Impressed with Castrol GTX

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Normally, I loathed Castrol GTX because of their terrible commercials. Lately it's been the stupid Valvoline 300k warranty commercials that rub my skin the wrong way. I put Castrol GTX into my Integra last month after seeing great results via UOA in my mom's Malibu after 4,000 miles. So far, after 1,200 miles of driving, including some short trips to class and back, the oil looks as clear as the day I put it in. I've never experienced this before with any other oil I've used. Usually around the 1,000 mile mark, the oil becomes more of a golden brown, rather than the clear, fresh look. I've used a lot of different brands: Valvoline, Havoline DS, Amsoil, Pennzoil, Pennzoil Platinum, and now Castrol GTX. I know color isn't always an indication of how well an oil is performing, but I was pretty stunned at how it hadn't changed color what-so-ever. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm hoping it's just because my engine is running clean
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I've heard the opposite in fact, that if the oil stays clean longer that their aren't as many detergents cleaning as well and that oil that gets dirtier faster is working better. I'm not 100% sure of that so i'm interested in hearing what other people think.
 
I was a GTX user for probably 10 years until I started a newer vehicle I had bought on M1...I think GTX is a solid oil but I have been experimenting with other dinos lately and have not returned to GTX because I believe Pennzoil to be as good or better.

But again, years of trouble free use from GTX, but I must say in my '89 Nissan pickup that I had from '92-'98 GTX always seemed to get dark too soon for me. I also think I had read a few bad things about it and that coupled with the discovery of BITOG I just have not returned to Castrol again but maybe someday. I think it burns off faster than some other dinos from what I recall but the "Universal BITOG Rule" applies here:

If you like it, it is rated for your vehicle, then by all means use it!
 
Originally Posted By: FastSUV
I was a GTX user for probably 10 years until I started a newer vehicle I had bought on M1...I think GTX is a solid oil but I have been experimenting with other dinos lately and have not returned to GTX because I believe Pennzoil to be as good or better.

But again, years of trouble free use from GTX, but I must say in my '89 Nissan pickup that I had from '92-'98 GTX always seemed to get dark too soon for me. I also think I had read a few bad things about it and that coupled with the discovery of BITOG I just have not returned to Castrol again but maybe someday. I think it burns off faster than some other dinos from what I recall but the "Universal BITOG Rule" applies here:

If you like it, it is rated for your vehicle, then by all means use it!


So far it hasn't consumed a drop.
 
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
I know color isn't always an indication of how well an oil is performing

Replace "isn't always" with "almost never."
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I saw in the Sunday K mart ad they have 5 quarts of Castrol GTX, or GTX High Milage for 12.00. Not a bad price for Castrol fans, and or oil horders...
 
GTX gets dark real fast in the Saturn.. I remember reading on here it's high in detergents so its probably cleaning all the deposits from the engine, other oils may have left behind. Perhaps this is a sign your engine is as clean as can be inside!
 
GTX is an excellent oil, but color of the oil has little to do with how well it works. Just look at the differences in color between brand new oils. Some are very very light while others are darker before you even use them, even though they all do an adequate job. Anyway, glad it's working well for you, GTX has been my old-standby for quite a few years!
 
gtx does very well at amsoil web site. the comparsion test aimed at getting me to buy their product is making me lean toward gtx.when i change the oil i have a chance to look over things.caught many problems before they got worse. going under a car is not something i do too often. so every 3-4 mos. makes for good plan. rather find it on the driveway than the highway.
 
My current GTX fill of 5W-30 has 3600 miles on it, and has consumed only about a pint of oil. It took 3K to do that, as well, while Pennzoil Platinum hit the low oil level at 2600 miles.
 
it reallydoes not matter how clean the oil looks a uoa is the only real way to determine the oil is doing the job.someone said they stopped using gtx because they heard bad things about it....and switched to mobil one!!!!!that is funny...bad things about gtx and switched to mobil one never heard anything wrong about moble one...ever?????
 
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Originally Posted By: ottotheclown
it reallydoes not matter how clean the oil looks a uoa is the only real way to determine the oil is doing the job.someone said they stopped using gtx because they heard bad things about it....and switched to mobil one!!!!!that is funny...bad things about gtx and switched to mobil one never heard anything wrong about moble one...ever?????


Technically, a UOA is the only way to know if the oil is holding up. A particle count might give you an "indication" of how the oil is doing its job, with the only real way of KNOWING being gauged via tear-down testing.
 
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Normally, I loathed Castrol GTX because of their terrible commercials. . . .


Awww c'mon, how can you not enjoy the commercial with the idiot trying to order a burger and fries getting sludged!?!

By the way, I always ask for extra napkins -- and then use most of them checking my oil. . .
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Originally Posted By: ottotheclown
it reallydoes not matter how clean the oil looks a uoa is the only real way to determine the oil is doing the job.someone said they stopped using gtx because they heard bad things about it....and switched to mobil one!!!!!that is funny...bad things about gtx and switched to mobil one never heard anything wrong about moble one...ever?????


No not exactly...I switched to M1 on my own because I got a "special" vehicle and wanted to give it what I thought was the best at the time. I "heard bad things" about it much later than when I switched to M1. I had just always used Castrol since 1992 and then in 2001 I continued to use in in my Camaro but on my 5.9L Jeep I wanted to run synthetic and decided to use M1 over Syntec.

Then I ran GTX for the 1st fill in my used '01 Jeep I bought last year since it was also my old "standby" dino oil. Then I discovered this site and began taking price into account in my oil decisions and switched to Trop-artic, Pennzoil, maxlife to begin experimenting with different oils. It could very well be that I wind up back on Castrol HM formula, but I honestly wish I knew which oil between maxlife, GTX HM, or Pennzoil HM was the superior oil.
 
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