through the tank before the next oil change, regardless of which fuel I end up going with... and will continue overthinking this whole fuel strategy.

 

[tired_old_dave]

Now I understand what you’re going through. Since you already have a significant cost incurred in a good oil and don’t need to incur more oil cost or worry about how many miles since the last oil change then the new maintenance cost is fuel. Cost is what drove me to a less expensive premium.

I thought LSJR mentioned lubricant in a premium maybe not but redline states that. While inconvenient I have two little bottles that I put the one ounce or a little more into that for each vehicle before a fill up. I believe redline used to advertise one bottle for a hundred gallons of gas or one bottle for a quick cleanup. Years ago a bmw owner drove with a scan tool and determined that one ounce rate was working. Dave at redline said to use the one and a half ounces per ten gallons. Of course that was after the redline company was sold. Years ago going cross country I carried a few little bottles. Should’ve bought a pack of the little bottles.

I never used amsoil upper cylinder lubricant. Unless you already know it but does it burn up in combustion and if so what are the resultants. Or if it survives combustion what are the effects downstream of the combustion chamber.

 

[rstsco]

I thought LSJR mentioned lubricant in a premium maybe not...

He's talked quite a bit about fuels, especially the difference between Top Tier and non-Top Tier. Top Tier certification requires all gasoline blends sold at each station to meet the minimum additive content for Top Tier, but often the Shells, Exxons, and other premium brands will use an even higher additive concentration in their premium products.

Top Tier Plus is just now coming to market which is supposed to be an even higher concentration of additives than standard Top Tier, but there's only been one BITOG sighting reported at a Costco somewhere, but I don't remember.

never used amsoil upper cylinder lubricant. Unless you already know it but does it burn up in combustion and if so what are the resultants. Or if it survives combustion what are the effects downstream of the combustion chamber.

Yes, I have used it off and on for several years in different vehicles and never noticed a problem. To my knowledge, it doesn't leave anything behind. Since it contains PEA, but at as lower rate than Amsoil PI or Redline SI-1, you can use it every tank. The PEA content is more at the preventative level vs cleaning level. An an Amsoil preferred customer, the cost is just over $4/bottle. With premium fuel costing around a dollar more per gallon, adding one bottle to each regular fill-up is still a significant enough savings to go that route, should the regular plus the bottle provide similar results.
I guess the only way to know for sure it to try it, so will probably stick to my original test plan... and will continue overthinking this whole fuel strategy.

 

[ARB1977]

Keeping it out of VCM will be the biggest benefit. I put a SVCM in our 19 Pilot. 94K currently, AMSOIL Signature Series 0W20 and now 0W30 its whole life. 87 gas top tier or not. Redline SL1 before every oil change. I haven’t noticed any rise on the dip stick from fuel.

 

[rstsco]

Here is my synopsis of a round trip to KC last weekend. I'm beginning to feel I have a slightly better understanding how VCM and the different drive modes affect transmission gear selection and more.