My first time posting here and looking to see opinions and what might be a better plan.
My wife has a 2001 Accord EX V6 ( engine: J30-A1 ) at 137,000 miles.
Manual calls for 5w20 oil preferred or 5w30 oil optional.
No specific API rating specified.
( previous year 2000 calls for 5w30 oil preferred 10w30 oil optional with API-SJ )
Oil change interval specified is 7500 miles with oil filter changed every other time.
My wife drove this car since new (commuting during first 7 years), then retiring
and only driven lightly last 10 years ( 3000 miles/year for 10 years ).
oil changed once per year in those lightly used years.
I am trying to come up to speed and learn a little about engine oil.
I was thing that her short trips
(1/2 mile drive to place where she walks 3 miles, and 1/2 mile back)
might be thinning the oil with gas. So, I decided to switch the 5w20 oil
to 5w30 castrol GTX high milage (there is also a slight oil leak at oil pump seal).
Anyway, I overfilled the oil a bit and used a plastic tube down the dip-stick
access to remove some oil.
The problem problem is that the plastic tube had some black sludge on the end after
pulling the tube out. Looking in the top end through the oil fill hole, shows the
engine very clean.
My wife let me drive the car some more to try and clean up the stuff (weekend driving
and using her car to commute to work some). But, the rate of cleaning using normal oil
(judging by the oil color) is very meager and could take years with the amount of driving we do.
I was thinking to use Rotella 10w30 to see if it will remove some of the sludge.
( I read somewhere that is Rotella 15w40 was put into a dirty engine, the oil would
get black in a few hundred miles).
I like that concept, and intend to try with the Rotella 10w30 and see what happens.
Hopefully, black oil in a few hundred miles, replace oil/filter when oil is black,
repeat until we get cleaner oil.
(I also read somewhere that the Rotella has more seal conditioner like a high milage oil).
Perhaps this will be a good oil to use ongoing in the low use car. (maybe 3000 mile/year usage)
Any thoughts on this plan ?
My wife has a 2001 Accord EX V6 ( engine: J30-A1 ) at 137,000 miles.
Manual calls for 5w20 oil preferred or 5w30 oil optional.
No specific API rating specified.
( previous year 2000 calls for 5w30 oil preferred 10w30 oil optional with API-SJ )
Oil change interval specified is 7500 miles with oil filter changed every other time.
My wife drove this car since new (commuting during first 7 years), then retiring
and only driven lightly last 10 years ( 3000 miles/year for 10 years ).
oil changed once per year in those lightly used years.
I am trying to come up to speed and learn a little about engine oil.
I was thing that her short trips
(1/2 mile drive to place where she walks 3 miles, and 1/2 mile back)
might be thinning the oil with gas. So, I decided to switch the 5w20 oil
to 5w30 castrol GTX high milage (there is also a slight oil leak at oil pump seal).
Anyway, I overfilled the oil a bit and used a plastic tube down the dip-stick
access to remove some oil.
The problem problem is that the plastic tube had some black sludge on the end after
pulling the tube out. Looking in the top end through the oil fill hole, shows the
engine very clean.
My wife let me drive the car some more to try and clean up the stuff (weekend driving
and using her car to commute to work some). But, the rate of cleaning using normal oil
(judging by the oil color) is very meager and could take years with the amount of driving we do.
I was thinking to use Rotella 10w30 to see if it will remove some of the sludge.
( I read somewhere that is Rotella 15w40 was put into a dirty engine, the oil would
get black in a few hundred miles).
I like that concept, and intend to try with the Rotella 10w30 and see what happens.
Hopefully, black oil in a few hundred miles, replace oil/filter when oil is black,
repeat until we get cleaner oil.
(I also read somewhere that the Rotella has more seal conditioner like a high milage oil).
Perhaps this will be a good oil to use ongoing in the low use car. (maybe 3000 mile/year usage)
Any thoughts on this plan ?