A few questions on Synthetic oil use...

I use Mobil 1 5W30 and Mobil 1 oil filters.

You should use the same weight that your engine/manual calls for. No recommendation on brand. Personally I use Mobil 1.

One designed to match the effectiveness of syn oil. Mobil makes a comprable filter. Personally I use Purolator One.

None that I know of. There are too many other variables to judge this. Mobil itself makes no claim to increased mileage.

Moble 1 used to say 25000 miles. But they backed off to what ever the manufacturer recommends.

You are putty in the marketer's hands.

By "putty" above I mean that you have decided to pay extra for oil with the word "synthetic" written on the bottle without bothering to demand specific evidence from the product.

"Synthetic" used to indicate significant differences in manufacturing processes. It is not a performance guarantee. Synthetic motor oil is not something different than refined motor oil the way vinyl is said to be synthetic leather. Its more like burning hydrogen and oxygen to make "synthetic water" rather than dip water out of the lake, boil, and filter.

The power of the word "synthetic" in selling motor oil at premium prices has not so much driven the costs of synthetic manufacturing processes down as it has driven the processes manufacturing calls synthetic down.

Oil bearing the synthetic label is probably better than most refined oil, but there isn't anyone to protect you and/or stick their necks out to keep the manufacturers honest. So long as they go thru the designated motions to manufacture the oil "synthetically" no one will do anything. Just exactly the same as graduating your kid for attending school every day whether he/she learned anything or not.

Having said all that, my car and truck have Mobil-1 5W30 in them. But only because 5 quart jugs were $18.88 at Walmart. I don't think Mobil-1 SuperSyn is as good as TriSynthetic was so I might be buying plain old refined oil next time. I do believe refined oil has gotten much better the past 10 years, while consumer-grade synthetic has gotten worse.

Based on pictures widely distributed on the net of new filters cut open many have a bias against Fram. I think Allied Signal is a stupid company and has ruined the once exceptional Fram, but not because of pictures on the internet. If the filter media is paper fibers then I don't see anything wrong with cardboard end plates. Either it works or it doesn't.

My bias against Fram is that they are not innovators, only 2nd class mimics. Slick-50 raises the marketing of snake-oil to a new level pushing Teflon additives, Fram "invents" an oil filter with timed release Teflon additives. K&N makes washable air filters, Fram decides to do the same thing. I don't believe Slick-50 does as much good as it does harm. I don't believe a K&N air filter does as much good as it does harm. When Fram copies bad ideas and I can't respect Fram.

My Somoma gets the cheap blue AC/Delco oil filters. I usually put a Purolator PureOne on the car every-other oil change.

I've cut used filters open and continue to wonder why I change the filter every-other time rather than every 3rd or 4th time. 30 years ago I worked summers and weekends in a motorcycle shop. Being lowest on the totem pole meant I got the dirty simple jobs such as mounting tires and changing oil. Back then all motorcycle oil filters were the cartridge type so there was no "cutting them open" to see what dirt was trapped, part of the job was to clean out the cavity where the filter was inserted. Many had lots of fine sludge around the filter. I've never seen anything like it on my own motorcycles or automobiles.

. . =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

adam snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Adam=A0D.=A0Vanover)

I'm purchasing my new vehicle (a 2004 Chevy Colorado with the 3.5 I-5) and I'm planning on using synthetic oil in it.

So here are a few questions...

1. Any recomendation on what weight and brand of syn oil? (I live in Eastern Tennessee. "mild climate.")

1. Any particular type or brand of filter for use with syn oils?

2. Any stats on how much it would improve engine life and/or gas mileage?

I've googled this topic, and searched the already posted syn oil posts in this forum. Couldn't find an answer to my question.

Thanks in advance! Big Ad =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

1) No

2) No

3) Yes, but....i'm jest to lazy to go to the file right this minute and dig em out.

Sorry

Would you like some off the cuff advice? No?

well..... you may wanna hit the back button.... cuz here goes......

Though yer new truck is gonna come with a synthetic oil in it, you may want to consider stick'n to a mineral based product and following the OEM's guidelines on weight and frequency of change intervals. Synthetic oils, IMO, are fine products that for the most part add a bit of life (longevity) to a system for concerned consumers.

However...... they're kinda pricey, and i'm kinda cheap.

At 6 quarts per service.....whew...... I could use a mineral based product and almost triple my service intervals.....

thus cleansing my system more frequently of the contaminates such as fine metals, carbon deposits, moisture, and raw fuel.

so......

if what yer after is a clean, efficient, long running engine.....maybe you should jest stick to mineral based products and change yer oil every 1000 miles or so....

AT THE SAME PRICE.

and about that gas mileage thing...... you'de git better results keeping yer tire preasures up.

jest a thunk

~:~ MarshMonster ~don't change his oil very often though..... so.....take it fer what it's worth~ =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 20:02:22 -0500, David Kelly wrote: Snip

I agree. The oils mfg. today are getting better and have less sludge if any with the various additives. However, the one redeeming value that syn. oils have in my truck are the fact that they leave little if any residue due to combustion which forms carbon deposits. I only use my truck for towing a 6,800 lb. trailer and for little else, otherwise I would probably use reg. oil. MR

I know a lot of people use M1 5w30... but I hear the new German made M1 0w30 is much thicker and of better quality. The 5w30 is supposedly 'borderline' 30 weight, and too thin if you're hard on your motor. The German made stuff is up near 40 weight, with much better lubricating specs.

I ran M1 5w30 in my '00 4.3 truck for all but about 4K miles of it's life, and the thing was a complete TURD by 98K miles. I was rather hard on the motor, so the above makes sense. Synthetic oil has left a bad taste in my mouth since then. I only run dino oil now.

-marc

Are you talking about German CASTROL? There is no German made Mobil that I've ever heard of. German Castrol 0w30 is a very good synthetic, if not the best out there. It is very hard to find on the shelf though. Mobil 5w30 is actually a very high 30 on the viscosity scale... almost a 40. It is also the only TRUE synthetic you can buy retail (other than German Castrol, IF you can find it).

I, myself clearly see the benefit of synthetics. They may cost twice as much, but I can go twice as long if not longer between service intervals. So the cost is relatively the same, yet I'm only having to take the time to change my oil half as much... makes sense to me. Been doing it that way on my truck and the wife's car for almost

50,000 miles now.

Don't bother wasting your money on a Mobil-1 oil filter, they are severely overpriced. They don't do anything the other brands can't do for 1/3 the price. I personally like Wix filters, but Purolator and Fleetguard are some other good ones. Stay away from Fram filters though, unless you like cardboard and super glue holding your filter together. Allied Signal's products are less than crappy, they are just downright sad. From Fram to Autolite, there isn't anything that comes out of that factory that isn't SHIT.

Check out

for all the oil info you couldever dream about.

-T> >

Actually - Mobil 1 5W-30 and 10W-30 are **LOW** 30 at 100°C. Their viscosity is 10.0 cSt @ 100º C, while the upper limit for 30 wt is

12.5 and the lower limit is 9.3. Mobil 1 0W-30 has a slightly higher viscosity at 100°C (10.3 cSt). Conventional ("Drive Clean") Mobil 5W-30 is 10.5 cSt at 100°C.

I don't know about going THAT much longer unless you've been conservative (3K) and feel like going longer, or if the manufacturer has an approved list of oils for "extended drains". Apparently the European ACEA A3 standard is for extended drain oils. There are also manufacturers' standards from Mercedes-Benz and VW/Audi. Mobil 1

0W-40 and 15W-50 are the only grades available in the US that meet some of these standards. Mobil doesn't seem to have formulated their 0W-30/5W-30/10W-30 for extended drains, and they don't seem to have different versions of these for the European market (where extended drains are more common). Also - extended drain capability doesn't necessarily mean it protects better if you choose a more conventional drain period.

Agree on all counts. Mobil 1 filters may be good, but $12 is an ungodly amount of money to pay for an oil filter.