Another M1 noise story

[RF Overlord]

Recently changed the oil in my 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis. Previous oil was MC 5W-20 and the new is M1 5W-30. The reason for the switch in brands is that I'd had the M1 in my garage since 2005 as I no longer use ExMo products. Disclaimer: I know M1 is a superior oil, I just choose, for a variety of reasons not relevant to this discussion, to not give ExMo any more of my money.

Anyway, the motor has become somewhat "chatty" on cold starts. Not the "faulty-ADBV-delayed-oil-pressure" kind of noise, but more of a "sewing-machine" kind of noise which goes away after a couple of minutes. Before anyone chimes in with "your timing chain guides are bad", this motor was dead silent with the MC oil 2 weeks ago.

I just find it interesting as I would have expected 5W-30 to be quieter, if anything. Note to the M1 Brigade: I'm not knocking M1 and, unless something more develops, I intend to leave it for the full OCI (6,000 miles); this is just my first experience with the "M1 is a noisy oil" phenomenon.

 

[TheBig2003]

For that same reason, I don;t run M1 in any of my vehicles. I find the valvetrain becomes really noisy on stock engines. And because of that I don't use it in any of my personal vehicles. Some people have found success with it, but I have found that there are better options for some people.

 

[bustednutz]

Same here. M1 is a very good product. But I have also found my engine to run a touch louder in my cars using it. Especially the valve train.
With that said, I still believe that XO makes a great product. Its just not for me at this time.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I think it simply depends on the particular engine. I tried M1 5W-20 in the 3.8L V-6 in our Chrysler minivan and it was quite loud, especially at hot idle. It sounded like at least one lifter was collapsed. I switched to PP 5W-20 and it was mucho bettero. In fact, the engine was as quiet as it ever was on the PP.

So it was with great hesitation that I tried M1 0W-20 in our Honda. To my great surprise, that 0W-20 is dead silent in the K24 engine in our Honda (and also in the J35 engine in our Acura). It blew me away how quiet that oil was in the engine. I've used other oils, and also to my great surprise, the very same PP 5W-20 that was so quiet in our Chrysler was pretty loud in our Honda, especially on cold starts. PP 5W-20 is very quiet in our Acura, but it sure isn't in the Honda.

There really is a difference in how some oils sound in some engines, but it sure isn't consistent. Some engines just seem to "like" some oils better than others, at least in terms of noise.

 

[buster]

Few complaints on the SN M1. The GF-4 Mobil 1 wasn't that impressive.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I was just speaking to 2010_FX4 on this.

I got the sewing machine cold start tick noise using M1 0w-20. It went away when I switched to MS5K.

 

[LeakySeals]

The flow is better, assume that could include slipping by the filter's adbv too. I found it chatty also on my all aluminum Toyota vvt-i. But not much anymore. After 130k its nice and quiet now. Seems like it takes time to acclimate, swap film, glaze, not sure. And if I do hear anything its only early in the OCI when the oil is cleaner. At 6k, the oil is both dirtier and quieter. Quiet on the GP 3800 v6 from day 1. Its the strangest thing. No idea.

 

[Falken]

Just buy a jug of QSUD if you don't like weighing pros and cons.

 

[FZ1]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I think it simply depends on the particular engine. I tried M1 5W-20 in the 3.8L V-6 in our Chrysler minivan and it was quite loud, especially at hot idle. It sounded like at least one lifter was collapsed. I switched to PP 5W-20 and it was mucho bettero. In fact, the engine was as quiet as it ever was on the PP.

So it was with great hesitation that I tried M1 0W-20 in our Honda. To my great surprise, that 0W-20 is dead silent in the K24 engine in our Honda (and also in the J35 engine in our Acura). It blew me away how quiet that oil was in the engine. I've used other oils, and also to my great surprise, the very same PP 5W-20 that was so quiet in our Chrysler was pretty loud in our Honda, especially on cold starts. PP 5W-20 is very quiet in our Acura, but it sure isn't in the Honda.

There really is a difference in how some oils sound in some engines, but it sure isn't consistent. Some engines just seem to "like" some oils better than others, at least in terms of noise.
+1. Your oil "experience" is unique to each engine.YMMV

 

[tig1]

M1 oils are very quite in all the engines I have used it in. I had a 96 Merc GM with the 4.6 and it was very quite all the way to 218K with 10K OCI using M1 10-30.

 

[TechnoLoGs]

Originally Posted By: tig1
M1 oils are very quite in all the engines I have used it in. I had a 96 Merc GM with the 4.6 and it was very quite all the way to 218K with 10K OCI using M1 10-30.


tig1, do you acknowledge that there is a possibilty that some new M1 users may experience some noise, vs whatever their previous oil was?

I acknowledge the possibilty that M1 may quiet. But do you acknowledge that, for others, the reverse may be true?

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
Originally Posted By: tig1
M1 oils are very quite in all the engines I have used it in. I had a 96 Merc GM with the 4.6 and it was very quite all the way to 218K with 10K OCI using M1 10-30.


tig1, do you acknowledge that there is a possibilty that some new M1 users may experience some noise, vs whatever their previous oil was?

I acknowledge the possibilty that M1 may quiet. But do you acknowledge that, for others, the reverse may be true?


Of course, in the same since some say PP, Valvo, Castrol, Amsoil make their engines noiser than M1 or what ever oil they used. Remember, only a few actually say M1 causes more noise. Remember way more members here use M1 synthetic than other synthetics. There isn't an oil that some say their engine became noiser when they changed to it.

 

[TechnoLoGs]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
Originally Posted By: tig1
M1 oils are very quite in all the engines I have used it in. I had a 96 Merc GM with the 4.6 and it was very quite all the way to 218K with 10K OCI using M1 10-30.


tig1, do you acknowledge that there is a possibilty that some new M1 users may experience some noise, vs whatever their previous oil was?

I acknowledge the possibilty that M1 may quiet. But do you acknowledge that, for others, the reverse may be true?


Of course, in the same since some say PP, Valvo, Castrol, Amsoil make their engines noiser than M1 or what ever oil they used. Remember, only a few actually say M1 causes more noise. Remember way more members here use M1 synthetic than other synthetics. There isn't an oil that some say their engine became noiser when they changed to it.


Well said, and agreed.

I have been thinking about M1 15W-50 for this infernal engine that is getting the mixes of Redline, etc, but that would be off-topic for this thread.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Falken
Just buy a jug of QSUD if you don't like weighing pros and cons.


+1 M-1 is noisy period. QSUD and PP quiet.

 

[BillyTheKid]

Most quiet oil I have run in several different vehicles was the MaxLife. I use M1 mostly out of all brands, but becoming a big fan of the MaxLife stuff.

 

[Stanley Rockafeller]

oh yeah, that M1 is real noisey! I had an 84 Rabbit I ran it in. Got so noisey I had to wear ear plugs on my commute to and from work with it. It was terrible

Mind you, I also had cherry bomb straight exhaust with no cat on that car...but I dont' think that mattered much, as it was clearly the oil's fault

 

[440Magnum]

I've never had a change in BRAND of oil cause any difference in the sound of any engine whatsoever, at least to my ears. Changing GRADE- definitely. But never changing brand. I think a double-blind test is the only way to determine if the noise changes are real or not, and the person doing the filling can't exactly be the test subject. Me included- others might hear something I'm not hearing. ;-)

And I'm not shilling M1. Currently my fleet of cars are filled with Rotella T6, M1, and Pennzoil Ultra. More vehicles currently filled with SOPUS oils than with XOM oils.

 

[ottotheclown]

This is early every month someone usually complains about Mobil 1 I mean every month. Yes other brands do get spoken for but not every month. Why is that???

 

[RF Overlord]

otto, if you read my post, you'd see that I was NOT complaining, I was just commenting that this is the first time I have experienced the phenomenon.

...and it isn't a figment of my imagination. I've had this car for almost a year and I'm familiar with every sound it makes...or didn't make.

 

[killswitch83]

I will say this: in my 99 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.9L 360, I was using M1 10w30 and noticed some lifter tick, and switching to M1 EP didn't seem to help it. However, switching to QSUD quieted the tick nicely. Does make me wonder if engines truly are that finicky...