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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.