Pennzoil Dino or Chevron Supreme Dino?

Big Red · Jun 14, 2003

Hey Guys
After reading many opinions about Pennzoil and Chevron Supreme dino oils, I am confused of what to go with? Presently, I have been using Castrol GTX 5w30 /10w30 in my 1995 Nissan Hardbody V6 4x4 truck with 72600 on the odometer, but will end up changing over to Pennzoil or Chevron my next oil change.The bottom line is I want the best protection in cold /hot weather for my truck. Your opinions are welcome.
Thanks

JonS · Jun 14, 2003

I would pick the Chevron over the Pennzoil. But Pennzoil would be my second choice with probably Mobil dino third.

Neil Womack · Jun 14, 2003

The Penn is a little more expensive than the Chevron, but I like the moly. If Conoco Hydroclear is available it has good typical data.

davefr · Jun 14, 2003

Pennzoil has 125 ppm of Moly. I'd choose it but they're both highly regarded dino oils.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Red:
Hey Guys
After reading many opinions about Pennzoil and Chevron Supreme dino oils, I am confused of what to go with? Presently, I have been using Castrol GTX 5w30 /10w30 in my 1995 Nissan Hardbody V6 4x4 truck with 72600 on the odometer, but will end up changing over to Pennzoil or Chevron my next oil change.The bottom line is I want the best protection in cold /hot weather for my truck. Your opinions are welcome.
Thanks

Mystic · Jun 14, 2003

I used to use Pennzoil (and sometimes Quaker State) all the time in my vehicles. Then I came across an incredible amount of negative information concerning Pennzoil (and sometimes Quaker State). Apparently these people were wrong, because Pennzoil has tested well in VOA and UOA at this site.

It is a wonder I did not start using Castrol, because I heard a lot of positive stuff about it. Instead, I started to use Valvoline.

When I discovered this site, I switched to Chevron oil. It seemed to run great in my car. It has a nice low pour point, better than Castrol. I really like Chevron, but I am now using Schaeffer's Oil in my car.

Judging from the VOA and UOA at this site, you will be okay either way you decide to go-Pennzoil or Chevron.

UncleS2 · Jun 14, 2003

Either should do just fine. But since you asked: If it was mine, I'd spend the extra ~50 cents/qt & use Pennzoil.

drm7 · Jun 14, 2003

Why is everyone picking another oil instead of recommending him to stay with Castrol? I thought that castrol gtx was regarded as a good oil. As good as penn or chevron. I'm currently using gtx 5w30 in my new Mazda B4000 but if penn has tested 'better' I would switch. We are all nuts about oil and want what's best. One thing I like about gtx is that you can get it anywhere so if I'm traveling I can get it if I need it whereas chevron seems hard to find. But I guess wally-world is everywhere so maybe that's not a problem. There is a garage right across from my work and they use pennzoil, would this be the same as the stuff you guys are recommending? I bring my own filter and oil and they charge me $12 for the change. If they do it with their stuff it's $22 I think.

[ June 15, 2003, 08:11 AM: Message edited by: drm7 ]

Bror Jace · Jun 15, 2003

Castrol GTX is a good oil ... but it's their marketing which is really "high performance."

Last I knew they used a Group II base oil Pennzoil has been using a Group II+ oil ("Pure-Base") for YEARS now, Chevron for a while as well.

And Castrol only recently began using moly in their formulations ... and it appears to be less concentrated than most others.

It appears they formulate it light with disperants/detergents. It stays clean looking a long time but whenever you switch to some other brand after using Castrol, the oil turns dark very quickly as the new oil cleans up what Castrol left behind.

Lastly, some of us have a slight anti-Castrol bias because of their late nineties "synthetic" shenanigans.

--- Bror Jace

novadude · Jun 16, 2003

Hmmm.... no clear "winner" here, eh?

I'm trying to make this decision as well. Anbyone have anything else to add?

Also, 5W, or 10W-30?

Mystic · Jun 16, 2003

Maybe it depends on what the car or truck wants. When I started to use Chevron Supreme, my car just seemed to run better. Other motor oils I have tried just did not seem to work as good-including Castrol GTX and Valvoline All Climate. It seemed like the car would run great immediately after the oil change, but only with the Chevron did it seem that way for the entire oil change.

But I have since moved to Schaeffer's Oil, and now have hundreds of miles with it. The car runs great with Schaeffer's. I have occasionally used Mobil 1 10W-30 and the Schaeffer's feels like that. I realize that is not scientific.

ToyotaNSaturn · Jun 17, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by Mystic:
[QB When I started to use Chevron Supreme, my car just seemed to run better. Other motor oils I have tried just did not seem to work as good...[/QB]

I have the same smooth drivability results using Chevron Supreme on my 1996 Saturn DOHC. I would like to go 100% synthetic on this car, but I'm concerned about how this engine might start to consume oil where it never has in the past. I figure why fix what isn't broke? If the engine runs great, why spend more than $1.08 per quart?

MikeW · Jun 17, 2003

Why (especially if you use the same viscosity)?

quote:

Originally posted by ToyotaNSaturn:
I would like to go 100% synthetic on this car, but I'm concerned about how this engine might start to consume oil where it never has in the past.

ToyotaNSaturn · Jun 17, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by MikeW:
Why (especially if you use the same viscosity)?

I switched to Valvoline's synth blend this past winter for only 1 drain on my 93 DOHC and it started to consume oil, to a rate of 1 qt per 300 miles. These engines are known to eat oil at a high rate. Makes me kinda weary to switch if oil consumption happens once again.

Bror Jace · Jun 17, 2003

"I switched to Valvoline's synth blend this past winter for only 1 drain on my 93 DOHC and it started to consume oil, to a rate of 1 qt per 300 miles."

My Civic never consumed any measurable oil in 100,000 miles (almost Mobil 1 exclusively) ... then began to consume oil when I switch to Valvoline (Synpower).

I avoid Valvoline like the plague now. I have some 20W50 All-Climate I'm trying to get rid of ... but I can't think of anything I own that I'd use that in.

T 'n S, you might try searching this whole forum on Saturns. They are known for burning oil (stuck rings?) and some here have found additives which have minimized/eliminated that problem.

--- Bror Jace

ToyotaNSaturn · Jun 17, 2003

quote:

I avoid Valvoline like the plague now. I have some 20W50 All-Climate I'm trying to get rid of ... but I can't think of anything I own that I'd use that in.

Lawnmower? Hmmm. Don't want to treat the lawnmower that bad, eh?

Mystic · Jun 17, 2003

I am not trying to say anything negative about anybodys oil-I am no expert. But when I tried Valvoline synthetic, my car ran terrible! It ran better with Valvoline MaxLife. I did not really keep that Valvoline synthetic in long enough to check for oil consumption, but it did go down on the dipstick some.

I have heard that some Saturns may have something of a sludge problem-maybe not as bad as some Toyota cars and vans and the Dodge Durrango are alleged to have. I have ordered some Lube Control which is supposed to keep an engine clean, be fully compatible with conventional and at least some synthetic oils, and also slow oxidation.

I am not eager to use oil supplements (I used some in the past, but I am convinced today that most are worse than useless), but there seems to be good evidence that Lube Control works. And it is really a cleaner rather than an oil supplement. I bring all of this up because of Bror Jace's post above. No oil can do a good job in a dirty engine.

slickracer · Jun 17, 2003

The Valvoline 20w-50 might make good bar & chain oil.

Mystic · Jun 18, 2003

How many people have noticed that immediately after you change the oil in your car or truck, it seems to run better for a while? No matter what type of motor oil I used (Pennzoil, Quaker State, Valvoline, Castrol, Chevron), my car always seemed to run better immediately after the change. However, the car with Chevron seemed to run that way for the entire oil change. All of this is not scientific-but that is how it seems to me.

Steve S · Jun 18, 2003

Mystic, I seen to notice a difference between oils for example my 92 toy seems to run better with delo 400 than delvac 1300 15\40 , I don't know why. Chevron is a good oil.

[ June 18, 2003, 03:31 PM: Message edited by: Steve S ]

robbobster · Jun 18, 2003

quote:

1996 Saturn DOHC. I would like to go 100% synthetic on this car, but I'm concerned about how this engine might start to consume oil where it never has in the past.

I recently started using Mobil 1 synthetic in my 1997 Expedition with 82K miles on it. Up to this point it has been all dino oil.

I have not seen even one drop of oil leaking. Nor have I noticed any oil consumption, but I haven't put enough miles on it with the new oil to be sure.

IMHO, based on what I've read, the thought that synthetics will cause new leaks is either a myth, or new formulations address this issue.

[ June 18, 2003, 09:53 PM: Message edited by: robbobster ]

Pennzoil Dino or Chevron Supreme Dino?

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