BITOG Newbie Question for the Experts

[Ragtop Turbo Fan]

I have been a long time lurker and finally decided to register. This board has been extremely informative to me. Because of BITOG, I am a die hard fan of Fuel Power and AutoRx. Thanks to all who make this board what it is.

I have a 2002 SAAB 9-3 SE Turbo Convertible. I've been using synthetic oil religiously since I broke the engine in. I have run M1 0W40, SAAB 0W30, RL 5W40 and lately RL 5W40. I have also considered the M1 5W40 for SUV's & Trucks. I only use 4L of oil and cost is not an issue to me. I feel like RL 5W40 is the best oil I can use for a turbo in the south. I have enough RL 5W40 for one more change, but I have to order it since Advanced Auto doesn't carry this weight. The RL marketing of the Polyol Ester base was a major contributor to my choosing this oil.

My question is, with the new M1 EP oils and others, is RL 5W40 the best oil for me? I drive the car hard, especially in the mountains. Again, I don't factor cost into the equation since the cost of 4 liter oil changes is nominal compared to the cost of my car. I welcome any and all opinions.

Again, thanks for all the valuable info, I've received in the past.

 

[Al]

I'm not a fan of the Mobil 0W-40..it shears down and then thickens up at the end of life. I think the 5W-40 (Delvac 1/Mobil SUV) is a better product but doesn't have moly. Redline has not shown any thing special (to me). Really an oil analysis is the only way to tell which oil works best. (In my opinion).

An option is to use a quart of the RL in say 3 Quarts of Delvac/SUV.

Just an opinion though.

 

[Razl]

....always wanted to do that.

Great car. I used to own a '99 convertible but sold that after the baby. I still have my '00 9-5.

I like your choices of oils. All are excellent. I may try the Mobil's EP line in my Honda but don't see much place for it in the Saab. First, it should meet ACEA 3, so that limits me to 10W-40 EP. Many Saab owners (check out saabnet.com if you haven’t already) I come across agree that 5,000 mile OCI works best. Personally, I have ran as high as 7,000 mi, but the UOA was just OK, so long term, I'm sticking with 5,000 mi. In addition, there's known design issue with Saab's PCV system. There have been 3 or so “mods from Saab, but none have corrected the problem to date. Some experience high oil consumption, while others get sludge build (usually short trips and/or cold climates, or even engine failure.

That said, I would never try to take M1's 10W40 EP to 15,000 mi, not even 10,000 mi. I sent in an oil sample yesterday to Blackstone for M1's 5W-40 T&S, so I’ll post that shortly. I've gotten excellent UOA with M1's 0W-40 and since that's easier to find, I'll probably stay with it. Now, if Mobil came out with a 0W30 with ACEA 3 rating, I'd jump all over that. GC is limited in my area so I stock up on M1 0W-40 and don't care about the shearing because of the 5,000 OCI, plus at worst it still a 30 weight, which is a none issue.

RL 5W-40, M1 0W and 5W-40, GC 0W-30 can all handle the heat and are ACEA 3 rated so you can't make a bad choice here.

[ February 17, 2005, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Razl ]

 

[Ragtop Turbo Fan]

Thanks Razl,

I had the latest PCV mod done under warranty. Car isn't consuming oil best as I can tell (SAAB's dipstick really sucks. I have a hard time reading it.) I will look forward to your UOA on M1 T & SUV. I may try it when I run out of RL 5W40. For now I'll stick with the RL 5W40. The engine is really quiet with that oil and gas mileage hasn't suffered. I too did 5K oil changes with M1, I changed out the RL 5W40 at 6.5K. I've been using Wix filters lately, but will probably try the new M1 EP filter when it becomes available.