2002 Buick LaSabre Custom Custom OIL

[omnia]

Just recently I purchased a 2002 Buick LaSabre Custom. It has 131,251 miles on it as of tonight. It is a one owner car and the previous owner told me he always changed oil at 3,000 miles. He used Pennzoil. The dealer I purchased it from changed oil prior to delivery and used Mobil 1 convential oil.
I always used Valvoline DuraBlend and then Royal Purple in my 1995 Ford Explorer that has 284,122 miles on it. It still runs and drives good.

I am leaning toward one of these oils for the Buick since I got such good service out of them in the Explorer. Personally, I don;t care for Pennzoil or Mobil 1 convential oil. What do you guys recommend as far which oil I should start using?

 

[OVERKILL]

Mobil conventional oil is simply called "Mobil", the "1" designates their synthetic line.

You can't really go wrong with M1, IMHO, since it's a much more "decorated" oil in terms of certifications and the like, I think it's a "safer" bet than a boutique oil like RP, which seems to have such a "love it or hate it" following.

Amsoil is another really good choice to consider.

 

[bobfather99]

The 3800 V6s are easy on oil, so you cant go wrong with any brand. Ive used a dozen or so brands in my 95 Bonneville and 2000 LeSabre, with no problems at all.

Keep an eye on the intake manifold gaskets, and keep the coolant fresh and full. You may want to do a used oil analysis to check for coolant contamination(manifold gaskets) Just a suggestion....

If youre happy with DuraBlend, use it...

Youll be ok.

 

[Dave Hess]

If you like Royal Purple so much, some AutoZones have it on closeout for 99 cents.

 

[smithph]

Check out the last forum on this site for rebate and sales on oil. Valvoline has some decent rebate deals going currently on DuraBlend, net out at $1 a qt. I have Napa oil (private label made by Valvoline) in the sump of my 3800 and it appears to agree with it just fine. I will know for sure in another 2K miles when its up for an OCI and I plan to UOA it, more so to check on the famous nylon intake manifold gaskets than the Napa oil.

 

[omnia]

What's up with the manifold gaskets?? Should I plan on replacing those soon...or at a specific mileage?

As for the oil....I came here to ask for suggestions because I often read the posts on this site even though I seldom actually logon. It seems that even though there are very different views on here as it relates to the differing oil brands, I think most of the posters are willing to offer me there true opinion on the issue. So, please....I have to make a decision by Friday afternoon (my mechanic is gonna service it for the first time since I have owned it Friday evening) share your views and why you would or would not choose Valvoline Durablend, or Royal Purple. Also what does everybody thing of the news MAXLIFE synthetic from Valvoline?

 

[smithph]

Originally Posted By: omnia
What's up with the manifold gaskets?? Should I plan on replacing those soon...or at a specific mileage?


Hopefully your Buick has already had the orignal ones replaced. Have your mechanic pressure test the system. The orignal nylon gaskets did not react well with early versions of Dexcool. Have a look....

http://www.zillamotorsports.com/DEX/

 

[Merkava_4]

Look familiar? If you took the engine cover off of yours, that's what you'd see.

I bought mine from the original owner with 82k on it; it now has 95k on the clock. Previous owner used Pennzoil 10w30 at an unknown interval. After 1700 miles and 4 months with Maxlife 10w30, the varnish stains on the rocker arms and valve springs were gone! Safe to say, the rest of the internals are spotless too. I use the oversize PF52 filter for more filtration, but the standard size PF47 is fine. 5.5 quarts in what I run in it, but I have run 6 quarts with no problems either. My owner's manual says 10w30; if yours says 5w30, forget it; 10w30 is better with fewer viscosity index improvers added.

 

[omnia]

What about these tests? If they are as reliable as they appear to be then it seems one could not go wrong with Royal Purple.

http://www.animegame.com/cars/Oil Tests.pdf

 

[PT1]

Maxlife is what you want for that engine. IMO.

 

[bobfather99]

In addition to the lower intake gasket problem, some non-supercharged 3800s tend to crack/fail near the EGR tube(drivers side) and can leak coolant internally.

Its not too bad to replace it, especially if you do uppers/lowers at the same time.

Theres a company called APN which sells a sleeved upper manifold with a smaller EGR pipe which can help to eliminate the problem.
Use that with the updated lower gaskets and then its trouble free. It can be done over a weekend with hand tools, if youre one of the unlucky few who gets a leak....

 

[Merkava_4]

All you have to do is keep an eye on that coolant bottle. I make sure it's right on the cold line when it's cold and right on the hot line when it's hot. I've had the car for 4 years now and so far, no coolant leaks.

 

[otis24]

I work as a salesman at a Chevrolet dealership. Today, I sold a brand new Buick Lucern. I took a 1998 Buick LeSaber Custom in on trade. It was purchased new by the gentleman from this same dealership. It has 203,000 miles. Oil was changed at least every 3k miles using Pennzoil. Never used a drop between changes.

 

[omnia]

I just changed over to Royal Purple 10W30 tonight and the car starts smoother and I can tell a little difference in acceleration on hills. (I live in south eastern Kentucky so we have plenty hills!) I will keep everybody posted.

I do have one question....WHERE does the PVC valve go on this car?

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: omnia
I do have one question....WHERE does the PVC valve go on this car?

It's at the far left end of the upper intake manifold with an electrical connector going to it. Look at my engine.