Grandmas van.. and Mobil 5000

Pennzoil motor oil
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OtisBlkR1

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As part of the babysitting deal we have worked out with Grandma im now in charge of supplying & changing her oil on her 95 (ish) Caravan with 200,000 on the clock. This is a old rustbucket of a minivan and maybe worth $1,000 on a good day. With that said i harp on her and she's been pretty good about taking it to the shop for oil changes, transmission services etc..

So 6 months ago i drained and filled with Mobil 5000 and a puro filter, i had her her run it 4,000 miles and today i drained and refilled with the same oil and filter combo, i put a fresh sticker in her window and told her we would go 4,500 miles on this change.

In total it used a quart in 4,000 miles as she added a half quart at 2,000 miles and it was down a quart today.


Im wondering, Mobil 5000 claims its good for *5,000 miles of protection* If this was your situation would you feel comfortable going a full 5,000 OCI's in a 200,000 mile plus minivan ? Im certainly not going to waste higher dollar oil in this van, and at $13-$15 for a 5 quart jug at walmart this oil is a great value. I have no intentions of starting used oil analysis on this old van.. im just looking for opinions.

discuss.
 
I run that same oil in my two older trucks and it has performed well. I would run 5K miles so long as the oil gets checked with some frequency. Apparently Grandma has been doing that, so I think you are good to go.
 
You are doing fine as long as you check the oil and keep it topped off. Sound like it gets some fresh oil over the interval. Will be fine
 
I would use Mobil Super High Mileage oil in a 200+k miles that consumes a quart in 4k miles. The price of 5-qt jug High Mileage oil is only about $1 more.
 
That van cant have the 3.0 Mitsubishi...It would be using far more oil than that!
I'm guessing 3.3?
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
Im wondering, Mobil 5000 claims its good for *5,000 miles of protection* If this was your situation would you feel comfortable going a full 5,000 OCI's in a 200,000 mile plus minivan ? Im certainly not going to waste higher dollar oil in this van, and at $13-$15 for a 5 quart jug at walmart this oil is a great value. I have no intentions of starting used oil analysis on this old van.. im just looking for opinions.

discuss.

That's marketing speak meant to counter the common perception that motor oil only provides adequate protection for 3000 miles. They guarantee it for 5000 miles regardless of driving conditions. If you read the fine print, they actually guarantee it for the manufacturer's recommended interval if it's longer than 5000 miles. Newer bottles mention oil life monitors.

Quote:
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English-LCW/carengineoils_mobil-super-warranty.aspx

What The Period Of Coverage Is

The Mobil Super and Mobil Super High Mileage limited warranties are valid for 5,000 miles or your vehicle’s OEM recommended oil change interval, whichever is longer.

The Mobil Super Synthetic limited warranty is valid for 7,500 miles or your vehicle’s OEM recommended oil change interval, whichever is longer.

Additional requirements for all Mobil Super products include: 1) Oils must be put in service not later than five (5) years from the date of purchase; and 2) an oil change must be completed every six (6) months.


I'm sure that the chemists and engineers who work on oil formulation and testing don't care for the way it's marketed as a "5000 mile oil". It's also ridiculously hard to get anyone to pay up. It will be exceedingly difficult to prove anything, such as an oil failing to protect, vs an engine that beats up on a motor oil beyond its reasonable ability to protect. And if it's an occasional highway vehicle with an OEM OCI of up to 1 year (newer Hondas) then they still have a 6 month change interval for their guarantee.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I would use Mobil Super High Mileage oil in a 200+k miles that consumes a quart in 4k miles. The price of 5-qt jug High Mileage oil is only about $1 more.


good tip, if they have it in stock ill switch to it on the next OCI.
 
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
That van cant have the 3.0 Mitsubishi...It would be using far more oil than that!
I'm guessing 3.3?


i think it is the 3.3 however its bleeding pretty good around the VC, thats on the to do list.
 
Those 3.3s are tougher than nails, any decent conventional oil would be fine, but a High Mileage oil like Maxlife, Pennzoil High Mileage, or Mobil Super High Mileage might slow the consumption down enough that she might not have to add any, and would help extend the life of the catalytic converter.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I would be comfortable doing 5k in that van. Might want to slightly overfill to start.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I would use Mobil Super High Mileage oil in a 200+k miles that consumes a quart in 4k miles. The price of 5-qt jug High Mileage oil is only about $1 more.


Both suggestions above are good and useful tips....and doing 5K should be a perfect OCI.

To save a few $$, you might consider switching from a Puro PureOne filter, to a Puro Classic, which can be found at WalMart for about $3 and some change.
 
OP "In total it used a quart in 4,000 miles as she added a half quart at 2,000 miles and it was down a quart today."

that would be 1 1/2 quarts used
 
Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
OP "In total it used a quart in 4,000 miles as she added a half quart at 2,000 miles and it was down a quart today."

that would be 1 1/2 quarts used


Not if it was down a quart and AFE only added 1/2qt the first time.
 
Plenty of good feedback on Lubro Moly Motor Oil Saver... Trying it myself and it was about $6 at Napa. Might also consider Super Tec HM from Walmart ... Not bad from different posts and the price would be hard to beat.
 
thanks for the feedback, the consumption was a error on my part it was down 1 total quart, half at 2,000 and half today.
 
If adding a quart of fresh oil at 4k, why not switch to a HM and run it out to ~7,500 miles?

To answer the OQ - I feel comfortable running 5k OCIs on most conventional oils.
 
Originally Posted By: bigt61
I'd run a High Mileage oil too and try to save the aggravation and expense of the VC gaskets.


The VC is her call, its her van. I dont want to try and talk her into long OCI's this late in the game with this van.
 
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