Engine Oil/Additives for high mileage 3.0

There was a comment that synthetics have a lot o detergent additives in them. Actually it's not the additives - synthetic is inherently much more aggressive in its detergent properties without additives.

I agree that buying a commercail blend is a bad choice - you have no idea what you're getting/paying for (what percentage the blend is).

*IF* you want a blend simply make your own by using, say, 1 or 2 qts. dino with 4 or 3 qts. synthetic. And because of the high detergent properties of synthetic, at high mileage, you should switch over gradually - like use 4 qts. dino to 1 qt. synth, then change at 1000 miles (with new filter) to 3 qts. dino to 2 qts. synth, repeat at an additional 1000 to change interval (i.e. 2000 miles at second change) and increasing the proportion of synth., changing filter each time, until you're at the proportions you want to stay with (all the way to 100% if that's what you decide).

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I used to think that this question was just too dumb to ask anyone without mortally insulting their intelligence. Then one day I was at a gas station filling up, and the driver next to me was doing underhood checks on a Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.2L. I was idly watching and not paying much attention, until I saw the driver carefully go through this procedure:

-pull out the ENGINE OIL dipstick (yes, I could see that it wasnt' the transmission dipstick),

-wipe it down without looking at it,

-walk around and START the engine,

-re-insert the stick, pull it out,

-gaze deeply at the smear of oil all up and down the length of the stick for a few seconds,

-put the stick back in,

-close the hood, and drive away.

I know 5.2's are indestructible, but I sure felt sorry for that one. And it sure lowered my assessment of the minimum knowledge that most drivers have about their cars :-(

Steve,

This is just one more sad testament to failure in the driver education program. Basic things such as safety and fluid level checks should be ingrained into any new driver and tested before they are granted the privilege to drive by the respective state.

Why didn't you attempt to educate this apparently ignorant individual. To me, the fact that he attempted to check the oil level appears to be a good sign that he would have been "teachable". Checking the oil while getting gasoline is something you rarely see done any more.

By the way, this incident reminds me of the time I asked my then nearly

16-year old son (and who had just completed driver's education) to start the family vehicle for me. It was cold outside and the vehicle was garaged. He did as asked and then came back into the house to warm up. About 3 or so minutes later I went out to hop into the car only to discover the garage door was still down and the car was running. When I asked him why he did not raise the door he said he thought the car would warm up faster if the door was down ... This was a teachable moment and he learned the dangers of engine exhaust. I was just flabbergasted that he said that they never covered this topic in the driver's education course which cost us several hundred dollars for him to take.

Bob

100% honest answer- I was just too shocked. I realized what I should've done about the time they drove off.

You're going to have to support that assertion with hard facts.

Aw, come on. You're making it up as you go along.

I've switched many high-miles engines to synth, all at once, without any problems.

True enough, but the plain Purolator is a perfectly fine filter.

Probably the lawyers warned the school not to teach the kids that because if any kid committed suicide by CO poisoning in a garage, the parents would have probably successfully sued the school for a few million for "suggesting"/introducing the idea to them.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I claim it's a risk and you were lucky. You might say that my opposite observations were coincidental with problems/damage that was already in progress/inevitable/not related to the sudden changeover. I would retort (after you torted) that I was able to reverse the valve clatter (that occurred the one time I did a switchover on a high mileage car of mine) by acting on my suspicions, which would not have been successful had my suspicions been wrong.

Basically we are both basing our beliefs on our personal experience - my personal experience is no more scientific than yours, and vice-versa. Your observation is no less anecdotal than mine. And we could both find "experts" to back up our respective claims. Nanny nanny boo boo. :)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Based on...?

Once? Maybe. Twice? Possibly. Thrice? Perhaps.

*TWELVE* times?!! Don't think so.

I know you are, but what am I? I'm telling!

There is one gimmick - the red teflon coating on the rubber gasket. I don't like the stuff, it can rub off with a rag leaving red clumpy deposits.

I've used Duralube with great success on several cars over many years. Better mileage, less wear, quieter engine.

I already told mom about it. And also - you know that thing you did to the cat 2 years ago that I promised never to tell her about - I told her that last year. Hah!

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I've noticed that touted on the label, but I've never seen it clump - maybe you just shouldn't rub it with a rag ("Doc - my finger hurts when I do this." "Well quit doing that!"). :) In fact I just thought the rubber itslef was red and the that coating was a light dusting that I couldn't see. Oh well. I just ignore it and put a light coating of oil on it anyway. Call it a gimmick, but the Teflon? may prevent the gasket-stuck-to-the-block problem that can occur if the mechanic is not paying attention causing potential loss of an engine/lawsuit against filter mfgr., etc.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I haven't switched many, but I have switched a couple - likewise always with good results.

Matt

I'd say you were just unlucky. :-)

Matt

Yes, as have many people who have gained 20% fuel economy by using a vortex generator in their intake system. It is amazing what the human mind will believe when it wants to. However, whenever a real test is done in cases like this, the results are almost always neutral or negative.

Matt

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

You've got me dead to rights. Would you like to shoot me now, or wait til we get home?

True. And either of our procedures is far safer than dumping in Doctor MoJo's Miracle Motor Cream with Flex Fluoride and Gunkion Microparticulate Flash Fluid (DuraLube, Slick-50, Motor-Up, Restore, etc. etc. etc.)