Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
Bill : Not to get off topic (or perhaps more on topic !) - but what do you believe are the most important categories to look for in evaluating a TOTAL package of any particular oil ?
Pretty well anything API SL/SM/SN rated and meets the MFG of the engines recommendation. For me that's really all I look for and have looked for.
There is a lab in Salt Lake that used to have Corolla's and everyone went well into the 300k with bulk oil and if luckily 7000-8000 OCIs. Beat to heck and yet other than drivers seats failing they were still running well when they replaced them with mostly HHR vehicles. Now those are well into 100k and the engines are just doing great using the OLM and bulk oil. I doubt they will make it BODY wise up to 300k without some serious $$ since they are having issues already.
Point is really today you can go with (in
most vehicles.
Force fed, DI and other known
problem children need not apply) whatever is the best value and get on with it. I'm also a big believer that you do NOT need to stick with one brand for the life of the vehicle. Does it hurt? No but it does not matter IMO (it does to the oil company)
Notice that most companies state no other oil does x, protects better and keeps engines cleaner than any other oil? And for the most part they are correct because they all are excellent oils. The difference between the "worst" and "best" is nil in name brand oils.
So if I can get brand "x" for $$ less than brand "y" then I'm stocking up with brand "x". And then after I run low on brand "x" if brand "o" is cheaper then that is what I'm going to get. Been doing that for decades (though through the 90s I ran pretty well Valvoline/Halvoline since they were always on sale) and sadly I put on the miles on vehicles. Then I sell them to friends and family and get to watch them continue with excellent performance and last long.
While I do extend my OCI past the recommended OCI I have verified the oils that I use via UOAs and still going great at almost 200k in
my main vehicle. But I'd
NEVER recommend going past the recommended OCI to anyone other. Why? Because I can not sleep well knowing that I may have given poor advice based on marketing or something not proven.
You never see any manufacture stating that if you use conventional the OCI is x miles but if you use syn bump up the OCI to y miles. Reason? Because syn does not remove the byproducts of combustion and water that running an engine produces. The only way to get rid of that is to
CHANGE the oil. And most MFG do have a severe (lower) OCI schedule which many people DO fall under.
Bottom line, can not go by lowest cost per mile to determine what oil to use for most vehicles. If we did then the EP for 20k is the ticket.
Bill
PS: I'm with you, I'd NEVER do a 20k OCI in my main vehicle. And it sees 90%+ adult highway use.
