Mobil 1 10W-30 SM, 4906 miles, 2001 3.8L Pontiac Grand Prix

[WishIhadatruck]

Engine: GM 3.8L V-6
Vehicle Mileage: 64,764
Oil Mileage: 4,906
Make-up Oil Added: Zero

Aluminum: 2
Chromium: 1
Iron: 8
Copper: 30
Lead: 19
Tin: 0
Molybdenum: 83
Nickel: 0
Manganese: 0
Silver: 0
Titanium: 0
Potassium: 3
Boron: 52
Silicon: 12
Sodium: 4
Calcium: 2354
Magnesium: 13
Phosphorus: 589
Zinc: 745
Barium: 0

SUS Viscosity @ 210 degrees: 60.8
Flashpoint: 420 degrees F
Fuel: < 0.5%
Antifreeze: 0.0%
Water: 0.0%
Insolubles: 0.3%

Blackstone suggests trying a couple of 2500-mile oil changes to get rid of excess lead. What would this do to help? I only recently found this site and had never really knew what a UOA was until recently. I mostly did the UOA to check for gasket leaks which I did not realize I was suceptible to with the 3.8 until reading about it here. I thought I avoided those issues with by not getting the 3100 motor. I'm happy about that. I'm going to be storing this car a lot over the next 1-2 years so I wanted to catch an issue like that before storing it, of course I'd want to catch it anyway.

I bought the car new and changed the oil with Mobil dino with 500 and 3000 on the odo. Since then it has been Mobil 1 10W-30 Mar-Nov and 5W-30 Dec-Feb. I also always changed it every 3000 until about a year ago when my yearly mileage went from 12,000 to 15,000. Then I started doing it quarterly. After reading here quite a bit I realize I was wasting a lot of oil and plan to change my habits, this is the longest it has ever gone on an OCI. Should I try following the OLM when it comes out of storage? I plan to drive it only when I really need it or ever couple of months for a week or 2. I hate to just let it sit but I've got 3 cars right now and plan to run my 94 GP until something expensive breaks and then get rid of it and start driving this car again full time. How should I handle oil changes while it gets driving little? Yearly?

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions.

 

[TR3-2001SE]

I think yearly oil changes are best for seldom used cars. However I go 2 years on the TR3 and it seems to do just fine with no problems so far. Your UOA looks good except for the lead. Does not seem to be any reason we can see from the UOA. I would give the Mobil 1 0w-40 a try. The new SM versions of Mobil 1 are a little weak to me and we have seen great results with the 0w-40 version or the EP versions. I would just monitor the lead with UOA's. If the car is a straight drive it could be you are lugging the engine ie allowing the revs to drop low while under a load.

 

[unDummy]

Looks good. Stick with the 5k OCI or once a year.

And, the important thing is that you fully warm it up completely when you do use the stored vehicle.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

quote:

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And, the important thing is that you fully warm it up completely when you do use the stored vehicle. [/QB]

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My plan was to use it every few months for a week and I'd drive it to work. 30 miles 1 way and mostly hwy.

 

[TooSlick]

The lead does look slightly elevated, but it's not high enough to get excited about. I would recommend testing once a year and keeping an eye on the potassium and sodium levels, since these engines are prone to intake manifold coolant leaks.

If you've been using Mobil 1 all along, changing every 2500 miles isn't really going to do anything with regards to lead levels. This oil is still in excellent shape after 5000 miles.

TS

 

[addyguy]

I don't think this report is that impressive at all - I haven't looked, but I'm sure there are UOA's on 3.8's using regular dino oil such as Pennzoil or Havoline that show less wear than this. I know the numbers aren't really 'high', but still, 30ppm of copper, and 19ppm of lead after 5,000 miles on a 'top-rated' synthetic oil? Doesn't sound like its worth it to me! You'd save a heck of a lot of money using regular dino.....

Flame suit on.....

 

[ATS-V]

Was this the 1st or 2nd SM fill?

Also it this the L67 or L36 engine? Driving style/habbits?

 

[WishIhadatruck]

It was at least the 2nd SM fill. It is the L36 engine, not supercharged. My wife drives it mostly and she's pretty easy on it. Mix of city and hwy. Very little expressway driving, mostly 2 lane highways, country driving, and going into the city to run errands.

 

[brian]

Ted,

I was under the impression that the 3.8 V-6 did not have any intake gasket problems, just the smaller engine, the 3.1 V-6 ?

Brian

 

[ATS-V]

I also had high lead in my L67 when I switched over to SM, all analysis prior looked good.

Numbers have been coming down and I went back down to a ~5k interval. Next oil change I plan to thicken up the M1 5w30 to see if this engine like the thicker side of the 30 weight.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

The only other thing I can think of, I almost forgot, is that I did haul a few loads of mulch with this car and I might have hauled some other stuff this spring as well. That would be putting a much higher load than what it is used to. The trailer weighs over 1000lbs empty I would guess and I don't slow down any when I use it.

 

[ATS-V]

quote:

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Originally posted by WishIhadatruck:
If not for the potential coolant leak I probably wouldn't have bothered with the UOA. Is yearly often enough to typically catch a coolant leak in the early stages or should I do it more often?

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As long as the coolant level doesn't decrease a yearly analysis is fine.

 

[Scimmia]

quote:

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Originally posted by brian:
Ted,

I was under the impression that the 3.8 V-6 did not have any intake gasket problems, just the smaller engine, the 3.1 V-6 ?

Brian

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The 3800 doesn't have near the problems that the 3.1 &3.4 60* V6s do, but they do still have problems. On top of the, the L36 has extra problems with the upper intake corroding/warping. Definitely keep a watch on your coolant, but this report doesn't seem to indicate a problem in that area.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

If not for the potential coolant leak I probably wouldn't have bothered with the UOA. Is yearly often enough to typically catch a coolant leak in the early stages or should I do it more often?

 

[dwendt44]

There was a re-call of the 2001 3.8 for intake problems. IIRC, it was that bolts cracking and that would cause a leak.
Check with dealer about it.
They replaced the bolts and added the sealer pellets to the coolant.
Plastic/nylon intake manifold?

 

[WishIhadatruck]

quote:

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Originally posted by dwendt44:
There was a re-call of the 2001 3.8 for intake problems. IIRC, it was that bolts cracking and that would cause a leak.
Check with dealer about it.
They replaced the bolts and added the sealer pellets to the coolant.
Plastic/nylon intake manifold?

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True statement, I did have this fix done to this car by the dealer a couple of years ago.