Data overload, which oils to AVOID...?

[ne_plus_ultra_1]

There is so much data, so many additives, astounding amounts of opinions here...

I have no idea of which oil to use still.

I just want to know what if anything at all cost should I AVOID. I know some of the basics like generally SM is better than SD, I wouldn't use anything lower than an SL. Sam's Club sells a friggin SA!

I have read enough here about: moly good, PTFE bad...

Maybe I haven't searched thoroughly enough yet but I haven't found much here about ring-soaks with GM TEC, Seafoam or MMO. Does anyone consider this inadvisable? Saturn guys consider that this will decrease oil consumption.

To reitterate, there are so many pros and cons and so many opinions and factors figuring out what to do it seems overwhelming for me who does not desire to spend 20 hours a day reading forums. I read this one for about 4 hours today. Tell me what NOT to use please. BTW I have used PTFE in many of my engines but not Slick 50, I used stronger stuff before I read some opinions here that it is lousy (based on technical data I assume).

Any help is appreciated.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

A few questions first...

What cars? mileage? driving habits?

 

[buster]

You don't have to spend anytime like we do. You see your normal, we aren't.

Honestly, ANY oil today is good. In fact they are better then ever. The new SM oils from Havoline, Motorcraft, Shell, ExxonMobil are all excellent values. You can not go wrong with any modern oil IMO. If your extending drains, you want to use Dyson Analysis.

 

[ne_plus_ultra_1]

94 caravan 2.5, the wife tends to push the pedal with little regard for warmup.

97 grand am 2.4, I drive this usually gently but sometimes get on it.

95 police crown vic which I am currently replacing rod bearings in as one went bad. I never drove it and got it for 200 dollars with a mint body.

The grand am usually consumes little to no oil.

The caravan loves the taste of oil and downs it regularly. It never smokes at all though.

I dont like to run my oil over 3K, try to stick with a schedule.

Mostly short trip driving, between 3 and 20 miles on average trip, probably 10 miles average roundtrip.

Thanks for the input so far.


-ultra

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Mike's recommendations:

No synth on the list since you like to change 'er out at 3K...

94 Caravan, Pennzoil or Castrol 10w-40 High Mileage. I've run these with great success in my old car, 96 Saturn 4cyl, 130K. It might help with consumption, but I wouldn't wager on it given this engine design.

Grand Am: Pennzoil or Castrol 10w-30 High Mileage. Is this the Iron Duke OHV design?

Cop Car: your favorite 5w-30 or 10w-30 that buster mentioned for several thousand miles, then perform an oil analysis. Then use PZ or Castrol 5w-30 or 10w-30 conventional or HM based on UOA results. From what I've read, these 4.6L's need a thinner oil at startup.

I'm liking the HM oils over the straight dinos on older cars as the robust oil formulation really makes a difference for the better!

 

[Audi Junkie]

Various brands have little significance. Various weights too. The only real problem is miss-applying an oil, be it oci or using dino oil where synthetic is needed. That's it. Dino in the 3000-5000 miles and synth in the 8000-10000 miles range all depending on your driving cycle. That is the main point top take away from BitOG, simply look at driving cycle and overall application, not brain surgery for car owners, more siginfigant for Fleet and Plant Managers and other "Trade" people. I hope I did not pizz anyone off.

PS check your PCV and brather hoses. Mine had cracks.

PSS the more I think about it, time intervals rather than mileage ocis are a good idea.

[ May 21, 2005, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: Audi Junkie ]

 

[znamya]

I spent over 100 hours to read in this forum, correct me if I am wrong but..

If you make a new tread and ask what oil to use, if you are regular user (not oil freak), people will advice you to use Chevron Delo 15w40 for the summer and chevron 10w30 for winters, regardless of the car brand, car mileage and year. You can back up my result buy searching this forum. From, 1992 Honda civic to 2002 Ford F-150, same answer. That's my result

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

quote:

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Originally posted by znamya:
people will advice you to use Chevron Delo 15w40 for the summer and chevron 10w30 for winters, regardless of the car brand, car mileage and year.

---

Chevron's oils are top notch and many people here use them with great results. No wonder it's a popular recommendation!

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

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If you make a new tread and ask what oil to use, if you are regular user (not oil freak), people will advice you to use Chevron Delo 15w40 for the summer and chevron 10w30 for winters, regardless of the car brand, car mileage and year. You can back up my result buy searching this forum. From, 1992 Honda civic to 2002 Ford F-150, same answer. That's my result

---

Much of that standard rhetoric is, IMO, sorta in the form of throwing a large patch on a small and unknown cut. You can safely offer Chevron in those two weights (climate permitting) and be assured that there will be no issues regardless of application in regards to protection over a reasonable OCI. It doesn't mean that they are the ideal oil for your use. They're cheap, of high quality, and available everywhere. The same could be said for the entire current Chrevron/Havoline line of fine lubricants.

You want more as a noob?

Okay ..I don't know the real condition of your engine ...I recommend, right off the bat, Auto-Rx ..you're over 100k ..so I tell you to do the $50 treatment. I then recommend FP and LC for the good things that they can do for you (or other like products). I then recommmend that you, after the "purge" (visions of some type of "spa" for your engine), seek a consultation with the resident "oil pro/trainer" (Terry) with your second UOA after the aforementioned automotive "high colonics". He can then give you a detailed analysis based on your usage and results of the tests.


..or I can just say "Chevron" and let you find all the other steps yourself as your participation evolves here and you see conditions that need to be addressed...

by that time ...you're beyond plebe and heading toward your own status of "oil freak"

 

[ne_plus_ultra_1]

Ok, I have some good recommendations as to brands.

Weights, I am still up in the air on. One guy says thinner, one guy sayd thicker on just about every thread here. If I had an oil pre-charger I would probably used marginally thicker like 15w-40.

What not to use? I suppose I will say that I won't use SA oils, non-detergent oils or transmission fluid in my engine. Interestingly enough, I knew a guy that used part tranny fluid in his engine sometimes and it totally stopped blowing blue smoke and burning oil. Man, that Omni 2.2 was a smoker before that too. He never changed the oil. I'd say he had a ring-crud condition. I tried part ATF in a lawnmower once and I blew it up.

Hmm, thanks for the input as to the additives to use as well. I don't suppose anything off the shelf in the store would compare with these products? I'll have to search for VOA(?) on Rx, FP and LC. I wonder what the ingredient is that makes them do what they do.

I think I really like the idea of high-mileage oil, I have heard that it removes/keeps crud off of rings as well.

I have a question about seal conditioners/swellers in HM oils; I have not been successful in searching for the difference but I will try some more then possibly make a new post.

By the way, the engine in the Grand Am is the 2.4 twin cam, slightly newer version of quad-4 but not many parts are the same.

All PCV/hoses in good shape. I keep things up mechanically pretty well usually unless overwhelmed by other projects.