Burn oil every 4k except w/ Pennzoil-HM?

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

FastSUV

Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
1,081
Location
oklahoma
I have had this '01 Jeep Grand 4.0L for a year. I have put just just over 15k on it since bought and I did OC when I got it home with GTX 10w30...then 4k later I did a couple 4k OCI w/ Trop-artic 10w30 blend, and both oil levels with both of those brands dropped some on the dipstick by 4k and that is how I established my OCI for this Jeep. They were also notably darker than the Pennzoil HM.

I just got gas and checked the dipstick cause I rolled 4k as I pulled into the station. The Pennzoil HM 10w30 is cleaner looking and has decreased NONE on the dipstick since the last OC.

Does this mean I should maybe push it on out and see how it looks at 5k?

I generally do not like to top-off so I do an OC when oil goes down even slightly. My next oil in the hole waiting to be tried is Max-life 10w30 blend. But I am impressed with the Pennzoil and how the Jeep sounded & ran with it + the facts mentioned above.

Thoughts? The Jeep has 80,4xx on the ticker right now.
 
If the engine burns a bit of oil, or perhaps there was a very slight leak, then the fact that you're using a HM oil (which are supposed to help fight such things) might explain why the level didn't drop at all. Use the OCI interval that you're comfortable with, and then drop in the Valvoline MaxLife and see how your Jeep likes it. If I had to guess, I would assume that it would perform similar to the Pennzoil HM. But it's difficult to say which of those oils you listed was protecting the engine best.

If it was my car, I'd use the Valvoline MaxLife for a OCI or two, and then stick with the one that the car seemed to like best. All of them are solid oils though so it's not like any one of them wasn't doing a good job of protecting your engine. Any one of them will allow your engine to out last the rest of the vehicle, so go with the one that the engine seems to like the best. Maybe do a couple of UOAs if you want to see how the engine is trending.

However, it's important to note that oil color is not a good indicator of the oils ability to protect. Some oils go dark very quickly, others seem to stay clear for a long time. Different additives will react differently so one oil might go dark but still be in its prime for engine protection, while another might not be as dark but might be about used up according to its TBN. Color and level are not good indicators of the oil's ability to protect (obviously if the oil level was very low it can't protect the engine, but that doesn't mean the oil itself is bad, just that more is needed)
 
I've owned a few of the Jeep 4.0L engines and have a few comments: the machining of these engines was a little bit "old school" in that the tolerances and finishing was such that some oil consumption was normal. maybe 1/2 quart in 3k miles? maybe even a quart. look for leaks - it was not uncommon for the oil filter mount to leak - although the fix is easy: just an o-ring between the mount and the block. also, with its 6 quart capacity, there is more oil to lose through volatility.
 
Thanks for the replies...it did have a very slight rear main leak when I bought it at 65k miles, but not enough to show on pavement. However when I switched to the Trop-artic belnd, it showed a few drops on the pavment for one OCI then it stoppped.

Now after 4k of Pennzoil HM, the leak appears to have been neutralized. My poin t is that any oil use did not appear to be a result of the leak; rather it was maybe 1/4 - 1/2 qt down after 4k when using the Castrol or Trop-artic.

That appears to not be the case with the Pennzoil HM. I will run the Maxlife and then see which of the two the motor seemed to like the best, but in the mean time, I am trying to decide if I should push it another 1k up to 5k total on this OCI before I drain the Pennzoil & put in the maxlife?

How many people do 5k on dino with summer heat & mixed driving in an SUV?

I used to be a 3k man until some buddies & this site convinced me to push my dino on out to 4k wih no worries. I just don't like to top-off...I think if I can go 5k on dino or blend with no need for top-off then I would probably do it if eveyone gives me the "okay"
 
Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
Sounds like you found the oil for your Jeep. Why not take it to 5K?


Yeah maybe...but I still have the Maxlife to test out (already bought it) and 2 cases of Trop-artic in the garage too to use up. Since my other vehicle gets M1-HM every 3k or 1 yr, that leaves me stuck with a lot of other oil to use up in the 4.0L before I could return to the Pennzoil HM if it is in fact the oil my Jeep likes the most.
 
Oils are so good now as are vehicles that the old 3,000 mile standard should be 5,000 miles now.
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Oils are so good now as are vehicles that the old 3,000 mile standard should be 5,000 miles now.


I would normally agree with that but I have yet until now to own a car that had the same fill level on the dipstick after more than 3k as was there at the time the oil was changed.

I hate to top-off, if I can go 5k between changes with no top-off, then I agree with your statement...but in many vehicles that is just not the case for some reason; even newer ones.
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Oils are so good now as are vehicles that the old 3,000 mile standard should be 5,000 miles now.
Originally Posted By: ZZman
That extra oil added in between helps sweeten the oil and replenish the additives.


Ok, I am a little sick and on Meds.. (Having a bad case of vertigo
crazy2.gif
) but.....

















I agree with ZZMAN!
45.gif


Just because you need to add oil is NOT a reason to change it unless you are REAL close. Try 5k and see how it goes!

Take care, Bill
 
If consumption is flat and routine, no worries. If the consumption is ZERO to a given mileage, then it points to something that is fatigued in the oil. Flat consumption is nothing to worry about. In something like fleet service, as Doug Hillary has pointed out, there's a "leveling off" of the initial fill in some volatility element to the mix. Then consumption is "just consumption" as far as he's concerned.

In this case the consumption appears so slight that you can't tell whether it's constant or progressive due to the frequency of the OCI. You're also switch hitting every OCI ..so you can't really attribute too much distinction between brands/blends. For all you know, the same brand would have given the same results a 2nd go around.

5k would be the minimum OCI for even my short trip vehicles. I would have to be in downright taxi service to do anything less.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
If consumption is flat and routine, no worries. If the consumption is ZERO to a given mileage, then it points to something that is fatigued in the oil. Flat consumption is nothing to worry about. In something like fleet service, as Doug Hillary has pointed out, there's a "leveling off" of the initial fill in some volatility element to the mix. Then consumption is "just consumption" as far as he's concerned.

In this case the consumption appears so slight that you can't tell whether it's constant or progressive due to the frequency of the OCI. You're also switch hitting every OCI ..so you can't really attribute too much distinction between brands/blends. For all you know, the same brand would have given the same results a 2nd go around.

5k would be the minimum OCI for even my short trip vehicles. I would have to be in downright taxi service to do anything less.


well since she is still to the full mark and a medium amber on the dipstick, I will be pushing it another 1k to total 5k on the interval...then see where I am at...but 5k is the max on dino in my vehicle I can tell you...
 
Quote:
..but 5k is the max on dino in my vehicle I can tell you...


It's not a bad number. Much depends on how long 5k takes to accumulate too. The shorter the time span ..the less startup/warmup insult is seen by the oil. Less combustion byproducts ..less moisture...etc...etc...etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Quote:
..but 5k is the max on dino in my vehicle I can tell you...


It's not a bad number. Much depends on how long 5k takes to accumulate too. The shorter the time span ..the less startup/warmup insult is seen by the oil. Less combustion byproducts ..less moisture...etc...etc...etc.


Maybe 1400 miles per month if I had to guess???

40 mile round trip HWY commute daily on weekdays
 
Wish I had those driving conditions. 5000 mile OCI on dino should be fine. With a UOA you might even be able to push it a little more.
 
GTX does not burn for me, however, the PZ HM is robust. I think you are still in the learning stages. Compare to MaxLife, GC and others for the full picture.
 
That's a decent clip on annual mileage. About 15k+/- I'd figure out what works for 6months and use that, but 3 OCI's a year isn't too bad.
 
I wouldn't bother with the MaxLife blend, I used it before on my Acura 2.3 and it burned as much of that as with any of them. It helps to swell seals and is bit thicker, but depending on your problem may not be a magic bullet for your oil burning. I suspect mine has moderate ring and valve guide passage of oil which is not correctable with anything because there's metal that's worn away. I would just stick with the Pennzoil HM product. 1 quart in 4k is nothing anyway I probably use a quart every 1500 miles
 
Originally Posted By: dan3952
I wouldn't bother with the MaxLife blend, I used it before on my Acura 2.3 and it burned as much of that as with any of them. It helps to swell seals and is bit thicker, but depending on your problem may not be a magic bullet for your oil burning. I suspect mine has moderate ring and valve guide passage of oil which is not correctable with anything because there's metal that's worn away. I would just stick with the Pennzoil HM product. 1 quart in 4k is nothing anyway I probably use a quart every 1500 miles
I use MaxLife Blend, with great results, absolutely no burning. I wouldnt write it off because your Acura didnt take to it. The 2.3Acura/Honda, and the 4.0 AMC are different animals.......I been wanting to try the Pennzoil HM as well, but It just seems wrong to stop using VML if it works so good for my application....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Twisted1
High mile 4.6 Ford - Ok to use heavier oil?
2 3
Replies
45
Views
2K
Cujet
Z
Change oil low mileage
2
Replies
35
Views
1K
JohnnyJohnson
F
F-350 gasser with 388K oil question
Replies
9
Views
831
JohnnyJohnson
ensoniqman
OCI 5w30 TSC Oil - Now Noisy
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
53' Stude
E
Which HM oil for swelling rubber seals?
Replies
17
Views
2K
hrv
Back
Top