mobil 1 fiasco: who's switching? who's going down with the ship?

[hitman]

You want to go 15,000 miles without changing your oil, go right ahead. You might be one of the "lucky" ones whose vehicle will get 100,000 without significant problems. Oil breaks down from use, heat, short trips, etc. Oil can sit on shelves for years because it isn't used.

It's a simple fact that if you run dirty oil in your engine that over time your engine won't run as well (or not at all) if it had been run with clean oil. That's not crazy. That's why you change your oil and regular intervals, whether it be 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 or whatever. The length of time between changes allows the oil to get dirtier - think about it.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by Big E
If synthetic oil is so great. How come none of the car makers use it? Cause for 36k they are under warranty. So seems to me if it was so good they would use it. One vehicle that uses it that I know of is a Viper.

Not completely true, my friend, Guess what Vettes come from the factiory with?

The following is from an Amsoil site...
In a nutshell, the auto manufacturers' and your "friendly" dealer actually want your vehicle to wearout and have a finite life within a specific targeted period of time so you have to buy a new one, or come to the dealer for expensive repairs. AMSOIL Motor Oils, ATF and gear lubes have been proven for over 25 years and hundreds of millions of miles to significantly extend the life of a vehicles engine, transmission, axles, gears and bearings. We bet you find that hard to believe?

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by hitman
You want to go 15,000 miles without changing your oil, go right ahead. You might be one of the "lucky" ones whose vehicle will get 100,000 without significant problems. .

I have NEVER had a vehicle that lasted less than 150k miles. I don't consider that lucky.

 

[ok89]

I'd Like to see both the Fram and the Motorcraft thank you

Originally posted by Maniak
On our main vehicles we only use synthetic (ok.. Mobil 1).. It doesn't cost that much more than the Dino Oil.. I change the oil every 8-10k miles.. Change the filter every 4 to 5k miles..

For us it makes sense.. We drive 300-400 miles a week without doing any trips (that is just work and back).. Including all the extra trips to town.. or to the next town we will hit 3000 miles every month.. (we put 60k miles on the truck last year).. Some times the extra cost is worth saving a little time.. (I don't have to change the oil every 4 weeks)..

some times it just makes sense.. for the other vehicles (like the 63 galaxie with the orig motor that only goes 300 miles a month) I use straight 40 weight el cheapo oil.. and change it every 3 to 6 months weather I hit 3000 miles or not..

It just all depends..

 

[99explorer5.0]

Originally posted by aldive


I have NEVER had a vehicle that lasted less than 150k miles. I don't consider that lucky.

Aldive ... I dont think that the oil that you use has anything to do with having your cars go so many miles. I think It is your driving style. I belive that you were the one who claims the best gas millage on the board. In order to do that you must crawling away from stoplights and never drive your vehicle hard. So long engine life in your situation has nothing to do with what oil you use.

Everyone gets all crazy when it comes to oil and additives .... i think that if you feel comforatble changing your oil in a $30,000 vehicle twice in its lifetime thats great. That is your choice. But you arent going to convince me to do it.

One thing i was convinced with buying was synthetic oil because of gas millage .... it did nothing ..... I was also convinced that my AWD was going to outrun a viper and do 4 wheel burnouts when i purchaced my KKM .... once again i was sadly mistaken. As far as running my oil the way i drive my vehicle 10,000 miles on the same oil .... HELL NO !!!! you are not going to convince me to do that.


Oil is so cheap these days ... Why is everyone so stingy with oil when they are driving vehicles that are $30,000 bran new?

 

[Robb]

WOW, it's like everyone here has their own opinion and are going to continue to do what they do! So why does everyone continue to argue about it? Just continue to do what you feel is best for your ride!

About the original post, why would anyone change their ways just b/c Mobil 1 isn't 100% synthetic. Remember, matter can not be created nor destroyed, only change form. ie, nothing is synthetic. If you like Mobil 1 and trust it, please keep using it. If you don't use Mobil 1, all's well.

 

[tbomb]

ok, i think some people are misunderstanding me...

ryan, i know how an engine works, and i know about oil, and its role, etc, etc, etc. (and, yes, ive changed the oil in our lawnmower before ) i was just exaggerating, i dont really lose sleep when i cant make an oil change at exactly 3k, heh. and changing the oil at 3k (since you think that is premature) is not like changin your gas at half tank, but whatever...i get the point youre making.

hitman, at no point did i say i want to go 15k between changes. in fact, i said i change it every 3k, and i always will.

as for that quote that aldive posted from the amsoil website; engineers dont design vehicles to last for a specified period of time, there is no conspiracy or anything like that, contrary to popular belief. think about why amsoil put that on their site...so people who are trying to research the subject, come across it and think, "hey, ya know what, these guys seem to make sense, and they seem to be on my side, not the automakers side. maybe i should spend $400 on their oil, filters, engine flushes, and snake oils." the truth, hard as it is to believe, is that things wear out, and theres nothing anyone can do about it. maybe an engine that has run synthetic oil will last 100,000 miles longer than an engine that runs dino oil, maybe vice-versa; its completely random, which vehicle you get off the assembly line (and like 99explorer5.0 said, its driving style, as well as maintenance.) dont go thinking that some company is selling this magic product that will make your car last forever, it doesnt exist and it never will.

i only like synthetic oil because i can go a lot longer on an oil change, if i have to, and supossedly, it acts as a better lubricant, and has better performing viscous properties, but its not like theres any extreme immediate results, and most people who say you can achieve these magic results are usually selling it (not that im knocking that, everyone has to make a living.) its just one more little thing i can say i did (ya know the saying, "every little bit helps.)

though, i could go on for 10 more pages with all this crap, ill spare the masses it seems as though, topics like this always come back to the argument of 'synthetic vs. dino', and im starting to regret starting this thread.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by 99explorer5.0
Aldive ... I dont think that the oil that you use has anything to do with having your cars go so many miles. I think It is your driving style. I belive that you were the one who claims the best gas millage on the board. In order to do that you must crawling away from stoplights and never drive your vehicle hard. So long engine life in your situation has nothing to do with what oil you use.

One thing i was convinced with buying was synthetic oil because of gas millage .... it did nothing

My driving style does indeed help with mileage. I do not try to beat the other guy to the next light, etc. I drive a lot of miles and have had a lot of cars/trucks. I have pulled boats for years ( tough on any motor ) and when I was young and didn’t think, I used to drive like an idiot on the street.

I take care of my vehicles, I have to pay for them, mommie and daddy don’t.

I contribute the longevity a lot to oil and filter changing and to the use of Movil 1 oil ( although I am soon switching to Amsoil ).

Synthetic Mobil 1 oil did a lot for gas mileage in every vehicle that I have used it in; this holds true for many others.

 

[tbomb]

Originally posted by aldive




I take care of my vehicles, I have to pay for them, mommie and daddy don’t.

i certainly hope youre not looking down your nose at people whose parents have bought vehicles for them, let alone imply that just because someone's parents bought them a vehicle, that person doesnt care about it and goes out and beats the hell out of it, which would also be to say that people who buy their own vehicles take immaculate care of them. think.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

rpenner oil that is factory sealed is okay, but leaving it in a car that is rarely driven is asking for trouble as it will contaminate with water and other things due to the changes in tempature. This is doing more harm to the oil than driving the car. By the way I change the oil in my lawn mower every spring.

 

[AgExplorer]

Originally posted by tbomb

the only problem with switching, from what i gather from other posts around here, is that no oil is really synthetic anymore.

I can't speak for the other oil companies, but AMSOIL is 100% made from chemically derived synthetic base oils.

Look at dino vs. synthetic this way -

Dino oil is like a bottle full of rocks, different and irregular shapes and sizes. Imagine this between the moving parts in an engine and the friction and heat it can generate just by the molecules moving across each other.

Synthetic oil is like a bottle full of BB's. Uniform shapes and sizes. If this were in between the moving parts, the molecules would move very easily with a lot less friction and heat. This is why synthetics flow better and protect against wear better.

 

[99explorer5.0]

The next time i am at a bar i am going to bring up the regular oil vs. synthetic oil subject just to see if i am able to start a big brawl between everyone there.

 

[hitman]

I just hit on the girl the guy next to me brought. That always seems to start trouble.

 

[rustytr]

My teachers dad worked at a mine here in Colorado, and he put Molybdenum in his engine in like 1985 and he still hasn't changed it, some 100,000 miles later. Food for thought.

 

[Flight_951]

Here's my 92 cents. I'm adding it to this eternal thread since some of the ideas have not been posted yet...

Motor oil is sold by advertisers as a parity good these days, meaning all brands basically do the same thing equally -- lubricate engine internals. While this is true for most conventional oils, synthetic oils simply lubricate engines better, under much more extreme conditions, for a longer period of time, and with a better additive and detergent package included in the oil. This is not speculative, it has been proven by numerous dyno tests, etc.

For most consumers, motor oil at $1 a quart is the way to go, just like shopping for the cheapest deal on soda, toothpaste, long distance, etc. However, while this seems to be the way it is in today's marketplace, I believe that synthetic oil can be far better for an engine than conventional oil especially when towing, racing, or in very hot or very cold climates.

Sure an engine runs 150k miles on conventional oil, but I doubt that the internals are still clean and within factory specs. I have seen the cylinder walls of a Ford 302 running Mobil 1 with 180k miles on the clock that looked nearly new. This car was raced hard its whole life.

Most synthetic oil users still change their oil every 3k-5k, but newer cars even go 7.5k or more on conventional oil these days. Changing oil at regular intervals is good preventative maintenance; changing oil with synthetic is the best maintenance.

An oil change with Red Line 5-30 and a Motorcraft filter is about $45 every 5k miles. That's about two changes per year for me at $90 total. My cable tv bill last month (with cable modem) was $115. That's why I don't lose sleep over using synthetic oil. I know the merits of synthetic, and the cash outlay is basically squat.

I have seen the oil pressure in my car increase, the coolant temperature decrease, and valvetrain noise reduce immediately upon switching to Red Line Oil. That's not a coincidence, and I don't need anymore proof than that (but the dyno charts are nice too).

Generally, mass consumers prefer cheaper conventional oils and enthusiasts, racers, engineers, etc. prefer synthetic. That's not a bad thing. That's why Consumer Reports tests conventional oil and enthusiast magazines run tests on synthetics. There are believers of synthetic and non-believers, and it will be that way forever.

And concerning Mobil 1 stickers under the hoods of new Porsches... Does Porsche pay $4 per car to print and affix a sticker under the hood of every new Porsche? I doubt it! I suspect Mobil gives them those stickers along with all the free Mobil 1 they need. (Who knows maybe a cash "sponsorship" too...)

I think we are getting the worlds of marketing and science confused here.

 

[65 Fury Convert]

I must have been sleeping! I know Castrol is a semi synthetic but Mobil 1?

Where can I find information to back this up?

 

[jrfranz]

engineers dont design vehicles to last for a specified period of time, there is no conspiracy or anything like that, contrary to popular belief

Believe it or not folks figuring out how long each part will last and how much it will cost the company I work for to warrant / contract maintainence on products is what I do - trust me we don't loose money on service agreements or on the warranty included with the stuff we manufacture. I am certain Ford does the same - they know when the parts of your truck are going to wear out and when it will no longer be financially feasable to fix it.

Every product has a life cycle and the engineers that built it did their homework and can predict very well when and how it will begin to wear out.

Design is a very interesting game - you have to build it cheap enough to make a profit, but reliable enough to not P.O. the customer. The Yugo comes to mind -

Just my $0.02 -

Oh yeah - by the way I do use Mobil 1 in my truck - I want to keep it for a while and I do think it is better than most oils. I switched all the fluids to Mobil 1 (both axles, transfer case, engine oil and Tranny) - I saw about a 2 mpg increase (ave was 12.5 around town) in my economy with the same driving habits. Could I have gooten the same with dino juice - I dunno - I like Mobil1 I have had good luck, and think it is worth 4 bucks a quart (the bottles are much cooler than plain old oil you see...)
It gets cold here so the two things I worry the most about are the cold mornings with 6 mile drive to work and the salt I pay taxes to have dumped on our roads that makes a 15 year old car very old or very rusty in this part of the country.

Debate is healthy - keep it up

Jeff

 

[65 Fury Convert]

I'm going to ask this again (and again and again and again until someone answers me LOL). THIS POST WAS STARTED CLAIMING MOBIL 1 WAS NOT 100% SYNTHETIC. STICK TO THE POINT OF THE THREAD PEOPLE. Where is the link backing this up. No one I know has heard of this. This is a pretty serious alligation TBomb, anyone?

 

[AgExplorer]

I am doing some research with help from some lubrication engineers. As soon as we come up with the facts, I'll pass them along.

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by Dan Whitaker
don't think going 10,000 on syntheteic is a good idea. You still need to change the filter every 3,000 miles so what is the point?

Why do you think it is not a good idea?

Thanks....