f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2026
"You a heathen...old fisheyed fool!"
Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 engine cleaning results
- Thread starter FTTSHO
- Start date
I know this isn't a troll post, but wow. Pretty confident you cannot judge engine cleanliness by simply looking at the oil filter mount area. As mentioned very early on in this post that could have been wiped off. Not saying OP did that for sure, but this is a pointless anecdote that proves nothing imo. Not even as a "data point" that was mentioned early on in the post as well.
If OP did not wipe it off, then I think the cleaning of varnish actually does give you a good indicator that it cleans things up.
I've run Mobil 1 products in all my Jeeps and when I had the valve cover gaskets changed on my 2008 JK at about 160,000 miles, the tech told me my valve train looked as clean as brand new and asked me what oil I had been using. Much of its life that Jeep ran vanilla Mobil 1 5w20.
I kinda chuckle at all these WOW threads about Valvoline Restore and Protect when I've never seen one of my engines show any evidence of sludge or varnish with any flavor of Mobil 1, in over 40 years of maintaining my own vehicles. Not taking anything away from Valvoline Restore and Protect. It seems to be great. But it isn't the first oil to clean engines or keep them clean. I've seen many threads with Amsoil, Redline, etc. with exceptionally clean valve trains and other parts.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
Keeping them clean and cleaning them up are two different things.
Yes, sure, but my point was that the OP's pics of clean up should not be surprising and most certainly should not inspire questioning his integrity, with the reputation and past evidence of Mobil 1 's ability to keep engines clean. It's not a big leap.
I wouldn't expect any less. A single 12k OCI on most synthetics will do the same in terms of keeping everything clean.
Mobil 1 Truck and SUV (Mobil 1 Truck and SUV), not only has significant levels of AN but it is a very high flashpoint oil. The 30 grade is one of the highest flashpoint shelf oils you can find at over 250C.
So I'm not surprised at all that it would keep an already clean engine clean. As posted prior in this thread, AN is good for that.
Not all 12k OCIs are equal, so without knowing the duty cycle and usage, I wouldn't draw much in the way of conclusions. It's anecdotal. But often that's all we have to go on, so it is what is is.
I think Mobil 1 Truck and SUV is one of the sleeper oils in the mobil 1 line, they don't market it much at all and yet which it's excellent high temperature performance and oxidation resistance, it has a somewhat novel place in their line.
Mobil 1 Truck and SUV (Mobil 1 Truck and SUV), not only has significant levels of AN but it is a very high flashpoint oil. The 30 grade is one of the highest flashpoint shelf oils you can find at over 250C.
So I'm not surprised at all that it would keep an already clean engine clean. As posted prior in this thread, AN is good for that.
Not all 12k OCIs are equal, so without knowing the duty cycle and usage, I wouldn't draw much in the way of conclusions. It's anecdotal. But often that's all we have to go on, so it is what is is.
I think Mobil 1 Truck and SUV is one of the sleeper oils in the mobil 1 line, they don't market it much at all and yet which it's excellent high temperature performance and oxidation resistance, it has a somewhat novel place in their line.
Mobil 1 Truck and SUV is a sleeper for sure.
I asked Mobil about cleaning back in 10/25. Notice their response says "keep clean properties". Dr. Warholic said some deposits are easily removed and can be wiped off with your finger. Those are the deposits MOST synthetics will clean up. Piston deposits are tenacious and much more difficult to remove which is why it takes a significant amount of solvency beyond a typically formulated PCMO to remove them. Hence Valvoline Restore and Protect's uniqueness.
I asked Mobil what oils would clean up an engine that was neglected. I specifically mentioned how some PDS say "cleaning power".
This was their response:
"All Mobil 1 oils have keep clean properties but if you have not been using a Mobil 1 product, the Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage or Mobil 1 High Mileage would by our suggested product for removing buildup if they meet your vehicle requirements.
Regards,
Charles Gaudet"
I asked Mobil about cleaning back in 10/25. Notice their response says "keep clean properties". Dr. Warholic said some deposits are easily removed and can be wiped off with your finger. Those are the deposits MOST synthetics will clean up. Piston deposits are tenacious and much more difficult to remove which is why it takes a significant amount of solvency beyond a typically formulated PCMO to remove them. Hence Valvoline Restore and Protect's uniqueness.
I asked Mobil what oils would clean up an engine that was neglected. I specifically mentioned how some PDS say "cleaning power".
This was their response:
"All Mobil 1 oils have keep clean properties but if you have not been using a Mobil 1 product, the Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage or Mobil 1 High Mileage would by our suggested product for removing buildup if they meet your vehicle requirements.
Regards,
Charles Gaudet"
Just look at the difference "after" using Mobil ESP - - - - - Those pictures make it easy to come to a conclusion - ESP worked better on the visible varnish than Valvoline Restore and Protect.
From my knowledge (severe lack of), AN is not listed on an SDS, right? Are there really any telltale signs that would point to an oil/formulation that contains it? Do we think Valvoline Restore and Protect contains it?
This was an 09 Altima 2.5, so not an oil churner by any means. There’s a used oil analysis somewhere on here of formula shell conventional that produced good high mileage results. It was my car that I gave to my daughter for work. She commutes 120 highway miles plus daily, so relatively easy miles. That is, until your in the passenger seat with her and then you realize those miles aren’t so easy.
That's a good data point. Thanks for emailing them.
This tracks with some users' reports here that they've had great results with Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage. I think @Cujet maybe? I've seen multiple people rave about it. Harder to find though.
Quaker State can tend to form an orange varnish while Pennzoil can form a gold varnish . I don’t see that with Mobil 1 vanilla , EP , Truck & SUV or ESP oils . While I wouldn’t pass judgement on Valvoline Restore and Protect until after 4 or 5 OCI’s , I have seen similar results after one fill of Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 in a Kia 3.3L which had dealer bulk oil changes most of its life . The 0W30 ESP removed chunks of hard non- metallic sludge / carbon that appeared in the bottom of the oil drain container. Yes , Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 definately has cleaning ability.
How long did you leave ESP in ? How many miles
I’d get that PCV valve checked out too .
Yes, usually they change the label design. Introduce new shapes and colors.
Here’s a pic of new bottle since SQ update (on the right). There’s a VOA here that shows its still same formula. I believe someone also mentioned there would be a code change on the bottle if formula changed but it’s the same. Could be misremembering that though
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Just bought one - it’s the green and black RH side …
Well, then it's updated design of the same formula.
The Mobil 1 Advance Fuel Economy also got that same dark green. Now I'm a bit confused when looking for ESP on the shelves because AFE looks almost the same. Maybe they changed the design because those are API SQ but the oil formula/ingredients are the same. The same for either one, not that ESP is the same as AFE.