Moil Clean 5000, 10w30, 01 Cavalier, 2.2L, 6,124mi

[Buffman]

Been awhile since I did a UOA on the wife's car. 2001 Chevy Cavalier, with the 2.2L OHV motor. This car has a 3 speed auto, so it screams some mad RPMS on the highway.. With 6000 mile OCI's I typically get two changes out of her a year. Once at the end of winter/beginning spring, and one fallish.

She usually drives about 15 minutes one way to work each day, usually 40-50mph. Makes a couple trips down the highway a week. So I'd say 90% of her driving is city now. If I remember right, the car has an S&B air filter in it. Doesn't seem to be filtering as well as it once did, so I think I'll go to an Amsoil EAA panel filter... Think it would be okay to continue 6K OCI's or perhaps cut back to 5K? Oil looks to me like it holds up well especially for the price. It's a 4 quart sump and I can usually get the oilon sale with filter (STP, Delco, etco) for $9.99

 

[genynnc]

What's the deal with the lead/iron/aluminum trending up?

 

[Hermann]

Nothing way out of line on this UOA. Lead is the only thing that would concern me. Looks like they are trying to scare you into another UOA next oil change, instead of every 30K miles.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Use the Mobil Super SN next time and use the 5w-30. It really is super! I Never liked the 10w-30 MC5K for some reason. I would back down to 5K. I dont like that big fuel dilution and/or the sump shearing out of grade.

 

[mongo161]

Thanks for posting your results.

I wonder how the New Mobil Super oils will stack up against this UOA. I'm interested in seeing what the results are for the new Mobil Super Synthetic once the members start using that product. Maybe the Super Synthetic will look similar to Mobil 1 in the UOA's.

 

[Artem]

Now bad for an oil rated to 5k.

Depending on how much longer you're planning on keeping the car, 6k sounds nice.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

I too would be interested in seeing you use and test 5w-30.

 

[Buffman]

Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
I too would be interested in seeing you use and test 5w-30.


Probably won't happen anytime soon. I think I have 20 quarts of it in the basement

I capitalized on the sale pepboys had..

I thought from UOAs in the past the 5w/30 MC had higher levels of sodium or something in them that people didn't like? It's why I originally went to 10w30..

I wonder if on her car wear #s are higher because of that 3 speed auto? 70mph is like 4400 rpm or something.

I was hoping, if we needed, to get another 50,000 miles out out of this car. The doors are starting to rust pretty good on the bottom. The dogs have ben inside of it so many times it will never come clean (even after removing the seat covers). It's been a good car. The only major things I've done to it is the AC (compressor, condenser), and a rear hub (for the ABS). Other than that just standard maitneanance on it. Gets 27.5 mpg.. 30 mpg on the highway

 

[chubbs1]

Just keep it at 5k. Do a UOA in a couple of OCI's to see where you are at. Nothing alarming. When you get done with your stash try something else. You can get 50k out of that vehicle barring other unforseen calamity. The oil won't kill it that is for sure.

 

[steve20]

agreed- 50 more K miles with every UOA like this one and you are home free

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: Buffman

I wonder if on her car wear #s are higher because of that 3 speed auto? 70mph is like 4400 rpm or something.


Does it serious rev that high doing 70mph???

 

[cmf]

3 speed auto? Will it not shift into overdrive or something? I was really curious what the gear ratio was for it to be 4400 rpm at 70 mph so I googled the car and it says it has a 4 speed auto, with the 4th gear being an overdrive gear.

Transmission
Trans Order Code: MX0
Trans Type: 4
Trans Description Cont.: Automatic w/OD,
Trans Description Cont. Again: Electronic
First Gear Ratio 1): 2.96
Second Gear Ratio 1): 1.63
Third Gear Ratio 1): 1.00
Fourth Gear Ratio 1): 0.68
Reverse Ratio 1): 2.14
Final Drive Axle Ratio 1): 3.63
Link

Not trying to derail the thread but I'm pretty curious.

Other than that the UOA looks decent. 90% city will make any UOA look sub-par on wear numbers. I would definitely cut back to 5k on that oil though, it sheared badly out of spec.

 

[Buffman]

Four sPeed was optional. This is three speed with lockup converter 3t40

Gear Ratios:
First: 2.840
Second: 1.600
Third: 1.000
Reverse: 2.067

 

[cmf]

I see now that the 4 speed was optional (with the larger engine); that is rough having a 1:1 ratio for the final gear. To answer your earlier question... cruising around at 4400 rpm is pretty hard on an oil. Really going to have to reiterate the 5k oil changes to keep the oil in grade. I would also consider adding a quart of a thicker oil to up the starting point for viscosity. Maybe 3 quarts of 5w30 and a quart of 15w40 delvac, rotella or some other cheap HDEO.

The new air filter sounds like a good idea, while the silicon isn't that high, the main cause of bearing wear (lead) is dirt.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

That highway rpm # cannot be correct unless the converter is not locking. Do the math - what is the final drive ratio?

 

[Buffman]

Correction, Fudged Numbers

70mph is roughly 3000 rpm.. At least according to online calculator. R&P ratio is 3.18 according to SPID. Tires are 24.7" tall

 

[Buffman]

I'll have to throw the scanner on it next time and check out cruising rpms

 

[addyguy]

Wear isn't catastrophic, but i will say, when I did 8k runs on dino 5W-30 in my 2002 Cavalier, I got better Al and Pb results.

The bearing wear would worry mer, especially with the oil shearing so much - the bearings are wearing b/c the oil is to thin. I'd seriously add a bottle of STP to your oil fills, or sub in some 40 or 50-weight.

Mind you, at 145k, I'm not sure it matters. I recently got rid of my '02 b/c it was just far too worn-out to be worth fixing, something you seem to be closing in on.....

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Figure out why you have high fuel dilution. Maybe a leaky injector. Check standing fuel rail pressure after shutdown at 10min intervals.

 

[cmf]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Figure out why you have high fuel dilution. Maybe a leaky injector. Check standing fuel rail pressure after shutdown at 10min intervals.


I wouldn't consider .8 to be high fuel dilution personally. Something could be wrong and it's worth looking into, but I really just cannot consider .8 as high fuel dilution. It could also be just from idling the car too much. He says it does 90% city driving; that's a lot of idling if it's a congested city.

I'm glad to hear it's not 4400, that did sound a little too high. 3k at 70 sounds about right.