UK S2000 Viscosity discrepancies !

[Sipha]

Hi all, my first post here so be gentle

I'm from the UK and drive an 2004 AP1 (2.0) Honda S2000. (we didnt get the 2.2 here)

Its due a service and I've been contemplating which oil to use.

Here in the UK and on the UK S2Ki forums its uninversally recongnised that a Fully Syn 5w40 weight oil is best.

However I know a lot of you guys across the pond use 5w30/10w30.

Temperature range for where I live in the UK is anything from -5(rarely) to +25deg C mostly averages around 5-18deg C for the majority of the year.

The car is garaged year round and only really sees the light of day in the summer months. It's driven reasonably spiritedly on the road but nothing serious and no track days.

Would I benefit from a different weight oil ? You guys seem to have a much greater depth of knowledge when it comes to oil than the UK chaps. No disrespect to those guys but it just seems people recommend the 5w40 and thats it, no questions should be asked. Personally though I like a but more detail so I thought I'd come and ask here !

What do you think guys ??

Many thanks for any help !

Simon.

 

[Olas]

I'm from the wrong country but the facts still apply.. 10w pumps at -20c but a 5 or 0w gives you headroom if we have another cold snap. SAE 30 or 40 depends largely on how you intend to use it - cruising and dailying could use a 30 but hard use and VTEC and track days would probably favour a 40.

Edit because I re-read what you wrote! 0/5/10w 30 will be perfect for you, a 40 may give a bit of headroom for shear if the k series chews oil or has fuel dilution problems etc. going the other way a 20 *should* give adequate protection and maybe a touch better fuel economy too.

 

[RooflessVW]

0w-30 is what I ran in mine. It did just fine in southern Bavaria.

 

[Rolla07]

5w40 is fine but yeah within your temps you could likely run thinner. Based on your climate you could go either way. You could try a 0w20 for a tad better economy but your climate doesnt sound that challenging for an oil nor do your driving habits.

 

[901Memphis]

The UOAs with synthetic 10w30 look fine, anything thicker is fine just as long as you don't mind the miniscule power and fuel economy loss from the thicker viscosity

 

[CT8]

Will it make a meaningful difference? Chasing things with little if any improvements is just plain silly.

 

[02s4audi]

I would run 0w40. Read people using it for s2000's with no issue

 

[chrisri]

SAE grade, or "weight" is of little importance for cars in service today. Of course that doesn't mean that 20w50 should be used in arctic conditions.

5w40 grade is often recommended in Europe because it's the most common (full synthetic / full SAPS ) grade on sale. OEMs love for 5w40 didn't happen by accident, it is also very appropriate for use in all of Europe's climates, from hot south of Spain to the freezing Scandinavia.

Use any 5w40 oil with ACEA A3/B4 specification and sleep well.

 

[Sipha]

Thanks for your responses all!

Next question then,

Redline 5w40 or Castrol Edge Titanium FST 5w40?

The Redline is about £20 ($29) more expensive but is it worth it?

 

[Shannow]

The Redline has an HTHS of 4.4 (data sheet), while the Castrol is likely to be in the 3.8 range (guess based on other similar products), the Redline will sap some amount of power and economy.

If you want Redline, try the 5W30, with an HTHS of 3.7 (data sheet)

For that matter, Edge 5W30 A3/B4 is a 5W30 with an HTHS of 3.6 (data sheet).

I's use the latter two personally, but edge 5W40 will do you fine also).

 

[Olas]

Go down a grade with redline

 

[fdcg27]

If Honda thought that a 10W-30 was fine for the US, then it's fine for the UK as well.
Based upon your climate and your use of your car, I can't think of any reason to use a thicker grade.
Many people are under the impression that they know better than the guys who designed and built the engine.

 

[BrocLuno]

Yup, I do...

And I think Redline is overkill for your scenario. If track days were in the offing, sure... But just cruising and back road blasting, you don't need Redline (and we use it in race motors, so I'm not against Redline at all).

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
0w-30 is what I ran in mine. It did just fine in southern Bavaria.

Would I be correct in guessing that was an A3/B4 0w-30, rather than an ILSAC 0w-30?

In any case, for the OP, I would be comfortable with any A3/B4 lubricant, and you'll find them in 0w-30, 5w-30, 5w-40, 0w-40, and even other grades. They'll all have a minimum HTHS of 3.5, which would be the likely intention of the 40 grade called for in the manual.

 

[bobbydavro]

Honda UK recommend a 5W-40 C3 oil.

Don't know why you think you need to go away from this. The US market is very different with much shorter ODI. Fuel dilution and shear (geared valve train) mean you need thicker for longer drains.

 

[Shannow]

bobbydavro,
in your opinion, which would end an extended OCI in better nick ?

5W40 C3, or 5W30 C3 ?

not baiting, seriously interested

 

[robertcope]

Originally Posted By: Garak
They'll all have a minimum HTHS of 3.5, which would be the likely intention of the 40 grade called for in the manual.


Actually, the manual says: "An oil with a viscosity of 10W-30 is preferred for optimum fuel economy and year-round protection in your Honda. You may use a 5W-40 oil if the temperature in your area goes below 0 ° F (- 20° C)."

People have interpreted this many ways, ie that 10W-30 is the best choice but Honda recognized that a good synthetic would be better in extreme cold weather.

Personally, I run M1 0W-40 in mine and am looking forward to running the new, thinner FS 0W-40 oil in it. Mine sees regular track time, though. But I know other track S2000s that run 10W-30. My take is that this engine is pretty robust (to say the least, it is a beast of an engine) and doesn't really care either way.

robert

 

[Sipha]

Originally Posted By: bobbydavro
Honda UK recommend a 5W-40 C3 oil.

Don't know why you think you need to go away from this. The US market is very different with much shorter ODI. Fuel dilution and shear (geared valve train) mean you need thicker for longer drains.


Interesting, excuse my limited knowledge of Oil terminology but are you saying there are technical differeces in the cars between UK and US? I always assumed the F20C was the same world over, Thanks for the input though.

Also, If I was to stick with 5w40 but wanted the Redline, am I right in saying I should still opt for the Redline 5w30 as its pretty much the same as 5w40 viscosity from other manufacturers ?

Cheers all

 

[robertcope]

Originally Posted By: Sipha

Interesting, excuse my limited knowledge of Oil terminology but are you saying there are technical differeces in the cars between UK and US? I always assumed the F20C was the same world over, Thanks for the input though.


There are some small differences in the F20C around the world; for example, Japanese motors have a bit more compression. I'm not sure which version the UK got. Either way, they all spec the same oil. What he was saying is that the usage of the motors varies, ie in the US it might see more short trips and lower highway speeds than in the UK/Europe. There can be other variables, too; for example, gasoline quality can impact oil choice.

robert

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: robertcope
Actually, the manual says: "An oil with a viscosity of 10W-30 is preferred for optimum fuel economy and year-round protection in your Honda. You may use a 5W-40 oil if the temperature in your area goes below 0 ° F (- 20° C)."

What does it say in the UK manual, though? Is it the same as here, or something else? I certainly misspoke when I said manual, since that's not what the OP said at all. In any case, while an ILSAC 10w-30 is readily available here and in Japan, something else might be more readily available in the UK and the manual may reflect that. If it has the same recommendations everywhere, I'm certain not opposed to that at all. I'm just reminding that a 0w-30 or a 5w-30, for instance, isn't "too thin," especially in comparison to an ILSAC 10w-30.

bobbydavro: I'm still kind of surprised that Castrol Canada calls for Edge 5w-30 C3 as a suitable lubricant for my G37. Of course, it fits within the manual calling for SM, and not necessarily SM/GF-4. Now, get the E6, E7, E9 Castrol as SN like the competition, and we're really set.