M1 0W-40, 21+ months, 20,017 miles, '90 Saab 900

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Vehicle 1990 Saab 900, 2.0L 16v I4 (N/A)

Miles on engine 194,211

Oil type Mobil 1, 0W-40

Miles on oil 20,017

Time on oil 21 months, 1 week (30.Oct.04 – 05.Aug.06)

Oil capacity 4 qts

Total OCI oil added 2.9 qt

Oil filter Purolator PureOne PL10017, changed at first UOA sample (11,892 mi)

Air filter K&N drop-in, last cleaned at 150,000 miles

Driving Use 50% city, 50% hwy – daily commuter (40 or 65 miles on surface streets) & weekend errands

Sampling method Vacuum pump via dipstick fill tube

-

Copper 24

Iron 29

Chrome 2

Lead 5

Aluminum 3

Silicon 8

Molybdenum 65

Sodium 6

Calcium 2726

Tin 0

Potassium 1

Magnesium 40

Zinc 1031

Water Neg

Glycol Neg

TBN -

Viscosity 13.3

-

Lab S.O.S. Fluid Analysis, H.O. Penn Machinery





Well, this was the 3rd & final sample from my 20k mi M1 0W-40 long-term test. I feel pretty good about the results & would recommend this oil to anyone looking for a great, long drain, year-round oil in nearly any car.

Here are my previous UOA results for this run of oil.

The only Abby Normal occurance I can recall was a continuation of the PCV oddity. (See previous UOA comments.) After drilling out the port for the 4mm ID hose, the engine's resting idle was continuously high at 1200-1300 rpm. (Normal idle should be around 800-900 rpm.) Gas mileage improved slightly after doing this, so I didn't worry about it for the remainder of the OCI. I've now replaced the 4mm ID hose with a 3mm ID hose & the idle rpms have returned to their normal range.

Let me hear your questions & comments!
 
I keep telling people that synthetic oils can go much longer than one year in certain engines with no problems, and this is further proof. Good stuff!
 
Mobil 1 is the man! LOL. The only synthetic on the shelf that can go 20k miles safely, meet all API/ACEA specs. Go Mobil!
 
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Mobil 1 is the man! LOL. The only synthetic on the shelf that can go 20k miles safely, meet all API/ACEA specs. Go Mobil!




Without a doubt that is true. There is no other commonly available synthetic out there that can do long drains like this.
 
I personally wouldn't feel comfortable going almost two years without TBN or insolubles. My limit is one year with syn. Did you keep the same oil filter on for 21 months?
 
TBN, insolubles, and particles counts would be interesting.

I too would never go that long without the TBN.

And, why not use the bigger hose and readjust your idle to compensate for the increase in PCV flow.
 
crushedcar.gif
I am going to have oil related nightmares!! No TBN and that long of an oil change would scare the heck out of me!!!
 
If it weren't for the makeup oil I bet this oil's TBN would have been next to zero. I'd guess this oil's TBN was less than 1. It takes balls to run this long, but I'm glad too see this UOA. Such long OCIs seem like a perfect job for Lube Control.
 
What shocks me about this report is the 44,000 plus miles on the K&N filter without a cleaning, and the silicon level at only 8! The Pure One is doing an excellent job, but the K&N must be doing a darn good job also. I wonder if the Si levels would have higher with a regular paper filter. Whats responsible for the good Si numbers, the airfilter or the oilfilter?
 
Quote:


Quote:


Mobil 1 is the man! LOL. The only synthetic on the shelf that can go 20k miles safely, meet all API/ACEA specs. Go Mobil!




Without a doubt that is true. There is no other commonly available synthetic out there that can do long drains like this.



Isn't Castrol 0w30 a notch above Mobil 1 0w40?
 
Hey guys, thanks for the feedback! I actually had been getting TBN for one of our other cars (the 9³ turbo), but the lab manager told me that's it's not really all that useful. Unfortunately, I can't remember why, so I've emailed the lab for a refresher course & I'll pass the info along when I get a reply. (Of course, I believe Brian (3MP) reached the same conclusion in his long-term testing.)

Cutehumor, no, I changed out the ACDelco PF13 when I took the 1st UOA sample at 12k mi. I used two oil filters over the course of the OCI, & that accounted for about 1/2 qt of the 2.9 qts makeup oil. (So the car burned & leaked about 2-1/2 qts of oil over 20k mi.)

unDummy, my mechanic had already made all the adjustments possible (including swapping in a new throttle body) but still couldn't get it settle in to the correct range. Since this was the small, post-butterfly line, his solution was to simply cap it off & let the large 1/2" pre-butterfly line do all the work. This returned it to the state it was at previously, so I could've just left it that way. Instead, I decided to experiment a little & found an adequate solution.

James, I think it's a combination of the two. The trick is to balance it out the way you're most comfortable. For me, my decision to use K&N air filters is based on my desire for a long-term, reusable part. Since that gives me a higher flow air filter, I decided to start using a finer filtering oil filter. The next 20k mi comparisons I do will be between the ACD & the PureOne.
driving.gif
 
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What shocks me about this report is the 44,000 plus miles on the K&N filter without a cleaning, and the silicon level at only 8! The Pure One is doing an excellent job, but the K&N must be doing a darn good job also. I wonder if the Si levels would have higher with a regular paper filter. Whats responsible for the good Si numbers, the airfilter or the oilfilter?





The longer you leave in the K&N air filters, the better they filter, so it's not surprising that it's trapping dirt well with 44k on it. I had good results in my Corvette with a K&N as well, even though mine was rather fresh too. People give them a bad rap but they obviously aren't as bad as we all once thought (myself included!)
 
Good show! Bravo!

applause.gif


You get one of the all time "hang it out there" awards. You didn't even get it lopped off
grin.gif


I don't know if you're the "mostest" ..but you get the honors nomination and are elevated to the elite pioneering few that venture into the uncharted realms where the sissies fear to tread.
laugh.gif


You now have "in your face, suckah" bragging rights.
cheers.gif
 
Hey Gary,
I think the thing that makes this OCI interesting is the length of time. We know that time, more than mileage, is the enemy of oil. I'm glad I was able to really draw this OCI out for an extended duration of both miles and months. Many of us here talk about extended drains, but even when the UOAs show how well an oil's holding up, we're still only willing to go "so far." I now know I could've even gone longer if I wanted to; this oil is that good! (Of course, I would've changed filters again.)

BTW, that's a really cool gif you've got there!
laugh.gif
 
I've done 2 year OCI's on several occasions with Amsoil with similar results. I'd agree with your comment that a one year time limit is very arbitrary when it comes to oil life.

An SAE 0w-40 is really NOT the best choice for any application where shearing is an issue. These would include turbocharged engines, marine engines, engine with wet clutches, etc.
 
G-Man, that GTX HM ("High Mileage"?) looks pretty good. What's the sump capacity & make-up qty over that interval? And how much longer do you think the GTX is good for?

TooSlick, I agree completely. Even though both Porsche & Saab (& Audi?) factory fill their turbo models with 0W-40, I want something more durable for extended drains in this type of application. I liked the way M1 5W-40 held up in our turbo 9³ & I'm sure Amsoil's 5W-40 would be equally robust. My last 9k mi OCI in the 9³ was 75% 5W-40 & 25% 15W-50, & right now I'm trying 50/50 with the same two oils.

Patman, what oil are you running these days, & how long are you going?
 
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