Is Anyone Else Disappointed with modern engine oils?

[tired]

Sounds like it’s time to bring up the oil that’s the answer for literally almost anything; has a fantastic track record; carries a multitude of high-performance manufacturer approvals; and is available on any Walmart shelf for $30-35… wait for it… you want Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 0w40. It’s truly a universal oil for 99% of cars, even if it is a different grade than recommended. Your engine will never miss a beat, and you’ll get rid of the car long before you have an oil-related failure. The End.

You left off "endorsed by Dave at HPL, if he couldn't run his own oil." Truly the greatest endorsement.

 

[kschachn]

The 4 cars I'm maintaining are older cars. 3 of them didn't have much maintenance upkeep until recently. We have very few issues with them. By contrast, I constantly read about people's problems with newer cars, even though they try their best with maintenance.

Newer cars need highend synthetic oil to function well, and even then some don't function well. Older cars can last a long time on conventional oil with minimal maintenance, or thrive on synthetic oil.

Yes, it’s a very difficult boat to float if you’re trying to overcome a mechanical issue or design defect with the oil.

Many of today’s issues are directly related to the relentless drive for efficiency, all the low-hanging fruit was picked years ago. Now it requires increasingly complex (and downright sketchy) schemes to eke out the last remaining joules from the Carnot cycle. It’s also increasingly expensive, a cost that is borne by the purchaser of course and for little to no return. The return is for the manufacturer not the consumer.

Not really blaming them however.

 

[nascarnation]

Until we see these average age on road numbers top out and begin to decline, I think we're still seeing improvements, at least based on the engines and lubes sold a decade ago. If the junkyards are widely filling up with 10 yr old vehicles with failed engines, it will show up in this trend.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60882953/average-age-us-cars-trucks-suvs-rises/

 

[Japanese]

Based on the original post I think it should be retitled, "Is Anyone Else Disappointed with modern engines?"

Modern oil are superior to the older ones. One differences between them is that today is not good to pour modern ILSAC resource conserving oils in small engines (generators, lawnmowers, power washers etc.).

That alone tells me - modern oils are lacking something.

 

[Plumb Bob]

Modern oil are superior to the older ones.

Yep. By a large margin.

 

[alcyon]

I am disappointed that API SP still hasn't brought down wear metals to zero....

 

[kschachn]

I am disappointed that API SP still hasn't brought down wear metals to zero....

In realty all engines will wear and no oil will ever eliminate it.

 

[goblin]

In realty all engines will wear and no oil will ever eliminate it.

Always wondered, if an engine is set with a dry sump with a huge reservoir that allows for an oil change while the engine is running and a fuel system that will be refillable while the engine is running and same for the cooling so it can be kept running for years - will it die from mechanichal stress first, or from wear ?

 

[ripcord]

Always wondered, if an engine is set with a dry sump with a huge reservoir that allows for an oil change while the engine is running and a fuel system that will be refillable while the engine is running and same for the cooling so it can be kept running for years - will it die from mechanichal stress first, or from wear ?

Eventually, either the rings and cylinder walls or valves would wear to the point that it couldn't make enough compression to stay running.

 

[ford250]

You left off "endorsed by Dave at HPL, if he couldn't run his own oil." Truly the greatest endorsement.

Just curious
What makes Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 0W-40 so special ??

 

[alcyon]

Modern oil are superior to the older ones. One differences between them is that today is not good to pour modern ILSAC resource conserving oils in small engines (generators, lawnmowers, power washers etc.).

That alone tells me - modern oils are lacking something.

and that thing is...viscosity

 

[Japanese]

I have a friend who has 2 vans with those Mercedes turbo diesel 5 cyl. engines. He just told me the other day that one of the vans is almost at 400,000 miles and the other one is about 250,000.

He said he always uses Mobil 1 0W-40 per the manual and always dumps with it 2 bottles of Lucas oil treatment.
I told him that is not good to pour Lucas too. He said he does it for over 10-15 years already and we'll keep doing it.

 

[tired]

I have a friend who has 2 vans with those Mercedes turbo diesel 5 cyl. engines. He just told me the other day that one of the vans is almost at 400,000 miles and the other one is about 250,000.

He said he always uses Mobil 1 0W-40 per the manual and always dumps with it 2 bottles of Lucas oil treatment.
I told him that is not good to pour Lucas too. He said he does it for over 10-15 years already and we'll keep doing it.

What years are they? I doubt they are recent. I haven't heard good things about the recent Mercedes diesels.

 

[tired]

Just curious
What makes Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 0W-40 so special ??

Lot of threads on it and more elsewhere, but this post from this thread summarizes it well.

This thread is also informative.

 

[Japanese]

What years are they? I doubt they are recent. I haven't heard good things about the recent Mercedes diesels.

Not the recent ones, those are mostly 4 or 6 cyl. turbo diesel.
The last bullet proof Mercedes engines are the 20 or so years old 5 cyl. turbo diesel. He has those.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_OM612_engine

 

[GI_GRIFF]

Just keep in mind, I don't use low viscosity oils.

Well, what oil do you use?

 

[Blagoje]

I am disappointed with standard API/ILSAC certified products. Euro approval products not so much.

 

[Japanese]

Not only viscosity, but lubricants and friction modifiers.

 

[johnachak]

We keep getting told modern oils are so advanced, over-engineered and overkill yet time and time again we see engines using good oil and good OCIs having sludge and varnish inside them as well as clogged rings. It's not even the typical low quality Kia/Hyundai cars. It's every brand: take any run of the mill car on the road with more than 20k miles, it has sludge and varnish forming inside and the owner will likely tell you it uses a quart or more between changes.

That thread about the 2 Broncos running HPL and Valvoline Restore and Protect really got me thinking. Why are modern engines so sludge/clogged ring prone? Are turbos cooking the oil? Is GDI diluting the viscosity and additives? Are OLMs not coming on soon enough? Are low tension rings spreading soot throughout the engine?
Or are these overhyped modern oils simply not up to the task of keeping modern engines clean?

I think Valvoline Restore and Protect and presumably it's new competition from Mobil 1 is the start of a new generation of oils that can actually handle keeping modern engines clean. Valvoline Restore and Protect has shown time and time again it can clean an already dirty engine but it looks like that level of active aggressive cleaning that other oils don't have is also needed just to keep a modern engine clean throughout it's life from 0 miles to junkyard.

But why did it take all this time just for us to only have 1 (possibly 2) adequate oils for these engines that have been in production for 10+ years since the mass market adoption of GDI, VVT and turbos?

I think one reason is the hotter temps these engines run at. My cars 20+ years ago would have 160-180 degree thermostats. 190 was too hot and 200 was overheating. All 3 of my newer vehicles run at 210 degrees on the dash temperature gauge. The cylinder temps have to be much higher.

 

[ford250]

Well, what oil do you use?

Redline