Vaolvoline MaxLife repaired oil leak

[SZR48207]

(knock on wood)

Well, call me a victim of marketing, but I recently switched to Valvoline Max Life (synth blend) in my F150 and it appears to have stopped a slight rear main seal leak that I've had for some time.

Prior to this, I used Motorcraft 5W-20 for nearly 75K miles. Now, I'll probably stay on MaxLife 5W-30 or possibly go with the 5W-20 since I've read that Valvoline tends to formulate this oil toward the heavier end of the viscosity.

One issue that bugs me is the MaxLife bottle says to change every 3K. Is this just their general suggestion or is it a specific mention for MaxLife? 6 quarts of this stuff is about $6 more than my usual Motorcraft, so I'm not about to shorten my OCI from my normal 5K-5.5K.

 

[crazyoildude]

great stuff i have used max life and pennzoil hm and had good results from both im unsure if pennzoil is a semi synthetic i dont think so.
As for the 3000 mi oci i could not say i change mine every 4000 to 5000 miles or 5 months whichever comes first with no problems..

 

[Nickdfresh]

Don't shorten your OCI, MaxLife has a great add pack...

Right now it's about $2.50 more than MC at Wal-Mart for the five qt. jug...($14 vs. $11.50)

 

[HTSS_TR]

If Vavoline Maxlife 5W30 did stop your seal leak, I would stay with that weight rather than try 5W20 and you may have seal leak again, if it works why change ?

 

[06VtecV6]

Originally Posted By: Reddy45
(knock on wood)

Well, call me a victim of marketing, but I recently switched to Valvoline Max Life (synth blend) in my F150 and it appears to have stopped a slight rear main seal leak that I've had for some time.

Prior to this, I used Motorcraft 5W-20 for nearly 75K miles. Now, I'll probably stay on MaxLife 5W-30 or possibly go with the 5W-20 since I've read that Valvoline tends to formulate this oil toward the heavier end of the viscosity.

One issue that bugs me is the MaxLife bottle says to change every 3K. Is this just their general suggestion or is it a specific mention for MaxLife? 6 quarts of this stuff is about $6 more than my usual Motorcraft, so I'm not about to shorten my OCI from my normal 5K-5.5K.


I too just switched to Maxlife 5w-20 from Motorcraft clone Conoco Super All-season Synthetic blend and I have noticed nothing but improvements as well. My drivetrain is quieter, my starts are not rough anymore and I have not noticed any drop off in the great gas mileage Motorcraft was legendary for in my use in this Honda Accord.

So far, it's been nothing but a step up from MC with using 5w-20 Maxlife! Where's Merkava, the Maxlife hooligan?!

It would not surprise me at all if Maxlife fixed an oil leak. I mean this 5w-20 concoction is simply out of this world and I had to wait forever to see it in Houston. I too have noticed that it's more expensive then MC too but I think it's worth it for the great benefits of this oil which is everything you can think an oil can do for your car which for me is protection, performance and now availability with 5w-20 and OTC at Walmart!

 

[ThirdeYe]

I've had MaxLife stop a leak in 2 applications as well, it's great stuff

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
If Vavoline Maxlife 5W30 did stop your seal leak, I would stay with that weight rather than try 5W20 and you may have seal leak again, if it works why change ?


Oh I just figured if, for MaxLife, all offerings are slightly thicker than "normal", then even using MaxLife 5W-20 would still be thicker than Motorcraft 5W-20?

It isn't a big deal. The previous year of my truck was spec'd for 5W-30 (97-2001). In 2002, CAFE kicked in and that is when Ford decided to experiment with using 5W-20 spec to improve gas mileage.

 

[mechtech2]

At first glance, I would attribute the attenuated oil loss to the the heavier/thicker oil that you switched to.
This has been done for decades .

 

[ZZman]

Stick with your normal OCI.

 

[Drivebelt]

Here is a UOA of Maxlife syn-blend 5W-30 run 7,381 miles in a V6, and the oil was still good for continued use. Maxlife is a synthetic blend that really impresses. You should be able to run it 5-6k no problem.

 

[NutBuster]

I just had standard maxlife 5W-30 in my 193K mile Z28, and had to change it after 2800 miles because SOMETHING happened to it. Something mysterious.

I changed my oil a week before going on vacation. It was a 12 hour drive each way with lots of 60 to 100 mile trips in between. By the time I got home, my engine would clatter like a diesel on a cold startup, but it didn't do that for the entire week before leaving. It wasn't low. It only took about a pint during the whole trip, and I topped it off.

The noise was intolerable for about 5 days, so I decided to drain it and refill with Valvoline's standard 5W-30 which has never had this problem. It's now quiet as a mouse again...even after sitting for 2 or 3 days. I could see light through the entire stream while it was draining, so there wasn't any mystery gunk.

Obviously, there was a dramatic change in the oil during the trip. My drain interval was about 3 weeks at 2800 miles. So, yes....they're serious about the 3000 mile interval.

Interestingly, I had the same issue with the original Penz platinum a number of years ago, but it was a 3 hour trip each way. I had to drain it after 3200 miles because of the rediculous noise. I've just never had the problem with regular old Valvoline, so I guess that's going to be my oil from now on.

 

[chevrofreak]

That sounds like an oil filter issue rather than an oil issue.

 

[Hammer]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
That sounds like an oil filter issue rather than an oil issue.


I agree...sounds like the HM oil and the PP was doing a better job cleaning the high mileage engine and plugging up the filter causing the clatter. The other oil he is having no problem with and is clear when drained, appears to me as doing a poor job at disbursing the combustion byproducts to the oil filter.

If it was my car, I'd be using a filter that has more dirt holding capacity before plugged....or rebuild this worn engine.