Would you mix brands of oil?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
367
Location
PA
Hey all!

My commuter car is a '97 Tracer wagon. It takes 4 quarts of oil for an oil change. I buy oil change specials where you get 5 quarts included in the special. Long story short, I end up with an extra quart of oil sitting on my shelf with each oil change. This car does 99% highway, 100 miles a day @ 65mph. I change it every 3K because it makes me happy, and I get under the car to keep an eye on things. Plus I get my kids outside and they help and learn stuff.

Money is tight right now before the holidays, so I just used those extra quarts for an oil change today.

What do you guys think?? It's messing with my OCD a little bit lol.

 
I wouldn't worry about it on a car that's 19 years old. For me, next time I'd pass on the STP oil. This week Dollar General is still running a BOGO sale on Peak motor oil. Comes out to $1.80 a quart or $1.90 a quart for HM.
 
No problem at all thousands of cars get oil added every day and im sure most of them get whatever oil is on hand at the time. Thats just how it is in the real world here on Bitog and in my vehicles it is not that way...lol
 
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I wouldn't worry about it on a car that's 19 years old. For me, next time I'd pass on the STP oil. This week Dollar General is still running a BOGO sale on Peak motor oil. Comes out to $1.80 a quart or $1.90 a quart for HM.


Yep, I'd miss out the STP and give it to some carless person for Christmas!

Oddly enough I didn't even know they made a motor oil, just cheap additives.

When you mix oils it does not improve things and the final result will depend on how poor the quality of the worst sinner in the collection of cans was.
 
If a 3000 mile OCI makes you happy, try a 5K one, as that will make you even happier unless the HG is kaput or the injectors are in a bad way.

PS: Ask Santa for a better oil filter!
 
Last edited:
If you are doing that much highway driving then you can easily stretch that oil change to 5-6K miles. Mixing those oils will be fine. The most I've ever mixed were two different brands, I doubt 4 brands will do anything harmful.
 
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK


PS: Ask Santa for a better oil filter!


I usually run a Motorcraft but had this Fram on the shelf from a RockAuto closeout. I think it was like $1.69 or something lol.
 
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I wouldn't worry about it on a car that's 19 years old. For me, next time I'd pass on the STP oil. This week Dollar General is still running a BOGO sale on Peak motor oil. Comes out to $1.80 a quart or $1.90 a quart for HM.

Yep, I'd miss out the STP and give it to some carless person for Christmas!

Oddly enough I didn't even know they made a motor oil, just cheap additives.

When you mix oils it does not improve things and the final result will depend on how poor the quality of the worst sinner in the collection of cans was.

Why the negative comments about STP oil?
 
You already know that this isn't best practice but in reality there is very little chance of any harm.
There is the possibility of VII interaction making this blend much thicker than any of the W numbers of the constituent oils, and while nobody here has ever reported having experienced such a thing it has happened in the real world. Your blend probably does have a higher if measured W number than any of the constituent oils, but at a hundred miles a day on 3K drains, you'll have it out before really cold weather hits anyway.
If this is a problem in your case, you'll notice it on the first cold morning when you try to start the engine. I doubt that it will be, though.
A '97 Tracer. eh?
That would have the engine known to drop valve seats IIRC.
For the future, I'm sure you must have a Rural King location somewhere near your route of travel. They sell quarts at reasonable prices, so you could just buy four quarts for a change and have no leftovers to deal with.
How many miles on this little beast that you end up with extra oil, which means you apparently don't need to add any?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top