New castrol edge - £44 a tub!

[Lankstarr]

Sent my wife out to get some oil for her CTR, I've been topping it up previously with the Castrol GTX Magnatec 10W40 that I use in my NSX.

They didn't have any Magnatec so I spoke to the Halfrauds guy on the phone and he said that a CTR should have 0W30!

OK - so I know nothing about what these numbers mean or if it really makes any difference, but the Castrol Edge that my wife came back with ( 2 tubs as I thought I'd get enough for when it's serviced!) was £44 for each 4litre tub!

The Magnatec I put in the NSX is only £25 for 4.5 litres so I feel robbed! I thought that Magnatec was previously the best stuff by far for the money so was happy putting it in but now this new stuff is out what do I do!?

I'm tempted to take it back and swap it as it seems way too much cash but if it does what it says on the tin then maybe it's worth it:

Latest specification for Vauxhall, BMW, Mercedes and most other modern engines.
Lasts longer - stays in grade
Performs under extreme conditions
Free flowing from the moment you start the engine
Releases power
Improves fuel economy
Protects against wear
Improves engine performance even through extended service intervals
Easy to start in all weather
Protects from the moment you start the engine
Improves acceleration
Reduces fuel consumption leading to lower running costs
Reduces engine wear - peace of mind against breakdown


A couple of the things above are just repeats but if the bold ones are true then maybe it's worth the extra. If this is some revolutionary oil then I'll get it for the CTR and the NSX, but if it's just a gold tub that's overpriced then I'll get my money back and something cheaper!

Also... They said 5w30 if semi synthetic or 0w30 if fully synthetic, I'd always go fully synthetic (I don;t know why it seems loike the right thing to do!) but have I done any harm to the CTR by sticking in 10W40 for the last 2 years?

Thanks

Luke

[mutley]

sounds like the same stuff I use in my BMW which is a pain because each oil change in that is 6 ltr, so I have to buy 2 tubs!!!

Jim

[sportyking]

Very briefly/simply the xxWxx grade refers to the useful temperature range in which the oil provides protection to the engine. The lower number indicates how well it resists becoming treacle at lower temps and the higher number is how it resists thinning to the point of being no use at higher temps. Opie has posted all this info in great detail in his oil threads somewhere.
Assuming perfectly normal use and the fact that a CTR restricts its rev range when cold anyway 10W40 is fine and I think is the reccommended grade for the K20 (CTR) engine. I am pretty sure xxW30 oil is not specified for the CTR and in very simple terms does not promise the same protection to the engine at higher (circa 100 degreesC+ ) temps as an xxW40 oil.

It's a massive subject and maybe you should e-mail Opie, telling him your usage of the CTR and ask what he would suggest.

After first oil change (as Hondas seem to come with mineral oil for initial mileage) I use the best quality synthetic oil I can find in my Atom (CTR engine) but usually stick to a 10W40 in summer and more expensive 5W or 0W40 at other times, and change it much more often due to the track use. I even change the gearbox oil regularly!
I have used the Castrol Edge and it looks ridculously thin when pouring it in at normal summer temperatures, but I guess they know what they are doing!

I wouldn't trust Halfords with my mother-in-laws car, they'll suggest using anti-freeze in the engine if they need to get rid of it!!

[sportyking]

I have looked in the Honda Workshop Manual CTR supplement (available free online as a download but I forget where) and there is a diagram showing reccommended grades for different ambient temperature ranges. Some text basically states to meet the latest standards SG.SH etc.

[Monaco92]

I had my nsx serviced this week at Norton Way. I asked Bryan what oil he recommends he explained honda always use castrol slx 0w-30w . This I believe is the same as the castrol edge oil you mention.

[dan the man]

Silkolene PRO S

OR

MOTUL 300V

is the best oils for CTR engine and DC5 engine. PRO S comes in 5 LTR tubs so is nice for CTR-DC5 4.7 ltr engines :)

PRO s is cheaper that way than MOTUL 300V as that is in 1ltr tubs.

Both tripple ester which as ive read is the one.

If you change your oil at 4 k anyway then use cheaper stuff like MAGNATEC as by that time it hasnt broken downanyway.

[TheSebringOne]

Luke, I read in an old thread that those in the know, ie an experienced NSX tech stated that semi synthetic Magnatec 10W 40 is the best for the NSX & even your driving manual states your'e wasting money on full synthetics. Not sure whether smaller 1.8 with higher revving CTR/TEG engines need full synthetics? Also isn't Castrol SLX the long life oil for VW, Audi, Beamers etc as I used to stick in our old TT!

[markc]

As Sportking suggested read the threads in Opie Oils forum for the full sp

The viscosity rating is just the tip of the iceberg and no guide to the quality of the product.

"Stability" is the name of the game and as DTM said the Ester based fully synthetic oils (like Castrol Edge) are the best available.

In short Castrol Edge (or Mobil 1 or Silkoline Pro S or Motul 300v) are worth the extra cash to keep your VTEC masterpiece/s in tip-top shape.

Mark

[dan the man]

people say synthetics are 'too thin' but u get synthetics in 10 40 anyway so it dosent matter. Just a misconceptiom.

I think 0 40 mobil one is too thin, will burn off easily. hapneed loads on DC2 forum

[Nick Graves]

IIRC, SLX is the trade version of The Edge. Despite my annoyance at being reminded of U bloody 2, I use that on all the cars (5W30 VAG formulation stuff) for the sake of compatability with the stuff Norton Way use.

Of course, being VAG formulation, I can expect clutch judder, general engine roughness and constant coil pack failure, I suppose.