Gone to the Dark Side with Supertech

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Oct 1, 2010
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Michigan
Just did an oil change on my Camaro, and had to take stock of where it is in its life-cycle. I have owned the car since new, and it always had synthetic oil in the sump. But after 240,000 miles, oil consumption has trended up, and now it is using a quart in about 1200 miles. This gets kind of pricey if I am going to keep running synthetic oil. On the last oil change, I switched from Pennzoil 5w40 PUP to Valvoline MaxLife 5w30. I was hoping the high mileage oil would help with oil consumption, but it didn't seem to. Another problem I had noticed late in the VML interval was the oil pressure was low. Warmed up at idle, it would only be maintaining about 22 psi, and cruising 75 mph was only 30 psi.

Prior to my latest oil change, I went to Walmart and looked at oil prices, viscosity grades, and synthetic vs syn blends vs conventionals, and decided to take the plunge with Supertech High Mileage 5w30. M1 0w40 was $25/5qts, and Supertech HM was $13.50/5 qts. I leaned toward the STHM because high mileage oils are typically synblends. But I read the bottle, and there was no mention of that. But what the heck, I thought, if it doesn't work, the engine will blow through it in about 5000 miles, and I can start topping the oil up with better stuff. But I splurged on the oil filter, buying a Fram Ultra, assuming that I would run it through two OCI's.

I did the oil change, and went for a long drive today, and saw that the oil pressure is much higher. Warmed up at idle, it was holding 30 psi, and cruising at 75 mph, oil pressure was 40. So what the heck was going on with the VML? I took an oil sample, so maybe Polaris Labs will shed some light on the subect.
 
Not the dark side at all. I plan to switch to their full synthetic once I hit 100k miles, unless I can time my oil changes around really good rebates for PP/PUP, M1, or others.
 
Though I typically look for sales/rebates on my favorites....M1 and Valvoline synthetic in my personal vehicles. But SuperTech and it's twin sister Meijer brand have served many friend's and family's vehicles well for years. Nothing wrong with it.
 
Based on his background, expertise and knowledge in this field the OP knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to choosing oil for his vehicles.
 
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Nothing wrong with ST and all the API research and hundreds of Blackstone Lab reports show it. I use PP for my 19 GDI Sorento. I've seen the NOACK is just a little bit better for PP compared to ST, but I use ST in my 03 Matrix.
 
OP, I just think you are being smart. You're choosing to run a good, quality, economical oil in an aged engine that's consuming oil a bit. Seems pretty sensible to me.
You aren't going to correct any mechanical shortcomings with your oil choice at this point in your engines lifetime. Just keep keep feeding it good oil like this Supertech and enjoy it till it needs a rebuild.
Enjoy your F-body for as long as you can. Neat cars for sure.
 
I don't think you'll have any problems running ST syn. ...it's a good oil at a great price.
I thought that I once read on this site that there is no difference between ST syn. and ST HM syn.
Am I correct in this?
 
There is no dark side man. Even if there was knowledge lights up the darkness and wisdoms keeps it going.

If it wasn’t for this website, would you give a hoot what synthetic you put in the car and which brand it was? No. You wouldn’t even car for the VOAs and UOAs. You’d run what’s cheapest in terms of a synthetic and change it at Norma intervals. This alone would give you more life for you car than what you expected of it. Regardless ST is a good oil.
 
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