Alternating Motor Oils

My list of different oils I have run in my car...

Havoline Pro DS 5w30
Havoline Pro DS 10w30
Havoline high mileage 5w30
Havoline 5w30
Cam2 Superpromax 5w30
Cam2 full synthetic 5w30
Valvoline full synthetic 5w30
Valvoline high mileage 5w30
Valvoline white bottle 5w30
Castrol Magnatec 5w30
Castrol high mileage 5w30
Castrol Edge EP 5w30
Castrol Edge 0w30
Pennzoil Ultra 5w30
Pennzoil Ultra platinum 5w30
Pennzoil Gold 5w30
Lubrigold 5w30
Coastal synthetic blend 5w30
Napa full synthetic 5w30
Napa full synthetic high mileage 5w30
Federated Auto parts full synthetic 5w30
Mobil Super synthetic- 5w30
Mobil Super- synthetic 10w30
Mobil Special 5w30
Mobil Super- 5w30
Carquest full synthetic high mileage 5w30


Based upon this.... I think running different oil every other run.... Works ok :LOL:
 
I'll use whatever is cheap or a mix of whatever I have left over.

Likely means my car will get a diet of Supertech and Kirkland going forward, but if something else drops in price I'll use that instead.
 
Let me address this up to the point of not violating an NDA.

Don't confuse "marketing claims" designed to promote and sell products to various market sects with actual chemical recipe or other performance characteristics.

There is a base recipe and formulation band ( the base brand) with plenty of room for minor deviations that can be done with a minimum of R&D and production alteration ( often just dosing or maybe adding a part).

That's one of the reasons this information is closely secured IP because if the people actually knew how little difference there was, it would impact sales and possibly adversely affect the brand.

But every manufacturer does this in every product to a degree- its just business.
So this would make sense within one brand and going from their Full Synthetic to their High mileage conventional etc. But possibly some risk arises changing between completely different brands if their additive packs or something one way or another "clashes" and creates an issue. Perhaps something too acic as a chemical reaction. Though I am sure this is very rare. Basically what happened with Maina post #7
 
So this would make sense within one brand and going from their Full Synthetic to their High mileage conventional etc. But possibly some risk arises changing between completely different brands if their additive packs or something one way or another "clashes" and creates an issue. Perhaps something too acic as a chemical reaction. Though I am sure this is very rare. Basically what happened with Maina post #7

I've changed oil on my last 6 OCI with zero negative impact. You'd better stop smoking that stuff!
 
So this would make sense within one brand and going from their Full Synthetic to their High mileage conventional etc. But possibly some risk arises changing between completely different brands if their additive packs or something one way or another "clashes" and creates an issue. Perhaps something too acic as a chemical reaction. Though I am sure this is very rare. Basically what happened with Maina post #7

Here's where you got to pull out the microscope and carefully parse words.

If the oil has all the "credentials" and passes the tests for whatever grade and class we are discussing then the likelihood of a significant "chemical aberration or clash" is minimal mainly because no "main line oil" wants to have one and get "branded" as being at fault. ( especially with the net today). I would estimate the worst to be a dilution or negation of effect rather than the creation of a damaging one.

If there was damage potential I would believe it more likely that there would be so much of one ( just pick an additive property) that the extra volume could be a failure mechanism- that would be very hard to isolate and/or prove IMO.

Using a "boutique" oil that "claims" to meet or exceed...???

Then I think there is a real risk because you really don't know what you are dealing with.
 
Wasn't Redline was it? it seems to react with soft metal when first introduced. Doesn't seem to effect it's performance long-term. I assume after a little while a surface layer forms and the characteristic spike goes away.

Yes, Amsoil SS going to Redline 5w-30, I then stayed with Mobil1 ESP 5w-30 for a while. Now I am on my first try with Redline Euro 5w-30 and I will be testing it at 3,000 miles coming up soon. I ALWAYS have some form of fuel dilution level raise even in the middle of summer. I have had ZERO gain with Redline Euro. A dead solid hold for 3,000 miles on the "F" dot. (Hell froze over) I did not check for fuel dilution back in the early life of my new car with the Amsoil/Redline use, I can't remember if there was no dilution back then. I know I will still have dilution in winter, hopefully a lot less then all my other oils I have used.
 
In your situation, I would be fine using a 5w30 synthetic from any major producer. PP, Valvoline, Mobil-1 "vanilla"... even Supertech synthetic would be a good choice. I would not worry about it too much. It's much more important to keep up with regular service than using a certain brand of oil.
 
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