127,000 Miles, too late for synthetic?

3276 Views 25 Replies 8 Participants Last post by nicktastic, Jan 28, 2015

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · Jan 26, 2015

I just recently purchased a 2006 Honda Ridgeline with 127,000 miles. I have no clue what oil was used in it when it was changed by previous owners.

I've done a ton of research on switching to synthetic on high mileage cars and it seems to be back & forth.

Some say it's too late, and the synthetic will find leaks that conventional oil wouldn't find before being thicker.
Others say it will only leak if there is a bad gasket or seal.

I was curious if anyone out there has switched or used synthetic in something near my mileage. I plan on using 5w20 either Honda's synthetic or equivalent along with Honda's oil filters.

Anyone have any insight or experience from anyone that has done this before?
Thanks!

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

zroger73

· #2 · Jan 26, 2015

What's wrong with using what your owner's manual recommends at the interval your Maintenance Minder tells you to instead of what your friends or those in the business of selling oil tell you?

This method has served more than one member here for well over a quarter of a million miles. What more could you ask for?

If you use the recommended oil and it leaks, then have the leak fixed.

rollinhonda

· #3 · Jan 26, 2015 (Edited)

Hard to say, seems to be mostly controversy with little fact. Some older vehicles tend to leak at the seals, so for starters I would inspect the truck and and see if that is the case with yours.
You do need to 'know' your truck including the Mileage Minder or live in a world of unknowns and guesses.
To play it safe just start running a quality name brand 5 20 dino oil. Keep an eye on how much oil consumption you have between changes. If all is well and you see no seepage you may be perfectly safe running a synthetic.
If you use Honda filters, make sure you get the ones with an 'A01' in the suffix of the part number. The A02s are made by Fram and are not recommended.
You have a disadvantage not knowing the truck's history, but you should be able to come to terms with that and keep up the maintenance.
You need to find out if the timing belt has been changed. Normally recommended when going over 100K.
Not to mention all the fluids that should have been changed regularly. If not sure, just change them all as a preventative measure. Lots of maintenance topics on this forum to guide you. All this may mean putting some cash into it soon. But if it runs well and you think it's a keeper, good maintenance is a smart investment. But again, read the owner's manual especially the sections on maintenance and basically what all the indicators mean and what all the controls do.

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nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 26, 2015

zroger73 said:
What's wrong with using what your owner's manual recommends at the interval your Maintenance Minder tells you to instead of what your friends or those in the business of selling oil tell you?

This method has served more than one member here for well over a quarter of a million miles. What more could you ask for?

If you use the recommended oil and it leaks, then have the leak fixed.

This is exactly what I was thinking. If something is leaking i would want to know and have it fixed.

rollinhonda said:
Hard to say, seems to be mostly controversy with little fact. Some older vehicles tend to leak at the seals, so for starters I would inspect the truck and and see if that is the case with yours.
You do need to 'know' your truck including the Mileage Minder or live in a world of unknowns and guesses.
To play it safe just start running a quality name brand 5 20 dino oil. Keep an eye on how much oil consumption you have between changes. If all is well and you see no seepage you may be perfectly safe running a synthetic.
If you use Honda filters, make sure you get the ones with an 'A01' in the suffix of the part number. The A02s are made by Fram and are not recommended.
You have a disadvantage not knowing the truck's history, but you should be able to come to terms with that and keep up the maintenance.
You need to find out if the timing belt has been changed. Normally recommended when going over 100K.
Not to mention all the fluids that should have been changed regularly. If not sure, just change them all as a preventative measure. Lots of maintenance topics on this forum to guide you. All this may mean putting some cash into it soon. But if it runs well and you think it's a keeper, good maintenance is a smart investment. But again, read the owner's manual especially the sections on maintenance and basically what all the indicators mean and what all the controls do.

Exactly the type of response I was looking for. I appreciate it.

Thanks for the info on the Honda Filters, I had no idea. Also, i was thinking maybe running a synthetic blend in the engine and see if I spot any leaking.

I do plan on doing a full maintenance list when I have the funds to do so, and that includes timing belt, radiator flush, trans fluid, and rear diff fluid. Just want to line up an oil change & spark plugs around the same time so i know everything is done.

zroger73

· #5 · Jan 26, 2015

nicktastic said:
Also, i was thinking maybe running a synthetic blend in the engine and see if I spot any leaking.

Isn't that kind of like feeding a healthy person 5 lbs. of fried Twinkies every day to see how long it takes them to have a heart attack?

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 26, 2015

zroger73 said:
Isn't that kind of like feeding a healthy person 5 lbs. of fried Twinkies every day to see how long it takes them to have a heart attack?

Lmao true. I like the way you think.

speedlever

· #7 · Jan 26, 2015

Not knowing where nicktastic lives, there may be a valid reason to use synthetic oil over dino oil... that being the superior cold flow characteristics of syn oil. I believe most engine wear occurs on a cold start.... or so I've heard.

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 26, 2015

speedlever said:
Not knowing where nicktastic lives, there may be a valid reason to use synthetic oil over dino oil... that being the superior cold flow characteristics of syn oil. I believe most engine wear occurs on a cold start.... or so I've heard.

I am located in northeast corner of Pennsylvania.

speedlever

· #9 · Jan 26, 2015

I am a fan of syn oils... especially where it gets cold.

You should also check your tranny/radiator fittings for rust around the Belleville washer.

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 26, 2015

speedlever said:
I am a fan of syn oils... especially where it gets cold.

You should also check your tranny/radiator fittings for rust around the Belleville washer.

Good to know, is this a common problem and easily fixable? Like replacing the washer?

speedlever

· #11 · Jan 26, 2015

No. The fix is to replace the entire radiator which can be bought online for $150 or less and self install. Or pay a shop to do it.

Practically speaking, you cannot replace the Belleville washer the way the system is designed. This issue is not limited to the RL... nor even to Honda as the design goes across different manufacturers.

Here's a typical thread with pics:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53921

beatle

· #12 · Jan 26, 2015

I have 125k on my truck and will be sticking with dino oil. All cars I've had with 90k or more have developed leaks when I switched to synthetic, and they don't go away if you switch back to dino. Dino oil has come a long way, and a lot of people report good longevity just changing it every 6-8k.

rollinhonda

· #13 · Jan 26, 2015

While on the radiator and other items that Honda says 'don't worry about' don't forget Power Steering fluid, changing or refreshing that periodically.

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 26, 2015

speedlever said:
No. The fix is to replace the entire radiator which can be bought online for $150 or less and self install. Or pay a shop to do it.

Practically speaking, you cannot replace the Belleville washer the way the system is designed. This issue is not limited to the RL... nor even to Honda as the design goes across different manufacturers.

Here's a typical thread with pics:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53921

Great info, thanks!

beatle said:
I have 125k on my truck and will be sticking with dino oil. All cars I've had with 90k or more have developed leaks when I switched to synthetic, and they don't go away if you switch back to dino. Dino oil has come a long way, and a lot of people report good longevity just changing it every 6-8k.

This is also what I've been thinking. Using a high quality Dino oil and doing the typical 3-4k mile changes.

rollinhonda said:
While on the radiator and other items that Honda says 'don't worry about' don't forget Power Steering fluid, changing or refreshing that periodically.

Good point, i'll add that to the list. Thanks, if you think of anything else post it up!

rollinhonda

· #15 · Jan 27, 2015

beatle said:
I have 125k on my truck and will be sticking with dino oil. All cars I've had with 90k or more have developed leaks when I switched to synthetic, and they don't go away if you switch back to dino. Dino oil has come a long way, and a lot of people report good longevity just changing it every 6-8k.

That may be a good point. Plus, Valvoline's Super Max oil is supposed to help with minor seal leaks.

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 27, 2015

I think I might just get a very good quality dino oil instead of worrying about synthetic and possible leaks.

beatle

· #17 · Jan 27, 2015

Most major oil manufacturers have decent conventional oils. Pennzoil yellow bottle, Valvoline, and Castrol GTX are all good choices. Couldn't go wrong with Shell or Mobil either.

nicktastic

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 27, 2015

beatle said:
Most major oil manufacturers have decent conventional oils. Pennzoil yellow bottle, Valvoline, and Castrol GTX are all good choices. Couldn't go wrong with Shell or Mobil either.

Appreciate all of your opinions. Think I will be going with conventional motor oil. Valvoline 5w20.

Along w/ OEM Filters & Oil drain plug washers.

Dnick

· #19 · Jan 27, 2015

beatle said:
Most major oil manufacturers have decent conventional oils. Pennzoil yellow bottle, Valvoline, and Castrol GTX are all good choices. Couldn't go wrong with Shell or Mobil either.

Quaker State fits right in there.

cofetym

· #20 · Jan 27, 2015

Why not try a blend?

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