Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 engine cleaning results

[ltslimjim]

Im guessing the previous owner got the oil changed about every 7500 miles at a shop, which is what GM recommends in the owners manual. I know this from looking at the carfax report, but who knows if it’s legit. Don’t know what oil was used, but it’s gotta be some off the shelf API type of oil. The 7500 mile OCI from the previous owner clearly didn’t keep the engine clean enough. The 4.3 vortecs are known to be pretty easy on oils, even though it only holds 4.5 quarts in the sump.

My parents have two vehicles with these engines; a 2001 S10 Truck and a 2004 S10 Blazer.

Both use “synthetic blend” level oils at a quick lube every 5k miles; ignoring the 6 months for some reason ?

So, when I asked my dad if either engine uses oil, apparently he hadn’t been checking. Guess what? The blazer was low 1 Quart!

He doesn’t know how long it’s done this and the issue was he was not changing it at 6 months; waited on miles instead despite reaching the time limits most put on bulk/entry level synthetics (which a syn blend he has latched onto for years due to half truths from the 1990s but I can’t blame him)…

The vehicles are mostly short tripped in a small town. Sometimes taken on longer trips.

Short tripping is one of the worst things you can do for an oil if you want to go past minimum maintenance timeframes/mileage (6 month/5k whatever comes first)

With those results, I recommended Valvoline Restore and Protect, but he is set in his ways. Sounded open to the idea of topping off with said oil. I doubt it would do much that diluted though.

The truck is driven less and seems less effected by less frequent short trips and has less total miles.

 

[travis8352]

Ill concede to that, great data point for sure but in my opinion it is not to be discarded

 

[MalibuRam65]

Wow Valvoline Restore and Protect fans are punching air right now seeing these pics

 

[gunnellett]

My parents have two vehicles with these engines; a 2001 S10 Truck and a 2004 S10 Blazer.

Both use “synthetic blend” level oils at a quick lube every 5k miles; ignoring the 6 months for some reason ?

So, when I asked my dad if either engine uses oil, apparently he hadn’t been checking. Guess what? The blazer was low 1 Quart!

He doesn’t know how long it’s done this and the issue was he was not changing it at 6 months; waited on miles instead despite reaching the time limits most put on bulk/entry level synthetics (which a syn blend he has latched onto for years due to half truths from the 1990s but I can’t blame him)…

The vehicles are mostly short tripped in a small town. Sometimes taken on longer trips.

Short tripping is one of the worst things you can do for an oil if you want to go past minimum maintenance timeframes/mileage (6 month/5k whatever comes first)

With those results, I recommended Valvoline Restore and Protect, but he is set in his ways. Sounded open to the idea of topping off with said oil. I doubt it would do much that diluted though.

The truck is driven less and seems less effected by less frequent short trips and has less total miles.

On average, how long is it taking to reach 5,000 miles?

 

[JohnnyG]

With those results, I recommended Valvoline Restore and Protect, but he is set in his ways. Sounded open to the idea of topping off with said oil. I doubt it would do much that diluted though.

I actually have proof that it will work!

I've recently used Valvoline Restore and Protect for one month after removing 1 quart from my engine. After my recent oil change, I found particles of carbon in the oil filter! I never saw that before in any previous oil change. The motor oil used in that annual fill was Castrol Edge Euro-car 5W-40. I don't believe that oil has been quoted as being a particularly active "cleaning" oil.
In all honesty, the carbon particles were mostly small, but the fact that they were there at all told me that some cleaning of hard carbon deposits was happening.
All of this on an engine that only has 23,000 miles on it, and shows no sign of oil consumption, mostly short tripped, except for one 2000 mile run to PA and back.

The new oil change consisted of 5 quarts of Valvoline 5W-40 Euro (MB 229.5) and 1,5 quarts of Valvoline Restore and Protect. I'll let you know next October or so if more carbon is removed from that engine.

(I couldn't find an "air punch" emoji)

 

[Brian123]

Im guessing the previous owner got the oil changed about every 7500 miles at a shop, which is what GM recommends in the owners manual.

Wow!

Don’t know what oil was used, but it’s gotta be some off the shelf API

Wow!

The 7500 mile OCI from the previous owner clearly didn’t keep the engine clean enough.

Junky Oil! A good oil would do a better to a certain extent.

The 4.3 vortecs are known to be pretty easy on oils, even though it only holds 4.5 quarts in the sump.

Here is the interesting part of this post, if you have a car that holds 4.5 quarts of oil you should not extend your OCI past 4500 miles and the most you can push it is maybe 5000 miles.

 

[gunnellett]

I actually have proof that it will work!

I've recently used Valvoline Restore and Protect for one month after removing 1 quart from my engine. After my recent oil change, I found particles of carbon in the oil filter! I never saw that before in any previous oil change. The motor oil used in that annual fill was Castrol Edge Euro-car 5W-40. I don't believe that oil has been quoted as being a particularly active "cleaning" oil.
In all honesty, the carbon particles were mostly small, but the fact that they were there at all told me that some cleaning of hard carbon deposits was happening.
All of this on an engine that only has 23,000 miles on it, and shows no sign of oil consumption, mostly short tripped, except for one 2000 mile run to PA and back.

The new oil change consisted of 5 quarts of Valvoline 5W-40 Euro (MB 229.5) and 1,5 quarts of Valvoline Restore and Protect. I'll let you know next October or so if more carbon is removed from that engine.

Have you been checking your oil filters for carbon particles before this OCI?

 

[JohnnyG]

Have you been checking your oil filters for carbon particles before this OCI?

Absolutely. Even posted pictures of one here a while ago. Nothing remarkable.

This car was purchased used, most likely off lease @2 yrs. So I suspect oil changes were dealership with MB oil. We all know that is actually rebottled Mobil 1 0W-40 or so. After I purchased it it had several changes with Ravenol. First was FDS (5W-30 mb 229.6) and two after Ravenol VST (5W-40). Nothing ever found in the filter, since I check them all.

 

[gunnellett]

Absolutely. Even posted pictures of one here a while ago. Nothing remarkable.

This car was purchased used, most likely off lease @2 yrs. So I suspect oil changes were dealership with MB oil. We all know that is actually rebottled Mobil 1 0W-40 or so. After I purchased it it had several changes with Ravenol. First was FDS (5W-30 mb 229.6) and two after Ravenol VST (5W-40). Nothing ever found in the filter, since I check them all.

Nice!

I saw the "I actually have proof it will work" statement and thought that was a pretty strong statement.

I didn't doubt the Valvoline Restore and Protect had the potential to deliver the results you saw, but since the amount of Valvoline Restore and Protect used was a pretty small percentage and you were coming in with such strong conviction, I was hoping you had done previous filter checks to back it up.

 

[buster]

Nice results. The cleaning of the ESP oils more than likely comes from the type of ester they use. Cleaning sludge can be achieved with most oils. Some oils can clean varnish.. including Royal Purple (YT Video of it). I would guess AMSOIL Signature Series/HPL can clean varnish as well. Where it gets difficult is the ring carbon, which per Valvoline is nearly impossible to remove. Those are the most tenacious deposits and until Valvoline Restore and Protect were not capable of being removed other than Valvoline Premium Blue Restore which was 50% POE. However they never made the claim that VPBR could clean up to 100% of deposits.

 

[edyvw]

ESP 0W30 has some esters in it.
Mobil 1 0W40 in API SN version also had esters and was known as good cleaner.

 

[fantastic]

Everyone load your carts with 0w-30 ESP, we have a new cleaning oil in town!
Joking aside, I did notice slight cleaning around the fill hole when I went to 5w-40 Euro FS (no idea what was used previously).

 

[ltslimjim]

On average, how long is it taking to reach 5,000 miles?

Too long. I’ve just been trying to gather data to assist with recommendations moving forward. Iirc, 7-8 months was more the timeline but that might’ve been just the most recent OCI.

I’ll recommend he go ahead with topping off using Valvoline Restore and Protect. Or, even the OP topic ESP 0w-30.

 

[gunnellett]

Too long. I’ve just been trying to gather data to assist with recommendations moving forward. Iirc, 7-8 months was more the timeline but that might’ve been just the most recent OCI.

I’ll recommend he go ahead with topping off using Valvoline Restore and Protect. Or, even the OP topic ESP 0w-30.

That amount of time wouldn't bother me but I'm no SME for sure!

It is great to see kids looking out for their parents!

 

[JohnnyG]

Nice!

I saw the "I actually have proof it will work" statement and thought that was a pretty strong statement.

I didn't doubt the Valvoline Restore and Protect had the potential to deliver the results you saw, but since the amount of Valvoline Restore and Protect used was a pretty small percentage and you were coming in with such strong conviction, I was hoping you had done previous filter checks to back it up.

Would anyone be interested in seeing pictures?

 

[gunnellett]

Would anyone be interested in seeing pictures?

Sure

 

[buster]

Maybe they just work really well together, one in the hot piston ring area, the other on the rest of the engine.
Just imagine what using both together would do!

I've wondered that and I think that is likely the case. Some additives need heat to activate, ZDP being one of them. When Valvoline Restore and Protect first came out, all they mentioned was the unique ability clean piston deposits, which are the most tenacious form of deposit and nearly impossible to reverse. They never mentioned it being able to clean other areas of the engine. Over time we saw that it was cleaning up varnish and other carbon in the other areas of the engine. I called to ask them if it would clean varnish and they said it would. They haven't really shown any images of other engine cleaning, just piston photos. So, I'm not sure if the chemistry is really designed to just tackle the hard carbon more so than just basic sludge which can be cleaned up with just detergents (Ca/Mg) in the motor oil. Any full synthetic can clean sludge.

You can tell though that the varnish was very heavy in the piston areas. I now wonder if cleaning is helped by the oil getting hot. It may be needed to activate whatever chemistry is being used.

You can see in this photo of after just one oil change at 3k miles it removed the varnish. BUT, it's cleaning the high temperature piston area which is much hotter than other areas of the engine. To me that is interesting and makes it unique.

 

[JohnnyG]

These photos are best viewed on a cell phone, or any computer that can zoom in closely on the inner parts of the pleats. Most particles are rather small, but I was able to indicate some of the larger ones for clarity. As mentioned before this engine only has 23,000 miles on it and uses no oil between changes.

I have also verified that these are all carbon particles, some are actually hard enough to be shiny. In addition, the Valvoline Restore and Protect was only in this engine for about 6 weeks, which included a short trip on I95. Most other driving was short trips, as is my normal usage.

 

[Blagoje]

Sorry Valvoline Restore and Protect but there's a new Sheriff in town!

 

[JohnnyG]

Don't shoot the messenger, or the Sheriff!