TBN

[FZ1RN]

Hello everyone.....a Newbie here. This site is amazing and I can't believe how many knowledgeable people are here. I did a search for my question but didn't find an answer...so here goes. A high TBN number is a good thing. Does it matter if the high TBN number is in a dino vs syn. oil? From what I've read a syn oil is always better than dino oil, correct? I'm running all my vehicles to 5000 mile between oil changes. So....if the oil gets "worn out" the other additives in the oil will be used up before I must worry about the TBN, yes? All my vehicle are driven in a manner that all the "experts" say is tuff on oil, ie, lots of short hops 1-15 miles then the occasional blast down the highway at 75 mph for 400 + miles every 3 months or so. Thanks for your inputs. (be gentle now )

 

[cweed]

Well different oils have different TBN retention, while some lose their TBN quicker, others are hold it longer, only UOAs will tell you whether your oil is still good or if you should change it out. It is probably more likely that a synth will hold its TBN longer than dino, but having a high TBN in either synth or dino is important and beneficial. Enjoy the board!

 

[Gene K]

Generally the Synthetic Oils tend to have a higher natural TBN. Dino oils tend to have lower TBN numbers and require more additives to raise the TBN. Short trips such as you describe tend to be very hard on TBN. If you would like to run a extended drain with a lower priced dino oil the usual suggestion is one of the HDEO (Heavy Duty Engine Oil) oils like Chevron Delo 400, Mobil Delvac 1300, or Shell Rotella T (These are around $6 a gallon at WalMart) as these have a much more robust additive package and much higher TBN than normal PCMO (Passenger Car Motor Oil). The drawback is that these are normally very hard to find in weights other than 15W-40. Although some actually meet the cold pumpability standards for 10W so they may work in more areas than you would think. Gene

 

[Ken2]

A higher TBN number in and of itself is not necessarily a good thing. You want good TBN retention. TBN is a measure of the additive capacity remaining in the oil. It neutralizes acids formed by deterioration of the oil. An oil with a cheap additive package can have initial high TBN that is used up rather quickly. A better oil with a more expensive add pack can start with a lower TBN and retain it longer. Ken

 

[FZ1RN]

cweed,gene K and Ken 2, Thanks for your info. I will do a couple of UOA's on my vehicles to se where I am at with what I have been using (mostly penz 10-30 and QS 10-40). If results are good I think I will change to the Delo or Rotella as I looked up those numbers and they look like great long term (5000 + mile oil changes)oils. Also the price at Wall Mart for either one of these is only a few dollars more that what I'm paying for Penz./QS.Thanks again!