Good advice column on keeping your car as long as possible.

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It was interesting they called out Amsoil and Royal Purple in here as "Good quality synthetics" in a mainstream article like this next to ginormous brands like M1.

https://www.wheels.ca/news/48850/

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MECHANICALS:

Keep it lubed: On the mechanical side, I always use top-quality synthetic lubricants in the engine, transmission and differential. I started this trend when my Volvo was new and the oil I opted for was Mobil 1. These fully synthetic oils such as Mobil 1, Amsoil, Royal Purple, Pennzoil Platinum etc. offer better thermal stability, cold temperature flow, consistent viscosity and zero sludge forming compared to conventional oils. This meant I was always getting excellent lubrication of all the critical moving parts while improving my fuel economy.

Even though this was a more expensive choice than conventional oil initially, in the long run it saved me money with less wear and tear. Oil change intervals can be extended when you use synthetics due to their superior properties. This will help overcome the extra cost of the oil itself. Always check with your vehicle's warranty schedule when determining your oil change intervals.


I did this with all my high milers...
 
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"Even though this was a more expensive choice than conventional oil initially, in the long run it saved me money with less wear and tear"

- Wow, talk about a wild assumption.
 
Wheels are the worst shills for the automotive industry. Their used car reviews are nice, but everything else is drivel. The Star is just a rag in general, they stopped being relevant in the 2000s like most newspapers.
 
Yeah but what they are calling out here is good advice for the otherwise ignorant consumer that can't even open their owners manual.
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Sounds more like an ad for those 4 synthetic oils. What about NAPA or SuperTech or Rotella T6 synthetic oils?

I would say in the rust-belt getting vehicle sprayed with Krown, CarWell, NH, FF etc is more important that going from regular oil changes with conventional oil to synthetic oil.

And of course maintaining the other expensive items like transmission, diff, xfer case.
 
Those are covered where they say "etc."

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These fully synthetic oils such as Mobil 1, Amsoil, Royal Purple, Pennzoil Platinum etc.
 
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Originally Posted by Donald
Sounds more like an ad for those 4 synthetic oils. What about NAPA or SuperTech or Rotella T6 synthetic oils?

I would say in the rust-belt getting vehicle sprayed with Krown, CarWell, NH, FF etc is more important that going from regular oil changes with conventional oil to synthetic oil.

And of course maintaining the other expensive items like transmission, diff, xfer case.
The article is designed to upsell synthetic oil changes to baby boomers on saturday mornings when they read the paper for three hours. The brand of oil does not matter as much as getting you to spring for that $120 oil change. You can't even get Amsoil OCs at shops around here; they just lump the boutiques in there so they can charge Amsoil prices for a PP OC.
 
The article opened the door to extended OCI's. Which, in some engines and scenarios, may actually themselves offer superiority over 'normal' OCI's beyond just the expense of the oil change.
 
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
"Even though this was a more expensive choice than conventional oil initially, in the long run it saved me money with less wear and tear"

- Wow, talk about a wild assumption.


He's said it saved him money. He appears pretty anal about his vehicle and it's maintenance. I don't think it's much of a stretch for him to actually know that that is the case. He might have a spread sheet of some other way of tracking costs. That may actually be the case.

Decent enough advice overall. It's hard to keep things that long around here. I had a well maintained Honda and the body just disintegrated after 22 WI and IL winters. Didn't much matter how many fancy fluids I used or how many times I waxed it. Good for him.
 
My '95 3.4L T-100 276k 5/30 sale conventional 3-4k OCI's no make-up oil required yet.
 
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There's already another thread here about oil differences, but in summary as long as you use an oil that meets manufacturer spec then it's not going to make a noticeable difference after that. User habits are going to be FAR more important in engine longevity (eg. not redlining the engine when cold, cool down the turbo before shutting off)
 
It's funny how some people religiously maintain their car expecting it to go 300,000 miles and beyond, which is great, but completely ignore the likelihood that it will be totaled well before that, statistically speaking. Or just rust out.
 
What works for me:

1. Put a 160 degF thermostat in engine as soon as you get vehicle

2. Change oil and filter every 3K miles

Last two daily drivers:
1978 Cadillac Seville - 322,000 miles over 22 years and no problems (gave it to children's nanny)
1992 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban - 396,000 miles over 27 years and no problems (still drive every day - probably outlast me)

ETA: It's great to not have a car payment for 24 years!

YMMV
 
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Wish we could use 160F thermostats here but we can't because we would have 0 heat in the winter and oil sludging issues from the oil not being able to evaporate the moisture as it would essentially keep the engine in the "warming up" zone all the time. Plus it would set a low temperature code in the ECU
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Originally Posted by StevieC
Wish we could use 160F thermostats here but we can't because we would have 0 heat in the winter and oil sludging issues from the oil not being able to evaporate the moisture as it would essentially keep the engine in the "warming up" zone all the time. Plus it would set a low temperature code in the ECU
frown.gif



Yes I understand your situation. Living in Texas has its benefits but there have been a few times heater and defroster have been woefully inadequate. LOL

One trip to Santa Fe for skiing, drove into a small West Texas blizzard and had trouble keeping a small part of windshield free of ice. That was interesting driving interstate speed looking through a six inch circle free of ice.
 
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