Comments I don't understand: "My car loves it"

[Kaie]

I didn't read every comment but i'm sure a couple said similar things to what i'm about to say.

Sure I cant physically talk to my car. But i've gone from using just basic oil in my car to switching on my own to a 20w50. To being recommended Rotella T 15w40.

Basic oil was like dirty water for my system. The car ran hot, rough idle, burned TONS of oil.

Switching to a thicker 20w50 helped. kept it a bit cooler, burned less oil.

Switching to the suggested Rotella T 15w40, has literally dropped my oil consumption to almost 0. My car runs way cooler. And has a smooth as ice idle. And ive gained 2-4mpg over the original 'whatever is on sale oil'

Sure the oil could in fact be doing damage to my engine's components. But at first glance i would say 'my car loves it'.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: tc1446
I notice an awful lot of folks make this comment about whatever new brand of oil they've recently installed. Now, I know there are mechanical situations where a change might make a noticable diff, but I have to believe these are rare.

Excellent post, tc, my hat is off to you! I couldn't agree more and I'm only in my early thirties. I would wager a forty dollar bill that most of the people who claim 'my car loves X but runs like doody on Y' wouldn't be able to discern any difference at all in a blind experiment - assuming X & Y are both suitable for that vehicle!

I've run mid-HTHS 5w40, very thin 0w30, middling 5w30 and high-HTHS 5w40 in my car and have never been able to discern a lick of difference, and I pay very close attention to the 'way it drives' and the operating sounds it makes.

 

[FZ1]

That's because you ain't got "The Sight".

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: FZ1
That's because you ain't got "The Sight".

If my degree in Mechanical Engineering and 10+ years of hands-on experience mean I treat my engines as machines and not as a family member, I can live with being blind to the personification and seeing the machinery.

'A cynic is an idealist whose rose-colored glasses have been removed, snapped in two and stomped into the ground, immediately improving his vision.'

 

[FZ1]

Maybe you should have studied Accounting.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: scurvy

Excellent post, tc, my hat is off to you! I couldn't agree more and I'm only in my early thirties. I would wager a forty dollar bill that most of the people who claim 'my car loves X but runs like doody on Y' wouldn't be able to discern any difference at all in a blind experiment - assuming X & Y are both suitable for that vehicle!



This pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. It's conceivable that one could discern a large difference in viscosity--maybe, but I take most of the claims with a grain of salt. Power of suggestion is a powerful thing.

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: tc1446
FZ1........trouble is, Old Growley won't tell me what oil he likes! Growled on Amsoil, growled on M1, growled on Mob 5000, so I said to heck with him and put in ST last time. His growls haven't changed. Oh well, being a 2000 model, with only 43K, he's prob growling form sitting so long. LOL


I've had FILTERS change the sound, i.e., my old Dakota rattles more with a Fram so I quit using them. But oil? I can't see a difference.

John

 

[FZ1]

Sure.Maybe,some of these boys have bad ears?

 

[Summerwind]

Originally Posted By: FZ1
Sure.Maybe,some of these boys have bad ears?


My Fiancee says that I do...

 

[FZ1]

She's right.

 

[Kaie]

What i find weird is everyone here is obviously on a forum about oil.

Some are on everyday posting and reading about oil experiences and whatnot.

Some of these guys know everything there is about different oils.

But then they turn around and say they cant tell the differences between oils. I find pretty amusing considering i DON'T know that much and i could tell a world of difference between a few different oils in my car.

What gives?

 

[rclint]

Originally Posted By: Kaie
What i find weird is everyone here is obviously on a forum about oil.

Some are on everyday posting and reading about oil experiences and whatnot.

Some of these guys know everything there is about different oils.

But then they turn around and say they cant tell the differences between oils. I find pretty amusing considering i DON'T know that much and i could tell a world of difference between a few different oils in my car.

What gives?


It's because in real world life that car manufactures, oil producers, like ACEA, API, GF all set standards in the make of oil that removed the variance between oil brands in each group, and this late in the game have also become extremely close even across the standards set. You might find a little more start up noise between brands.. but start up noise is just ear noise, and is harmless in my opinion to engine life.. but when you start talking of running like a dog, gaining more power, better economy etc within a standard (like GF5) and even more so in the same viscosity of oil then your brain is helping you to make a decision based on what you have read as to prejudice.

I can tell no difference running 0w20, 5w-20, 5w30, 0w30 in any of the oil brands (I don't run accel etc) in my 02 accord. I have even run 5w-40 rotella T and no loss of power, economy etc.. that I can tell across a pretty detailed economy.. I'm sure maybe you get .3% but the problem is my engine will give that during the same run on say a 0w-20 on different fill ups..

I have noticed that some oils reduce startup noise, and I stand by that, but I also stand by that start up noise makes very little impression on me.. I myself prefer to run a oil grade specified by my manufactures owners manual, of course choosing anything superseding that say GF4 to GF5, and also I had rather run 0w-20 than 5w-20, but that's just because I know the oil may offer some types of better "opportunities" but I can't tell the difference

 

[Kaie]

I dont 100% buy that.

I mean sure the difference between many oils is marginal.

But there must be something to the 200k members on this board searching out the 'ultimate oil' for their ride.

In my case and apparently every 16v and 8v VW owner HDEO makes a massive difference.

I mean i have nearly 0 burn off in a 3k OCI compared to the 1-2QT i was getting with 20w50, 10w40 or the same with a 5w30. Not to mention the ridiculous operating temp drop. These aren't placebo effects.

 

[rclint]

I think ( I didn't read back) I did mention within spec by manufacture, so that is one thing you have to take into account. Another thing is that it has been said if not documented here that when changing oils that it may take up to 2, 3 OCI's to acclimate the oil to the engine. Many posters have noticed oil usage when changing to another brand of oil, yet this levels off and becomes null after a couple OCI's, which could be a difference in additive/cleaning packages..

It's also not fair to compare different viscosity oils to each other as you mentioned between 20w-50, 10w-40, 5w30 are different a bit, but when you put the HDEO in then you are going into a different realm so to speak of oils.

 

[Kaie]

Originally Posted By: rclint
I think ( I didn't read back) I did mention within spec by manufacture, so that is one thing you have to take into account. Another thing is that it has been said if not documented here that when changing oils that it may take up to 2, 3 OCI's to acclimate the oil to the engine. Many posters have noticed oil usage when changing to another brand of oil, yet this levels off and becomes null after a couple OCI's, which could be a difference in additive/cleaning packages..

It's also not fair to compare different viscosity oils to each other as you mentioned between 20w-50, 10w-40, 5w30 are different a bit, but when you put the HDEO in then you are going into a different realm so to speak of oils.


touche

 

[rclint]

I was in no way trying to be touche.... I think conversation in a forum/post can be lost, or misinterpreted...

 

[Kaie]

Originally Posted By: rclint
I was in no way trying to be touche.... I think conversation in a forum/post can be lost, or misinterpreted...


I meant i was in agreement with you after you explained a bit a more.

 

[rclint]

Originally Posted By: Kaie
Originally Posted By: rclint
I was in no way trying to be touche.... I think conversation in a forum/post can be lost, or misinterpreted...


I meant i was in agreement with you after you explained a bit a more.


Hahahaha see what I mean about post/forum conversations... I thought I may have come off "BITOGAHOLE"... all is well now in my small world...