mobil 1 causes leaks

[Vikas]

Does it really matter if it "caused" the leak or "exposed" the leak? From the user's perspective, it is the end result that matters. If it was not leaking before and it is leaking now after using Mobil 1, one can either associate cause and effect or say it was pure coincidence.

I always love these kind rationales which we BITOGers are very good at coming up with. Putting new transmission fluid ;it blows next day; "it was ready to die anyway". Put Techron in the fuel tank and; engine starts shuddering; "don't worry, it is cleaning all the crud in the fuel system". Put Seafoam; muffler gets a hole; "It was rusting anyways" etc

Have I missed anything?

From my perspective, if I am going to put better oil in the engine or fuel system cleaner in the fuel or do Seafoam as induction cleaning, THINGS BETTER NOT GO WORSE. I don't care why but I want ZERO CHANCE of things turning out worse than before.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Does it really matter if it "caused" the leak or "exposed" the leak? From the user's perspective, it is the end result that matters. If it was not leaking before and it is leaking now after using Mobil 1, one can either associate cause and effect or say it was pure coincidence.

I always love these kind rationales which we BITOGers are very good at coming up with. Putting new transmission fluid ;it blows next day; "it was ready to die anyway". Put Techron in the fuel tank and; engine starts shuddering; "don't worry, it is cleaning all the crud in the fuel system". Put Seafoam; muffler gets a hole; "It was rusting anyways" etc

Have I missed anything?

From my perspective, if I am going to put better oil in the engine or fuel system cleaner in the fuel or do Seafoam as induction cleaning, THINGS BETTER NOT GO WORSE. I don't care why but I want ZERO CHANCE of things turning out worse than before.


Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. On a neglected car, that's what usually happens or things simply get worse and stay that way.

My cars are very well maintained. In Mazda's case, since I owned it since new, I still use Redline Fuel system cleaner, or Techron about once a year, but I never notice any difference in engine behavior. Same thing with motor oil, I used several oil brands, dino and synthetic, 5w20 or 5w30 and my engine always feels the same and has no oil consumption. I use MMO or Lucas UCL during winter months in fuel for extra lubricating properties, but again, I can never detect any noticeable difference in engine performance or operation. But that doesn't mean thses products don't do anything. If my car was severly neglected, who knows how it would react to these products? If I got misfire bacuse Techron cleaned some crud and fouled the spark plug, would it be Techron's fault?

So I don't think it's reasonable to expect only improvement from better oil, or fuel cleaners or anything else used in a car. It all depends what condition said car or engine is in before using certain products and how it will react to them.

 

[mechtech2]

I have seen seals gush out and leak horribly when customers started using M1.
Not a cleaning issue, a swelling/softening issue.
Side covers and valve covers.
It has been years, though.
So it CAN happen for other reasons besides cleaning away a dirt false seal.

 

[OVERKILL]

Both my valve covers on my Mustang leaked like sieves shortly after I put M1 in it. They were cork and brittle. I swapped them out, which took all of about 30 minutes and no further issues.

 

[blackman777]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Putting new transmission fluid ;it blows next day; "it was ready to die anyway". Put Techron in the fuel tank and; engine starts shuddering; "don't worry, it is cleaning all the crud in the fuel system". Put Seafoam; muffler gets a hole; "It was rusting anyways" etc

Your post made me laugh out loud. That's EXACTLY what goes on here. I put Redline C+ in my Chrysler trans and it killed it 10k later (only 130,000 miles). Many BITOGers would say it was a bad trans. I would say the trans would still be working if I have used Chrysler Mopar ATF rather than redline.

As for the Mobil 1: It's pretty well known that synthetic oil cleans-out gunk. If the gunk was plugging a hole, well then the hole is not plugged anymore. That isn't M1's fault. (In fact they say on their website that M1 can't perform miracles on already-damaged engines or broken seals.)

 

[mechtech2]

blackman777 - Your imagination and hopes are not scientific fact.

 

[blackman777]

Hopes?
Whatever. I will never use Redline ATF again. Their C+ did not protect my transmission.

And Mobil 1's website: " If your engine has excessive sludge deposits due to less-than-adequate maintenance practices, Mobil 1 High Mileage can help by reducing the sludge left behind in your engine.... In cases of engine damage that may have resulted from poor maintenance, even Mobil 1 cannot remedy years of neglect."

 

[hardcore302]

It cleaned up some crud that was covering some exposed brittle seals. The oil is so good it made your car leak. Throw in some high mileage, like other's have said. If it doesn't work, step up a grade in oil (hm, also.)

 

[vtecboy]

I have a 2000 mitsubishi eclipse gt v6 with 91,000 miles on it.
I have been using using mobil 1 since 2007 and then i switched to mobil 1 high mileage on october 2011. Then My valve cover gasket leaked within 1000 miles. Mobil 1 HM is supposed to seal leaks. That shiit failed me!

This is what happend:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2887336&page=1


Now...I'm using cheap valvoline white bottle.

 

[blackman777]

Originally Posted By: vtecboy
i switched to mobil 1 high mileage on october 2011. Then My valve cover gasket leaked within 1000 miles. Mobil 1 HM is supposed to seal leaks. That shiit failed me!

I didn't think seal conditioners worked on gaskets?

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: vtecboy
I have a 2000 mitsubishi eclipse gt v6 with 91,000 miles on it.
I have been using using mobil 1 since 2007 and then i switched to mobil 1 high mileage on october 2011. Then My valve cover gasket leaked within 1000 miles. Mobil 1 HM is supposed to seal leaks. That shiit failed me!

This is what happend:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2887336&page=1


Now...I'm using cheap valvoline white bottle.

Whoa! that's terrible! Why did you switch to a high mileage oil after so many years with regular M1?

Nevermind, read your thread. Classic blame the oil for your own mistakes.

 

[Toto]

My son was using Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic for 2 years with no issues and he changed his oil at a time that I could not help him or be present like usual, upon returning home and he was long gone I seen the empty M1 bottle in the garage and instantly got a bad feeling. I called him and asked why M1 and not Valvoline HM his reply was that he was in a hurry and did not go to his usual store and the Valvoline HM was not available and I told him I thought he could have an oil leakage issue using M1 and sure enough a month later oil was pouring from his oil sensor loosing two or three quarts at a time.

Toto.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Toto
My son was using Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic for 2 years with no issues and he changed his oil at a time that I could not help him or be present like usual, upon returning home and he was long gone I seen the empty M1 bottle in the garage and instantly got a bad feeling. I called him and asked why M1 and not Valvoline HM his reply was that he was in a hurry and did not go to his usual store and the Valvoline HM was not available and I told him I thought he could have an oil leakage issue using M1 and sure enough a month later oil was pouring from his oil sensor loosing two or three quarts at a time.

Toto.


I'm going to call you on this one. Oil sensors don't use gaskets, they use pipe threads. Oil pressure sensors are prone to leak(fail and will leak profusely) which has nothing to do with the type of oil in the engine.

 

[Torrid]

Originally Posted By: tig1
I'm going to call you on this one. Oil sensors don't use gaskets, they use pipe threads. Oil pressure sensors are prone to leak(fail and will leak profusely) which has nothing to do with the type of oil in the engine.


Exactly. Mine was leaking last night so I pulled it apart and cleaned it up and applied fresh copper RTV to the threads. The oil currently in the case? German Castrol. Everyone claims that leaks just go away with GC, but oil can't treat a gasket that isn't there.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Toto
My son was using Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic for 2 years with no issues and he changed his oil at a time that I could not help him or be present like usual, upon returning home and he was long gone I seen the empty M1 bottle in the garage and instantly got a bad feeling. I called him and asked why M1 and not Valvoline HM his reply was that he was in a hurry and did not go to his usual store and the Valvoline HM was not available and I told him I thought he could have an oil leakage issue using M1 and sure enough a month later oil was pouring from his oil sensor loosing two or three quarts at a time.

Toto.


I'm going to call you on this one. Oil sensors don't use gaskets, they use pipe threads. Oil pressure sensors are prone to leak(fail and will leak profusely) which has nothing to do with the type of oil in the engine.


Exactly

This is akin to putting on Goodyear tires instead of your regular Michelin's and then having a driveshaft fail and blaming the tires.

 

[Clevy]

I used AFE in my high mile hemi and ive looked to see no leaks.
Dodged a bullet did I?

 

[Toto]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Toto
My son was using Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic for 2 years with no issues and he changed his oil at a time that I could not help him or be present like usual, upon returning home and he was long gone I seen the empty M1 bottle in the garage and instantly got a bad feeling. I called him and asked why M1 and not Valvoline HM his reply was that he was in a hurry and did not go to his usual store and the Valvoline HM was not available and I told him I thought he could have an oil leakage issue using M1 and sure enough a month later oil was pouring from his oil sensor loosing two or three quarts at a time.

Toto.


I'm going to call you on this one. Oil sensors don't use gaskets, they use pipe threads. Oil pressure sensors are prone to leak(fail and will leak profusely) which has nothing to do with the type of oil in the engine.


tig1,

Please tell me you are joking, pipe thread sealant is a gasket material, what difference does it make a gasket is a gasket it can be pipe thread material, cork, rubber, metalized and many other compounds. so if it was an oil pan gasket it would be more acceptable to believe.... give me a break.

Toto.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Toto
Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Toto
My son was using Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic for 2 years with no issues and he changed his oil at a time that I could not help him or be present like usual, upon returning home and he was long gone I seen the empty M1 bottle in the garage and instantly got a bad feeling. I called him and asked why M1 and not Valvoline HM his reply was that he was in a hurry and did not go to his usual store and the Valvoline HM was not available and I told him I thought he could have an oil leakage issue using M1 and sure enough a month later oil was pouring from his oil sensor loosing two or three quarts at a time.

Toto.


I'm going to call you on this one. Oil sensors don't use gaskets, they use pipe threads. Oil pressure sensors are prone to leak(fail and will leak profusely) which has nothing to do with the type of oil in the engine.


tig1,

Please tell me you are joking, pipe thread sealant is a gasket material, what difference does it make a gasket is a gasket it can be pipe thread material, cork, rubber, metalized and many other compounds. so if it was an oil pan gasket it would be more acceptable to believe.... give me a break.

Toto.


You don't get it.

This is a tapered thread/seat arrangement where the ultimate "seal" is the result of the brass (usually) tapered threaded end on the sensor binding in the steel (extension), iron or aluminum block or housing material. There isn't a "gasket" or "seal" present here.

Sometimes a thread seal compound (that hardens and would be unaffected by any oil additives) is applied to the threads to make the threading/sealing process easier, but ultimately the source of the sealing itself is the result of the taper.

So unless your argument here is that Mobil 1 eats brass (which I'm certainly hoping is not the case) then you need to come to grips with the fact that the conclusion you've reached, and subsequently your dismissive approach you've taken with Tig's point is a foolish tangent, likely based on an aversion to a particular product and has no basis in any sort of "fact" or "logic".

 

[Toto]

Sorry Overkill this just happened in January 2013 and I knew that darn engine would leak somewhere from that oil and I was correct that's just to much of a coincidence I do not believe the answer you pose.

Toto.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Toto
Sorry Overkill this just happened in January 2013 and I knew that darn engine would leak somewhere from that oil and I was correct that's just to much of a coincidence I do not believe the answer you pose.

Toto.


Sensors fail. It had nothing to do with the oil choice. Just because you don't believe in a logical diagnosis doesn't make it any less correct.

As I said earlier in this thread, the old, hardened cork valve cover gaskets on my '87 302 began to weep heavily when I started running Mobil 1 in that engine. That's a believable scenario because the only thing preventing them from leaking was likely the build-up from the conventional oil used in the engine by the previous owner. A new set of gaskets and the engine was leak-free and remained that way. I still have that engine and it has 332,000Km on it, still with the original oil pan gasket in place, and this is with the last 200,000Km on Mobil 1.

There are legitimate cases where a synthetic (ANY synthetic) with a more aggressive additive package will "cause" a leak by cleaning away crud left from inferior lubricants. This is usually in cases where the gasket has already failed and the only thing holding back the leak is build-up. Anything with a tapered-seat seal doesn't fall into this category, and subsequently your sensor story doesn't work here.