Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!mhuxn!houxm!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amdahl!ems From: ems@amdahl.UUCP (E. Michael Smith) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: Mobil 1, new cars, auto warranties Message-ID: <665@amdahl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 14:46:58 EST Article-I.D.: amdahl.665 Posted: Mon Dec 3 14:46:58 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 5-Dec-84 00:10:38 EST References: <2521@ucla-cs.ARPA> Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 52 > I brought up some issues about synthetic oil in general, and Mobil 1 in > particular, a couple of months ago. I have since gathered some more > information which the net might be interested in. > > I own a 1984 Honda Accord LX Hatchback with 5-speed manual transmission. > The car is now about 6 months old and has about 4,600 miles on it. > > -- > Rich Wales It is worth noting that HONDA uses 10w-40 in the transmission. *** DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC OR EXTRA SLIPPERY OIL IN THE TRANSMISSION *** I own a 1980 HONDA civic (with 133k miles on the original engine. Only work on it was a water pump at 120k miles! and shocks). This car is great. At 50k miles I did the regular tune up stuff. Being a fanatic about lubrication, I put in long drain oil. I also put this in the tranny. Over the next couple of months I thought the transmission was going. I acted exactly like syncro rings dying. A soft crunch to get into 2nd, some difficulty with other gears. All of this was cured when I realized that the syncro's depend on the right amount of friction to work. I changed the tranny back to plain old rot gut oil and all was well. I asked the local HONDA dealer about slippery oil in the tranny, and all the mechanic had to say was that they had *rebuilt* many transmissions which had had ARCO GRAPHITE put in them. I take this to be a commendation of the lubrication provided, and a condemnation of the mechanic. He said "all the parts looked new, but they had to be replaced". Why not run some solvent through to clean out the slippery stuff? I think they just didn't understand why the transmission was 'failing'. I have used a variety of slippery oil (and some misc rot gut) over the life of my car. I have mixed brands, bases, and weights with abandon. Including MOBIL1, STP oil, ARCO GRAPHITE, MolyGraph, and my favorite PENZOIL PZL. Plus other misc oils... I *do* change oil at close to the regular drain interval. I *STILL* don't use oil between oil changes! The slippery stuff is wonderful for your engine. Just keep it out of the transmission! -- E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems These opinions are mine, all mine. Keep your mitts off! Anyone found attributing these opinions to another will be viciously taunted until he/she relents.