Oil for older engines?

Question

Just heard a castrol ad on the radio for oil for older engines...preventing oil burnoff.

My '94 (157,000 miles) SL2 used just over a quart between oil changes (2,500 miles) when it was new. Now she's burning more. I'm using 10-30 oil.

Anyone have experience with oil for high-mileage cars? Should I use 10-40? How about some of these additives that are on the market?

Thanks.

And thanks for all the help troubleshooting the whining noise in the engine. Turned out it was the idler pully. Piece of cake to change out once I removed the upper motor mount. I replaced the tensioner, too, while I was at it. $51, and an extra 45 minutes. Well worth it, I think.

Barry

Steve · Accepted Answer

I've had good luck using an engine flush (add to you oil, run 5 minutes,then change your oil and filter) then filling with Mobil 1.  Cut myconsumption in half.engines...preventing

Steve Barker · Answer

Straight 30 weight will work well.  If it had been used from the get go, youprobably wouldn't be using oil now.  Those thin assed multi vis oils areworthless.

C. E. White · Answer

At normal engine operating temperatures 5W30, 10W30, and straight 30 weight have almost identical viscosities. When cold, the 5W30 and 10W30 flow better than the straight 30 weight. There are still applications for straight weight oil, but modern engines, as used by most people, aren't one of them.

Regards,

Ed White

Blah blah · Answer

That might be true if you lived somewhere where it was constantly hot!...Cold starts, biggest wear factor on an engine. Why make it worse...

Steve Barker · Answer

Has worked fine here for 35 years.  temps from minus 20 to 100+.  30 weightall year around in my personal vehicles AND the fleet of 35 I'm in chargeof.  Diesels, gassers, 4 cylinder up to DT466

C. E. White · Answer

And I have been using multi-viscosity oil for 35years...including five different farm tractors with diesels.I've never had any sort of engine failure related to theoil.Regards,Ed White

Robert Hancock · Answer

Straight 30-weight is only thicker in cold temperatures, when you DON'T wantit to be. There is no reason to use straight-weight oil in a modern engine.

Steve Barker · Answer

Wrong.

Napalm Heart · Answer

Differing opinions.modern

Blah blah · Answer

Who cares. Keep using your so called straight "weight" oil. Anyone that uses "weight" as a way to discribe oil has already lost the argument anyhow.

C. E. White · Answer

Why is he wrong? I can't find one rational reason for typical drivers to use straight 30 weight in a modern engine. For engines that are in more or less continuous service, there is a small cost advantage to running straight

30 weight, but I can't find any evidence that 5W30 doesn't provide superior performance to straight 30 weight of similar quality.

Ed

Steve Barker wrote:

Oil for older engines?

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