Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Comments
the 1st number is the viscosity (oil thickness) when the oil is cold.
the 2nd number is when the oil is hot.
(someone else want to explain how the Saybolt or SAE viscosity tests are done?)
As for using 20-50, I wouldn't use it for "older" engines but for WORN engines. I've had many engines over 100K miles that didn't use oil (or very little) so continuing to use the regular weight oils was fine. I would resort to 20-50 only if you have trouble keeping enough oil in the engine between oil changes.
I used 20-50 back in the '70s when it was common to have hundreds of cars over heat and pull over on the Long Island expressway during a hot summer day. 20-50 was a little added insurance if you over heated the engine.
Marvel mystery oil seems to be just that: a mystery. But read the can yourself. If you need to address engine problems and believe Marvel mystery oil will help, try it.
Al
I'm a little reluctant to use it in cars with fuel injectors as I never know if it will help (act as a lubricant/detergent) or hurt (clog the injectors). User beware. I like this stuff in carbureted power equipment, though.
Back when straight-weight oils were the only thing out there, this stuff was added to the crankcase to thin the straight 20 and 30 weight oils so they would flow better in the cold during start-up.
In general, always use oils with the narrower spreads between the first (winter) and second (summer) numbers. Avoid 0W30, 5W40, 5W50, 10W50, etc ... The viscosity improvers used to bridge this gap are the first components in the oil to break down and when they go, their cooked remains can stay behind and gum up your motor.
For older, worn motors in warm weather, 10W30 is a good, all-around choice. 15W40 or 20W50 is good if those engines are really run hard or it is extremely hot where you live.
--- Bror Jace
From my 1996 G Platform (Riviera/Aurora) factory manual:
The recommended oil viscosity for this vehicle when the temperature is above 0F is SAE 10W30. When the temperature will be very cold and never above 60F 5W30 should be used in all models.
When all else fails, read the instructions.
The manual also recommends either synthetic 5W-30 or 0W-30 for very cold climate. -20F and colder, if I remember it right.
Post #157: "In your area I would go to amsoil 0w30 and the amsoil filter and bypass filter.In most cases the amsoil filter is cheaper than the mobil 1 filter,amsoil is the better oil but mobil 1 is
ok.I would also get the amsoil air filter."
The hype-frenzy surrounding multi-level marketed products TOTALLY turns me off which is why I usually avoid them completely. This goes for Shaklee, Amway and Amsoil. Usually there are plenty of other alternatives ... and this is certainly the case with synthetic motor oils.
I avoid MLM cosmetics too ... but since I'm a guy, that's awfully easy. >;^}
--- Bror Jace
PS - And I'd never recommend a 0W30 motor oil ... unless you lived above the Arctic Circle.
Good luck. Just my thoughts.
Al
"(Typical motor) oils will adequately lubricate most automotive engines, even many high-performance engines, because the manufacturers know that the highway patrol will catch you before high-speed operation can cause significant damage."
For over a year I thought about this and didn't really know what to make of it. Could it be true? perhaps but I filed it away in my head under the heading "Might be true, might be BS ..."
Well, last night I saw a police-video show and the boys in blue were chasing a stolen Eagle Talon AWD Turbo. That car has something like 190 horsepower and is a seriously quick ride. The driver, a thief, was playing with the cops because at will, he could step on it and outdistance the police Chevy Caprices or Ford Crown Vics with ease. At one point they clocked him at 140mph. They stayed within sight of him as he tried to turn and maneuver his way away from them but to no avail.
At least 15-20 minutes later, the narrator said his motor went off-song, lost power and the cop whose camera you've been watching this whole ordeal through, catches up with him and rams him off the road. End of chase.
Assuming he had just a regular oil in the car (and chances are he did), I wonder if having a better, synthetic lubricant would have preserved his engine any longer? In this case, I'm pretty sure we'll never know.
Watching this show regularly, I've seen this sort of thing happen before. The pursuee's engine starts to overheat, lose power, etc ... and that's what ends the chase.
Hmmm ... makes you wonder.
--- Bror Jace
I agree, most are a waste or snake oil. The STP-type thickeners aren't bad for a nearly-lost-cause worn out motors ... but then again you don't have too much to lose with something that burns oil, smokes and could blow at any moment. Still, the zinc phosphate these additves like STP Oil Extender have in them are helpful ... but it's not an ideal alternative to changing your oil regularly.
It's really hard to tell if the synthetic is giving you the extra horsepower you perceive in your new vehicle. I feel the better anectdotal evidence is when you've been driving the car for a couple years (gotten fairly used to it) and then switch to synthetic oil and notice a difference.
--- Bror Jace
I'm an expert in Perception . . . I have a psychology degree . . .
Gosh darn it go burst someone else's bubble!
1. Walmart brand - made by Quaker State ? - only full synthetic is 10w30
2. Pepboys brand - made by Valvolene ? - only full synthetic is 10w30
3. Advance Auto /ADV Brand - made by Valvolene - only full synthetic is 10w30
4. Discount Auto Parts brand - made by ?
Thanks
I would weigh more heavily someone noticing a difference in a car they've had for many years than a change in one that's quite new to him or her. That's just basic with regard to human perception and you should know why if in fact you have a degree in psychology.
My favorite story was a guy that changed his wife's Chrysler over from dead-dino oil to Mobil 1 (15W50?) without telling her. The next day she asked him what he had done to the car to make it run so much better. Assuming the guy wasn't lying to me, THAT is powerful anectdotal evidence!!
--- Bror Jace
(acid buuild up etc) or am I better off staying with dino and more frequent changes ? Thanks
I've got a 2000 Honda minivan, and our driving habits are somewhere between the "severe" (every 3750) and "normal" (every 7500 with the filter changed only every other time) schedules. 7500 seems like a long time to me, so I'm running synthetic. In about a month, when I do a change, I'm sending a sample to get analyzed for $20. No guessing, no chances. If they say it's fine, I'll go to 7,500 miles (and maybe longer after the warranty runs out) & not worry about it. If they say it has too much moisture, ash or whatever, I'll go back to the "severe" schedule & regular Castrol.
Anyway my analysis costs $9 plus shipping of $1.54
My changes, since I do them maybe twice a year at most per car last longer, I drain the oil overnight, check very carefully underneath for leaks, wear, boots etc. and clean up under there. So, perhaps an hour or so for the actual work. By draining overnight I get an additional 1/4 - 1/2 quart of oil out.
What oil analysis service do you use for only ~$10? Do they provide the full spectra analysis, including TN?
--- Bror Jace
--- Bror Jace
Tom.
As I put about 20K/yr on my daily driver, using synthetic is actually less expensive than 3K changes with even cheap dino.
I find it interesting that there are still people who stick to 3K changes for no apparent reason. They do not do analysis, so they have no idea what the condition of their engine or oil is, yet they talk about how beneficial the short intervals are to the life of an engine. Additionally, there is no reason that anyone has shown NOT to extend drains with quality synths and analysis.
Finally, Here is a testimonial to top all the rest - 535,000 miles on one-year oil changes:
http://www.techdata.org/chevytruck535000.htm
5W-30 oil? Afraid to use synthetic because of possible seepage. An expert opinion would be appreciated. thanks.
I think Honda has their own (available at their dealerships) and Motorcraft 5W20 is available at Walmart and other locations.
--- Bror Jace
But, if you're sticking with dead-dino oil, I'd go with Valvoline Max-Life oil. It's about $2 per quart and very good for older cars. See:
http://www.valvoline.com/products/products.asp?cat=1&Product=53
--- Bror Jace
Most manufacturers motor oils today provide adequite protection for your car. However oil is not the end of the story. Changing it properly and on time, maintaining the rest of the vehicle to reduce stress, and driving the car responsibly also make the difference.THe type of driving you do such as highway/city is also crucial.
The last factor, as much as I hate to say it is luck. Some cars are just not meant for the long haul. Whether this is due to their engineering, deviations on the assembly line, or even a product of their environment I'm not sure. I had as my second car a MAZDA MX3 V6 that I babied to death, and yet it died at 100,000 miles. My Subaru is still running like a swiss watch at 300,000+ miles. Both cars used synthetic oils from Castrol. I am sure the result would have been the same if they used Redline or any other major oil.
I guess we'll never know about your MX3 ... but it would have been neat to see how much (if any) longer Redline could've kept it running.
When you said it 'died', what do you mean exactly?
--- Bror Jace