Time for an oil change...
03-22-2010, 08:08 PM
#1
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Time for an oil change... A couple of questions...
Ok, so I know there are a few threads about different brands, but what about weight? I only drive my car during the warmer months, and only have to change the oil once a year. I don't race much, and I'm basically stock. So should I go with 5w30, 10w30, or something else?
What about oil filters? This last year I got a good deal on oil and a K&N racing wrench on oil filter. Nothing good is on sale around here, so I need some good suggestions.
And lastly, everyone here seems to like Pennzoil Platinum. Should I put that in my car?
Ok, so I know there are a few threads about different brands, but what about weight? I only drive my car during the warmer months, and only have to change the oil once a year. I don't race much, and I'm basically stock. So should I go with 5w30, 10w30, or something else?
What about oil filters? This last year I got a good deal on oil and a K&N racing wrench on oil filter. Nothing good is on sale around here, so I need some good suggestions.
And lastly, everyone here seems to like Pennzoil Platinum. Should I put that in my car?
03-22-2010, 08:25 PM
#2
the weight is not really that important. But I think that it would be best to use the 5w30. I would also royal purple...its expensive but well worth it. Really any oil filter is good just NOT Fram...NEVER use a fram!!! I also wouldn't use any pennzoil at all due to it has a "waxy" additive that in time "gunks" up the internals of your engine. Just my thoughts
03-22-2010, 08:29 PM
#3
I only use the German Castrol in my car and it is 0w-30. My valvetrain is very quiet running this oil. I also use K&N oil filters because AutoZone usually has deals with Castrol oil and those filters. It is somewhat tough to find, but in my area all of my AutoZones carry the GC.
I have tried Pennzoil Platinum once and my oil pressure was nowhere near as good as it is with the German Castrol. Also, my valvetrain was a lot louder as well. I will never put it back in any car I own for that very reason. Others have had decent luck with it though.
As far as other filter brands, WIX is a good filter that can be found at O'Reillys, or the NAPA Gold filters are essentially the same as the WIX filters.
Hope this helps.
I have tried Pennzoil Platinum once and my oil pressure was nowhere near as good as it is with the German Castrol. Also, my valvetrain was a lot louder as well. I will never put it back in any car I own for that very reason. Others have had decent luck with it though.
As far as other filter brands, WIX is a good filter that can be found at O'Reillys, or the NAPA Gold filters are essentially the same as the WIX filters.
Hope this helps.
03-22-2010, 08:36 PM
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I only use the German Castrol in my car and it is 0w-30. My valvetrain is very quiet running this oil. I also use K&N oil filters because AutoZone usually has deals with Castrol oil and those filters. It is somewhat tough to find, but in my area all of my AutoZones carry the GC.
I have tried Pennzoil Platinum once and my oil pressure was nowhere near as good as it is with the German Castrol. Also, my valvetrain was a lot louder as well. I will never put it back in any car I own for that very reason. Others have had decent luck with it though.
As far as other filter brands, WIX is a good filter that can be found at O'Reillys, or the NAPA Gold filters are essentially the same as the WIX filters.
Hope this helps.
I have tried Pennzoil Platinum once and my oil pressure was nowhere near as good as it is with the German Castrol. Also, my valvetrain was a lot louder as well. I will never put it back in any car I own for that very reason. Others have had decent luck with it though.
As far as other filter brands, WIX is a good filter that can be found at O'Reillys, or the NAPA Gold filters are essentially the same as the WIX filters.
Hope this helps.
My thoughts have always been that 10w-30 must have some advantages over 5w30, because GM continues to recommend both in their cars when they could easily just recommend 5w30 for all applications...
03-22-2010, 10:14 PM
#5
You just need to go by the second # which is the oil viscosity when warm since you don't drive it in the winter. Some 30W oils hold up better than others, such as the GC that I and a lot of other members use. Mobil 1 5W-30 for instance breaks down when hot so it is pretty thin. The second # on the oil container is the viscosity when warm, that is the # you need to worry about.
03-22-2010, 10:23 PM
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I use Valvoline Conventional 10w-30. . . . . . . I have taken my other car over 130k with oil changes every 5k. . . . Ran like a new car. Looked new when I took down the motor. . . .
I know I will get the usual response of synthetic is the ****. . . I just know what I see. . . .
I know I will get the usual response of synthetic is the ****. . . I just know what I see. . . .
03-22-2010, 10:37 PM
#7
the weight is not really that important. But I think that it would be best to use the 5w30. I would also royal purple...its expensive but well worth it. Really any oil filter is good just NOT Fram...NEVER use a fram!!! I also wouldn't use any pennzoil at all due to it has a "waxy" additive that in time "gunks" up the internals of your engine. Just my thoughts
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03-22-2010, 10:50 PM
#10
the weight is not really that important. But I think that it would be best to use the 5w30. I would also royal purple...its expensive but well worth it. Really any oil filter is good just NOT Fram...NEVER use a fram!!! I also wouldn't use any pennzoil at all due to it has a "waxy" additive that in time "gunks" up the internals of your engine. Just my thoughts
Also, as far as the Frams without the anti drain back valves, they aren't necessary on oil filters mounted vertically, the oil cant drain back if it sits inside and gravity stops it
I know you didn't mention it, but this seems to be a huge thing about filters, even though our cars dont need it!
03-22-2010, 11:13 PM
#11
The fram filter media is like cardboard. and doesnt flow well and protect well. cut one open compare it to a high dollar filter, but i have used them on my truck. no issues, i just think for a few extra dollars you can get a better filter, that does a better job.
03-22-2010, 11:36 PM
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RedRocket's right about focusing second number, and the recommendation to use 10W-30 for summer use...
You can use any of the multi-viscosity (0W-, 5W-, or 10W-) 30-weight oils, the choice depends on the low temperature at cold engine startup. If it's above freezing, you can run 10W-30, if it gets below freezing you should run 5W-30. I guess 0W-30 is if you live someplace where you have to bring the brass monkeys in at night...since the first number specifies the viscosity when it's cold, 0, 5, or 10 weight. I always thought the 'W' stood for WEIGHT, but I read somewhere that it stands for Winter...not sure if it's true.
You can use any of the multi-viscosity (0W-, 5W-, or 10W-) 30-weight oils, the choice depends on the low temperature at cold engine startup. If it's above freezing, you can run 10W-30, if it gets below freezing you should run 5W-30. I guess 0W-30 is if you live someplace where you have to bring the brass monkeys in at night...since the first number specifies the viscosity when it's cold, 0, 5, or 10 weight. I always thought the 'W' stood for WEIGHT, but I read somewhere that it stands for Winter...not sure if it's true.
03-23-2010, 01:26 AM
#13
I was going to pick Castrol Syntec 5W-30, but noticed that it puts a bigger emphasis on performance than protection, so I started comparing other brands.
What I was trying to figure out was the difference between regular Mobile 1 synthetic 5W-30 and the Extended Performance version (with the gold label):
It says guaranteed 1500 mile protection, and it's only 30 cents more, so I thought why wouldn't everyone pick that over the regular?
I use Valvoline Conventional 10w-30. . . . . . . I have taken my other car over 130k with oil changes every 5k. . . . Ran like a new car. Looked new when I took down the motor. . . .
I know I will get the usual response of synthetic is the ****. . . I just know what I see. . . .
I know I will get the usual response of synthetic is the ****. . . I just know what I see. . . .
Exactly what threshold does 5W-30 have before it starts breaking down?
As for GC 0W-30, I remember seeing someone's post here saying that it's really BS on its hype...
BTW, I laughed when I saw this:
03-23-2010, 01:51 AM
#14
You can use any of the multi-viscosity (0W-, 5W-, or 10W-) 30-weight oils, the choice depends on the low temperature at cold engine startup. If it's above freezing, you can run 10W-30, if it gets below freezing you should run 5W-30. I guess 0W-30 is if you live someplace where you have to bring the brass monkeys in at night...since the first number specifies the viscosity when it's cold, 0, 5, or 10 weight. I always thought the 'W' stood for WEIGHT, but I read somewhere that it stands for Winter...not sure if it's true.
If you really have the extra money to baby your engine, you should invest in those truly high end oils that offer comprehensive protection that includes proper lubrication during the first few seconds after cold startup which the 'shelf oils' simply don't have no matter how well it's advertised by NAPA or any of those famous racers. Additionally, these high end oils lasts many years before needing a change. I was educated on this by the member Fleetmgr. He's very knowledgeable and friendly; you can contact him for more info. But to be honest, I don't think these oils are worth the money you'll spend unless you've got a Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborgini, Jaguar XJ220, McLaren, historical classic, etc.
03-23-2010, 06:54 AM
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Don't listen to the guy above, pennzoil platinum is a good oil. Its well liked on bitog which I trust more than here for oil information. My oil pressure is great with pp, or any full synthetic I've used for that matter. I use 5w30.
03-23-2010, 08:19 AM
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I don't know where they hell you guys are getting this bad info on Pennzoil but it's absolutely incorrect.
Pennzoil platinum is one of the best oils for the dollar you can buy. I'm looking forward to test results with their newest addition, Ultra.
And stay the HELL away from additives.
Pennzoil platinum is one of the best oils for the dollar you can buy. I'm looking forward to test results with their newest addition, Ultra.
And stay the HELL away from additives.
03-23-2010, 08:32 AM
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The W stands for winter. The lower number indicates the flow characteristics at low temps. The higher number indicates the flow characteristics at a higher temp. A 0w-30 oil would flow like a 0 weight oil at lower temps and as a 30 weight oil at operating temps. A 30w is a 30w. The 0 part of the weight numbers does not make it a "thin" oil since it's a 30w oil at operating temp. GC, while a 0w at lower temps, is in the upper range of 30w's at operating temps. Nobody accuses GC of being a thin oil.
Oils by weight are in a range of viscosity for that particular weight of oil. There are 30w oils that reside at the lower end of the viscosity range and those that reside at the upper end of the 30w range. The ranges are distinct and do not overlap. The ranges of viscosity can be found at a number of sites on the web.
Oils can dilute out of range due to excessive fuel contamination or shearing of the viscosity modifiers. Oils can also boil off volitile elements and become thicker, sometimes into even the next range. Regular oil changes prevent both of those issues from becoming a problem.
Engines can live quite happily within a wide range of oil weights, depending on the weight itself (duh) and how you use (or abuse) the engine. Lower weights flow better at any given temp but may not cushion at extreme pressures. Higher weights may cushion parts better but don't flow so well. That can be problematic at lower temps. As examples, my LS1 was very happy (great used oil analysis numbers) with the thinnest 5w-30w (Havoline Deposit Shield), GC, and Mobil1 Truck & SUV 5w-40. The numbers were the same. My DD (1989 CRX DX) was equally happy with PP 5w-30 and PP 5w-20, with only very slight differences in UOA numbers.
Oil advertising on the bottles is hardly worth mentioning when deciding what oil to buy. Of COURSE they are all better than the others. Of COURSE they do all kinds of wonderful things. Some advertising may be more correct than others, but by themselves and without further research are pretty much worthless.
Buying oils by price alone is also nonsense. Modern oils are so much better than when your Dad/Grandpa were your age that you can't go wrong buying any name brand. Regular oil changes are the key to longevity in your engine. You're more often throwing money away (that could otherwise be better spent buying a better quality of beer) when you throw money at oil. Buying the most expensive because you want the best for your car is fine if you have it, but you can easily not be getting the best deal. Being an educated buyer is a better way to go, IMHO.
Oils by weight are in a range of viscosity for that particular weight of oil. There are 30w oils that reside at the lower end of the viscosity range and those that reside at the upper end of the 30w range. The ranges are distinct and do not overlap. The ranges of viscosity can be found at a number of sites on the web.
Oils can dilute out of range due to excessive fuel contamination or shearing of the viscosity modifiers. Oils can also boil off volitile elements and become thicker, sometimes into even the next range. Regular oil changes prevent both of those issues from becoming a problem.
Engines can live quite happily within a wide range of oil weights, depending on the weight itself (duh) and how you use (or abuse) the engine. Lower weights flow better at any given temp but may not cushion at extreme pressures. Higher weights may cushion parts better but don't flow so well. That can be problematic at lower temps. As examples, my LS1 was very happy (great used oil analysis numbers) with the thinnest 5w-30w (Havoline Deposit Shield), GC, and Mobil1 Truck & SUV 5w-40. The numbers were the same. My DD (1989 CRX DX) was equally happy with PP 5w-30 and PP 5w-20, with only very slight differences in UOA numbers.
Oil advertising on the bottles is hardly worth mentioning when deciding what oil to buy. Of COURSE they are all better than the others. Of COURSE they do all kinds of wonderful things. Some advertising may be more correct than others, but by themselves and without further research are pretty much worthless.
Buying oils by price alone is also nonsense. Modern oils are so much better than when your Dad/Grandpa were your age that you can't go wrong buying any name brand. Regular oil changes are the key to longevity in your engine. You're more often throwing money away (that could otherwise be better spent buying a better quality of beer) when you throw money at oil. Buying the most expensive because you want the best for your car is fine if you have it, but you can easily not be getting the best deal. Being an educated buyer is a better way to go, IMHO.
03-23-2010, 03:51 PM
#20
Never once said it wasn't a good oil. Said I didn't like the way my valvetrain got extremely loud and my oil pressure dropped. Others have had the same thing happen to them, while other guys have used it with good results. Just stated I will never put anything Pennzoil in my cars again. I will stick with my GC which has been proven to be one of, if not the best oils out.