recommend an oil for stop & go driving of new car

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I plan on keeping my cars for the duration

What would you recommend for CA driving with lots of stop and Go and 8-20 mile commutes with 3-4 cold starts per day?

I'm asking brands and "models"

dino or synthetic, it don't matter. OCIs will be per the manual (~5K)

Thanks much
 
It's hard to find a sub standard modern oil.
You have a nice winter advantage in Cal over many of us in the record breaking cold regions of the USA.
I lean towards a dino with more frequent changes than a synthetic for a lot of start/stop driving. The engine is flushed and treated to fresh clean oil more often.
Motorcraft and Pennzoil are two great dinos.
 
For lots of cold starts in California and your typical 5k mile interval I would pick a dino oil within a manufacturer's spec and stick with it.

Lots of long discussions around, but Synthetics can only extend on change intervals, not cut down on normal wear and tear. Do more research on it, lots of interesting stuff.

If you want to get really technical search manufacturer's websites and figure out the makes of thinner viscosities. Not all 5w30's or 5w20's are the same. Some are thicker, some are thinner.

How many miles per year? Is it on the cars listed in your profile?
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456

How many miles per year? Is it on the cars listed in your profile?

About 12K per year
Yes, these are for the cars in my profile
 
Originally Posted By: mozart
I plan on keeping my cars for the duration

What would you recommend for CA driving with lots of stop and Go and 8-20 mile commutes with 3-4 cold starts per day?

I'm asking brands and "models"

dino or synthetic, it don't matter. OCIs will be per the manual (~5K)

Thanks much



valvoline.
 
I would use one of the lesser expensive blended oils, and change it every 4k.

Durablend, Maxlife, Motor Craft are all good oils and are readily available. Look for sales and stock up a bit, that way you're ready to change it when the time comes.

Get Fumoto valves and put them on each rig, makes frequent changes less painful.
 
I did a 3.5-4K mile change on my wife's car a couple winters ago using Supertech 5W30 (WPP version). The UOA came out fine! My wife usually dives around town, scootin' the kids around or shopping, etc. The oil never really warmed up unless we went to my/her parents house or day trips. On the cold days she'd start the car from the kitchen, and while she said it was only a few minutes, I'm sure it had plenty of extended idle time.
The car is a '04 Malibu Maxx 3.5L V6. It's driven about 12K miles/year.

This past winter, I ran older Havoline 5W30 and it did fine.

In Cali, I'd grab a $11 bottle of Quaker State Torquepower or $10.50 jug of QS greenbottle. Either will easily go to 5K. Personally, I've always like good ol' regular Quaker State.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
Lots of long discussions around, but Synthetics can only extend on change intervals, not cut down on normal wear and tear.

Yes, there are a lot of those claims being made, but IMO they are false. Just goes to prove that if you repeat something often enough on the Internet, it will be taken a fact, regardless of whether there is any merit to it. Not only is it false, it is not even close.

I would wholeheartedly recommend a synthetic for the application discussed here (lots of short trips). Synthetics will keep the engine much cleaner and deal much better with the situations the OP described he will encounter. Walmart SuperTech full synthetic would be a great option, or if cost is not an object then Mobil 1, Mobil 1 EP, or Castrol Edge would be good.
 
Originally Posted By: Mark888
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
Lots of long discussions around, but Synthetics can only extend on change intervals, not cut down on normal wear and tear.

Yes, there are a lot of those claims being made, but IMO they are false. Just goes to prove that if you repeat something often enough on the Internet, it will be taken a fact, regardless of whether there is any merit to it. Not only is it false, it is not even close.

I would wholeheartedly recommend a synthetic for the application discussed here (lots of short trips). Synthetics will keep the engine much cleaner and deal much better with the situations the OP described he will encounter. Walmart SuperTech full synthetic would be a great option, or if cost is not an object then Mobil 1, Mobil 1 EP, or Castrol Edge would be good.


Thank you Mark for your honest recommendation. Could you explain why the synthetic would keep the engine cleaner and handle stop and go better? I thought the cleanliness was a function of the additive package which is independent of oil type. Forgive my newbieness please
 
Originally Posted By: mozart
Thank you Mark for your honest recommendation. Could you explain why the synthetic would keep the engine cleaner and handle stop and go better? I thought the cleanliness was a function of the additive package which is independent of oil type. Forgive my newbieness please

Additives do help, but so does synthetic base stock. Base IV and V have some advantages over Base III synthetics. Some additives put on lower quality oils actually include synthetic base stock. So in answer to your question, no, it is not just additives that contribute to cleaner engines and handle stop and go driving better.

If you were to read most of the threads of this forum (I know that is not possible) you would see some pictures and testimonials of people who have done engine tear-downs that prove the superiority of synthetic oils in keeping engines clean. That would be the best evidence I could present. I have said many times that the only way to really evaluate an oil is to do an engine tear-down, and although that is not practical for most of us, there are enough people who have done it to get the facts on the subject.
 
Originally Posted By: Mark888
...you would see some pictures and testimonials of people who have done engine tear-downs that prove the superiority of synthetic oils in keeping engines clean. That would be the best evidence I could present.


I agree. My mechanic told me about 5 years ago how pristine the interior of a "synthetic" engine is, after seeing it for himself. I trust him for many reasons, and on top of that he had no reason to mislead one way or another, since he does not sell any oil of any type. I use PP and 7500 mi. OCI's.
 
Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Originally Posted By: Mark888
...you would see some pictures and testimonials of people who have done engine tear-downs that prove the superiority of synthetic oils in keeping engines clean. That would be the best evidence I could present.


I agree. My mechanic told me about 5 years ago how pristine the interior of a "synthetic" engine is, after seeing it for himself. I trust him for many reasons, and on top of that he had no reason to mislead one way or another, since he does not sell any oil of any type. I use PP and 7500 mi. OCI's.




Just something about seeing a teardown on synthetic did it for me...I was pretty impressed...
 
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Originally Posted By: Mark888
...you would see some pictures and testimonials of people who have done engine tear-downs that prove the superiority of synthetic oils in keeping engines clean. That would be the best evidence I could present.


I agree. My mechanic told me about 5 years ago how pristine the interior of a "synthetic" engine is, after seeing it for himself. I trust him for many reasons, and on top of that he had no reason to mislead one way or another, since he does not sell any oil of any type. I use PP and 7500 mi. OCI's.




Just something about seeing a teardown on synthetic did it for me...I was pretty impressed...


I can't seem to find any pics on the site, can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks
 
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