What oil do you use?

[Howard]

Mobil 1 is extremely popular... Can't for the life of me figure out why. It isn't particularly good synthetic oil, especially for the price. Pennzoil Platinum and Pennzoil Ultra are quite a bit better, and the same price or cheaper. M1 tends to show higher iron levels in UOAs, compared to PP, PU, and even Valvoline Synpower.

Lots of OEMs specify it. Beats me, too.

 

[Howard]

Don't know about cars but for motorcycles Mobil 1 synthetic is really good. The topic has been beat down to death on the V-Rod forums. Don't know how Mobil 1 synthetic oils are for cars but I imagine they must be pretty good.

And I know that Mobil 1 is one of the original true synthetics unlike others.

Not anymore.

 

[RKS]

My G gets Castrol Synctec 5W30

I am trying Pennzoil Plat right now, to see how it goes.

Syntec
or
Pen Ultra seem to work really well for the HR

 

[NickR]

The real fact of the matter these days it that Mobil 1 is Group III. i.e. Highly refined crude oil. It's still excellent, but it's not a "true" synthetic, though that doesn't really mean anything. Pennzoil Ultra, the new SN/GF-5 formulation uses a nice dose of Group IV or PAO, which is a "True" synthetic. Don't take that to mean anything, because it doesn't. The only really better is oils like Redline, which use Ester based oil, or Group V.

It's more about formulation and additive pack, shear resistance, cold flow properties, and so on.

 

[soccerballtux]

every 3000 on dyno every 5000 on synthetic. Not just any synthetic, legit synthetic. I bought some GTX "synthetic" and it's clearly dyno group 3 oil judging by the immediate improvement in gas mileage on my 2008 camry-engine car.

 

[NickR]

Like I said earlier, there is no real advantage to what you see as "true" synthetic. Group III is extremely refined, it may technically still be a petroleum product, but it is in no way worse than the much touted synthetics. Group III in Pennzoil Platinum, Valvoline Synpower, Castrol Syntec and Edge, Amsoil XL/SSO, Mobil 1... The only real advantage that PAO adds is better cold flow, and they can acheive that by adding a small percentage, 10% max, of PAO to a Group III blended oil.

Also, the improvement in gas mileage in your "Camry engine" car, is more likely due to the placebo effect, and weather conditions. I've never seen, or heard, of changing oil really making a difference.

 

[NickR]

Also, 5,000 miles on synthetic (term used for ease) in a 2008 model year, 2.4L Toyota SMPFI engine? What a waste. Any decent syn will easily do 7,500 miles, PU you could easily do 10k on that, as long as the engine actually gets up to operating temperature when you drive it. If you drove it like, 3 miles to and from work, and it never sees highway driving, then it might be another case altogether.

 

[jonesthewine]

2010 Mazda CX-9 - 3.7 liter v6 - Amsoil Signature series 5w-20 with Amsoil Ea series filter - changed once per year, around 11,000 to 14,000 miles

2011 MazdaSpeed3 - 2.3 liter Turbo I4 - Amsoil Signature Series 5w-30 with Amsoil Ea series filter; this is 15,000 mile oil. I started the car on the Amsoil European Car Formula 5w-30 for the first 15,000 miles (changed after 7500 miles).

 

[sdifox]

Nice, I've never heard of that oil. Seems like good stuff. Wonder how it matches up to Amsoil.

What's 8 quarts of oil running you?

I take it to an audi mech on queen st e. 80 or so for the oil change. Very reasonable.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

And I know that Mobil 1 is one of the original true synthetics unlike others.

Nope, except for their EP and German 0W stuff.

 

[Tsavo]

What car and engine do you have, and what oil & filter do you run? How often do you change it?

Me, 2011 Chevy Cruze 1.4T, Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 w/ACDelco Cartridge filter. I change it when the Oil-life-monitor drops down to 20%, so about 8,000 miles.

The 2011 Equinox 3.0L SIDI V6 gets Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 as well, with a Purolator PureONE filter. That one gets changed when the OLM is 20% as well, usually about 4500-5000 miles.

I use whatever the manual suggests I use, at intervals that it suggests. I might change my habits when it comes to a time that I know more about oil than oil engineers than do. That won't happen in my lifetime, so I'll just do as actuall engineers suggest I do, and I won't lose a night's sleep or a dollar suggesting otherwise.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I use whatever the manual suggests I use, at intervals that it suggests. I might change my habits when it comes to a time that I know more about oil than oil engineers than do. That won't happen in my lifetime, so I'll just do as actuall engineers suggest I do, and I won't lose a night's sleep or a dollar suggesting otherwise.

That's what used-oil analyses are for

 

[hanoverphist]

dodge 318 with 230k+ on it. i use whatever brand is on sale, 10w-40. filters are the same. usually change about every 7-9k miles

 

[ajskydiver]

'11 M3 gets Castrol TWS 10w60 every 6-7K miles. Since BMW will do one every 15K (first service at 1200), I'm planning on doing every other one every ~6 months. Just did the first one.

 

[SuperSix]

3.8L Valvoline 10w30, ac delco filter. once a year which is about 500mi lately. yeah, it comes out pretty clean.

Wait. what? Another GN owner here???

In the garage right now...
http://s1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/Supersix231/87 Grand National/Repair pics/

As far as oil used:
96 Integra w/181k - Cheapest Syn 10w30, whatever filter
92 Eldorado - Cheap Dino, whatever filter
87 Buick Regal Turbo T - 10w30 dino, AC Delco filter
87 Bucik Grand National - Once engine is done, fistr 2-3k dino, 10w-30 syn and Wix filter after that.

 

[CraigRT]

Whatever's on sale, the true BITOG way!

Currently running PennzPlat in mine and my fathers' cars.

 

[manimal]

 

[DVad3r]

I take it to an audi mech on queen st e. 80 or so for the oil change. Very reasonable.

That is a good price, especially with labour and the filter. 8 quarts of Amsoil would run you around $ 70 alone. You gotta give me this place if I ever buy a German car

 

[DVad3r]

Hey NickR,

Do you have a link to what oils fall under what group, true synthetics, etc?

 

[jhu]

Jetta MkV, 2.5L, Mobil 1 0w-40, 16 megametres
Passat B5, 1.8T, Mobil 1 0w-40, 8 megametres
Z4 E85, 3.0L, Mobil 1 0w-40, 16 megametres

 

[NickR]

Whatever's on sale, the true BITOG way!

Currently running PennzPlat in mine and my fathers' cars.

Oh hey craig, 'sup man?

 

[Howard]

Who has a drum of that stuff? You know a dealership?

 

[alkemyst]

2006 BMW M3: BMW/Castrol 10W60 TWS Full Synthetic
2012 Mazda 3 s Grand Touring: Mobil 1 Synthetic, don't know the wieght off the top of my head.

 

[NickR]

2006 BMW M3: BMW/Castrol 10W60 TWS Full Synthetic
2012 Mazda 3 s Grand Touring: Mobil 1 Synthetic, don't know the wieght off the top of my head.

Should be either 5W-20 or 5W-30 iirc.

 

[alkemyst]

Should be either 5W-20 or 5W-30 iirc.

I was something funky like that. I know when piston speed gets crazy wierd brews are needed, but for a Mazda 3 and some of the other new cars I was looking at, I think the cat makers are in bed with the oil makers. They get all lubed up on a Friday night and figure out how to maximize profits.