Premium gas or regular? Regular oil or synthetic?

I was wondering what would be best for my Ridgeline? It is completely stock and I want as much power out of it as possible? It I pump Premium, would there be a difference, also What type of oil do you guys out there recommend me run?

Regular gas, synthetic oil after break-in.

regular gas, regular oil have worked for me very well through 90,000 + miles.

runs on reg, anything better is a waste of $$(unless your towing/hauling ;))

Why pay 20 cents per gallon more for probably no noticable improvement at all in performance or fuel economy?

I use premium fuel and synthetic(mobil1) oil.
IMO premium fuel has a noticable improvement in performance(well worth $3.60 per fill up) and better mpg(2+)
Take a look at what Gary Flint says http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=232165

Regular gas - premium fuel is a waste of money unless the car is tuned for it.
What ever oil the Honda dealer sticks in it.

I was wondering what would be best for my Ridgeline? It is completely stock and I want as much power out of it as possible? It I pump Premium, would there be a difference, also What type of oil do you guys out there recommend me run?

ETHANOL BLEND ITS THE BEST. Feels like another 10hp

ETHANOL

Regular gas and regular oil. Premium and synthetic are a waste of money in my opinion. Ethanol is all the rage, but don't use E85 cause the Honda will not handle it. E10 is okay, but your mileage will suffer.

oppinions are like......

it's only a few bucks more to use factory recommended mobil synthetic or be a cheap ass with a 30K truck

as honda states 91 makes more power and users say the extra mileage almost offsets the difference in cost

I've never had a drop of less than 91 octane shell invade my tank and I never will

it's only a few bucks more to use factory recommended mobil synthetic
The only oil that Honda recommends for the RL is Honda Motor Oil and its not synthetic. Mobil is not mentioned. Like you said, "opinions are like......" :rolleyes:

I would give Gary Flint some weight about things he is the Honda Ridgeline's Chief Engineer. With that said Gary did say at the August National Ridgeline Owners Meet if we wanted more power put some premium gas in our tanks. This was the cheapest way to get more power out of the truck. The owners manual does say use premium when towing. So if you can use it for towing why not use it when not. But I like the fact that the truck does not require premium gas. Drivng in a city like Washington DC were you can only do the speed limit of 25mph most of the time it does not make since to burn premium gas if you can burn regular. But for people that live suburbs or rural areas were you can get up some speed it make since. If I can remember reading in one of the Car Mags a few yrs ago that the ODYSSEY ran okay on regular but likes the taste of premium. I supect the Ridgeline likes a taste of the good stuff as well. With the Ridgeline now being broke in well at over 13,000 miles I will take a tank of premium & see if the truck has more punch. The trip to the Meet in Long Island is around 300 miles for me so it is a good time to try it.
I run premium in my ACURA TL all the time because it requires it. If you fill-up once a week your not likely to miss that few dollars extra for premium. If premium goes way up above the $3 range it may be hard to take.

there like my oil cap that recommends mobile 1 and like my dealer that sells it although at a premiun

The only oil that Honda recommends for the RL is Honda Motor Oil and its not synthetic. Mobil is not mentioned. Like you said, "opinions are like......" :rolleyes:

there like my oil cap that recommends mobile 1 and like my dealer that sells it although at a premiun
Your dealer is not the Honda factory. Check your owners manual. Unfortunately my oil cap doesn't talk, so it has remained neutral on the subject.

oil cap simply states "engine oil, SAE 5w-20 API certified"

manual states that you can use synthetic as long as its the proper weight and still API certified

oppinions are like......

it's only a few bucks more to use factory recommended mobil synthetic or be a cheap ass with a 30K truck

as honda states 91 makes more power and users say the extra mileage almost offsets the difference in cost

I've never had a drop of less than 91 octane shell invade my tank and I never will


First off I am NOT a cheap ass, D.W. Secondly please show me where it says 91 octane makes more power (might have missed something):confused: . 91 Octane in a Ridgeline is not needed.

First off I am NOT a cheap ass, D.W. Secondly please show me where it says 91 octane makes more power (might have missed something):confused: . 91 Octane in a Ridgeline is not needed.
Here we go again:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4412&page=7
Read posts 62-65. If RL's head engineer says premium is better for RL, I have no reason to doubt his words anymore than any of you.

Here we go again:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4412&page=7
Read posts 62-65. If RL's head engineer says premium is better for RL, I have no reason to doubt his words anymore than any of you.

Thanks, so many posts...so little time.

I owned a Ford SVT Contour before my RL. I only used Mobil 1 in it and changed it every 7500 miles. With the advent of Mobil 1 Extended Performance, I only use that now, which says 15K for changes. The fact that many manufacturers use Mobil 1 right from the start, tells me it is a superior product. The following list was taken from the Mobil 1 website:

Mobil 1 is factory fill in:
Acura RDX
Aston Martin
All Bentley Vehicles
Cadillac CTS, CTS-V, Escalade, XLR, XLR-V, SRX, STS and STS-V
Chevrolet Corvette C6 and Z06
Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
Chrysler 300C SRT-8
Cobalt SS S/C Coupe
Dodge Caliber SRT-4, Charger SRT-8, and Magnum SRT-8
Jeep Cherokee SRT-8
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vehicles
Mercedes SLR
Mitsubishi Evolution
Pontiac Solstice GXP
All Porsche Vehicles
Saturn Ion Red Line and Saturn Sky Red Line
Viper SRT-10

Now, who can say that the engines listed above should run on anything less? I can't find a reason why a conventional oil would be better than a synthetic, especially when Mercedes AMG division, which produces some of the most powerful engines available, uses Mobil 1. Superior protection? I say yes.

Add the fact that I can go for 15K on one change (plus the Mobil 1 filter) is a good financial decision. This is 2 to 3 times longer than a conventional oil and costs about the same. It saves time at the shop for oil changes, it can save money in the long run (cost of oil changes), and offers better protection (according to all sorts of studies).

If someone wants to use a conventional oil, knock yourself out. I won't try to sway your decision. I don't even hold Exxon stock. I just know that it works from using it on my old SVT, and my wife's Hyundai (110K on a 2003 car with never one problem). You decide. I have. I am a Mobil 1 addict! If I could drink it I would. :D

[QUOTE=onefastbob;245181]Regular gas and regular oil. Premium and synthetic are a waste of money in my opinion.

I guess I should have better qualified my above comment...I am against synthetic oil at regular drain intervals, it does make sense to me to use synthetic at extended drain intervals (over 5000 miles) and to use synthetic in ANY turbocharged engine (to protect the oil from burning and coking in a hot turbo after shutdown). My brother in law used to use Mobile 1 in his Ford Ranger P/U and change it every 2500 miles. To me that is a huge waste of money. Run the synthetic for 7500+ miles or use dino and change it at 2500 to 5000.

I think it's safe to say that the majority of people here that use synthetic oil change it according to the maintenance minder, the way the engine was designed.

I owned a Ford SVT Contour before my RL. I only used Mobil 1 in it and changed it every 7500 miles. With the advent of Mobil 1 Extended Performance, I only use that now, which says 15K for changes. The fact that many manufacturers use Mobil 1 right from the start, tells me it is a superior product. The following list was taken from the Mobil 1 website:

Mobil 1 is factory fill in:
Acura RDX
Aston Martin
All Bentley Vehicles
Cadillac CTS, CTS-V, Escalade, XLR, XLR-V, SRX, STS and STS-V
Chevrolet Corvette C6 and Z06
Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
Chrysler 300C SRT-8
Cobalt SS S/C Coupe
Dodge Caliber SRT-4, Charger SRT-8, and Magnum SRT-8
Jeep Cherokee SRT-8
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vehicles
Mercedes SLR
Mitsubishi Evolution
Pontiac Solstice GXP
All Porsche Vehicles
Saturn Ion Red Line and Saturn Sky Red Line
Viper SRT-10

Now, who can say that the engines listed above should run on anything less? I can't find a reason why a conventional oil would be better than a synthetic, especially when Mercedes AMG division, which produces some of the most powerful engines available, uses Mobil 1. Superior protection? I say yes.

Add the fact that I can go for 15K on one change (plus the Mobil 1 filter) is a good financial decision. This is 2 to 3 times longer than a conventional oil and costs about the same. It saves time at the shop for oil changes, it can save money in the long run (cost of oil changes), and offers better protection (according to all sorts of studies).

If someone wants to use a conventional oil, knock yourself out. I won't try to sway your decision. I don't even hold Exxon stock. I just know that it works from using it on my old SVT, and my wife's Hyundai (110K on a 2003 car with never one problem). You decide. I have. I am a Mobil 1 addict! If I could drink it I would. :D
I believe your list is incomplete. Most, if not all, late models of BMW use Mobil 1 as OE oil. They don't call it Mobil 1, (it says BMW on the bottle), but I know for a fact, Mobil 1 makes it for BMW. There are, most likely, more cars with Mobil 1 as OE oil. I just can't recall all of them. As a general rule, most high performance high boost high revolutions engines benefit from synthetic oil. Doesn't mean the rest of the engines don't. Werther you like it or not, Honda is more or less plebeian line of vehicles and in business to make money. It has to cater to the most of potential buyers and most potential Honda buyers believe premium gas and synthetic oil is "a waste of big $$$$." Therefore, Honda tunes its engines for use with regular. They recommend premium for the same engines in Acura, usually with higher output.

I am pretty confident that more cars use Mobil 1 from the get go. I just copied the Mobil 1 site for the info. I agree with you that Honda caters to the utilitarian person who want's basic transportation. I did not comment on any performance benefits from using synthetics, but rather I was attempting to be focused on the fact that Mobil 1 EP can give you less of a hassle of heading off to change the oil every 5K or so. For me, it is a "time spent changing oil" issue. I will take the "added benefit" of "less wear" on the engine. I just spoke from experience. IMHO, my personal experience will continue to sway my opinion. To each their own!

[QUOTE=onefastbob;245181]Regular gas and regular oil. Premium and synthetic are a waste of money in my opinion.

I guess I should have better qualified my above comment...I am against synthetic oil at regular drain intervals, it does make sense to me to use synthetic at extended drain intervals (over 5000 miles) and to use synthetic in ANY turbocharged engine (to protect the oil from burning and coking in a hot turbo after shutdown). My brother in law used to use Mobile 1 in his Ford Ranger P/U and change it every 2500 miles. To me that is a huge waste of money. Run the synthetic for 7500+ miles or use dino and change it at 2500 to 5000.

the conventional is good for 7k in the ridge, you should change by the maintenence minder or even using conventional is a waste of money.

oppinions are like......

it's only a few bucks more to use factory recommended mobil synthetic or be a cheap ass with a 30K truck

as honda states 91 makes more power and users say the extra mileage almost offsets the difference in cost

I've never had a drop of less than 91 octane shell invade my tank and I never will

I'm with Alexander, I use all premium octane but can tell you, Shell has worked best in every car I have owned in my life. I use synthetic oil with a billet silver custom oil filter.

I'm with Alexander, I use all premium octane but can tell you, Shell has worked best in every car I have owned in my life. I use synthetic oil with a billet silver custom oil filter.

Fo real! Tony has the most stunna oil filter I've ever seen :D

For my RL (and I stress MY RL as I think they are individuals-unfortunately) after documenting every drop of gas for 51k miles, has demonstrated for MY truck that Premium does not produce better f/e but (subjectively) a little more power. :)

Sorry, but E10 costs MY truck 1 to 2mpg every time. Out here in Ag Land, I wish that wasn't the case. :(

My numbers are posted at this link:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=245069&postcount=40 The pdf has the spreadsheet.

[QUOTE=geotech;246154]Sorry, but E10 costs MY truck 1 to 2mpg every time. Out here in Ag Land, I wish that wasn't the case. :(

QUOTE]

Hey Geotech,

A good friend of mine drives truck for Groendyke Transport out of Hutchinson, Kansas ( I drove for them for 7 years) and he hauls gasoline. He told me last week that awhile back Kansas passed legislation that no longer requires gasoline dealers to say whether or not their gas has ethanol in it. So now here in Kansas most times you don't know if you are getting ethanol blend or not (does NOT apply to E85). Seems that ethanol costs much less than gasoline and blending 10% ethanol with gasoline allows them to either charge less or make more profit. This really sucks as I also get less mileage with ethanol. There is one bright side though...fuel with ethanol mixed in will have a higher octane number than the minimum for that grade posted on the pump.

A good friend of mine drives truck for Groendyke Transport out of Hutchinson, Kansas ( I drove for them for 7 years) and he hauls gasoline. He told me last week that awhile back Kansas passed legislation that no longer requires gasoline dealers to say whether or not their gas has ethanol in it. So now here in Kansas most times you don't know if you are getting ethanol blend or not (does NOT apply to E85). Seems that ethanol costs much less than gasoline and blending 10% ethanol with gasoline allows them to either charge less or make more profit. This really sucks as I also get less mileage with ethanol. There is one bright side though...fuel with ethanol mixed in will have a higher octane number than the minimum for that grade posted on the pump.
Groendyde Transport is a big time hauler, for sure good buddy. :D

I'm not certain about having to list E10 or not. I know that some stations advertise "no ethanol." Places like Casey's (and Love's) sell E10 for less than "regular" unleaded. I think top tier gas does not have ethanol.

Do a search and I think you'll find that while the octane is higher, the amount of "energy per gallon" for ethanol is less than that of pure unleaded.

Ethanol plants are a hot item right now. On a related note, I'm working on the construction of a biodiesel plant that uses soybean oil and another that uses yellow fat, although that one is not under construction yet. Big tax breaks for the owners.

I'm sorry but Ethanol is not inline with premium gas. Ethanol is more evil empire something billed as green that's not. Only Cellulous based not corn based provides a real boon to air quality and only e85 and will still have effective less mileage per gallon.

Plus corn consumes massive quantities of out most valuable quantity commodity on the face of the planet - water, water from our already dwindling reserves.