Caution about Paradise Garage Oil Life Study

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I don’t know if you have been following the synthetic oil life study but if you have - I caution you to remember that the oil capacity of their engine is 6 quarts and 6.5 quarts have been added to the engine over the run of the study due to sampling. Also they changed the filter for a new one.

So one shouldn’t come to the conclusion you can run your engine on Mobil 1 for 17,000 miles without changing your oil.
 
The limits of 3MP's study have been discussed endlessly, including by the investigator/author of the study.

Have a look at the used oil analysis board, and you'll find a lot of information on the study.

The study has its limitations which are discussed, but is extermely valuable and interesting.

Does it mean that a car that burns 1 liter per 2,000km never needs an oil change ?

(edited to add the last two paras, and remove the **** word)

[ September 18, 2003, 03:47 AM: Message edited by: Shannow ]
 
You're right of course, which is why the study notes the amount of top-up oil added, and the filter change.

Once the final results are in, there will be a detailed discussion on how to read these results, and how it would have looked without all the samples skewing the top-up oil. Not to worry, the study is aware of its limitations and will do its best to explain those limitations and how to mitigate them.

Cheers, 3MP
 
See this scares me and nobody has come up with an answer. However, I think that it doesn' mean that a car that burns 1 liter per 2,000km never needs an oil change? That's because "burning" oil is not good...no matter what amount...it's just that a small amount eg. 1/4 qt. in 5k may be acceptable, but not that much so that one can deduct that you don't need an oil change. Why? Because the question becomes...where is the oil going? Do you guys actually think that all the burnt oil is going out the exhaust? Are there no deposits anywhere? Would they not result in sludge formation? Reduction in HP? Decreased fuel economy?
 
quote:

Originally posted by asenna:
I don’t know if you have been following the synthetic oil life study but if you have - I caution you to remember that the oil capacity of their engine is 6 quarts and 6.5 quarts have been added to the engine over the run of the study due to sampling. Also they changed the filter for a new one.

So one shouldn’t come to the conclusion you can run your engine on Mobil 1 for 17,000 miles without changing your oil.


I'm sure you guys know this but the LS1 holds 5.5 qts and anything over that will show overfilled on the dipstick.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Chris B.:

quote:

Originally posted by asenna:
I don’t know if you have been following the synthetic oil life study but if you have - I caution you to remember that the oil capacity of their engine is 6 quarts and 6.5 quarts have been added to the engine over the run of the study due to sampling. Also they changed the filter for a new one.

So one shouldn’t come to the conclusion you can run your engine on Mobil 1 for 17,000 miles without changing your oil.


I'm sure you guys know this but the LS1 holds 5.5 qts and anything over that will show overfilled on the dipstick.


True but a lot of people I know with LS1 f-bodies who road race will add as much as 7qts, and it's totally safe on this engine. (GM engineers have even given their blessing on this practice)
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that even though the complete volume has been exchanged, it's been incremental, and not oldest-first. Some of that oil is the full 17,000 miles old. Some of it is 14,000 miles old. Some is 12,000 miles old. And so on.

One of the end-of-study calculations will be to illustrate the approximate actual age of the oil. Should be interesting.

Cheers, 3MP
 
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