Oil for DI

[Coastie05]

Hey everyone,
About 1.5 weeks ago I traded my Civic for a left over 2018 Pilot. The Pilot is my first DI engine and I was wondering what oil people are using that have DI engines? Would I be fine to continue to use Valvoline Full Synthetic or Mobile 1 AFE Full Synthetic?

 

[K20FA5]

Those are both D1G2 SN+ oils. Either will work fine following the Honda Maintenance Minder. Use whatever is cheapest.

 

[Eddddd]

You'll be fine with any good synthetic 0W20 oil but also make sure you use top tier gas. Top tier gas is gas with detergent additives that exceeds the minimum EPA standard. It's not an octane rating. You can look up gas stations that sell top tier gas. Shell & Exxon are popular gas stations that sell top tier gas. Honda V6s has VCM and using a good oil as well as top tier gas definitely will help keep the engine clean.

 

[Pelican]

I would disregard the computer monitored OCI and do it every 5K miles with full synthetic (if you want to keep the car) This has stood me well in the many cars I've had.

 

[Coastie05]

Thanks for the input! I'll keep using Valvoline as my primary and Mobile 1 AFE as my secondary. I always change my oil at 7,500 miles unless the MM goes off before that mileage. I usually use the same Valero gas station (most of the time the same pump). Valero is top tier, so I'll keep doing that. I transfer next summer, so wherever I go I will make sure to find out what gas stations are top tier and use those. How do y'all feel about fuel additives that claim to "clean" the fuel system? Are those even worth it?

 

[PimTac]

Any SN+ d1G2 oil from a major brand will be fine. The Valvoline is a great choice.

No need for fuel additives. Run the top tier from Valero.

 

[Overfill]

Fuel additives aren't going to replace using top tier gas vendor. I started using additives on top of that, but now I just use it maybe twice a year for flushing the injector tip.

I think you will get a heck of a lot of life (well beyond the warranty) out of your Honda motor's bearings even on a 20 weight oil.

Personally, I would pick an oil that is resistant to deposit formation and will not drop its HTHS viscosity to below 2.7 over the OCI.

That might corner you into something that isn't "energy conserving," but it's my recommendation.

 

[Bill_W]

The noack level is what you are concerned with. You can also install a oil catch can. The lighter the oil the more oil passes through the PCV valve. They also make oil that targets DI engines.

https://www.drivenracingoil.com/direct-injection-oils.html

 

[ad_infinitum]

Originally Posted by Bill_W
The noack level is what you are concerned with. You can also install a oil catch can. The lighter the oil the more oil passes through the PCV valve. They also make oil that targets DI engines.

https://www.drivenracingoil.com/direct-injection-oils.html


With no approvals to speak of, that's the last oil he should be using on a brand new vehicle. Name brand oils with API and manufacturer specifications is what he should use so he can maintain his warranty.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted by Bill_W
The noack level is what you are concerned with. You can also install a oil catch can. The lighter the oil the more oil passes through the PCV valve. They also make oil that targets DI engines.

https://www.drivenracingoil.com/direct-injection-oils.html


In addition to an oil with a low noack, I also think it's beneficial to choose an oil with a low amount of sulfated ash too. That's why I don't feel M1 0w40 is a good choice for a DI engine, with it's 1.34% SA level.

 

[josephp732]

Congratulations on your Honda Pilot - I have a Ridgeline so same engine and close to the same vehicle. For your DI engine you want low calcium, low ash, high Moly/Zinc and low Noack.

You will need to a run 0W-20 SN + oil for your warranty period. After the warranty is up you might want to look around experiment with some other choices. I have run M1 0W-40 Euro - just to see how the engine behaved, and it ran extremely well on this oil. I would not run this oil as my standard because of the high calcium levels but as a test it worked very well - no issues detected with the VVT.

I am waiting to see a VOA on the new Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0W-40 New Formula API SN+ , one of the first Euro oils with an SN+ rating. This might be a good fit for DI engines depending on its properties.

I would think the MM will go off before your 7,500 mile OCI target, mine goes off around 6,000 miles. If you have an AWD version the rear differential oil will need it's first changing around 12,000 miles (B16 Maintenance Code - Oil Change, Tire Rotation - Diff Fluid) - this is an easy DIY job - easier than an oil change. You will two quarts of Honda Dual Pump II Differential Fluid - two different size crush washers and a bottle hand pump all available on Amazon for about $30. Just document your work and your good to go and will save yourself ~$300 from the dealership.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by Coastie05
Hey everyone,
About 1.5 weeks ago I traded my Civic for a left over 2018 Pilot. The Pilot is my first DI engine and I was wondering what oil people are using that have DI engines? Would I be fine to continue to use Valvoline Full Synthetic or Mobile 1 AFE Full Synthetic?

Did they resolve VCM issue in this current generation?
If you are not sure, full synthetic and 5k OCI. Valvoline is fine, I personally like Mobil1 EP due to higher PAO %.

 

[Eddddd]

Yes. The current VCM, which I believe is the 3rd iteration, is much more reliable and corrected the shortcomings that version #1 and version #2 had. As with any new engine technology that gets introduce, there are sometime bugs that need to be worked out. I am just surprised at Honda's Quality Control and they had to go through that to get it right. It also seem they didn't learn their lesson and now going through the same mess with their 1.5L Turbo Engines which I am sure they'll get right after going through some Guinea Pigs.

 

[Eddddd]

Yes. The current VCM, which I believe is the 3rd iteration, is much more reliable and corrected the shortcomings that version #1 and version #2 had. As with any new engine technology that gets introduce, there are sometime bugs that need to be worked out. I am just surprised at Honda's Quality Control and they had to go through that to get it right. It also seem they didn't learn their lesson and now going through the same mess with their 1.5L Turbo Engines which I am sure they'll get right after going through some Guinea Pigs.

 

[Loobit]

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. It has a very low volatility comparable to Amsoil, and it's priced very well.

 

[donnyj08]

QSUD 0w20 SN+. High moly which Honda seems to like for their engines, as well as a good NOACK. It's also very affordable.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Coastie05
How do y'all feel about fuel additives that claim to "clean" the fuel system? Are those even worth it?


Using a fuel system cleaner like Techron or Gumout won't hurt but it might not be necessary if the cars been drinking top tier it's entire (short) life. If you have doubts about the quality of fuel it's been fed and you have access to a borescope, you could take a peek into the cylinders and see what the piston tops look like???

But nowadays if you keep a watch on Amazon you can get a small bottle of Techron for under $4 or Gumout's system cleaner for a little more (I think Amazon has it for about $4.50 right now). It's your money and ultimately if it helps you sleep better, I don't see anything wrong with putting in the occasional bottle.

 

[Coastie05]

Originally Posted by josephp732
Congratulations on your Honda Pilot - I have a Ridgeline so same engine and close to the same vehicle. For your DI engine you want low calcium, low ash, high Moly/Zinc and low Noack.

You will need to a run 0W-20 SN + oil for your warranty period. After the warranty is up you might want to look around experiment with some other choices. I have run M1 0W-40 Euro - just to see how the engine behaved, and it ran extremely well on this oil. I would not run this oil as my standard because of the high calcium levels but as a test it worked very well - no issues detected with the VVT.

I am waiting to see a VOA on the new Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0W-40 New Formula API SN+ , one of the first Euro oils with an SN+ rating. This might be a good fit for DI engines depending on its properties.

I would think the MM will go off before your 7,500 mile OCI target, mine goes off around 6,000 miles. If you have an AWD version the rear differential oil will need it's first changing around 12,000 miles (B16 Maintenance Code - Oil Change, Tire Rotation - Diff Fluid) - this is an easy DIY job - easier than an oil change. You will two quarts of Honda Dual Pump II Differential Fluid - two different size crush washers and a bottle hand pump all available on Amazon for about $30. Just document your work and your good to go and will save yourself ~$300 from the dealership.

How many miles do you have on your Ridgeline now? I only have about 1,500 miles on the Pilot and it is AWD. When my wife was driving the CRV (the same way she will be driving the Pilot) the MM would go off right around 7,500 miles. I'm not sure how the Pilot is going to be though since it's so new. I will not go past 7,500 miles or the MM (whichever comes first). I do all my own maintenance, so I'll be keeping up with differential, oil, transmission, etc. Thank you for your comment and recommendations.

 

[Coastie05]

Originally Posted by donnyj08
QSUD 0w20 SN+. High moly which Honda seems to like for their engines, as well as a good NOACK. It's also very affordable.

I looked at that one too. Doesn't Valvoline have high moly too?

 

[Coastie05]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Coastie05
How do y'all feel about fuel additives that claim to "clean" the fuel system? Are those even worth it?


Using a fuel system cleaner like Techron or Gumout won't hurt but it might not be necessary if the cars been drinking top tier it's entire (short) life. If you have doubts about the quality of fuel it's been fed and you have access to a borescope, you could take a peek into the cylinders and see what the piston tops look like???

But nowadays if you keep a watch on Amazon you can get a small bottle of Techron for under $4 or Gumout's system cleaner for a little more (I think Amazon has it for about $4.50 right now). It's your money and ultimately if it helps you sleep better, I don't see anything wrong with putting in the occasional bottle.

I only use top tier gas, so I should be fine then.