what oil do you recommend?

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TheProdigy001

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hello,

i got a 99 grand am 2.4l w/128k a few months ago.and i was wondering whats a good oil was to use.i don't know the oil change history of the car.all i know is when i got it i had the water pump changed,spark plugs changed,filter,iac valve,tps and outer tie rod replaced.so i am assuming the car was not taking car of with all those problems within a week.and i need this car to last.i usually use wally worlds super tech oil but i want better oil.and i dn about synthetic oil.i usually use reg oil or high mileage.

here is the info below

1. What kind of vehicle you have_____1999 Pontiac grand am 2.4l auto trans
2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications (look for acronyms like API SM, ILSAC GF-4, etc.) and change intervals as well____sae 5w30 also says do not use any oil that does not carry the Starburst symbol.what ever that is
3. Where you live____new jersey
4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)____medium.
5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)____usually short trips of a few miles each way.
6. Whether your car has any known problems____it leaks oil very very very slow.does not burn oil just a very slow leak.after a few weaks it still don't show on my dip stick.
 
Since you go to Walmart, give the Quaker State High Mileage a shot. There should be a $2 coupon and on the QS web site, there is a $5 rebate as well
 
regular Mobil 1 5w-30 or the High Mileage has a great additive pack and can do some good cleaning action if that engine is a little dirty from the previous owners.

Pennzoil Platinum is also a popular choice. All of those products can be bought at Wally World in the 5+ quart jug for between $23-25 depending on your prices.

The synthetic might make the oil leak faster but i am not sure how big your leak is, it could be nothing.

If you don't want a quality synthetic i can also recommend the Maxlife 5w-30.

What filter are you pairing it with?
 
Originally Posted By: TheProdigy001
i will be putting a ac delco filter.thats what came oem on my car.


That is a perfectly acceptable choice.

Since your warranty is out though you might consider something like a Purolator Pureone. Just a thought.
 
i want to try and stick to conventional oil. i was looking at Pennzoil Yb or high mileage oil. any input on them. what are the top 3 conventional oils?


thanks
 
i noticed a lot of people on here like max.so i was reading on there site and it says its a premium synthetic and conventional base stocks with a seal conditioning agent.so what exactly does it mean.is it a conv high mileage or a syn hm?
also why does everyone say don't use a synthetic oil if you have oil leaks?
 
Originally Posted By: TheProdigy001
i noticed a lot of people on here like max.so i was reading on there site and it says its a premium synthetic and conventional base stocks with a seal conditioning agent.so what exactly does it mean.is it a conv high mileage or a syn hm?
also why does everyone say don't use a synthetic oil if you have oil leaks?


Synthetic oil leaks faster in most cases and it will also cost you more to keep refilling your sump if your just dumping the oil right back out on the highway.



Top 3 non synthetics IMO are Motorcraft blend, Valvoline Maxlife , and PYB of course the first two are "blends" but are about the same price.

Mobil 1 makes a good High Mileage oil with a great additive pack and if your live in cold winter areas you might want the synthetic to flow better.

Since your out of warranty i would recommend Purolator Classic filters since you seem to be staying on the cheap side of the budget.


If you were just asking for a straight recommendation i would say Pennzoil Platinum to clean that engine out and protect it in the winter.
 
There is no one size fits all. Eureopean cars need M1 0w-40 or Castrol syntec 5w-40 or the oil that BMW, Volvo, VW sell in their own bottles (these are often good price values.

All other engines leave a lot of room for choice. With 3k to 5k changes any dino (even stor brands) work great. I buy mobil 5000, Peak, Pep boys, Walmart, PYB, Kendal, castrol on sale or deal.

For synthetics I buy mostly M1 and sometimes Castrol. I've used store brand Syns to try but, If I need a synthetic I'm not as comfortable with store brand syns.

It's more important to get the right weight and spec for your car based on the manual.Every store brand always says meets or exceeds X,Y,Z spec.

Sorry, I just realized this doesn't answer your spec ques, I hope it helped a little though.
 
Last edited:
i usually change my oil at 3K-4K at most. so a synthetic would be a waste.i know oil has come a long way but i still dont like/trust oil for longer then that.i have never had a internal engine problem out of my 13 years of driving.and i want to keep it that way.i have always wanted to try pennzoil yb.but i hear all this stuff about how it cases wax build up in engines.
 
Originally Posted By: TheProdigy001
i have always wanted to try pennzoil yb.but i hear all this stuff about how it cases wax build up in engines.

All what stuff? On here you heard that? Wherever you heard that, stop listening.
 
Originally Posted By: daman
Mobil clean 5000 is a great conventional found at wally world.


+1

I'm using it in my Nissan at 3,750 OCIs and in my Honda following the OLM (~6,000 to 7,000).
 
I though "High Mileage" oils where just hype but they are not for the most part. As most high mileage vehicles are beyond warranty they do not have to hold to the restrictive cat converter and mpg designs of most new style oils.

As such they usually are a thicker 30w, have much more wear protectors such as ZDP, Boron & Moly + seal conditioners

I love synthetic but can be like giving an old engine an enema!

Currently Quaker State High Mileage looks excellent to me, see link and my post within.

Your going to get a lot of opinions, good luck.

P.S. Had family member who ran the exact same vehicle to 154,000 with little to no trouble except fuel pump relay that went bad and a power steering hose leak on the rack underneath.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/impressive-vi-on-quaker-state-high-mileage.143386/
 
Originally Posted By: TheProdigy001
i usually change my oil at 3K-4K at most. so a synthetic would be a waste.i know oil has come a long way but i still dont like/trust oil for longer then that.i have never had a internal engine problem out of my 13 years of driving.and i want to keep it that way.i have always wanted to try pennzoil yb.but i hear all this stuff about how it cases wax build up in engines.



You won't hear of any problems with wax buildup using penn platinum or ultra, and you the rumors you hear about the PYB are also false.
 
so im guessing its safe to use pennzoil yb. thanks for the info and help.i just didnt want to make a mistake and mess my engine up. is there any conventional oils that are better then pyb?
 
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