Stick with one brand?

[Audioquest]

1999 Hyundai Elantra with 2.0L DOHC motor. OCI every 3,000 kms on dino (perhaps a little over-kill, but what the **** ). I usually buy what's on sale from the big brands (Castrol, Pennzoil, QS, Motomaster F1). Currently running Pennzoil dino 5W30 from winter. Next change will be Motomaster F1 dino 10W30 for the summer. Would it be better to stick with one brand, because I rarely have the same oil in the car for 2 oil changes?

 

[Motorbike]

In the years past it probably did not matter if a person swapped back and forth every oil change but todays formulations use additives synergisticaly and in an effort to get the most out of your oil I think it wise to find a brand you like and stick with it for a time . For example some of these low cost dino's no use boron which in effect is a dispersant and cleaner and can offer additional wear protection . Used time after time it will be cleaning itself up yet if you were to switch and use an oil without it , next time you used the oil with boron it would possibly be spent early cleaning the other oil . There is more to it to include the residual oil left over when changed and the particular calcium it used . May or may not be of the overbased type which is a plus and generally costs no more than the oil right beside it without boron or overbased calcium in which also like boron can offer additional wear protection . At least when you stick with an oil for two years your not mixing it with another and your getting the same type seal conditioning " yes, these dino's have seal conditioners in the group II types ". Here at BITOG most strive for perfection in finding the best 3-4 dinos, synthetic blends and synthetics currently available . This site and it's members for the most part are a different bunch on the internet and often look past just the marketing hype and straight into the actual formulations to include the actual type basestocks used....quite a hobby we have There is obviously more but I'll stop and let others chime in with their view points . Oh yeah , we often disagree [ April 23, 2004, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: Motorbike ]

 

[mikemc]

I used to think it was best to stick with one brand, but think about this: oil companies often reformulate their oils, especially when API standards change. So brand 'X' may be a very different oil in 2 years time. I say use whatever current API rated oil is on sale along with a good filter at reasonable intervals and drive the crap out of it.

 

[labman]

I have stuck with Pennzoil dino since the 70's. I am sure it has gone through some reformations. I am no longer using the SE in my truck that the owners' manual calls for. The one old carton I have upstairs says 24 one quart cans, but doesn't give a grade, just made with Z-7. I am very uncomfortable about Pennzoil/Quaker State and then both being bought by Shell. I would hope that when the oil companies do reformulate, at least they are careful to keep the new formulation compatible with the old. I think the $1.70/qt. I paid last month for Pennzoil entitles me to that. One advantage of sticking to the same thing, is that when you do have a problem, you have fewer variables to sort out to find the cause and make sure it never, ever happens again. If you are running whatever Wal-Mart had cheap last time, and you do have a problem, how do you know what caused it?