Friend asked me today what a good oil is to use for this. He's a college student, so nothing rediculus like m1. I was thinking that the HDEO's would probably not be a bad choice, but I didn't see a UOA on the engine. Does anyone know if the slightly thicker oils work well in this car?
Oil question for Ecotec 2.2
- Thread starter Thomas Pyrek
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Mobil1 is not overpriced, I get 5 quart jugs at walmart for 19 bucks and change.
For your ecotec application, I would go with a high quality dino like Havoline/Chevron Supreme, in the weight that the book recommends.
Also the supertech filter would be a good one for a budget, and its a good performer.
Their is no reason that a good 15W40 like Delvac $5.88 at walmart can not be run dureing the warmer months. If he like a thiner oil Delo 400 can be found in 10W30. Dureing winter a good 5W30 or 10W30 will do just fine! 15W40 really should not be run any colder then 10F just as a good rule of thumb.
I do not think anyone on this site has run 15W40 in the ecotec engine. Mechanicly their is nothing to preclude it's use.GM worries that people will try to start their car in -20F temps with 20W50 in it and damage their bearings or shear their oil pump shaft. THis has lead them to make silly blanket recomendations like use only 5W30 in your car. CAFE does not help either!
[ May 17, 2004, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: JohnBrowning ]
quote:When you're a colllege student who's lucky to find a little bit of pocket lint every once in a while, mobil 1 is over priced when a good dino will work satisfactory for less.
Originally posted by JustinH: Mobil1 is not overpriced, I get 5 quart jugs at walmart for 19 bucks and change. For your ecotec application, I would go with a high quality dino like Havoline/Chevron Supreme, in the weight that the book recommends. Also the supertech filter would be a good one for a budget, and its a good performer.
quote:Tom, How's this guy a "poor college student" if he's driving a new Ecotec? BTW, I'm currently in college, and let's just say I'm very grateful to have some very generous parents!!! If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have a chance in **** of being where I am now! Sorry for the rant... Also, IMHO, there is NO mineral PCMO that is gonna work as good as M1...wear rates on low drain intervals will be just as good, if not better, but engine cleanliness over the long-run will be awful in comparison! Lastly, the price of it, in this poor college students opinion (working an internship while attending school only pays so much...), is very attractively priced! The only reason I don't use it is because I don't have an application for it with my vehicle. [ May 18, 2004, 01:22 AM: Message edited by: Jelly ]
Originally posted by Thomas Pyrek: When you're a colllege student who's lucky to find a little bit of pocket lint every once in a while, mobil 1 is over priced when a good dino will work satisfactory for less.
dad has a 2003 cavelier that he possibly might be getting sick of (after 40k miles in one year for a **** box, most would be...). Sure mobil 1 is very good. but why bother doing extended 10k drains while running the risk of not doing an analysis to equal out the cost of buying a HDEO at 1.50 a quart and running for 5k.
For the most part, that doesn't add up to me or him, and his opinion, for the most part, was set like that before I talked to him. Personally, I think the HDEO's are better than the PCEO's, so I was wondering if those engines worked sufficiently with 40 oil during proper weather. If not, he'll probably do the supertech dino all eyar.
quote:Do you know anything about anything?
Originally posted by Thomas Pyrek: dad has a 2003 cavelier that he possibly might be getting sick of (after 40k miles in one year for a **** box, most would be...). Sure mobil 1 is very good. but why bother doing extended 10k drains while running the risk of not doing an analysis to equal out the cost of buying a HDEO at 1.50 a quart and running for 5k. For the most part, that doesn't add up to me or him, and his opinion, for the most part, was set like that before I talked to him. Personally, I think the HDEO's are better than the PCEO's, so I was wondering if those engines worked sufficiently with 40 oil during proper weather. If not, he'll probably do the supertech dino all eyar.
not late in the evening.
What I really meant to say,
His dad has a 2003 cavelier that he possibly might be giving to his son, my friend, for a nominal amount of money. The car is out of warrenty and my friend does have intrest in continueing to take car of the car. He really doesn't see the benefits of running a synthetic because he has no intrest in pushing the oil via high OCI's or high revving (unless the engine requires it, I don't know...). Therefor, running a syn is a waste in his situation, but M1 not necissarily a waste totally.
I always recall people saying various engines like a various weight of oil on here and was curious to see if anyone had any sort of experience like that.
More or less, I was interested in finding out what dino was of the highest quality and cheap to recommend to him that would work well in his application. I didn't find any UOA's for this engine, so I figured I would ask here to get some subjective results. Even though they are not perfect, they are better than nothing. HDEO's intrigue me with their additive package which can keep a motor cleaner than a PCEO, so I'd like to recommend him one of those.
[ May 18, 2004, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Thomas Pyrek ]
I would use this Saab Blend or the Mobil 5w-30 Newer Car Drive Clean Plus or maybe the Q-State High Performance Engine PAO Blend .
Actually I'd use the Synergyn 5w-30 or Mobil 0w-30R and find a fairly wealthy girlfriend . She'd need be easy on the eyes too . ![[Razz]](images/icons/tongue.gif)
quote:OMG!!! That's so not happening here. BTW, this kid is living on student loans and only buys food and books. He literally doesn't spend money on anything else and he does not have a good chunk of cash to toss around.
Originally posted by Motorbike: Actually I'd use the Synergyn 5w-30 or Mobil 0w-30R and find a fairly wealthy girlfriend . She'd need be easy on the eyes too .
Do to the insane rip off on the filter element for the Ecotec 2.2, $8 for a Fram PH 9018, at Wal-Mart, I would check some of the smaller discounts chains for one that stocks the Purolator L 15436. I recently scored one for $4. Pep Boys' has them for $5-6. While he is there, look over the dinos in the recommended 5W-30. Choose something he thinks he can live with. You are more likely to be able to catch brand names on special at times than house brands. I would stay away from buying something different every oil changes because it is on special.
I have an 02 Cavalier pushing 40K. Great little car, so far I haven't laid a wrench on it, no nothin except gas, oil, and filters. It seems happy with Pennzoil 5W-30 as the manual says, from below 0 starts to running 75 on the highway in the summer.
Thomas, if his budget is tight, does he actually change his oil every 3-4K? If not, why not go with SuperTech 5w-30 full synth and the cheapest filter he can find? That should last at least 6-7K in this engine. For $12, he gets a decent group III oil, and $5 for a filter that will last him about 7K. Regular dino at half that OCI would cost more. He can put the money he saves in his pocket.
thanks labman about the ripoff for the fitler. I did not know they they used the cartridge. Since the filters are much more expensive (he was thinking of using the $2 supertech, but that's obviously out now...) using a higher quality oil would be a better option.
Thanks. That is the type of info I was looking for.
Does this car have GM's Oil Life Monitor system?
Jelly,
I've noticed that you have responded to many threads over the past week or so stating how conventional oils cannot keep an engine clean. This just isn't true. I've seen many examples of a good, quality conventional oil, when changed at reasonable intervals, keeping an engine clean.
I think the scare tactics should stop.
Originally posted by Thomas Pyrek:
"When you're a colllege student who's lucky to find a little bit of pocket lint every once in a while, mobil 1 is over priced when a good dino will work satisfactory for less."
You might want to calculate how much money you might save changing the oil less often with a good synthetic as opposed to a shorter oil change interval using a dino oil because of the expensive price of the oil filter.
The oil filter for my 2.2L Ecotech Saturn is $8 at Wal-mart.
![[Cheers!]](/forums/graemlins/cheers.gif)
quote:I simply will not recommend a mineral PCMO because, IMHO, they just can't keep an engine clean over the long-run. Yes, on 3k-5k drain intervals, they can keep metal wear rates just as low as a high quality synthetic, but you pay the price in regards to engine cleanliness. For something available locally, I still think something like M1 5w-30 would be the best bet, and like I mentioned before, the price is very small when you consider how much you spend on everything else in your life when in college. Use year-round, change on O.E. suggested intervals, and you'll be set! The lowest cost COTS alternative I can suggest is using a HDEO 15w-40 during the warmer months and then switching over the Rotella 5w-40 for the winter. Still think the five quart jugs at Wally-World are the best bet though... [ May 18, 2004, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: Jelly ]
Originally posted by Thomas Pyrek: He really doesn't see the benefits of running a synthetic because he has no intrest in pushing the oil via high OCI's or high revving (unless the engine requires it, I don't know...). Therefor, running a syn is a waste in his situation, but M1 not necissarily a waste totally. More or less, I was interested in finding out what dino was of the highest quality and cheap to recommend to him that would work well in his application. HDEO's intrigue me with their additive package which can keep a motor cleaner than a PCEO, so I'd like to recommend him one of those.
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