I copied this post from the Consumer Reports site, I thought it was very interesting and that others here would also like to read it.
"First, let me say that I am a retired Mobil employee, so you can decide to ignore me if you have already made up your mind that Industry is evil. I was a Research Chemist at Mobil's main Applied R&D laboratory for over 34 years, including the time when Mobil developed Mobil 1. That was not my project, but I knew many of the chemists and engineers involved.
This product was created at our lab as an outgrowth of Mobil's leadership aviation lubricants. Most jet aircraft then used (and probably still do use) Mobiljet lubricants for their engines. While most automotive engines don't operate at the high temperatures of jet engines, heavy service will cause conventional motor oils to decompose and form sludge, a black paste that coats the inside of an engine to the point that it blocks the oil passages and can cause the engine to self-destruct. That's why oil is drained (while hot!), instead of merely "topped off."
The automotive version of Mobiljet was the talk of the lab, because it easily passed all tests required for brand-new multigrade oil even after 75,000 miles of use. As Mobil was a pretty conservative company, the marketing people planned to claim a drain interval of only 25,000 miles. But finally management decided that such a recommendation would contradict the car manufacturer's requirements, therefore effectively transferring warranty responsibility to Mobil.
So the fact that Mobil 1 was not marketed with an extended drain interval doesn't imply a lack of confidence in the product, but simply an aversion to litigation.
By the way, I saw the results of one of the more recent formulations of the product run on a very severe test against a conventional oil. The conventional oil, after the equivalent of 25,000 miles, had deposited about 1/2" of sludge, having the consistency of cold black butter, in the oil pan. The Mobil 1 product, after 250,000 miles equivalent, left its engine's oil pan looking nearly factory new. We chemists get excited about things like that!
I use Mobil 1 in my cars, keeping to the drain interval in my car owner's manual (7,500 miles, NOT 3,000) until the warranty period is over, then change oil and filter once a year. The way I drive doesn't tax the oil, but my cars do age well. I avoid the nuisance of up to 3 oil changes per year. My net cost is about the same, but I waste less oil.
If I had a performance car, especially with a turbosupercharged engine, I'd definitely use a synthetic lubricant, as heat buildup after engine shutoff, when coolant and oil flow cease, can destroy conventional oil and form nasty carbon deposits in the turbo's bearings.
Robert J. Kobrin, Ph.D."
"First, let me say that I am a retired Mobil employee, so you can decide to ignore me if you have already made up your mind that Industry is evil. I was a Research Chemist at Mobil's main Applied R&D laboratory for over 34 years, including the time when Mobil developed Mobil 1. That was not my project, but I knew many of the chemists and engineers involved.
This product was created at our lab as an outgrowth of Mobil's leadership aviation lubricants. Most jet aircraft then used (and probably still do use) Mobiljet lubricants for their engines. While most automotive engines don't operate at the high temperatures of jet engines, heavy service will cause conventional motor oils to decompose and form sludge, a black paste that coats the inside of an engine to the point that it blocks the oil passages and can cause the engine to self-destruct. That's why oil is drained (while hot!), instead of merely "topped off."
The automotive version of Mobiljet was the talk of the lab, because it easily passed all tests required for brand-new multigrade oil even after 75,000 miles of use. As Mobil was a pretty conservative company, the marketing people planned to claim a drain interval of only 25,000 miles. But finally management decided that such a recommendation would contradict the car manufacturer's requirements, therefore effectively transferring warranty responsibility to Mobil.
So the fact that Mobil 1 was not marketed with an extended drain interval doesn't imply a lack of confidence in the product, but simply an aversion to litigation.
By the way, I saw the results of one of the more recent formulations of the product run on a very severe test against a conventional oil. The conventional oil, after the equivalent of 25,000 miles, had deposited about 1/2" of sludge, having the consistency of cold black butter, in the oil pan. The Mobil 1 product, after 250,000 miles equivalent, left its engine's oil pan looking nearly factory new. We chemists get excited about things like that!
I use Mobil 1 in my cars, keeping to the drain interval in my car owner's manual (7,500 miles, NOT 3,000) until the warranty period is over, then change oil and filter once a year. The way I drive doesn't tax the oil, but my cars do age well. I avoid the nuisance of up to 3 oil changes per year. My net cost is about the same, but I waste less oil.
If I had a performance car, especially with a turbosupercharged engine, I'd definitely use a synthetic lubricant, as heat buildup after engine shutoff, when coolant and oil flow cease, can destroy conventional oil and form nasty carbon deposits in the turbo's bearings.
Robert J. Kobrin, Ph.D."
