Should I start using HM Oil?

W

Wheel366

Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
639
Location
NJ
I'm sure this has been asked before so I apologize ahead of time. My wife's 2014 cr-v has 106k on it. We had oil changes done at the dealer every 5k except once or twice where it was between 6-7k. The dealer used M1 at least according to the invoices and I think it was AFE. I just had her last oil change done with M1 EP and an Amsoil filter. Most of her miles were HW. Due to having the oil changed pretty regularly am I ok without using a HM oil or should I start with the next OC? It's nice buying the same oil and filter that 3 of my cars can use. I also have 2 Subarus; an 18 and 19. I should also note that she is driving my 18 Legacy now to put miles on it and her car isn't being driven as often. Sometimes it sits for a week. If she goes grocery shopping it is a short trip but when we go to see her mother we take her car which is ~30 miles away. She also takes her car for other misc stuff but for work she is driving my car which is 80 mile round trip. I can't remember exactly what month we got her oil changed but it was right around the start of this **** so maybe March and the OLM still says 80%. One other note, I will be extending oil changes since she is now out of warranty.

Thoughts?
 
PimTac said:
If it’s not leaking or burning oil I would continue with what you have been doing.
Click to expand...
Thanks for such a quick reply! Makes things easier buying the same oil for those cars.

My 4th car is an 2001 Audi S4 and obviously I need different oil and filters for it which I have stocked up on and I barely drive it so I'm down to an oil change per year, at least until I get it fixed. The fewer types I have to get, the better and easier for me.
 
There's no real need to use HM, but there is certainly nothing wrong with doing so. Are you going to use M1 HM or try another brand?

Napa Synthetic is available in HM, and it's on sale for $3.59/qt this month. (the non-HM is $3.39). Napa also has M1 HM on sale for $5.49/qt if you prefer that
 
slacktide_bitog said:
There's no real need to use HM, but there is certainly nothing wrong with doing so. Are you going to use M1 HM or try another brand?

Napa Synthetic is available in HM, and it's on sale for $3.59/qt this month. (the non-HM is $3.39). Napa also has M1 HM on sale for $5.49/qt if you prefer that
Click to expand...
Not looking to buy any oil at this point if I don't have a need to switch. Got a ~5 5qt jugs lying around of the M1 EP for now. But thanks for letting me know!
 
At what point could a HM be beneficial if ever?
That's the question no one has a real answer to.

My supposition would be at around 2/3 the engine life.

I've seen Honda Civic engines that lasted less than 200,000 mi to almost 500,000 mi.
So would 2/3 be 120,000 mi or 300,000 mi?

Maybe base it on years and switch it at 10 years?

Maybe it's all a scam?
 
I feel like age is more a factor than mileage. Probably 10+ years is when I would try to start using high mileage oil.
 
HM oil is marketed "for vehicles over (a certain mileage)" which is marketing nonsense. There's no need to use a HM oil unless your vehicle is actually showing symptoms: oil consumption, oil leaks, lower oil pressure, knocking noises, etc.
My Corvette is 25 years old and shows no signs of wear... no leaks, no consumption, no noises. My Tacoma is 14 years old, same story there. I am still using normal (non-HM) synthetic oil in both these vehicles and will continue to do so until I have reason to change.
 
Have used HM oils in 6 vehicles. I started one of them at 25,000 miles. No issues on any of them. I hate drips on the driveway and garage floor. IIRC that the switch from SM to SN gave regular oils a upgrade in requirement for seal conditioners. IIRC YMMV
 
As much as I see the value in trying high mileage oils in my own vehicles which are old and leaking, I think back to when I was in the express lube and changing oil for customers. When people who didn't know any better and asked "Do I need to use high mileage oil because I'm over (whatever mileage they stated) I would say "No you don't need to. If you start to see leaks or oil consumption then it's worth trying". But that's when we were selling high mileage oil for $10 more and I didn't see the value in the customer spending $10 extra for it. I'm paying the same $ for high mileage oil on sale instead of a different synthetic oil I would have bought.
 
350Rocket said:
As much as I see the value in trying high mileage oils in my own vehicles which are old and leaking, I think back to when I was in the express lube and changing oil for customers. When people who didn't know any better and asked "Do I need to use high mileage oil because I'm over (whatever mileage they stated) I would say "No you don't need to. If you start to see leaks or oil consumption then it's worth trying". But that's when we were selling high mileage oil for $10 more and I didn't see the value in the customer spending $10 extra for it. I'm paying the same $ for high mileage oil on sale instead of a different synthetic oil I would have bought.
Click to expand...

Ten dollars extra really I paid $4 a jug for my Pennzoil 5w-20 two jugs left.
 
JohnnyJohnson said:
Ten dollars extra really I paid $4 a jug for my Pennzoil 5w-20 two jugs left.
Click to expand...
It was $39.95 for a conventional oil change and $49.95 for us to use high mileage. This is Canadian prices so they probably sound really high to you. Like I said the difference in prices between oil change services and just buying the oil and doing it yourself is huge.

I use nothing but synthetic oil but I rarely sold it when I did oil changes for work, except in vehicles that spec it like VW, Audi etc. Otherwise I only recommended it to people who were going to be going a long time between oil changes.
 
I thought about using M1 HM in my 15 Tacoma with 95K. No leaks no consumption. I did us it in my beloved 02 Tacoma at 90K just because. The 15 is on Amsoil SS 5W30.
 
350Rocket said:
It was $39.95 for a conventional oil change and $49.95 for us to use high mileage. This is Canadian prices so they probably sound really high to you. Like I said the difference in prices between oil change services and just buying the oil and doing it yourself is huge.

I use nothing but synthetic oil but I rarely sold it when I did oil changes for work, except in vehicles that spec it like VW, Audi etc. Otherwise I only recommended it to people who were going to be going a long time between oil changes.
Click to expand...

A prime example of the oil store up selling you and giving you less than a real dollar in value.
 
JohnnyJohnson said:
A prime example of the oil store up selling you and giving you less than a real dollar in value.
Click to expand...
Well we didn't really make any money on oil changes unless they needed something else on top (even a wiper blade) or upgraded oils like high mileage or synthetic. Oil changes were to keep the customer coming to us until they needed repair work. We spent 30 minutes per oil change, doing it right. Express lube meant no appointment needed, not extremely fast.

We didn't make any commission or anything and were extremely underpaid. So why upsell anything that wasn't needed, especially when the value wasn't there. Conventional was all the average customer needed. I more than once talked people out of additives they wanted to use (Lucas) or oil flushes etc.

It was a low stress job and people liked us for how we did it. If I could live off it, I'd love to work there again.
 
Last edited:
From what little I know it seems it would be a good preventative measure to start using HM oil before a leak actually started. I mean if it 'conditions' the seals why not keep them conditioned? Also whatever other supposed benefits it offers, why not go ahead and get those considering HM is near if not the same exact price as non-HM.

Basically it seems you'd have to not believe HM oil had any benefit to say you don't need it till you have a leak, but if you believe that then why'd you ever recommend it at any point?

So using this thought process it seems you'd believe it is beneficial at any point, or never.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Kirkland Synthetic vs. Valvoline Advanced Synthetic - 5w30 - Ford EB 2.0
2 3
Replies
48
Views
5K
Bill7
J
Oil (re)selection for GDI
2
Replies
35
Views
3K
burbguy82
S
'21 Hyundai Tucson oil and filter.
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
KCJeep
R
Should I use a pre-oil-change cleaner?
Replies
17
Views
945
Snagglefoot
J
A3/B4 in 2GR-FE
Replies
14
Views
1K
Georgiey22
Back
Top