Why Expensive Oil Is A Waste Of Money

[Colossus]

Read and decide for yourself.

https://jalopnik.com/why-expensive-oil-is-a-waste-of-money-1797241527

 

[lawn_star]

Agree, spend your money on a quality filter

[Daly]

That's laughable at best. The study compared "cheap" conventional oil to "high priced" synthetic oil's (that are designed to go further between change intervals) at a 4000 mile average change interval (conventional oil's change intervals). Lets see how those numbers look if you compare the conventional oil's and synthetic oil's, at the synthetic oil's change intervals. Or what the numbers look like for conventional oil at it's 4-5000 mile change interval vs. synthetic oil at it's 10-15000 mile change interval. That is where you'll see the benefit of the "high Priced" oil's. It's not a matter of which does better during it's cycle, so much as which one has the longer cycle. A conventional oil change at the place I go is $35 every 5-6k kms, where the Synthetic is $55 every 10-12k km. They do the same job, but one does that same job longer, and costs less in the end.

 

I do agree the filter is important as well.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Daly

[Black02Silverado]

I agree, if you do 3 to 5k oil changes no need for the expensive stuff. 

 

Remember for warranty, at least in GM engines dexos 1 is recommended and it is pretty much a full synthetic now with dexos 1 gen 2 out.

[Supreme Pizza]

Oil importance: 

 

1) keep your oil at the proper level. 

2) Change your oil and filter regularly, and on a schedule.  

3) Use the proper oil and filter type. 

 

As long as you do those three things, your engine will be fine and will never fail due to oil related issues. The vast majority of the people that have oil related issues - fall into this mindset category: 

 

Where does the engine oil go? 

How do I check the oil? 

If my truck is running bad, then it must be time for my 10 year oil change. 

 

 

Filter type, oil grade, synthetic or non-synthetic  - none of those are nearly as important as basic oil maintenance. 

 

Its like if your dying of thirst, and someone asks you which brand of bottled water is going to be the most beneficial? Brand??? Just give me water!  You engine is the same way. Just give me fresh oil at the proper level! 

 

I check my oil at every fuel fill. No exceptions. Some of my rigs need a few ounces of oil every fuel fill. Others never need any oil at all ever. I still check them all every fuel fill. I changed my oil on the '03 Suburban today, at 2500 miles on the oil. Too soon - I know, but oh well - I just had to turn some wrenches, and I love keeping my engine in tip top condition. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2018 by starman8tdc

[Grumpy Bear]

On ‎6‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 9:50 PM, starman8tdc said:

 

 

Let your TBN get depleted by extending your service intervals past your acid package's ability to consume the acids or by allowing conditions that rapidly deplete the base additive go unchecked  and you get the photo on the right and it wont take 78K to do it.

 

How long will it take? Seriously? I don't read tea leaves. Nobody does. Advice on change intervals is a blind man leading another. 

 

That said, , while I can't read teal leaves I can read an oil analysis. 

[CadillacLuke24]

Jalopnik is the internet equivalent of 14 year olds who decide what car is best based on their top speed and how race-car-y it is. 

 

That is all.

[Cowpie]

I tend to look at oil component analysis as done by the Petroleum Quality Institute of America and published on their site.  It is why my wife's 2006 Cadillac CTS has been on Pennzoil conventional 10w30 since I did the first oil change.  GM said it should have M1 5w30.  But the PQIA website shows Pennzoil 10w30 slaps the snot out of M1 in many aspects.  Well, this 13 year old car is still running great and we have no intention of getting rid of it anytime soon.    None of the timing chain issues that have plagued the 3.6L engine. I typically change the oil at around 6000-7000 miles even using conventional oil.    Very stout add pack, high calcium level that almost meets the level of the high end boutique synthetic oils.  And a high level of Moly/Boron which is a great friction modifier package. Also a very low (4.2) NOACK (burn off rate) that only the very best high end boutique synthetic oils can match or beat.  

 

Pennzoil 10w30 per PQIA....

http://www.pqiadata.org/Pennzoil10W30.html

 

The Mobil 1 5w30 that GM recommends for the 3.6 in my wife's Caddy.....

http://www.pqiamerica.com/March2013PCMO/mobil1.htm

 

Based on formulation and quality testing by the Petroleum Quality Institute of America, the Pennzoil conventional puts the Mobil 1 that GM says to use in my 2006 3.6 to shame on several levels.  

 

Folks get all wrapped up in synthetic vs conventional vs blend when in fact the technology has come such a long way that many conventional oils are giving synthetics a run for their money.   A person really needs to focus in on the add pack that makes up a motor oil.  That seems to be the major aspect regarding oil quality today.

 

I don't use a "official" dexos1 oil in my 2015 2500 6.0 either.   Used a Schaeffer 5w30 syn up to last OC.  Have Amsoil SS 10w30 in it now.  Might go back to Schaeffer on the next change.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Cowpie

[KARNUT]

Regular oil is probably good stuff, no doubt. Been using Amsoil since the 90s in hundreds of equipment with testing as required. Use redline and Mobil 1 with excellent results. My Toyota recommends 10K oil changes on synthetic oil, 5K on regular oil. I don’t think there’s bad oil of course, if I’m going extended I’m using synthetics, 5K on non.


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[swathdiver]

Conventional oil is dead by 5,000 miles.  Even the Mobil One 5W-30 at 3,500 miles is looking pretty dirty in my 5.3 right now.  

[lew-e]

I still hate the dipstick on my 2016 1500.


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[swathdiver]

2 hours ago, lew-e said:

I still hate the dipstick on my 2016 1500.

Don't worry, by the time you're ready for a new truck, the engine, like the transmission, will be sealed too!

[diyer2]

Well I found the article interesting.

Agree that the data has it's issues like more miles per oil change.

 

Being I still do 3 K mile oil changes with off the shelf oil, it works for me.

 

I have used a variety of oil over the years including Super Tech with fleet oil filters for years with no issues.

I used dino oil in everything until I bought my used 2012 Sierra in Nov. of 2015. It required Dexos 1 oil for the remainder of the warranty so I switched to Quaker State Semi- synthetic.

I switched the wife's Accord also to avoid buying 2 different oils.

 

I will be changing from Quaker State semi-synthetic to Castrol GTX Magnetec full synthetic oil for my truck and the wife's Accord.

I will also be changing oil filters. From the fleet filters I have been using for years to a Wix 57045 for my truck.

The Accord will get a Wix stock oil filter to.

 

This upgrade of oil and filters I suppose was over due but I never had any motor problems so I stuck with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Colossus]

I don't understand the need for semi-synthetic...

[Grumpy Bear]

6 hours ago, Colossus said:

I don't understand the need for semi-synthetic...

Funny concept "semi-synthetic". Funny as it has yet to be defined by the industry in a way the inspires trust. Currently you can have as little as 5% synthetic stock and call it a semi-synthetic or as much as 99%. A true 'pig in a poke sack'. Seems about right from a governing group who also has trouble with the definition of synthetic in general. 

 

It isn't just the oil industry that does this. A material that is but 51% actual leather can be marketed as "REAL LEATHER". How much of a statement has to be a lie before the statement is a lie? My Cobbler informed me to this recently when we took in a pair of the wife's shoes that 'delaminated' that were sold as "real leather uppers".