Hi. I got a deal on two 5 quarts of Valvoline Synpower 0w20 last week and this week I got a great deal on some Mobil 1 Extended Performance 0w20... cost after rebate for the Mobil 1 should be $7.70 for TWO 5 quart jugs. I believe my car (Lexus ES350) has an oil capacity of 6.7 quarts. I plan to change my oil very soon and put the Valvoline in. My question is... can I hold what I will have leftover of the Valvoline Synpower and mix it with the Mobil 1 Extended Performance come winter? Is mixing brands ok to do? Once a jug is opened I wonder how long I can safely store it without it degrading? Thanks for the help!
Mixing differnt brands of 0w20?
- Thread starter BlackHawk1
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Mix away is what I say.........
Does the 0W actually matter in winter where you are, or is 5W/10W OK ?
The W rating doent necessarily translate across as two 0Ws don't always make a 0W...that's if they do at all in general too...
"Oil doesn't tell time" is an adaption on the meme that if it's been underground for millenia, a few years in the garage won't hurt.
But oil underground doesn't have suspended additives, some of which are solid rubber at room temperature when not mixed with oil...find me an oil well that has a fully formulated engine oil, and maybe the meme has some legs.
Oil can "go bad" in cold temperatures where it's not warmed up each time that the car is warmed up...the VIIs and PPDs can make it gell at quite high temperturea (much higher than the 0W -35 or -40C)...it's not wrecked, just heat it to 80C and it comes good again, but tipping it in on a REALLY cold morning and expecting it to pump might be a big ask.
Nothing is likely to blow up...
* unless you really need the 0W
* unless your garage is around -15 to -20C.
The W rating doent necessarily translate across as two 0Ws don't always make a 0W...that's if they do at all in general too...
"Oil doesn't tell time" is an adaption on the meme that if it's been underground for millenia, a few years in the garage won't hurt.
But oil underground doesn't have suspended additives, some of which are solid rubber at room temperature when not mixed with oil...find me an oil well that has a fully formulated engine oil, and maybe the meme has some legs.
Oil can "go bad" in cold temperatures where it's not warmed up each time that the car is warmed up...the VIIs and PPDs can make it gell at quite high temperturea (much higher than the 0W -35 or -40C)...it's not wrecked, just heat it to 80C and it comes good again, but tipping it in on a REALLY cold morning and expecting it to pump might be a big ask.
Nothing is likely to blow up...
* unless you really need the 0W
* unless your garage is around -15 to -20C.
Originally Posted By: BlackHawk1
Hi. I got a deal on two 5 quarts of Valvoline Synpower 0w20 last week and this week I got a great deal on some Mobil 1 Extended Performance 0w20... cost after rebate for the Mobil 1 should be $7.70 for TWO 5 quart jugs. I believe my car (Lexus ES350) has an oil capacity of 6.7 quarts. I plan to change my oil very soon and put the Valvoline in. My question is... can I hold what I will have leftover of the Valvoline Synpower and mix it with the Mobil 1 Extended Performance come winter? Is mixing brands ok to do? Once a jug is opened I wonder how long I can safely store it without it degrading? Thanks for the help!
6.4qts
Hi. I got a deal on two 5 quarts of Valvoline Synpower 0w20 last week and this week I got a great deal on some Mobil 1 Extended Performance 0w20... cost after rebate for the Mobil 1 should be $7.70 for TWO 5 quart jugs. I believe my car (Lexus ES350) has an oil capacity of 6.7 quarts. I plan to change my oil very soon and put the Valvoline in. My question is... can I hold what I will have leftover of the Valvoline Synpower and mix it with the Mobil 1 Extended Performance come winter? Is mixing brands ok to do? Once a jug is opened I wonder how long I can safely store it without it degrading? Thanks for the help!
6.4qts
Add packs not performance compatible.
Why ruin Valvoline with M1eP?
Why ruin Valvoline with M1eP?
Buy, exchange, trade, or whatever you have to do to get the additional oil you need to do the OCI with all the same oil. Then if you want to switch brands and run an OCI with the other oil do so w/o mixing brands.
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Add packs not performance compatible.
Why ruin Valvoline with M1eP?
Those 2 aren't exactly the best add packs to mix. M1 is low calcium / high magnesium. While Synpower is moderate Calcium high sodium.
You end up with a lower calcium, lower mag, lower sodium oil....none of which those 2 mfg's intended or tested for. You won't find anyone making such a brew. But the mix will certainly pass the "doesn't blow up" test. If I'm mixing oils I try to stay within the 3 basic types (high calcium, high mag, or high sodium).
Add packs not performance compatible.
Why ruin Valvoline with M1eP?
Those 2 aren't exactly the best add packs to mix. M1 is low calcium / high magnesium. While Synpower is moderate Calcium high sodium.
You end up with a lower calcium, lower mag, lower sodium oil....none of which those 2 mfg's intended or tested for. You won't find anyone making such a brew. But the mix will certainly pass the "doesn't blow up" test. If I'm mixing oils I try to stay within the 3 basic types (high calcium, high mag, or high sodium).
While you can definitely mix different brands it's not the optimal thing to do because each brand uses
a different formula. For instance Valvoline uses Sodium and Mobil 1 does not....so your mix will have only half the Sodium deemed necessary by Valvoline chemists.(assuming a 50/50 mix). The mix will also have only half of what Mobil uses...Boron? (and Valvoline doesn't) and is deemed necessary by Mobil chemists.
If I were mixing different brands I'd shorten my OCI for these reasons.......
a different formula. For instance Valvoline uses Sodium and Mobil 1 does not....so your mix will have only half the Sodium deemed necessary by Valvoline chemists.(assuming a 50/50 mix). The mix will also have only half of what Mobil uses...Boron? (and Valvoline doesn't) and is deemed necessary by Mobil chemists.
If I were mixing different brands I'd shorten my OCI for these reasons.......
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Why ruin Valvoline with M1eP?
This should be a STICKY
Steve
Why ruin Valvoline with M1eP?
This should be a STICKY
Steve
Congrats on the good deals.
FWIW---IMO--- it's just not worth it to mix brands/weights on purpose--even if the oil was free--which it almost is, in this case
Steve
FWIW---IMO--- it's just not worth it to mix brands/weights on purpose--even if the oil was free--which it almost is, in this case
Steve
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
Mix away, you will not have any issues doing it. So long as the bottle is sealed well after opening and not kept in a super hot or super cold garage, is should be fine for a few years at least (if not longer).
Mix away, you will not have any issues doing it. So long as the bottle is sealed well after opening and not kept in a super hot or super cold garage, is should be fine for a few years at least (if not longer).
Originally Posted By: blupupher
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
How would one even define a "bad brew" UOA? Are TBN and viscosity the only decider? Personally, I'd consider a "bad brew" to be anything that doesn't resemble a UOA/VOA from a major maker as PBM suggested above.
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
How would one even define a "bad brew" UOA? Are TBN and viscosity the only decider? Personally, I'd consider a "bad brew" to be anything that doesn't resemble a UOA/VOA from a major maker as PBM suggested above.
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Originally Posted By: blupupher
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
How would one even define a "bad brew" UOA? Are TBN and viscosity the only decider? Personally, I'd consider a "bad brew" to be anything that doesn't resemble a UOA/VOA from a major maker as PBM suggested above.
Never seen a UOA check for CCS and MRV either...again., not going to ever be an issue unless you actually need it.
Originally Posted By: blupupher
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
How would one even define a "bad brew" UOA? Are TBN and viscosity the only decider? Personally, I'd consider a "bad brew" to be anything that doesn't resemble a UOA/VOA from a major maker as PBM suggested above.
Never seen a UOA check for CCS and MRV either...again., not going to ever be an issue unless you actually need it.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Originally Posted By: blupupher
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
How would one even define a "bad brew" UOA? Are TBN and viscosity the only decider? Personally, I'd consider a "bad brew" to be anything that doesn't resemble a UOA/VOA from a major maker as PBM suggested above.
Never seen a UOA check for CCS and MRV either...again., not going to ever be an issue unless you actually need it.
True. UOAs are often cited here as proof of things that cannot be determined by UOA.
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Originally Posted By: blupupher
There have been multiple UOA's of Frankenbrews and I don't think I have ever seen a bad one due to mixing.
How would one even define a "bad brew" UOA? Are TBN and viscosity the only decider? Personally, I'd consider a "bad brew" to be anything that doesn't resemble a UOA/VOA from a major maker as PBM suggested above.
Never seen a UOA check for CCS and MRV either...again., not going to ever be an issue unless you actually need it.
True. UOAs are often cited here as proof of things that cannot be determined by UOA.
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