Synthetic Oils, Change Intervals, PQIA,& Questions

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Originally Posted By: freshcedar
Can we just get a sticky or something? Or a 1 page, summary, maybe a few sentences? "These synthetic oils are pretty good: They'll last at least 10,000 miles, and many go 15,000 miles and beyond.

No, we cannot. You can't make blanket statements like this. How far you can go on an oil depends on a number of factors including what engine you have, what condition it's in, how you operate it, etc.

Quote:

These synthetic oils are not as good:" 3 sentences. Can we do that?

If we all agreed on something like this, BITOG would cease to exist. People would have absolutely nothing to discuss and argue about anymore.
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Your question was so long, I've already forgotten what you asked. Since you really haven't narrowed your oil choice down, I would keep M1 and QS on your list, these are excellent oils as well.
 
Going forward, better to change the oil at 5K with a "bargain" semifauxsynthetic than go 10K+ or 1 year with a premium synthetic on a short tripper. The long mileage intervals are for those who really rack up the miles in sales or overland delivery. Ex> No need to change oil monthly if your drive 4500 highway a month - this regimen is easy on the sump.
Oils in the the Amsoil real synthetic line should go 7-10K NP given the overbased CA detergent % in combo with their using oxidatively stable true synthetic base stocks.
Dont waste $$ on UOAs just to get TBN - and UOA dont give TBN without paying a premium. Poke around on the web and get a TBN TEST KIT AND DO IT YOURSELF. ( OPPS sorry HIT THE CAPSlock.)

Good luck and have fun.
 
You've gotten so many skewed, jaded responses full of people's biases so far I don't know if you can get any useful info out of it. I'll try to help the best I can.

First off, if you don't mind shouldering the risk yourself you can extend an oil change to whatever you feel is appropriate. Keep in mind, you will be financially responsible for anything that happens by doing so. With that said, I'd strongly recommend doing at least 1 UOA to see if you're even in the ballpark with whatever OCI you choose. NAPA had them on sale right now for
The Amsoil you're running right now is probably at the point that I would feel better doing the UOA before going any further, but that's just my comfort level. If your usage pattern was longer trips vs the 5 miles per, then 7500 may not be that much yet. Only way to know is the UOA, or just dump it and put fresh oil in.

If you really don't want to play the UOA game, NAPA's synthetic is on sale this month for quart. It will have no problem going the manufacturer's recommended OCI even with an entry level filter. You won't feel like you're dumping oil with too much life left, and you will certainly be getting you money's worth.

Scaeffer's Oil is good stuff, but you won't find it at any local auto parts store. I've found it at a couple of farm co-ops, at a decent but not good price.

PQIA's main job is to make sure the public is alerted to sub-standard oils on the market. They are not out there to provide technical data, although they do as a byproduct of their main purpose. Don't complain when they give you the info that the oil compaines refuse to, just be happy someone is out there looking out for us!
 
Originally Posted By: freshcedar
terrorists.

a toad in mud 3 cents a year purely emotional
-Crisco Vegetable Shortening
-Extra Virgin Oil Olive

my stupid self I weren't so stupid and petty and stupid I am ashamed I am a stupid ignorant mass I'm an idiot I'm stupid


All that hydrogen in the Crisco will blow your motor up! Haven't you heard of the Hindenburg?

Virgins are no good for lubrication. You need something more experienced.
 
I'm not hip to the long extended oci's,I'd just stick to what your manual says. Mine says a strict 3/3 so that's what I always do.
 
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
With that said, I'd strongly recommend doing at least 1 UOA to see if you're even in the ballpark with whatever OCI you choose. NAPA had them on sale right now for div>


That is awesome. I didn't know about those testing kits. I really need to do the NAPA kit. I read that the price includes TBN testing as well and if that's true, you can't beat that kind of price. And might as well pick up some NAPA Synthetic as well. Can't beat $3.49 a quart! And imagine if it stacks up to the other synthetics at twice the price. Might get into the whole UOA deal now now that I know about these affordable NAPA tests. And if NAPA Synthetic stacks up, I may have just found the last motor oil I'll ever need.
 
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Move to Nevada , your not told what oils to use by the Gov't an not required to recycle , unless you want to.
 
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
NAPA had them on sale right now for div>


Are you saying they are on sale now, or were just on sale. I bought two last month and they were 13.99. I just checked online and the price still comes in at 13.99. Link to sale?
 
I remember the turbo Sprint.
A rare little bird when new, and all of the Sprints as well as most of the later Metros in this part of the country long ago rusted into uselessness. These little one liter inline threes were capable of suprisingly long lives to go along with their abstemious use of fuel.
Anyway, for the Sprint, I'd use PP 5W-30, which meets Honda's turbo spec, and change it on 5K intervals. I'd use a synthetic just to try to prolong the life of the turbo and to deal with its heat. PP is certainly cheap enough for this engine. I have no idea what a repalcement turbo would cost. Do this and there are no worries about oil life or UOAs.
For the Corolla, use whatever you'd like.
I'd use an OTS synthetic 5W-30 and do 7-10K drains, depending upon how the car is used.
Lots of highway equals longer oil life.
Lots of city equals shorter oil life.
You could run the Amsoil you're now using to 10K and UOA it, just to see how the oil used holds up in your car as you use it.
If the oil still looks really good, you could then extrapolate these results to other synthetic oils.
Incidentally, Valvoline oils are not usually TBN retention champs, so I'd avoid longish drains on Durablend.
I did a 5K UOA of Synpower from our Forester, and while wear looked good, TBN was lowish after only 5K.
OTOH, I did a 4K UOA of Nextgen Maxlife oil from my BMW.
Wear metals were extremely low and residual TBN was really good.
WRT air filters, they normally flow just fine for at least 30K, since they can flow so much more air than the engine needs.
Your Sprint must have had the OEM filter, or must have eaten a mouse or wasp nest to have been bad enough to actually cause the car to run badly.
 
You are awesome. I had a soft spot in my heart for Valvoline, but I have heard that it is a sort of a lackluster oil, and from what you've said about their TBNs lacking after a short time and the UOAs, I think I sadly will stay away from them. I still think it's a great oil, but I think there are slightly better ones.

I try not to let emotion control me, but of course it still does. I can understand the emotional connection one might have with a car, that listless nostalgia, that indecipherable, unknowable sense of longing and bittersweetness that comes from some beloved car. And oh how utterly worthless that all is. It's a car. It's a thing. And I don't want to love things, these worthless things. I love that Sprint Turbo because it is incredible on gas, and it was affordable. I believe in straightforwardness and honesty and practicality and earnestness and I can't find the word. Something so pure and honest and strong and basic that cuts straight from your core about it. Of necessity. Of usefulness. Of purity.

I just looked at some Napa Synthetic UOAs and they were disappointing to be honest. I think I won't be trying it. I guess I still haven't found my favorite oil yet. It would be AMSOIL if it were cheaper. I'm sort of looking into Pennzoil Platinum. I think I'd feel comfortable going 9,000 miles with PP. It may be my favorite, but I'd love to find some cheap, off-brand awesome synthetic oil. Napa Synthetic seemed like a sleeper to me, being so cheap and with it looking a lot like Royal Purple on paper. But it seems more like a 7,500 mile oil instead of a 10,000+ oil like PP. Of course, it all depends on conditions, but just average in general. One day there will be an oil that you won't have to change ever. Maybe. Hopefully. Lol.

What is OTS Synthetic? I tried looking up the abbrevation here: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2605508#Post2605508 but it wasn't there.

What's the advantage of running 5W-30 instead of the recommended 10W-30? I guess I could look that up myself, but last time I tried to read something on oil viscosities, it was much too complicated for me. That does interest me, and I am curious as to the different viscosities and the potential pros and cons.

Yeah that's the good and interesting thing about air filters. It makes sense. New, it flows a lot of air, more than needed, and as dirt accumulates, it kind of levels out gracefully. Changing air filters more often than needed is almost just as horrifying as changing your fully synthetic oils every 3,000 miles. Absolutely unnecessary in the highest sense of the word. Lol, might as well throw out half the food in the fridge for no good reason. That's kind of the same thing, lol.
 
Originally Posted By: freshcedar

What's the advantage of running 5W-30 instead of the recommended 10W-30?


There is not necessarily an advantage to 5-30. It depends on your climate. In NOR-CAL, I would choose 5-30, down here on the subtropical Gulf Coast, 10-30 is a great choice.
 
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