Pulled the valve cover on my 1ZZ-FE Corolla(no pics)

[Alan]

Before I traded it in for the current GTI(which I love

).Car had 57,000 miles on it with 50K of those done with Mobil 1 5W30 which the engine always ran well with.

There was a slight and I mean slight yellow film on the valve cover.I soaked it in an orange-solve cleaner to remove the film which it easily did.It also cleaned out the PCV baffle plate.

Under the cover the valvetrain was spotless.I was really surprised on how clean it was,really that kinda "just assembled yesterday" type look

.No varnish or yellow staining film what so ever.I contribute this to the Mobil 1

.

I just dumped an unknown oil(dealer dino probably) that had around 300 miles on it for 6qts of Mobil 1 5W30 in my "new" VR6 engine which likes to run very hot under the collar.No rattle or funny noises at start up with a dry filter start so I was pleased with that being that Mobil 1 runs a little on the thin side of a 30 weight.

The engine was smooth before but man I think it's even smoother

now with more eagerness to rev it seems,quietly I might add too.

There is some varnish build up visable through the filler cap which concerns me though

.I hope the Mobil 1 can do a repeat performance and clean this motor good giving me that

feeling.

 

[Ugly3]

How many miles are on the "new" engine?

 

[Alan]

28K miles

.

 

[vvk]

FYI, Mobil 1 5w30 is not an approved oil for this engine. You should be using something with VWAG 500.00/501.01/502.00 approval. The 0W-40, if you'd like to stay with Mobil 1.

 

[Alan]

My powertrain warranty runs out this November

but I do try to take excellent care of my vehicles.Mobil 1 5W30 seems like a good choice.

Besides VW shows 2 5W30's that meet their 502 specsenn/Quaker European Formula Syn 5W30 and Valvoline Synpower 5w30 also meeting the VW specs.In my opinion Mobil 1 5W30 is way superior then those 2.

VW approved oils

 

[John_E]

Alan, I am concerned that M 1 0W-30, with a wimpy 10cSt viscosity at 100C, is too light for your application. Almost every other xW-30 oil has a higher viscosity than M 1 0W-30.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alan:
My powertrain warranty runs out this November

but I do try to take excellent care of my vehicles.Mobil 1 5W30 seems like a good choice.

Besides VW shows 2 5W30's that meet their 502 specsenn/Quaker European Formula Syn 5W30 and Valvoline Synpower 5w30 also meeting the VW specs.In my opinion Mobil 1 5W30 is way superior then those 2.

VW approved oils

---

Alan, respectfully, I'm not sure your logic is sound on this one. Remember, "30 wt" is not an absolute fixed value, rather, it's a range of values. If an oil falls anywhere in the range, it can be called a 30 wt. The Mobil 1 products are fantastic overall, but all of the 30 wt Mobil 1 oils run on the ragged thin edge of the 30 range. The Japanese engines seem to thrive on this stuff, but I'm not so sure about the Germans. The absence of the Mobil 1 xw-30 products from that list may well be a signal that the design engineers feel it is too light for their cars. If it were my car, which obviously it's not, I'd stay with the Mobil 1 0w-40, which is a great oil, and it's on the list too.

 

[Alan]

The used oil analysis on Valvoline Synpower 5W40 has showed shearing in VW's,back to 30 weights

and this stuff is supposed to be recommended

.Synpower doesn't impress me.

Feast your eyes on the used oil analysis on a VR6 running Mobil 1 5W30 on the used oil analysis board,it came out excellent

.

Even though Mobil 1 5W30 is thin it doesn't shear outta weight in most cases and is proven in tough Vette applications where it is the specified oil.

The only thing that concerns me is chain tensioner wear but I feel a good syn 5W30 like Mobil 1 is up to the job protecting it.It sure protected the chain tensioner in my Corolla which looked excellent,almost new with 57k on it with Mobil 1.

5W30 Mobil 1 will give me better heat transfer cooling through the oil and better oil volume/flow through the engine which I feel is important in a VR6 application.

Mobil 1 I

to you,protect my engine!

 

[Alan]

BTW,I like Mobil 1 0W40, it's not a thick 40 weight,is widely avalible to me every where I go,is spec'ed(I am not being held down by a warranty though)however I can get Mobil 1 5W30 for around a dollar cheaper per qt and in a nice 5qt jug which makes my changes easier

.

 

[FowVay]

Alan, take a look at the complexity of the timing chains and tensioners on your VR6. It really can't be compared to a Toyota 4 cylinder or a push-rod V8 engine. The lower chain guides have been known to cause problems and you have to separate the engine from the transmission to gain access to it so it isn't a cheap or easy repair.

You truly will be doing yourself a favor by choosing a oil that meets VW's gas engine specifications or even a ACEA A3 rated oil. These specifications don't rule out the use of 5w30's, they simply raise the standards for them.

VW 502.00 allows for:
ACEA A3 standards with the following changes:
NOACK maximum of 13%
Sulfated ash maximum 1.5%
HT/HS must be >3.5
Shear stability- minimum vis @ 100ºC = 9.3cSt. Maximum vis @ 100ºC = 18.5cSt

There are also numerous tests that I suspect M-1's 5w30 hasn't been tested for such as:
PV 5106 which tests for cam/tappet wear and pitting, M111 which tests for sludge formation,and the PV 1449 which tests the viscosity stability and ring sticking and piston deposits.

With all of this being said, I once worked on a VR6 (famous head gasket repair) that had run Valvoline all-climate 10w30 it's whole life. The engine was quite clean inside. Of course, the timing chain guides were worn completely out (the upper was actually cracked and held in place only by the alignment pin and lower attach bolt) but otherwise surprisingly clean.

 

[Drew99GT]

I agree with the others. You need an oil with a HT/HS of 3.5 or greater to reduce the tenioner wear problems, which are a known issue with the VR-6. Mobil 1 5w30 is a great oil, but it's HT/HS is lower than that of regular Pennzoil 10w30!

 

[cryptokid]

what alarms me is why you run expensive oils in cars you trade in. i would run supertech oil in it and let the warranty be ****ed sence you trade em in often enough anyways.

 

[newtoncd8]

I ran Mobil 1 5W30 in my Audi A4 (2.8L V6) and at 9600 miles, it was spent. The UOA is posted here:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001027#000000

When I ran German Castrol 0W30 for 7500 miles, it came out MUCH better.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001516#000000

 

[Ugly3]

Curtis Newton - You forget to mention that almost certainly the oil used for the 9600 mile run was not Mobil 1. Wrong signiture.

 

[newtoncd8]

Well, if that is true, that means I paid for Mobil 1 and the Audi tech swapped it out and put something else in--I would like to think they are trustworthy enough not to do that, but...however, since they don't stock it at the Audi dealer, they could have purchased the older tri-synthetic stuff. Since I drop the car off and pick it up in the afternoon, I cannot say for sure it was Mobil 1.

However, on my receipt, it clearly states Mobil 1 5W30 was purchased and put in. So, go figure.

The next oil change they started offering Belgian Castrol 5W40, so, since they offered oil changes at 10K, approximately every 5K they would use BC 5W40 and every 5K (mid-interval) I would change the oil myself and use GC 0W30. When Terry analyzed my GC 0W30, he seemed to think the engine is good-to-go for the long-term.

I am now out of warranty and will be changing my own oil every 5K with GC 0W30, so I will know for sure what oil is going in!!

[ October 21, 2004, 03:50 PM: Message edited by: Curtis Newton ]

 

[Bobert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ugly3:
Curtis Newton - You forget to mention that almost certainly the oil used for the 9600 mile run was not Mobil 1. Wrong signiture.

---

I think that might be Trisyn Mobil 1 5w30 with all that Magnesium.

 

[Alan]

UNCLE,UNCLE!
You guys make a darn good argument on behalf of the VW 502.0 oil spec

!I yeild

!

BTW,are both the 5W30's on the list A3 rated?

I have read all about prior chain tensioner problems in earlier model(the later VR6's like in the MK 4's(current bodystyle) are supposed to be more robust in tensioner design)and how it's a hassle to repair them.While i'm not totally convinced that i'll have such a problem I guess it wouldn't be unwise to go with Mobil 1 0W40 with my next change.I'll use the current Mobil 1 5W30 as a slow "flush",dumping it after it's starts to darken a bit.
Mobil 1 0W40 is also the only oil listed on their Mobil 1 website they indicate will clean sludge in varnish in high temperature engines.

Crytokid,I wasn't intending to trade in the Corolla and I agree with your point

.

 

[Bobert]

I used to run 4 quarts Mobil 1 5w30, 2 quarts Mobil 1 15w-50 in my VR6 to bring the viscosity up--that combo was pretty good. Alan, for top ups I would use Mobil 1 15w-50 to thicken the brew a little. I've seen segfaults UOA and I don't think Mobil 1 5w30 is going to hurt, but Mobil 1 5w30 is a pretty thin 30wt. I think you'll find consumption will go up a little.

FWIW, Valvoline Synpower 5w-40 has one of the best used oil analysis I've seen in a VR6. Synpower will shear in a 1.8T like almost every other oil, but in the VR6 it is more than up to task.

 

[Cary]

Volkswagen as taken the time to recommend specific oils, because they meet their requirements. They have NOT included Mobil 1 in the 30 weights because it does not meet those specs, likely because it has an HTHS of less than 3.5 as well as not meeting their other valvtain requirements. The 30 weights listed on the VW list DO meet those requirements and are A3 rated oil, unlike the Mobil 1 5w30.

As far as the Mobil 1 0w-40 shearing back, I thought this has been shown to not be an issue. The cases where it had sheared were in Turbo motors with fuel dilution issues, in other motors there was no shear.

 

[Alan]

Did some reading and turns out that the recommended Valvoline Synpower 5W30(did read it sheared to a 20W in 4k in a VW,that makes me feel comfy

) is not A3 rated which I belived was manditory to make their 502.00 spec.I doubt the Pennzoil recommended 5W30 makes the A3 cut either.

It seems that a lot of VW's specs are more market dribble than anything.They pay for oil changes under their factory warranty making it seem convienent for the average customer and them look good at the same time."Gee,I get a free oil change with the recommended stuff for free,thats great

!"
The problem is that a lot of the stuff VW dealers use isn't up to snuff to make it through the recommended 10K OCI's therefore possibly creating "problems" like the tensioners.

These recommended oils don't make me feel they are caring about what their customers put in their cars,just a CYA type thing with the backlash of class action suits out there against company who recommend extended OCI's.

I feel more comfortable with Mobil 1 5W30 at 3-5K intervals than Sinpower

5W40 at 10K intervals.I doubt the VW dealers even use Synpower 5W40 in the factory recommended and paid for OCI's,probaly use some other crap.

The 1ZZ Corolla motor has upper and lower tensioners just like the VR6 does and I doubt that the duty they see is so radically different when compared to the VW's but I bet Toyota's quality control is though.
I haven't read of any problems with those(Toyota designed)at all while VW redesigned

their chain tensioners to combat the problems occuring where the tensioners fell apart.The materials they were using it seems weren't up to snuff thus the redesign with higher quality parts.