Mobil 1 Syn High Milage helped!!

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So, after getting my oil changed at the dealership with "full synthetic Mobil One" I noticed a huge cloud of blue smoke on cold start up. 300k plus on the engine and I'm the original owner. Never had much for issues with the engine (jinx), burns some oil when I drive it hard, but maybe a quart in 8k miles. But never any blue smoke. So after a few weeks and noticing the oil getting really black and then adding 3!! quarts within the first 2k miles after the oil change I'm thinking the engine is toast. I quickly looked thru prior recommendations on BITOG and tried a couple of the additives suggested, more than once...no help. Long story short, I changed the oil myself with off the shelf Mobil One Full Synthetic high mileage (what I have been using since 150k) - no more issues.
What they put in for oil I have no idea. Maybe the kid grabbed the wrong oil gun? 8k on the oil change and hasn't burned any oil and no blue smoke.
Appreciate all the help from this site. Thought I would share my adventure!
 
Haven't heard of one with that dramatic an increase from a (likely) brand change but it doesn't seem unlikely given an engine with 300k on it.

Curious: what kind of vehicle, and what weight Mobil 1 are you using?
 
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What engine? How old? Which brand of car dealership? I don't think I've ever heard of a dealer actively using mobil1 or any real big name oil. Usually it's bulk off/no name brand.

I have an older engine with >200K miles and tired valve seals. It'll occasionally puff blue smoke on startup. Or if I lug it too low with a trailer taking off from a stop sign.

Been running 5w-30 maxlife in it for a year or so.
 
Originally Posted by Miller88
What engine? How old? Which brand of car dealership? I don't think I've ever heard of a dealer actively using mobil1 or any real big name oil. Usually it's bulk off/no name brand.

I have an older engine with >200K miles and tired valve seals. It'll occasionally puff blue smoke on startup. Or if I lug it too low with a trailer taking off from a stop sign.

Been running 5w-30 maxlife in it for a year or so.



Would be nice to know which engine.

If it's a turbo engine, it could be bad turbo seals.
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
It sounds like it got refilled with something VERY thin, like ATF or power steering fluid!


Ouch, that would be a fail on an epic scale but (sadly) not implausible.🤔
 
Originally Posted by Kestor
So, after getting my oil changed at the dealership with "full synthetic Mobil One" I noticed a huge cloud of blue smoke on cold start up. 300k plus on the engine and I'm the original owner. Never had much for issues with the engine (jinx), burns some oil when I drive it hard, but maybe a quart in 8k miles. But never any blue smoke. So after a few weeks and noticing the oil getting really black and then adding 3!! quarts within the first 2k miles after the oil change I'm thinking the engine is toast. I quickly looked thru prior recommendations on BITOG and tried a couple of the additives suggested, more than once...no help. Long story short, I changed the oil myself with off the shelf Mobil One Full Synthetic high mileage (what I have been using since 150k) - no more issues.
What they put in for oil I have no idea. Maybe the kid grabbed the wrong oil gun? 8k on the oil change and hasn't burned any oil and no blue smoke.
Appreciate all the help from this site. Thought I would share my adventure!

Lesson learned! Either change the oil yourself (or) hand them the five quart jug & filter you just purchased. Then don't turn your back on them for the entire oil change, for they might keep your good oil for themselves and still install their lousy house brand.

If they tell you to wait in the waiting room, then shake their hand and take your vehicle & oil to another shop, where you can watch the work being done.
 
Originally Posted by Kestor
So, after getting my oil changed at the dealership with "full synthetic Mobil One" I noticed a huge cloud of blue smoke on cold start up. 300k plus on the engine and I'm the original owner. Never had much for issues with the engine (jinx), burns some oil when I drive it hard, but maybe a quart in 8k miles. But never any blue smoke. So after a few weeks and noticing the oil getting really black and then adding 3!! quarts within the first 2k miles after the oil change I'm thinking the engine is toast. I quickly looked thru prior recommendations on BITOG and tried a couple of the additives suggested, more than once...no help. Long story short, I changed the oil myself with off the shelf Mobil One Full Synthetic high mileage (what I have been using since 150k) - no more issues.
What they put in for oil I have no idea. Maybe the kid grabbed the wrong oil gun? 8k on the oil change and hasn't burned any oil and no blue smoke.
Appreciate all the help from this site. Thought I would share my adventure!



What does your receipt say, did they write down Mobil 1 oil as being used? Makes you wonder if they really used Mobil 1.

We are using Mobil 1 in our all vehicles, the SUV has 156,000+ miles, our dad's Tundra has 161,000+, my brother Civic has 346,000+ miles, none of them have a cloud of blue smoke on cold start up.
 
Originally Posted by Miller88
What engine? How old? Which brand of car dealership? I don't think I've ever heard of a dealer actively using mobil1 or any real big name oil. Usually it's bulk off/no name brand.

I have an older engine with >200K miles and tired valve seals. It'll occasionally puff blue smoke on startup. Or if I lug it too low with a trailer taking off from a stop sign.

Been running 5w-30 maxlife in it for a year or so.


Our local Toyota dealer was promoting oil changes with Mobil 1. It is being offered as an "upgrade" oil change.

The Honda had signs last time I went to buy Honda power steering fluid promoting Pennzoil Platinum as the "premium oil change". I thought that was interesting because I was thinking they would try to promote their own Honda synthetic oils.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Lesson learned! Either change the oil yourself (or) hand them the five quart jug & filter you just purchased. Then don't turn your back on them for the entire oil change, for they might keep your good oil for themselves and still install their lousy house brand.

If they tell you to wait in the waiting room, then shake their hand and take your vehicle & oil to another shop, where you can watch the work being done.


Or just ask for the used jug back. It's one thing to ask to watch the work being done, but it's a little unreasonable to demand to be there to watch, especially since that may require you to be in the shop and many places will balk at that for insurance reasons.
 
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Linctex
It sounds like it got refilled with something VERY thin, like ATF or power steering fluid!


Ouch, that would be a fail on an epic scale but (sadly) not implausible.🤔


Since it is a Toyota dealer, is it possible that their default "upgrade" oil change was TGMO 0W-20?

M1 EP HM 5W-30 is very "thick" compared to TGMO 0w-20.
 
Originally Posted by The Critic
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Linctex
It sounds like it got refilled with something VERY thin, like ATF or power steering fluid!


Ouch, that would be a fail on an epic scale but (sadly) not implausible.🤔


Since it is a Toyota dealer, is it possible that their default "upgrade" oil change was TGMO 0W-20?

M1 EP HM 5W-30 is very "thick" compared to TGMO 0w-20.


I agree, they might have filled the sump with a 20 grade oil.
 
Originally Posted by JustN89
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Lesson learned! Either change the oil yourself (or) hand them the five quart jug & filter you just purchased. Then don't turn your back on them for the entire oil change, for they might keep your good oil for themselves and still install their lousy house brand.

If they tell you to wait in the waiting room, then shake their hand and take your vehicle & oil to another shop, where you can watch the work being done.


Or just ask for the used jug back. It's one thing to ask to watch the work being done, but it's a little unreasonable to demand to be there to watch, especially since that may require you to be in the shop and many places will balk at that for insurance reasons.

Used jug returned to owner can still be tampered with, prior to work completed.
Either watch the work, or don't complain to members here about possibly getting the wrong oil there.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by JustN89
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Lesson learned! Either change the oil yourself (or) hand them the five quart jug & filter you just purchased. Then don't turn your back on them for the entire oil change, for they might keep your good oil for themselves and still install their lousy house brand.

If they tell you to wait in the waiting room, then shake their hand and take your vehicle & oil to another shop, where you can watch the work being done.


Or just ask for the used jug back. It's one thing to ask to watch the work being done, but it's a little unreasonable to demand to be there to watch, especially since that may require you to be in the shop and many places will balk at that for insurance reasons.

Used jug returned to owner can still be tampered with, prior to work completed.
Either watch the work, or don't complain to members here about possibly getting the wrong oil there.




Very few places let you watch. Some might have a window into the shop but the chances of seeing exactly what they are doing to your car are slim.

There are reasons shops won't let customers in. Too much liability these days. The old days when you could walk up to the mechanic working under the car are pretty much gone.

For oil changes, changing your own is the preferable way. Then you know exactly what's in the sump and that the job is done completely.
 
The very first place I went to last January (first time in 4-5 years for me) let me watch both oil and transmission fluid changes.

Or you can play Mr, I Don't Want To Try Different Lube Shops and roll the dice while sitting in the waiting room, for your question mark service to be completed. Your choice!
 
It's a Chevrolet Avalanche 5.3 and 5w30 as per recommendation
Up until this episode, never had any issues with the engine, or the dealership when I've had them do oil changes. Since it has quite a few miles on it I figured it finally gave up a seal. It does seem logical that they put in a wrong fluid some how. I could't be happier with the Mobil One high mileage full synthetic and will be sticking with it until the truck goes away!
 
Customers always watch at the dealerships. They always walk right back into the shop and stand there next to their vehicle while it's being serviced.
 
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