Keep going on Dino or Go With Mobil 1?

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I'm sure you guys have seen this questions a MILLION times but I appreciate your taking the time to give your opinion once again.

I found this forum today and I spent a good 2-3 hours reading over the wealth of information you have here and I must say it's very useful.
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I would apprecate any opinions on my particular situation.

I have a '97 Grand AM (2.4 Twin Cam) with just under 83,000 miles on it. I bought it 2 1/2 years ago and it was formerly leased by Wal-Mart as a vehicle to drive district managers from store to store so 75,000 of those miles were all highway/interstate miles. I also have a long list of service records from them w/ Pennzoil changes done regularly at 3,000-3,500 miles.

In the 2 and 1/2 years I've had it I've used Pennzoil. Considering the short distances I drive I end up changing the oil every three months, and I put between 750-1000 miles on it in 3 months.

My main interest in Mobil 1 is the fact that it will keep the engine CLEAN. The extended drain intervals aren't really a motivation for me as I don't really mind changing the oil. If I went with a syntheticl like Mobil 1, could I get by with changing the oil 2 times a year instead of 4? If so, this and the extneded engine life would justify the extra cost. The majority if my driving is about a 2 mile trip to work so the engine doesn't really get up to operating temp. I do occasionally rev the engine pretty high (over 4,000) as it's easy to do with my heavy foot and engine that likes to be revved.
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Currently there are no oil leaks that I have noticed and the vehcile doesn't seem to burn a measureable amount of oil. I just spent $700 on a nice set of rims and performance tires so I intend on keeping the car at least another 3 (possibly 5) years.

Is it worth going from 4 changes of Pennzoil a year to 2 changes of Mobil 1 with 83,000 miles?

[ July 16, 2003, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: goldfinger ]
 
I'm no expert but I think you have a few choices here.
You could keep running Pennzoil and start using Auto RX (do a search and read up on this great stuff!)to clean up the engine.
You should have no problem switching to Mobil 1 and M1 will slowly clean up the engine but not as good as Auto RX but you could also use it with the M1.
I personally like M1 from what I have read on this site and feel it is a much better oil than Pennzoil. I really couldn't tell you though if over 5 years it would make that much difference in the life of you car unless you do alot of short trips(less than 10 miles) then the Mobil 1 would be the best choice. I think eithor way your car will last anothe 5 years and then some!
Good luck! Oh yeah
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abord!
 
Well, if you want to go to two changes a year then go for it. With your mileage it will not be cost effective but will reduce oil change hassle. However, you noted that you don't mind changing the oil either. So, not sure of your actual motive in this. Is Mobil 1 a better oil, yes, will it reduce OCI to two a year, yes.

Will you be bored not getting under the engine as often????? Maybe.
 
Many of my decisions were made prior to this board: I've been using M1 for twenty years, always followed a tight schedule, and regularly converted vehicles over to synthetic.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001211

Today, as a result of this board my decisions are a little different. M1 is good, though maybe not the best (more convenient to buy than, say, SCHAEFFERS), my choices on filters is different, and the availability of AutoRX, LUBE CONTROL and FUEL POWER has made me much more comfortable in trying to get the best "oil performance/engine longevity" without having to any longer resort to harsh chemicals to get the engine clean prior to change-over.

Were that car mine I'd use the A-Rx treatment for high mileage (maybe with DELVAC 1300 10w-30), a decent filter, and change to a good oil. And run out to 6-7500 miles with an analysis or two on the synthetic to see how it's going. (Start by sending in a sample of current fill; nothing like the satisfaction of getting the numbers right).

Part of the equation for me has been the easy availability of M1. With three cars -- two of which get annual changes on low miles -- buying one brand/type of filter for all three cars, and three versions of M1 (0W-40, 15W-50 & 10W-30) is simple.

But with a fourth car on the way (another high mileage vehicle), then ordering SCHAEFFERS or LUBRICATION ENGINEERS (or other) won't be as onerous a burden with two cars getting several changes per year, and the other two can easily be switched over as well. I can buy enough to cover a years worth at one time.

So it has to do with convenience, not just price, IMO.

[ July 17, 2003, 08:51 AM: Message edited by: TheTanSedan ]
 
I'm raising the question....why do you think your engine is dirty? If it has all those highway miles you say it does, then I'm willing to bet that it's probably clean, well....at least not dirty. I think your biggest concern would be TBN with the short mileage you are driving. Your engine won't get hot enough for any length of time to burn off some of the contaminates. Also, a twin cam will eat the #ell out of a oil, especially if it's a gear driven cam shafts. With that in mind, I'd probably have to with a synthetic (as MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT) if not for anything else, then the piece of mind. I'd go for the good stuff like Bobzoil, since your only looking at changing at least twice per year. I mean cost wise, I think you'd break about even compared to changing with dino 4X, or syn. 2X. Also, order a case at a time, and your set for the whole year. If convience is still a factor for you, then Mobil 1. Been proven numerous times on the UOA section. I'd go ahead and take a sample now just to see what's going on inside the engine. Also, since you just got it, it will give you a good idea if your airfilter and oilfilter combinations are working good.

[ July 17, 2003, 09:10 AM: Message edited by: Schmoe ]
 
I use dino in my vehicles because: 1) the right dinos like Pennzoil, Castrol, Chevron/Havoline, etc. perfrom very well for very little money 2) I like changing my oil and have caught other problems like axle leaks by being under the vehicle frequently and 3) I change every 3K so there is no extended drain benefit in a syn. If you agree with any of the above, you may want to stick with the Pennzoil and 3K intervals, I'm sure this will give you a long engine life. You may want to invest in an oil analysis to give you some peace of mind with the Pennzoil.
 
Personally-I am not really keen on the high milage motor oils. There are some previous discussions-do a search.

You got some goood advice. But I think the meat and potatoes is:

1. Mobil 1 will protect your vehicle a little better under hard driving (IMHO)

2. If you loose your coolant or overheat-Mobil could save you a head job.

3. If you go with Mobil 1 you would be a candidate for a once/year change.

4. Mobil 1 will keep your vehicle about as clean as 4 changes per year that you are doing.

5. So as far as cost-its a wash.

You really should make an effort to get your vehicle up to operating temperatures as much as possible.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

quote:

You really should make an effort to get your vehicle up to operating temperatures as much as possible.

In cold weather (below 50F) I always let it idle for 5 minutes or so to at least get the needle above 100. In the summer I'm afraid It's more of a hop in it and go attitude. I considered installing a remote starter to break me of this habbit, however I'm afraid it's more than I can handle and I'd have to pay to have it professionally installed.
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Now that I have more free time (hence my not minding oil changes) I might give that remote starter install a shot before winter.

Considering the good rep that Pennzoil gets on this board, the UOA's of it, and the fact that I don't mind crawling under it 4 times a year I will probably stick with dino for the time being. It doesn't smoke and I haven't ever had to add any oil between changes, even when taken to 3,000 miles. I'll go with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude for now.
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At 3 months / < 1,000 miles per change I don't think the dino will sludge it up and probably has a considerable amount of life left.

Thanks for all the input.

[ July 17, 2003, 02:45 PM: Message edited by: goldfinger ]
 
using synthetic is NOT going to extend the engine life. sorry to have to break it to you. synthetic allows longer drain intervals, that's about it unless you have a turbo, or live in alaska.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Al:
Personally-I am not really keen on the high milage motor oils. There are some previous discussions-do a search.

You got some goood advice. But I think the meat and potatoes is:

1. Mobil 1 will protect your vehicle a little better under hard driving (IMHO)

2. If you loose your coolant or overheat-Mobil could save you a head job.

3. If you go with Mobil 1 you would be a candidate for a once/year change.

4. Mobil 1 will keep your vehicle about as clean as 4 changes per year that you are doing.

5. So as far as cost-its a wash.

You really should make an effort to get your vehicle up to operating temperatures as much as possible.


1 - no justification for this. you can argue that viscosity (m1 is on the low end) and additives make the difference, oil base likely has no effect.
2 - no oil will keep a head from warping.
 
Lots of opinions, as usual.
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Auto RX looks good, I will likely give it a try before the end of the year.

I chose Mobil 1 simply because it's available at Wal-Mart. Simply a convenience factor.

quote:

I'm raising the question....why do you think your engine is dirty? If it has all those highway miles you say it does, then I'm willing to bet that it's probably clean, well....at least not dirty.

I have no reason to beleive it is dirty. About 4,000 miles ago I had the water pump replaced which involves taking the head off. The mechanic told me the engine didn't show it's age and was clean for a car with so many miles on it.

quote:

Also, a twin cam will eat the #ell out of a oil, especially if it's a gear driven cam shafts.

I have no idea if it's gear driven or not, but I've never noticed any oil consumption by checking it through the dipstick.

quote:

Also, since you just got it, it will give you a good idea if your airfilter and oilfilter combinations are working good.

Actually I've had it for almost 3 years.
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I put a K&N air filter in it just before the last chanage so I haven't seen the results of it yet in the oil.

Seems like everyone has an opinion. I don't really mind changing the oil at all, so maybe staying with dino is the best solution for me.

The real perks (to me) by using Mobil 1 would be a slight HP gain, keeping the engine clean, and feeling confident when I hit 5,000+ RPM.

Here's a nother question to throw in the mix. What do you guys think of High Mileage Oils? Are they made mostly for cars that already have bad seals and have blow-by or are they preventative?
 
I think high mileage oils are great to a point. From what I've seen on UOA's, they usually load up more on the additives such as moly, boron, etc. etc. Also a little more calcium and phosphorus, which can also clean the engine a little better. Most of the high mileage oils are also thicker. I mean, you don't see any high mileage oils in the 0W-20 or 5W-20 arena. Thicker oil will slow down oil consumption. That's been proven by other members on this board. I feel the do a combination of things and they could be beneficial for older engines that may not have benefitted from using the newer oils with additives. I've heard that some of them will slow down seal leaks and then some don't. It is dependant on the type of engine you have and the type of gaskets that engine uses.
 
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