SOPUS syn or blend....

[daves87rs]

I soon will be firing off a few rounds of oil changes for me cars after the new year. Already know what the first two are getting, and it is ready to go. Last one is a bit of a toss up though..


The car (Cav with and ecotec) currently running Quaker State Ultimate Durability, which it likes. I tried a blend before this (SP), but did not like the results, so back to a syn it went. So, my two choices...

Quaker State Ultimate Durability with a Delco filter (cartridge)
or

Pennzoil Dexos blend with a Puro Classic Cartridge (both in 5w30 flavor)

Car is being bumped back to a 2-3 OCI again.



Quick background: Cav gets short tripped quite a bit, with a few long highway drives in a month. Being a 3rd car, it can sometimes sit up to two weeks in the garage before it get used..but I try to use it days in a row if possible. Miles during OCI simply depend on use....which is more during the warmer parts of the year...

I think the dexos would be fine (might even help the car a bit while sitting), but the Quaker State Ultimate Durability oil change is only a few bucks more.


I think both would be fine, and there is no gut feeling with either one....hence me asking you guys....

 

[daves87rs]

*sigh* Sorry guys.....can one of the mods move this for me? Sorry....

 

[901Memphis]

I like the Quaker State Ultimate Durability with oem filter.

 

[bigt61]

That engine can take some abuse, I know 1st hand. If you're going to change the oil every 2-3000 miles, even with short trips, I wouldn't waste my money on full synthetic. Cheap API SN Dino would be fine.

 

[Clevy]

My girl had a cavalier,a 2000 or 2001. Car had over 400k when it got totalled. It had the 2.2L engine and was driven very hard since we can get away with 70+mph on the highway which really buzzes the engine.
At 5000 mike intervals any conventional will do just fine so a shorter run doesn't need anything special.
From experience I know the 2.2 intimately.

 

[sciphi]

Quaker State Ultimate Durability/Delco gets my vote. Quaker State Ultimate Durability in 5w30 is one stout oil. I use it in my Cruze, where it's good for 7500 miles in the Ecotec 1.4T, aka the destroyer of sub-par oils. Put another way, the Pennzoil syn blend is kaputt by 5000 miles in that engine, while the Quaker State Ultimate Durability still has another 2500 miles to go before succumbing to the same fate.

 

[Tucson Five-O]

Sciphi,

You maybe right about Pennzoil Syn-Blend not holding up in some engines, or maybe not.

I know the 1.4T in the Cruzes tear up the AC-Delco syn-blend, which is a GroupII+/III made to GM specs by XOM.

It's been my experience that many GM fluids, including their AC-DELCO Dexron VI do not hold up. Had issues with that fluid in my '08 Impala. Changed to the full synthetic labeled Valvoline Dexron VI and no more problems.
It may just be that additive levels in the GM branded fluids are marginally less.

Have you actually tried the Pennzoil Syn-Blend in your Cruze? I realize it's not Quaker State Ultimate Durability, but it is a SOPUS made product after all. ;-)

Some food for thought,
Gary

 

[GMBoy]

My only question is how do you know the car didn't like a brand of oil? I hear many on here making that statement and I just want to know how one can come to that conclusion. Did it talk to you? Did you do a used oil analysis? lol

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Tucson Five-O
Sciphi,

You maybe right about Pennzoil Syn-Blend not holding up in some engines, or maybe not.

I know the 1.4T in the Cruzes tear up the AC-Delco syn-blend, which is a GroupII+/III made to GM specs by XOM.

It's been my experience that many GM fluids, including their AC-DELCO Dexron VI do not hold up. Had issues with that fluid in my '08 Impala. Changed to the full synthetic labeled Valvoline Dexron VI and no more problems.
It may just be that additive levels in the GM branded fluids are marginally less.

Have you actually tried the Pennzoil Syn-Blend in your Cruze? I realize it's not Quaker State Ultimate Durability, but it is a SOPUS made product after all. ;-)

Some food for thought,
Gary


Any aftermarket product approved by the oem with an actual approval,not a meets or exceeds stamp,has to be equal and basically identical to the oem branded stuff,otherwise no formal approval.
So it's impossible for the oem fluid to be shy on additives since the oem branded stuff IS the specified lubricant.
Now that isn't to say an aftermarket fluid isn't made with a higher quality basestock however as far as the additive package is concerned it has to be the same as the oem's offering.
If the aftermarket product has more friction modifiers for example the possibility exists that it won't work properly if as designed,so it's crucial in order to meet the oem spec that the aftermarket product be the same,with of course the accepted tolerance of variation.
So I just cannot believe the oem product to be inadequate in comparison to the aftermarket stuff. The oem spec fluid is designed for and formulated for the application it's specified for.
The owm stuff doesn't claim to meet a bunch of different spec's,just the approved one.
So I gotta call a steaming pile of bovine

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: Tucson Five-O
Sciphi,

You maybe right about Pennzoil Syn-Blend not holding up in some engines, or maybe not.

I know the 1.4T in the Cruzes tear up the AC-Delco syn-blend, which is a GroupII+/III made to GM specs by XOM.

It's been my experience that many GM fluids, including their AC-DELCO Dexron VI do not hold up. Had issues with that fluid in my '08 Impala. Changed to the full synthetic labeled Valvoline Dexron VI and no more problems.
It may just be that additive levels in the GM branded fluids are marginally less.

Have you actually tried the Pennzoil Syn-Blend in your Cruze? I realize it's not Quaker State Ultimate Durability, but it is a SOPUS made product after all. ;-)

Some food for thought,
Gary


The 1.4T runs pretty hot (250*F oil temperatures aren't unheard of), so it tests the physical properties of the oil rather than the chemical properties. Additive packs have far less to do than how the base oil holds up. The used oil analysis I've done have had fine TBN retention and okay wear metals, but Quaker State Ultimate Durability was falling out of grade by 9200 miles/10% left on my OLM. I've seen used oil analysis of Delco syn-blend that were out of grade by 5000 miles. It's my theory that any Grp. II or II+ will let this particular engine find its impurities faster than a more-refined Grp. III oil.

I haven't run a syn blend in my Cruze, nor am I about to. Others guinea-pigged it, and found out that for the few extra bucks, the "full synthetic" Grp. III oil is the more shear-stable choice.

Back OT, a 2.2 Ecotec in a Cavalier probably wouldn't know the difference, but I'd sleep better at night knowing that a better oil was in the sump when it was sitting.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
My only question is how do you know the car didn't like a brand of oil? I hear many on here making that statement and I just want to know how one can come to that conclusion. Did it talk to you? Did you do a used oil analysis? lol




Lol....It as well have. It's kinda hard to explain, but in my case I'll try. When you have a car for almost ten years, and have put a few different oils in it, you kinda get a "feel" for how the engine runs. It's seen dinos, blends, and full synthetic oils in those years. Now, it's been running on full synthetic oils since 2007, so it was the first time in years in add a blend/dino. driving it..the car just felt "off"....drove it for a while...feeling didn't change. The oil was cheap, so it was dumped (but, it got reused in a lawn mower and the rest top off oil for the neighbor) and Quaker State Ultimate Durability went back in....and everything was fine. The only thing I could come up with was that is was used to the higher moly oils (Quaker State Ultimate Durability, PP) and the happy cushion it came with (early Ecotecs are quite noisey). Still strange, since it ran on Napa syn for a while with no issue either...Mind you, this is just a rough idea....it may have just been all in my head the whole time....too much bitog maybe....

Part of the reason I want to stick with Sopus oils in this one...

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Originally Posted By: Tucson Five-O
Sciphi,

You maybe right about Pennzoil Syn-Blend not holding up in some engines, or maybe not.

I know the 1.4T in the Cruzes tear up the AC-Delco syn-blend, which is a GroupII+/III made to GM specs by XOM.

It's been my experience that many GM fluids, including their AC-DELCO Dexron VI do not hold up. Had issues with that fluid in my '08 Impala. Changed to the full synthetic labeled Valvoline Dexron VI and no more problems.
It may just be that additive levels in the GM branded fluids are marginally less.

Have you actually tried the Pennzoil Syn-Blend in your Cruze? I realize it's not Quaker State Ultimate Durability, but it is a SOPUS made product after all. ;-)

Some food for thought,
Gary


The 1.4T runs pretty hot (250*F oil temperatures aren't unheard of), so it tests the physical properties of the oil rather than the chemical properties. Additive packs have far less to do than how the base oil holds up. The used oil analysis I've done have had fine TBN retention and okay wear metals, but Quaker State Ultimate Durability was falling out of grade by 9200 miles/10% left on my OLM. I've seen used oil analysis of Delco syn-blend that were out of grade by 5000 miles. It's my theory that any Grp. II or II+ will let this particular engine find its impurities faster than a more-refined Grp. III oil.

I haven't run a syn blend in my Cruze, nor am I about to. Others guinea-pigged it, and found out that for the few extra bucks, the "full synthetic" Grp. III oil is the more shear-stable choice.

Back OT, a 2.2 Ecotec in a Cavalier probably wouldn't know the difference, but I'd sleep better at night knowing that a better oil was in the sump when it was sitting.


A good point also.....

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
My only question is how do you know the car didn't like a brand of oil? I hear many on here making that statement and I just want to know how one can come to that conclusion. Did it talk to you? Did you do a used oil analysis? lol




Lol....It as well have. It's kinda hard to explain, but in my case I'll try. When you have a car for almost ten years, and have put a few different oils in it, you kinda get a "feel" for how the engine runs. It's seen dinos, blends, and full synthetic oils in those years. Now, it's been running on full synthetic oils since 2007, so it was the first time in years in add a blend/dino. driving it..the car just felt "off"....drove it for a while...feeling didn't change. The oil was cheap, so it was dumped (but, it got reused in a lawn mower and the rest top off oil for the neighbor) and Quaker State Ultimate Durability went back in....and everything was fine. The only thing I could come up with was that is was used to the higher moly oils (Quaker State Ultimate Durability, PP) and the happy cushion it came with (early Ecotecs are quite noisey). Still strange, since it ran on Napa syn for a while with no issue either...Mind you, this is just a rough idea....it may have just been all in my head the whole time....too much bitog maybe....

Part of the reason I want to stick with Sopus oils in this one...



I can fully respect that. No different than spark plugs I guess. Since I run M1 exclusively I have nothing to compare too.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[daves87rs]

No prob. It's tough sometimes to make a choice, and have it sound like I have no clue. You truly do learn a bunch from this site. And I still learn new stuff and enjoy the people, hence why I ma still here.

Also realized why I couldn't do dino here...the weather is too crazy, and while I could save money, I like having the extra protection from the wild temps.

I know Quaker State Ultimate Durability will do it, but I have a feeling so would the syn blend, since it is easy on oil. Oh, the choices we have to make...

And you can never go wrong with M1 either....