Best High Mileage Synthetic for light burner.

[1 SX]

Hello, Still keeping up on a relatives 94 Geo prizum. 1.6. Question though, With 6-9K mile OCI's, the engine consumes some oil PP 10W30 maybe a QT every 2-3K miles, and was wondering maybe a HM Synthetic would be better. What HM synthetics resist burn off the best, and will be able to hold out for 6-9K miles? Car does not leak anything. Thanks.

 

[Drew99GT]

Why are you putting synthetic in that vehicle??? I have essentially the same car with the 1.8L - they are known oil consumers. 6,000 miles with 2 oil top offs - any name brand conventional oil will keep that engine running forever.

FWIW, synthetics tend to be consumed more in these engines from my experience.

I'd try running Valvoline Maxlife or Pennzoil HM; both are more then capable of 6,000 mile drains. If you must run synthetic, I'd try Maxlife synthetic 5w30.

 

[addyguy]

Try a 5W-40 HDEO like Rotella T6.

 

[951Indy]

How many miles are on that Geo?

 

[1 SX]

The Geo has around 115K miles, about 45K miles put on it in the last 2 years. picked it up with 66K miles on it, and switched it over to PP 5/10W30 synthetic. I was thinking about maxlife, and use it in my car, but dont know if it could last the 7-8K miles. Even though the manual says 7500 on dino!? get outta here. No wonder why the thing burns oil.. So im thinking Maxlife 10W30, Pwnnzoil HM 10W30, or Mobil 1 HM 10W30, Orrr,(If you know of another i can get from WM that is better.) 5W40 sounds like i might be to thick for this small engine. It has no power as is.. But it does have a little valve noise. humm... I am putting syn in this engine because of the extra protection, and extended drain intervals. I hear its a bullet proof engine, but with the current owner running it Qts low on oil, and it only holds 3.2 total, im looking for something that will stay in the engine. When you are a QT low, its alot!. Much appreciated.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I think M1 would be the best bet. Its a low volatility high HTHS oil. Prob the best A3 30wt oil on the market. Easy long drain capable. My yaris runs fine on it with no fuel mileage loss - and it doesnt feel gummy or gooey when hot like many multivis oils do. OTW I would run rotella T 10w30 but its 12 bucks a gallon! The 30 wt M! or Rotella is plenty thick enough. M1 HM 10w30 is just over 4 bucks at WM now.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Why are you putting synthetic in that vehicle??? I have essentially the same car with the 1.8L - they are known oil consumers. 6,000 miles with 2 oil top offs - any name brand conventional oil will keep that engine running forever.

FWIW, synthetics tend to be consumed more in these engines from my experience.

I'd try running Valvoline Maxlife or Pennzoil HM; both are more then capable of 6,000 mile drains. If you must run synthetic, I'd try Maxlife synthetic 5w30.


If its burn off and not a gasket leak, I can't think of any reason why syn would burn off faster, assuming the viscosity is the same. To minimize burn, I look for three characteristics:

Low NOACK
High HTHS
High Flashpoint

The best oils I've looked at, having those characteristics, were all syn. If anything, I would think it should be the opposite to what you've observed.

-Spyder

 

[buster]

MaxLife 10w30.

 

[JustinH]

Call me crazy, but I'm not putting $6 per quart oil in a 15 year old economy car, especially one that uses oil.

For something like that I would either be going super cheap, maybe supertech 10w30, or supertech high mileage, and just topping it off as needed.

I might even look at some of the Diesel motor oils, see if you can find one in a 10w30 grade.

 

[1 SX]

But But... It comes with Rust, a broken antenna, odd vibration @ 55, and broken odd interior pieces...

 

[tig1]

If you are intent to use Synt oil, I would try the M1 HM 10-30. If that doesn't help I would go with the Valvoline HM oil.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
Call me crazy, but I'm not putting $6 per quart oil in a 15 year old economy car, especially one that uses oil.

For something like that I would either be going super cheap, maybe supertech 10w30, or supertech high mileage, and just topping it off as needed.

I might even look at some of the Diesel motor oils, see if you can find one in a 10w30 grade.


I bought mine on sale. $4 bucks a quart, which was 50 cents a quart cheaper that day for any dino other than Supertech. And I like Supertech. At such a good price for PP I bought as much 10W30 as I could afford this pay period: 10 quarts (5W30 was gone, but their 10W30 has a lower pour point than most 5W30s).

If its still on sale next payday I'll be adding at least another 20 quarts to my stash. And it will be going into my oil burner, with some cheap decent dino substituted in the summer (still to be decided, sales play a role and Supertech is a prime candidate).

Car may be an oil burner (no leaks, just consumption), but I still give it a little TLC by using the best oils I can by buying them on sale and stocking up.

Besides, what it burns in oil it makes up many times over in mileage, low maintenance and reliability. I also want this car to make it to the Toyota 200,000 mile club on original engine and transmission - and then keep on going.

As a bachelor with no kids, the car is more than an appliance to get me from point A to point B. Its a long term investment, and one I take pleasure from maintaining well and correcting issues from the seller through some neglect on their part, and knowing that even though the mileage keeps going up, its still in better condition than it was when I bought it in.

There are a few other savvy used car buyers that feel the same way I do and take care of their investments. The nice thing about them is when bought in cash, that car payment can be used for improvements and project cars. I think we're a pretty small group, and maybe you have to be in the group to get it. I certainly don't hold anything against those who don't.

-Spyder

 

[nickaluch]

I have the same car with over 200,000 miles.The problem with these engines are the valve guide seals.I am sure when you start the car in the morng you get that small puff of smoke out of the tail pipe.These engines can run on crisco and go forever.I use what ever dino is on sale and check the oil every sat morng to top off because of the small sump.I use 10w 30 in the winter and a 10w 40 in the summer.Dont go any thicker these engines have no power as it is.Also with the 3 speed auto they burn more oil on the highway.I would adjust the valves if they were never done and also beware of the exhaust minifold leak on these engines.Other then that ,you will get plenty of boring miles out of this car with no headaches.I would luv to junk this car after 15 years of no problems, butI cant, it wont die.And believe me, i tried to kill it for the last 4 years.

 

[Spyder7]

Boring is good when its the only wheels you have and your job requires you to get in it and go when the phone rings. This is why I'll keep it forever.

For a little excitement I'm looking at cash beater for a project car next summer. Depending on how much I like it, it'll either be a fix & flip for small profit and free under the hood experience on something different, or something to keep for whichever season the two cars I plan to have are best suited to.

That's the good thing about boring and dependable: the money saved on nickel & dime repairs can be invested into additional cars or other things.

 

[yaris0128]

In a car that old and consumes oil. Synthetic is a waste of your money. Do yourself a favor and just buy a good dino. Please do yourself a favor and run some MC5000. Cheap and great!

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Originally Posted By: SL2
But But... It comes with Rust, a broken antenna, odd vibration @ 55, and broken odd interior pieces...


Oh, it's the fully-loaded model!

I would use Pennzoil HM 10w30 in this application.

 

[Spyder7]

LOL old is so relative. My first car was 13 years old and ran like a tank for the 2 years I had it before I had to sell. Cost me $500 to replace a battery, water pump, and fan belt. Rest was 6 month oil changes.

There is no such product as MC5000 in Canada. And if its under another name, its over-priced here.

Syn is not a waste when it was bought for 50 cents a quart more than PYB that day. Which is less than $2 difference to do an oil change with it instead of PYB.

I've said it before, I will say it again: any issues relating to cost on oil are wasted on me because I've already done my homework and decided whatever I'm buying is the best value - to me.

And yeah it may be "old" but you'd never know it to look at it or drive it, and I intend to keep it that way.

I will stick with PP, at least for summer, with some 3k dino OCIs thrown in during the summer. It won't burn as much during the winter. And I haven't conceded defeat on consumption yet. I've only recently started to deal with it. Long way to go and a lot of things to try before I admit defeat. Quitting before you've even tried is not how I do things. Once I put my mind to something, I'm very focused and only give in when I've run out of things to try. Right now I'm focused on another issue, the consumption issue is being experimented on but with nothing invasive just yet.

-Spyder

 

[mechtech2]

A high mileage oil can help.
Anything that is thicker should help leaks/burning . At least it will go in the right direction.
Keeping it topped off with cheap stuff may be the best practical idea. [Plus, kind of a perpetual oil change!]

 

[1 SX]

Well. Pennzoil Platinum 10W30 went back in it. It was on sale, and could not pass it up. So the next time around, in about 7K miles or so, maybe Maxlife will go in.

 

[Spyder7]

Same oil I'll be running this winter. Mine's not due to go in until late November, early December. Between the cooler weather, and this oils low NOACK, high HTHS, and high flashpoint, I think it'll be a good winter oil in a burner. Got a good price on mine as well.