High Mileage Oil on a 2 year old High Mileage Car?

[scm]

Before I begin, I know a HM oil isn't going to hurt anything on the car, but given her service history, I question if it is worth it.

So my ‘17 Hyundai Elantra Eco (1.4L TGDI) is about to roll over to the "High Mileage" category. The topic of discussion is if I should go ahead and switch to a HM oil now, wait, or keep going on what has been working, or simply consider a viscosity change.

Other than the FF, she has been exclusively on a 6,200 mil OCI using 5W-30 (Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and Mobil 1 EP for two OCIs.) Hyundai "demands" ACEA A5 5W-30 (and A5 5W-40 is acceptable.) Even though Ultra is only SN+/ACEA A5, haven't had an issue and she runs just like she did on day 1.

Do I really need to go to HM? Mobil makes EP 5W-30 in the HM formula which I'm fine with... but given it's a TGDI figured I'd open up the floor to those who have high mileage turbo cars.

 

[PimTac]

I have never used a high mileage oil and that despite the fact that most of my vehicles have gone well over 100k. If you have no leaks or weeps then I would stick with what you have been running.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Do hm oils still have higher moly,tbn,etc? I remember hm oils always claimed to have "more antiwear" additives.

 

[demarpaint]

You could stick with what worked, especially since you said, "haven't had an issue and she runs just like she did on day 1." Leaving well enough alone is usually a good choice.

 

[geeman789]

NO.

My previous car went 330 000 miles on the original engine. It NEVER had a high mileage oil in it once. It did have EVERYTHING else though. Conventional, synthetic, HDEO, " motorcycle ... " oil, you name it. And every grade, 0/5/10w30, 0/5/10/15w40, 15/20w50.

The one constant was that it ALWAYS had clean, fresh oil.


And ACEA A5 is nothing special. Plain old M1 5w30 or PP 5w30 have that rating.

 

[supton]

I've used HM a few times in my Camry but I don't think it did that much. I think the valve seals are going. Wife's car is closing in on 200k and it has never used it, but it's always gotten full synthetic. My truck is barely 155k and same story.

Granted, not high pressure turbos, not even high tech motors.

75k is not high miles. That is thinking out of the 80's.

 

[Fraser434]

I put in HM oil for my friends all the time, where applicable, has more anti wear additive.

You will notice Mobil1 silver cap is now around 750ppm zinc/phos, Mobil1 HM silver cap has been around 1000ppm zinc/phos.
Or at least historically it has.

That's the majority of the change, there's no special seal additives, just more anti wear.

 

[csandste]

Can't change my own oil. Last year MaxLife cost $10 more and it was worth it. Now it's $30 more and not worth it.

 

[nthach]

If you're not burning or leaking oil, don't bother.

One good thing that an HM oil might help keep seals pliable. The core chemistry hasn't changed - most HM oils are now API SN+, and a few are D1G2 approved.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Here's a question - would Supertech FS high mileage be worth running since it's the same price as the regular FS?

 

[BLND1]

Originally Posted by Miller88
Here's a question - would Supertech FS high mileage be worth running since it's the same price as the regular FS?


It likely won't matter. Run it if it makes you feel better.

 

[scm]

Originally Posted by Miller88
Here's a question - would Supertech FS high mileage be worth running since it's the same price as the regular FS?


I wouldn't run Supertech considering the price of QSUD, but honestly wouldn't know the difference between the two.

Originally Posted by supton
75k is not high miles. That is thinking out of the 80's.


That was my thought basically.

Originally Posted by Fraser434


That's the majority of the change, there's no special seal additives, just more anti wear.



Good to know.

Originally Posted by geeman789

And ACEA A5 is nothing special. Plain old M1 5w30 or PP 5w30 have that rating.


Eh? I feel like it's somewhat special because it isn't on every synthetic oil (QSUD, ST, etc.) But you bring a good point.

Originally Posted by demarpaint
Leaving well enough alone is usually a good choice.


As I get older that becomes more apparent each and every day.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Safe and popular answer: if you're not consuming oil or experiencing leaks (sign of loose rings, worn valve stem seals, bad gasket) then there's not a current issue to "fix" per se; keep doing what you're doing and wait to address any problem when it happens. That's the popular answer...

But since I a) know a HiMi formula work best BEFORE there's an issue (kinda like the flu shot) and b) I don't have a crystal ball; I switched over to a HiMi at 100k and thankfully, knock on wood, I still don't burn a lick of oil @165k miles. Is it possible that would be the case despite the use of HiMi, sure I suppose. But you can't tell me with any certainty it's NOT due to my use of a HiMi formula for the last 65k miles either.

My position was and remains... with the cost difference between the two formulas being virtually indistinguishable...tell me one good reason why I should NOT use a HiMi formula?

Originally Posted by Fraser434

That's the majority of the change, there's no special seal additives, just more anti wear.

Not necessarily true. HiMi formulas generally contain higher amts of SCA's, maybe even different types of SCA's.


Originally Posted by supton

75k is not high miles. That is thinking out of the 80's.

Relative to brand new it is. As valve stems wear it creates play and can cause the seals to go bad sucking oil down the stems into the CC. Pieces of valve seals can clog up the VT and lifters making things worse. Main seals, like rings, can begin to show signs of age/wear (burning oil/leak) below 100k, it just depends on several factors like type of oil, working order of the PCV system, filtration, oci's, quality and type of rings/seals, driving habits like start/stop, heat/cool.. and so on and so on. So while 75k highway miles may not be considered high mileage, 75k start/stop is.

 

[mazdamonky]

Based on my understanding, you can use a "high mileage" oil in a car from day one according to Valvoline, and Castrol. A High mileage oil, will not cause any issues, however, it may help with issues such as possible oil leaks. In my case, I have been using high mileage in my protege since around 160k when it started burning oil. I don't believe it helped much and I am pretty sure the only answer is to replace the oil control rings. Maybe using a high mileage oil some time earlier in its life might have helped, but I am not sure as this is a common issue on the protege.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by mazdamonky
Based on my understanding, you can use a "high mileage" oil in a car from day one according to Valvoline, and Castrol. A High mileage oil, will not cause any issues, however, it may help with issues such as possible oil leaks.

True.

If HiMi oil CAUSED problems at ANY vehicle age, there would be a disclaimer on every bottle being sold by every one of the majors who sell them.. and they all sell them. Anybody who has concrete evidence to the contrary, needs to PM so we can start a class action suit against the PCMO industry....

 

[Lowflyer]

Is it possible, than HiMi oils have all the stuff in theirs addpacks, than I should never put extra as 3rd part additive(s) into other engine oils?

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by Miller88
Here's a question - would Supertech FS high mileage be worth running since it's the same price as the regular FS?

Go for it. It has a D1G2 approval too. It's a good bang for the buck oil.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Lowflyer
Is it possible, than HiMi oils have all the stuff in theirs addpacks, than I should never put extra as 3rd part additive(s) into other engine oils?


It's possible a fully formulated oil has everything you need. For example, if you want more moly than use an oil with more moly....

I don't use any additives regularly.

 

[stanlee]

I only use HM synthetic oils NOT Dexos2 rated (such as M1 EPHM ). If it's Dexos2 I figure it's more seal conditioners than anti-wear and detergents. It's usually the anti-wear and detergents that would throw HM oils out of spec (in a good way). I use them randomly at 265k miles and counting.

 

[joekingcorvette]

You didn't state what you consider high mileage but according to some of the oil bottles high mileage is as low as 75,000 miles. If your car is that new I wouldn't use high mileage oil unless you have the beginning of an oil leak or excessive oil consumption. IMO high mileage oil is made for vehicles that many have the beginning of a problem as far as leaks or consumption.