which conventional oils show reduced consumption?
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MolaKule
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Bluedevils,
I would switch to a 10W30 Blend such as Schaeffer's or Mobil Drive Clean blend
because both have good BPT's at around -19 F.
I would switch to a 10W30 Blend such as Schaeffer's or Mobil Drive Clean blend
because both have good BPT's at around -19 F.
what are BPTs?
The Citgo is fine - I don't know how good or bad it is in my 2 vehicles since I'm not doing analysis and change the oil and filter every 3500-4000 miles. Both vehicles see relatively easy duty, so I can't imagine there would be much difference regardless of which SL-rated dino oil I was using.
My only 2 reasons for trying something other than the Citgo SuperGard are 1) a different brand might reduce consumption; or 2) because I hear more good things about Chevron Supreme and can get the Chevron for the same price.
The Citgo is fine - I don't know how good or bad it is in my 2 vehicles since I'm not doing analysis and change the oil and filter every 3500-4000 miles. Both vehicles see relatively easy duty, so I can't imagine there would be much difference regardless of which SL-rated dino oil I was using.
My only 2 reasons for trying something other than the Citgo SuperGard are 1) a different brand might reduce consumption; or 2) because I hear more good things about Chevron Supreme and can get the Chevron for the same price.
segfault, would a 5W40 or 0W40 synthetic be likely to reduce the consumption? If so, can you explain how? It seems I read some posts to that effect here recently but can't recall for sure.
My other concern is 0W40 and 5W40 are both pretty large spreads - generally speaking, don't those viscosities require lots of VIs, which can be undesirable? Or is that less of a concern with a synthetic?
My impression is these weights are not widely available, and I'd be looking at Amsoil/Redline/Mobil Delvac 1/etc. for choices. I'm reluctant to spend $4+ a quart for oil. I'm just not willing to leave the oil in more than 5-6k miles, which makes synthetic a more expensive choice than dino, especially when you factor in a high consumption rate.
My other concern is 0W40 and 5W40 are both pretty large spreads - generally speaking, don't those viscosities require lots of VIs, which can be undesirable? Or is that less of a concern with a synthetic?
My impression is these weights are not widely available, and I'd be looking at Amsoil/Redline/Mobil Delvac 1/etc. for choices. I'm reluctant to spend $4+ a quart for oil. I'm just not willing to leave the oil in more than 5-6k miles, which makes synthetic a more expensive choice than dino, especially when you factor in a high consumption rate.
a quick search revealed that BPT is short for borderline pumping temperature, but I'm still not clear on what it is exactly.
For a winter beater I have a 1991 Ford Thunderbird (my wife calls it Thunderblunder) with the 5.0HO and 161,000 miles. So far I have tried Pennzoil and Quaker State High milage oils, Quaker State regular and Super-Tech dino oil. All oils were 10W-30 viscosity.
I experieced by far the least consumption with the Super-Tech motor oil from Wal-Mart, which was significantly better than all the others. The QS high mileage was the worst. I don't think that the 10W-30 is too thick for winter use. If you manual allows it, use it.
[ December 18, 2002, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Alex D ]
I experieced by far the least consumption with the Super-Tech motor oil from Wal-Mart, which was significantly better than all the others. The QS high mileage was the worst. I don't think that the 10W-30 is too thick for winter use. If you manual allows it, use it.
[ December 18, 2002, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Alex D ]
I have always found Castrol GTX conventional oils to have less consumption in my vehicles compared to synthetic products such as Mobil1. I have recently used Castrol High Mileage in my winter beater which used about 1 litre per 600 miles or so, it has now been cut down in half with Castrol High mileage (unscientific test but it is working fo me), I am impressed with that feature alone.
I would recommend either oils from Castrol.
Joey
I would recommend either oils from Castrol.
Joey
Which brands of conventional oil are believed or known to reduce oil consumption? I’m not interested in running synthetic oil right now – used Mobil 1 in the past but have switched back to dino – mostly Citgo SuperGard recently and occasionally Chevron Supreme.
98 Isuzu Trooper. Almost 75,000 miles. The 3.5L V6 in Troopers is known to be a frequent oil consumer. Some folks report consumption of a quart every 1500, 2000, 3000 miles. Some report no consumption at all. Our Trooper has gone from 1 qt every 2500-3000 to 1 qt every appx 1500 miles. Consumption rate seems to be increasing during the past 10k miles – not sure if it’s related directly to running synthetic, to switching from synthetic back to dino, or to running Citgo SuperGard, or none of the above.
My concern is not so much the consumption rate, but the fact that the consumption rate seems to be INCREASING.
First 40k miles, truck ran conventional oil SJ rated. 40-45k, Mobil 1 / Drive Clean 50/50 blend. 45-65k miles Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic SJ. 65-75k miles Citgo SuperGard SL dino.
I always use 5W30 in this truck, based on comments that this engine runs better on thinner oil due to potentially noisy lifters etc. I know 10W30 would probably have less consumption but am reluctant to switch over, for the aforementioned reason plus it’s winter here in Michigan and temps often reach 10-20 F. Is a 10W30 dino oil too thick for such conditions?
I’ve read several threads, including the ‘How to reduce oil consumption – tips and tricks,’ but have not seen any comments on specific brands of oil that seem to have less consumption.
What else should I try?
The truck is well maintained. I haven’t checked the PCV valve in a while so not sure if that could be contributing to the high consumption rate.
98 Isuzu Trooper. Almost 75,000 miles. The 3.5L V6 in Troopers is known to be a frequent oil consumer. Some folks report consumption of a quart every 1500, 2000, 3000 miles. Some report no consumption at all. Our Trooper has gone from 1 qt every 2500-3000 to 1 qt every appx 1500 miles. Consumption rate seems to be increasing during the past 10k miles – not sure if it’s related directly to running synthetic, to switching from synthetic back to dino, or to running Citgo SuperGard, or none of the above.
My concern is not so much the consumption rate, but the fact that the consumption rate seems to be INCREASING.
First 40k miles, truck ran conventional oil SJ rated. 40-45k, Mobil 1 / Drive Clean 50/50 blend. 45-65k miles Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic SJ. 65-75k miles Citgo SuperGard SL dino.
I always use 5W30 in this truck, based on comments that this engine runs better on thinner oil due to potentially noisy lifters etc. I know 10W30 would probably have less consumption but am reluctant to switch over, for the aforementioned reason plus it’s winter here in Michigan and temps often reach 10-20 F. Is a 10W30 dino oil too thick for such conditions?
I’ve read several threads, including the ‘How to reduce oil consumption – tips and tricks,’ but have not seen any comments on specific brands of oil that seem to have less consumption.
What else should I try?
The truck is well maintained. I haven’t checked the PCV valve in a while so not sure if that could be contributing to the high consumption rate.
In general, thicker oils tend to burn off less easily. At operating temperature, the 0w40 behaves as a 40-weight oil, making it more resistant to burning off. The large spread between cold and hot weights is less of a concern with synthetic than petroleum oils. Perhaps someone else can elaborate further.
edit: Mobil 1 is available in 0w40 weight. I think Valvoline synthetic is also available in 5w40, but yes, you are looking at $4-$5 per quart. Maybe "worth it" if it significantly reduces the consumption. However, if your oil consumption continues, it may not be "worth it" to add keep adding expensive synthetic oil. In which case, I would suggest going with a quality 5w30 or 10w30 conventional oil (or blend) mentioned during the winter, then possibly switching to a 15w40 conventional oil during the summer (less concern regarding cold startup). Note that I am probably being conservative here: Mobil Drive Clean 10w40 claims a pour point of -27 degrees, as does Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15w40 (a petroleum oil designed for diesels but SJ & SL rated).
[ December 19, 2002, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: segfault ]
edit: Mobil 1 is available in 0w40 weight. I think Valvoline synthetic is also available in 5w40, but yes, you are looking at $4-$5 per quart. Maybe "worth it" if it significantly reduces the consumption. However, if your oil consumption continues, it may not be "worth it" to add keep adding expensive synthetic oil. In which case, I would suggest going with a quality 5w30 or 10w30 conventional oil (or blend) mentioned during the winter, then possibly switching to a 15w40 conventional oil during the summer (less concern regarding cold startup). Note that I am probably being conservative here: Mobil Drive Clean 10w40 claims a pour point of -27 degrees, as does Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15w40 (a petroleum oil designed for diesels but SJ & SL rated).
[ December 19, 2002, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: segfault ]
The reason thicker oil burns less is it's thicker film will be harder to get past the valve guides and rings. That's why higher milleage cars need these thicker oils when they start burning oil due to wear on guides and rings.
Thicker oils will decrease burning but may increase leakage to the point of a net loss. In my old GMC 5 liter I minimized oil loss by using a 0w30 oil. 15w50 pumped past the seals rapidly.
What to do? Should I switch to a 10W30 conventional oil now, or first try to clean up the motor a bit with a real (group IV or V) synthetic or a heavy-duty diesel-intended oil such as Delvac, Delvac 1, Delo, Delo Synthetic, Rotella T, or Rotella T synthetic? Or should I be doing something else first?
I would try Auto-RX and then put in Scheaffers, probably the 10W30 blend, #703.
I'm not sure if something I've done with this truck's engine (change intervals, filter choice, oil choice, etc.) has contributed to the increasing consumption. Here's some detail on oil & filter I've used in the vehicle since I bought it at 7,000 miles. I've installed a new drain plug washer with 75+% of the oil/filter changes.
Up to about 40k miles, engine used < 1qt per 3000 miles. From 40-55k used appx 1 qt every 2500-3000 miles. Now at 75k, the rate is up to 1 qt every 1200-1500 miles. Capacity is 5 qts.
In case anybody cares, here's a log of what oil used and mileage interval, w/filter.
Mileage Oil Filter
10766-14155 Castrol GTX 5W30 SJ; Isuzu filter – Filtech U.S.-made
14155-16665 Castrol GTX 5W30 SJ; Isuzu filter
16665-19301 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
19301-22807 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
22807-25484 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
25484-29295 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
29295-31194 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
31194-33845 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
33845-36997 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
36994-40540 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
40540-43748 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
43748- 46770 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
46770-49847 50% Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30 synthetic / 50% Mobil Drive Clean 5W30 SJ; Isuzu filter
49847-55920 Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30 [filter change only at 52556]; Isuzu filters
55920-61303 Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30; PureOne PL24458 filter
61303-67394 Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30 [filter change only at 64878]; Isuzu filter, PureOne filter
67394-71748 Citgo SuperGard SL 5W30 conventional; PureOne filter
71748-current [appx 74,800 as of 12/18/02] Citgo SuperGard SL 5W30 conventional; PureOne filter
Up to about 40k miles, engine used < 1qt per 3000 miles. From 40-55k used appx 1 qt every 2500-3000 miles. Now at 75k, the rate is up to 1 qt every 1200-1500 miles. Capacity is 5 qts.
In case anybody cares, here's a log of what oil used and mileage interval, w/filter.
Mileage Oil Filter
10766-14155 Castrol GTX 5W30 SJ; Isuzu filter – Filtech U.S.-made
14155-16665 Castrol GTX 5W30 SJ; Isuzu filter
16665-19301 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
19301-22807 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
22807-25484 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
25484-29295 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
29295-31194 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
31194-33845 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
33845-36997 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
36994-40540 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
40540-43748 Castrol Syntec Blend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
43748- 46770 Valvoline Durablend SJ 5W30; Isuzu filter
46770-49847 50% Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30 synthetic / 50% Mobil Drive Clean 5W30 SJ; Isuzu filter
49847-55920 Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30 [filter change only at 52556]; Isuzu filters
55920-61303 Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30; PureOne PL24458 filter
61303-67394 Mobil 1 Tri-Synth SJ 5W30 [filter change only at 64878]; Isuzu filter, PureOne filter
67394-71748 Citgo SuperGard SL 5W30 conventional; PureOne filter
71748-current [appx 74,800 as of 12/18/02] Citgo SuperGard SL 5W30 conventional; PureOne filter
joatmon, I appreciate the suggestion. I really can't start ordering oil via mail - wife would blow a gasket - she'd perceive this as silly and unnecessary since we have 30-40 qts of oil in the garage now. Plus I don't want to be running $3+ a qt oil in this vehicle long-term.
I agree with the above posts. Back in the "college" yrs. in my beater 4 cyl. Mustang I had the least consumption with Castrol GTX...cheap, easily available and burned less than M-1. I think I used 5-30 or 10-30 in those days, but you may wish to try the 10-40 as well. Don't worry about the temp. spreads and all these oils will pump anywhere short of the Arctic Circle...
I have some 10W30 Citgo SuperGard and 10W30 Chevron Supreme on hand. I'll probably try the Citgo first, so there's only one variable (oil weight). If consumption doesn't change much after 1000-1500 miles, I'll switch to the Chevron and see if that helps. If not, I'll probably try Castrol GTX 10W30. It seems ironic that I switched away from Castrol GTX a couple years ago after hearing all the bad press about their Syntec not being a true synthetic. I wonder how much better off I'd be if I had stuck with it instead of going through other conventional oils, 2 types of synth blends, Mobil 1, and back to a different conventional oil.
I decided for a bigger change than a 10W30 dino. Tonight I changed oil & filter - went with Delvac 1300 15W40. I'm really hoping this oil reduces the consumption in this engine. If it helps to clean things up, that will be icing on the cake.
Would a 15W40 tend to reduce consumption more than a 0W40 or a 5W40? I know they're all 40 weight at higher temps, so I'm guessing the answer is no.
Would a 15W40 tend to reduce consumption more than a 0W40 or a 5W40? I know they're all 40 weight at higher temps, so I'm guessing the answer is no.
The Delvac 1300 is one of my favorite oils for the additive package, it should clean up the engine nicely and the viscosity should slow oil consumption. But the high viscosity will definitely mean slower starting at below 10 F.
I am using Citgo Superguard 5W30 SL in my wife's Saturn but I can't say whether the consumption is good or bad relative to other oils - it has been bad for quite some time regardless of oil used. I am in the middle of trying AutoRx (after using other things unsuccessfully) to end the oil consumption. I am keeping a diary of sorts in a thread on Saturn oil consumption. I have two cases of Citgo, so there will be at least one constant in my quest!
I am using Citgo Superguard 5W30 SL in my wife's Saturn but I can't say whether the consumption is good or bad relative to other oils - it has been bad for quite some time regardless of oil used. I am in the middle of trying AutoRx (after using other things unsuccessfully) to end the oil consumption. I am keeping a diary of sorts in a thread on Saturn oil consumption. I have two cases of Citgo, so there will be at least one constant in my quest!
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