Motor Oil Questions anyone?

[OffTopic1]

I personally like Tung or Linseed/synthetic oil for all weather protection, however normally I prefer any 10-30 over snake oil.

 

[thecritic]

Originally posted by: OS
Also is it true that synthetic oil has a lower coefficient of friction, and if so, how much better?

Yes, it does have a lower coefficient of friction. That might be why some people get slightly better fuel economy with synthetic, but not much. I'm not sure how much better, but I think it is only slightly better, otherwise, everyone would be using a synthetic over a conventional and we'd see a greater benefit.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Caminetto
OK I have used Castrol syntec 5w50 for years in my SUV. What is a good alternative synthetic and what grade for all weather conditions here in Ohio.

I'd stick with the 5W-50. Why do you want to switch?

Castrol's 5W-50 is one of the best 5W-50's you can get, so.. yeah.

Originally posted by: Caminetto

1994 Nissan Pathfinder used for big load shopping and weekend trips to cabin under all kinds of conditions and weather - though very little freeway driving. Only putting about 5000 miles a year on it and oil is changed every 6 months.

I'd say you're probably doing good, then. Just remember that short trips are extremely severe service as far as oil is concered. Definately stick with the 6 month change intervals, regardless of milage.

Originally posted by: wanmichael
Once a year with Mobil 1 5W-30 and oversized Purolator filter should be fine. Any oil should be able to last 5,000 miles unless there is a mechanical problem. It'd be great if you could take it on a highway trip once in a while to burn off some fuel that may have accumulated in the oil because of the short trips. Consider getting it analyzed by Blackstone.

I'm going to have to absolutely disagree with you on this one. When an engine sees very little use, you must not go by miles, and you must start going by time. It is very good that he has been changing his oil every 6 months instead of by milage.

Absolutely do not leave oil in the crankcase that is only driven 5,000 miles in a year. That simply isn't enough to burn fuel, water and other impurities out of the oil.. It will degrade very rapidly while sitting idle.

Originally posted by: mdcrab
IF you use a synthetic motor oil should you change the oil filter twice as often as the oil?
If you change the oil every 10k mi, should you change the filter every 5k mi?

I have a new Honda Accord v-6 and am thinking about using Mobil 1. Manufacturer recommends 5w-30, but should I use 0w-20?

mdcrab

No, just change the filter with the oil. Although, I do agree with the idea.. It's just probably overkill.

No, use 5W-30 year around or 10W-30 in the summer and 5W-30 in the winter.

Originally posted by: armatron
okay I have a nissan 200sx (1998) with 99k miles on it. I've ran mobil 1 10w30 for like 50k miles now... is it time to switch to the mobil 1 high milage synthetic?

It hasn't been driven hard nor easy granda-like. I've always changed the oil after 3k miles... even though I know I can wait 5k+ with the full syn.

I honestly don't know whether the "high milage" oils are more or less a gimmick, or what. I am sure there are some formulations differences, but I'm not willing to take their word for it.

Just keep running what you've been running.

Remember, and this applies to everyone asking questions in this thread.. that the only real way to tell whether your oil is doing a good job is to have it analyzed. If you can visually tell that your oil needed to be changed when you drain it, then you waited WAY too long.

Also remember that your filters are at least as important, if not more important, than the specific brand oil you use. Think about it.. any and all oil, even the latest military spec NASA space shuttle oil is worthless if it has solid particles in it.

If you use expensive oil and the cheapest oil filter you can buy, you are doing yourself a great disservice. In reality, you would most likely be better off getting the cheapest oil you can find, and using the most expensive filters.

And don't always equate price with performance. It seems to be in parity with oil filters, but not air filters.. take K&N for example. Very expensive, poor filtration. The stock paper filter is best if you care about engine longevity.

Originally posted by: aic
I buy any major oil. shell, exxon, pennzoil, quaker, valvoline. I always use 5w-30 and I usually go 4-6 months and 3-5,000 miles. never used synthetic. My honda has 127,000 miles and a compression test came back good. oil is oil is what consumer reports said. I don't think they tested synthetic back then, years ago.

There are pretty significant differences between the same brands of different viscosities, let alone different brands of the same viscosity.

Quaker State(10W-30) kinda sucks.. as doex Exxon Superflo(10W-30). Shell, Pennzoil and Valvoline all make decent 10W-30's...

We've been running Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15W-40 in the Camry. It's one of the best 40 weight petroleum oils money can buy.

Just did an oil change after 4800 miles. Sent a sample in to Blackstone for a Dyson analysis.. Waiting for the results. I'm hoping it will tell me that the oil was still fine.

 

[thecritic]

I'd disagree with Eli on a few things:

First, Mobil 1 or any real synthetic should be able to last a full year. Analysis will tell. I'd agree with your statement if it was a conventional, but synthetics have a greater resistance toward shearing than dino. IF a person is really that concerned about fuel, insolubles, water, and junk like that, they'd be wasting their money changing M1 every 6 months, 2500 miles in this case. They'd be better off with a less expensive oil. Even on BITOG, I don't see very many analysis reports with water in them, and in quite a few of these reports, the oil has been in use for a year under same conditions.

It also depends on what kind of city driving the person does. 2 mile trips to the local Safeway are definitely harder than 10 mile city trips to Costco.

In addition, Castrol Syntec 5/50 is too thick for those purposes. The person is beter of using Mobil 1 0/40 or maybe even 5/30 in those cases. The manual calls for 5/30 in all temperatures, and 10/40 is acceptable in conditions about 0F. Not sure where the person lives either.


For the Accord, there is no need to switch oils for part of the year. 5W/30 would be fine year-round. I don't see the point of 10W/30 in the summer. Its possible that 5/20 is approved for use in that V6 if its 2002 or newer, and if so, its a better choice. Thicker is not neccessairly better. There are many excellent UOAs delivered by M1 0/20 on BITOG on the Copper Puking V6.

 

[her209]

What kind of motor oil should I use in my M1A2 Abrams tank?

 

[thecritic]

Sorry, not familiar with tanks or any type of military equipment.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: wanmichael
Sorry, not familiar with tanks or any type of military equipment.

Me either.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: armatron
my motorcycle has a wet clutch... some SWEAR by the hype from motorcycle-specific oils..... is it actually better, or will ANY non-energy conserving oil work fine?

I run Mobil 1 in my old Honda motorcycle with a wet clutch and I have yet to see problems from it.

ZV

 

[TechnoKid]

The new Mobil Clean 5000 oil is fully group III based with some group I as a additive pack carrier, as told on BITOG. This is truly one heckuva "dino" oil for the price, although it doesn't have as robust an additive package as mobil clean 7500.

Mobil 1 syn is pao based, is it not?

A group III hydrocracked based syn is technically a syn because thats essentially what Castrol Syntec is (with the exception of german castrol, which I think is pao), a group III based synthetic.

Mobil 1 extened performance has even more additives than regular mobil 1, but it also costs more. Mobil 1 EP is not api starburst whereas regular Mobil 1 syn is.

Myself, I can get Mobil 1 for $3.38 per quart in Xw20, 0w30, 0w40, 5w30, 10w30, and 15w50 and 5w40. Mobil 1 EP is like $5.40/qt. around me.

I really like the 5w40/trucksuv/delvac 1 oil, using it with great results in my father's 1998 audi A6 2.8 30v. It's been on german castrol before, and Mobil 1 0w40; it seems to like the 5w40 the best so far, but the german castrol comes in a very close second.

Using german castrol 0w30 in my mother's 97 accord ex, and Mobil 1 5w30 in my bro's 94 civic ex, and chevron supreme 5w30 in the 91 previa. I am probably going to switch to Mobil clean 5000 in the previa, though it does cost about twice as much as the chevron.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: wanmichael
I'd disagree with Eli on a few things:

First, Mobil 1 or any real synthetic should be able to last a full year. Analysis will tell. I'd agree with your statement if it was a conventional, but synthetics have a greater resistance toward shearing than dino. IF a person is really that concerned about fuel, insolubles, water, and junk like that, they'd be wasting their money changing M1 every 6 months, 2500 miles in this case. They'd be better off with a less expensive oil. Even on BITOG, I don't see very many analysis reports with water in them, and in quite a few of these reports, the oil has been in use for a year under same conditions.

It also depends on what kind of city driving the person does. 2 mile trips to the local Safeway are definitely harder than 10 mile city trips to Costco.

In addition, Castrol Syntec 5/50 is too thick for those purposes. The person is beter of using Mobil 1 0/40 or maybe even 5/30 in those cases. The manual calls for 5/30 in all temperatures, and 10/40 is acceptable in conditions about 0F. Not sure where the person lives either.


For the Accord, there is no need to switch oils for part of the year. 5W/30 would be fine year-round. I don't see the point of 10W/30 in the summer. Its possible that 5/20 is approved for use in that V6 if its 2002 or newer, and if so, its a better choice. Thicker is not neccessairly better. There are many excellent UOAs delivered by M1 0/20 on BITOG on the Copper Puking V6.

But without analysis, you have to go by worst case scenario. That's where the 3k mile oil change comes from.

It is my opinion that you should use the most robust oil you can, not the least. 20 weight oils have horrible HT/HS scores, even if they are "more shear resistant".

The issue with leaving the oil in the crankcase all year with only 5k miles is absolutely not shearing. It's the contaminants in the oil breaking the oil down. All Mobil1 synthetics only has a TBN of 5.0, at least according to the spec sheets I have(ranging in dates from 1/00 to 3/03). I'd bet money that his oil is toast long before 12 months. Would be happy to see otherwise though.. I'm always up for new/more data.

That's what I said. He can either use 5W-30 year around, or 10W-30 in the summer and 5W-30 in the winter.

10W-30's, on average, have a better high temp/high shear score than 5W-30s. If he lives in an area that gets extremely hot in the summer, it may be a good idea.. Just like 5W-30 would be a good idea for the winter.

You seem to praise Mobil1. There are petroleum oils that are better than Mobil1(speaking for 10W-30 only). Precision 102P and Citgo Citgard 600.

Infact, Citgard 600 is the best petroleum 10W-30 money can buy. It's a diesel oil, so it has extremely high HT/HS scores, along with a top of the line TBN of 11. I don't know where to get it around here though. Depending on cost, it could be pretty awesome.

The best price/performance ratio I've found is in the Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15W-40 I mentioned earlier. It's $5.88/gallon(1.47/quart) at Wal-Mart, and it is one of the best petroleum 40 weight oils available.

I shouldn't say that. There are straight 40 weight oils that kill any xW-40, but ... you'd only be able to run them in certain situations.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: armatron
my motorcycle has a wet clutch... some SWEAR by the hype from motorcycle-specific oils..... is it actually better, or will ANY non-energy conserving oil work fine?

Not really. I ran Mobil1 15W50 in my Honda that also had a wet clutch and it made it shift much better, ran a little cooler, and got better gas milage. Also, depending on your milage, you can go 1 full riding year on a simgle change and not have to worry until next year.



NOW for car oil. IMO the best new oil has to be Mobil's new 7500. Like the Mobil5000 it is a Grp3 syn, like Castrol and others, BUT has a better Aditive package then the 5000. Wal-Mart and Autozone sell it for only around $2.50 a quart. Being that it is as good as MOST other NATIONAL syns on the market( excluding Amsoil, Mobil1, redline) for the price of reg. oil. Best deal if you don;t want to spend the extra on Mobil1 or such.

 

[homestarmy]

When heated up to operating temperature in my '94 Acura Integra, are 5w30 and 10w30 really giving the same protection (hence the 30)? Also, is there really a difference in resistance that would change the MPG by at least 1?

Would their be any significant wear difference using one vs the other? It is recommended to use EITHER. I tend to use 10w30 when hot and 5w30 when cold (I'm in FL, it doesn't get too cold, maybe 30F at times).

Also, I use Mobil 1 if that means anything. Engine components are stock with 141k on it. Doesn't eat one drop of oil or drip etc.

 

[psteng19]

My mom's 1994 Nissan Quest (120k miles) is "losing" oil somewhere, somehow.
I think this was caused by her continuing to drive the car when the engine overheated (caused by a faulty water pump).
The water pump and radiator has been fixed since then (2 years ago) and now have to add half a quart of oil every 2k miles.

Do you recommend running thicker oil?
(Northeast climate)

 

[drnickriviera]

Any thoughts on Shell Rotella T Synthetic for a Ram 2500 diesel?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: psteng19
My mom's 1994 Nissan Quest (120k miles) is "losing" oil somewhere, somehow.
I think this was caused by her continuing to drive the car when the engine overheated (caused by a faulty water pump).
The water pump and radiator has been fixed since then (2 years ago) and now have to add half a quart of oil every 2k miles.

Do you recommend running thicker oil?
(Northeast climate)

No. Up to 1 quart every 1,000 miles is considered to be within spec and is no cause for alarm. A half quart every 2,000 miles is nothing to worry about. It's probably just a little bit of blow-by from the rings not sealing fully. Honestly, at 120,000 miles that sort of oil consumption is doing pretty good.

ZV

 

[cavemanmoron]

I put straight 30w in my Plymouth to break the engine in last year;
I forget if I used Castrol or not.
After break in I used 15/40 I had.

1964 Valiant.Factory V8 car.
rebuilt the engine,put in a bigger hydraulic cam,new oil pump,
etc.etc....
Put a 4 bbl manifold,and carb on it too,and electronic ignition.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cavemanmoron/album?.dir=/d15e&.src=ph

Before winter I put Napa brand 10-30 full synthetic in my van,and pickup,
both rear wheel drive V8's.

 

[sharkeeper]

1964 Valiant.Factory V8 car.
rebuilt the engine,put in a bigger hydraulic cam,new oil pump,
etc.etc....
Put a 4 bbl manifold,and carb on it too,and electronic ignition.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cavemanmoron/album?.dir=/d15e&.src=ph

Before winter I put Napa brand 10-30 full synthetic in my van,and pickup,
both rear wheel drive V8's.

Nice!

Cheers!

 

[radioouman]

I normally use Exxon or Mobil 10W-30 in my truck, but this time I decided to buy Meijer brand oil (says that it is manufactured by Citgo). When I took my Saturn into the dealerships, the brand of oil would change and when I asked they said they put in whatever they could get the best bulk deal on. So I figured that if they can use cheap oil, so can I. Back to the Citgo oil; it is very thick and quite dark compared to the Mobil or Exxon oil that I usually use. I'm only concerned about it being thick since it is winter and I live in Ohio. Should I go with a better oil next time?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: radioouman
I normally use Exxon or Mobil 10W-30 in my truck, but this time I decided to buy Meijer brand oil (says that it is manufactured by Citgo). When I took my Saturn into the dealerships, the brand of oil would change and when I asked they said they put in whatever they could get the best bulk deal on. So I figured that if they can use cheap oil, so can I. Back to the Citgo oil; it is very thick and quite dark compared to the Mobil or Exxon oil that I usually use. I'm only concerned about it being thick since it is winter and I live in Ohio. Should I go with a better oil next time?

Use the new Mobil 7500 or 5000. Its a syn at a cheap price

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
Any thoughts on Shell Rotella T Synthetic for a Ram 2500 diesel?

Shell Rotella Syn 5w40 is a good group III based syn (at least I believe it's grp III), but, imo, Mobil 1 Delvac 1 or truck and SUV oil are a better choice. I believe that rotella syn is about $3.66/qt and T&Suv is anywhere from $3.38 to $5.04 per quart. Those prices are the prices I've seen at walmart over the years.

T&Suv and the delvac 1 are the same exact oil, just different packaging, and you can usually find the T&Suv oil for cheaper than the Delvac 1.

I assume the cummins diesel has a rahter large sump capacity, probably measured in gallons, so, you may be able to get away with longer intervals, but I'd do an analysis to be sure if you are going over 10k miles oil change intervals. Bypass filter setup would allow you to go really long intervals.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: homestarmy
When heated up to operating temperature in my '94 Acura Integra, are 5w30 and 10w30 really giving the same protection (hence the 30)? Also, is there really a difference in resistance that would change the MPG by at least 1?

Would their be any significant wear difference using one vs the other? It is recommended to use EITHER. I tend to use 10w30 when hot and 5w30 when cold (I'm in FL, it doesn't get too cold, maybe 30F at times).

Also, I use Mobil 1 if that means anything. Engine components are stock with 141k on it. Doesn't eat one drop of oil or drip etc.

It's hard to say, but yes.. in theory, both 5W and 10W-30s are 30 weight oils at operating temperatures.

There is no way for us to tell you wear numbers for sure. Spend some money on some analysis if your car is important to you.

If it doesen't eat a drop of oil at 141k, you're doing something right. Continue. Run those analysis.. Blackstone will send you free kits. Fill it up, mail it back.

It's somehow satisfying.. you don't have to guess anymore, all the data you could possibly want on your oil is right infront of you.

 

[RobCom]

what do u know about the oil additive/engine cleaner "Auto-RX"

is this just another gimmick? or does it do the job as advertized

http://www.auto-rx.com/

 

[RobCom]

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: RobCom
what do u know about the oil additive/engine cleaner "Auto-RX"

is this just another gimmick? or does it do the job as advertized

http://www.auto-rx.com/

many many people on BITOG have had positive results with auto-rx.

 

[AmigaMan]

not really an engine oil question, but is it bad for your engine if I'm driving only 2 minutes to work each way every day? I can probably walk to work, but I just started this job and will be driving for the time being. The engine just gets to operating temperature before I pull into the parking lot at work.