c5z16z

i am using 5 w 30 mobil fully synthetic oil in my DD 5.3 07 sierra.

it consumes about 1 quart every 4.5 to 5 k miles its got 160 xxx K miles..

should i keep using the same oil or make a change in what oil i use ?


truck is fully stock and its my DD.

thanks guys

t_raven

iTrader: (12)

That would be considered normal consumption by most manufacturers.

This link is more about wear protection but is very good info about oil and well worth the read. I want to post it again just so more people see it

http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013...-test-ranking/

It'llrun

There are countless options. I'd go to 10-30 at this point. If you have a burning or leaking issue, obviously get it fixed if you can. Doing so will allow you to go back to 5-30 and that may increase the engine life. Most manufacturers today will tell you that you're losing an acceptable amount currently, so...

You may want to considering changing brands too, to something about $3-4. per qt less expensive. If you get it on sale. MOB1 isn't so bad, but the typical parts store will sell what's essentially the same oil for about $5.50 per qt of their own brand.

Also, you could change the filter every general oil change interval and just top off the oil, thus saving money while using the oil you like. This is actually no problem for most vehicles, but some people are scared of doing it, which is understandable.

You didn't actually make this about money, but it hit me that it's expensive to change, regardless the weight. Definitely, stick with full synthetic if you want, but if you didn't know, mixing with or switching to conventional oil is also perfectly okay.

elizaharry

Synthetic oil is the best choice for any vehicle in the long run. While they will cost more at the time of your oil change, they will save you more money over the service life of your vehicle.

fruitsalad

iTrader: (5)

Lol, really now. Please tell us all about your scientific findings on the subject.

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

my truck has 165k on it, I use regular dino oil of name brand (whichever is on sale) and change it at the 5k mile mark rather than run synthetic and top it off then

"MAC"

iTrader: (1)

yea keep using Mobile 1 they are the best IMO that is

RedRocketZ28

iTrader: (19)

This. I have an 02 Avalanche with 118k on it. I change the oil when the light tells me to with whatever is on sale at Walmart. Lately it's been Quaker State Advanced Durability. It did seem to basically halt any oil consumption for me though. I had Castrol in it a few changes ago and it used a bit of oil on that fill. I do use a good oil filter though, usually Purolator Gold from Advance. Dirt cheap when bought with other items and thier coupon codes.

It'llrun

Synthetic oil probably is better overall, if only because it is slicker than conventional. I've used it in engines that I later tore down and was amazed how much better it stays on the metal. To each his own, as they say. If you maintain your vehicle properly and it isn't crashed or stolen, it's almost certainly going to last, period. I will defer to the manufacturer recommendations on most oils myself. I just took my Escape in for its "5,000 mile oil change" and the service writer said, "Nah, that is designed to run 7,500 between changes unless you're in severe duty conditions." I was happily surprised to hear that. It uses semi-synthetic.

I traded my last SUV in with just at 190,000 miles and never had any engine problems and it also got semi-synthetic it's entire life(w/ me).

cosbysweater

just use whats recommended on the filler cap?

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Those people telling you M1 is the best ting ever can't tell the difference between MARKETING and a real result. Not that it is bad, just that Used Oil Analysis I have seen of it in smallblock Chevy engines gen 1 thru gen 3 have never been anything better than fine.

Far as the "use what the cap recommends" well those folks don't understand CAFE which is more important to an OEM than whether an engine last 250k or 350k miles.

Far as the guy who recommended a switch to 10w-30 well he doesn't understand viscosity for a long time M1 10w-30 was their THINNEST at operating temps, the 0w-30 and 5w-30 being thicker at operating temp.

If using M1 gives you a warm fuzzy go for it, but if oil consumption is making you reconsider then go ahead and try something else, anything 0w-30, 5w-30, 10w-30, 0w-40, 5w-40 or even 10w-40 should be fine though I might hesitate to use 10w-40 if you regularly see temps below zero.

Might even consider "diesel oils" so long as they are API rated for gas engines as most are, they are meant to take the contamination of diesels and the heat of the turbos often hung on them, which can both be good things on a high mileage gas engine that has started consuming oil.

Really though anything API rated near the recommended viscosity range will do the job and the rest is splitting hairs.

It'llrun

So... since something used to be, even though we know it's changed, act as if it still is what it was??? That doesn't make sense.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

point was that 10w-30 is not necessarily thicker than 5w-30, as the VAST majority assume. and depending exactly what one chooses you can easily pick a 10w-30 that is thinner than a 5w-30 in a missguided attempt to get something thicker.

I just did some digging and found some more recent Virgin Oil Analysis results that showed M1 0w-30 being thicker than a M1 5w-30 high mileage.

Far as speaking in past terms I don't follow oils as closely as I used to because as I said above it is for the mostpart all splitting hairs, and for the most part oil opinions are based on marketing. You can get just about everyone to tell you what "works great" but very very few folks have ever looked at a UOA of their favorite oil in their style engine and application.

It'llrun

Eh... Never heard anyone claim a 5w30 is thicker than a 10w30 or that a 10w30 is thinner than a 5w30 in the 1st place... The 1st number is start up viscosity and the 2nd number is operating temp viscosity. In this case, both 2nd numbers match and therefore, they carry the same "thickness" at operating temps.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Please explain why you would recommend he switch to 10w-30 then?

SlasherVRGR

iTrader: (1)

Because 5w30 is thicker on start up, after the car reaches operating temp the first number is completely irrelevant.

It'llrun

I would, period. Plus, since he said he's burning up to a qt every 4,500 miles, a bit thicker might help. Otherwise, I'd stick with what manufacturers recommend unless it's super low viscosity. Mobil recommends up to 10w30 even when 5w30 may be OE recommended.

Besides, I've never heard anyone but you claim that any 10w30 is actually lighter than any 5w30 of the same style(conventional, synthetic, etc.).

Please explain from whom or where you heard that lighter oil is heavier than heavier oil??? One of my 5 brothers is a chemical engineer(w/ decades experience developing oils for BP, etc.) and I may waste the time to ask him, but I'd like your answer 1st. I may not, of course, since every bit of information I've been able to find thus far tells me you've just got this wrong and, when you said you dug up other info(0-30 v 5-30), you didn't link it or anything. You could claim the same of me on that, but common sense tells us that a lower number has always been used for lighter oils(since at least the 1970's, anyway).

While explaining things, explain the bold part please? You can clear that up by saying the high mileage vs regular M1 or M1 EP might make a difference... or something to that effect.

I think ya meant thinner at start up.

SlasherVRGR

iTrader: (1)

Touché

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Look up CST@100C 30 weight is a RANGE and depending where in the RANGE an oil falls a 10w30 can be thinner than a 0w-30, not always, in CAN BE.

I went directly to M1s website and looked up the viscosities here.
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/..._1_5W-30.aspx#
Look under technical details. CST at 100C of 11.0
Go here and look up product data sheet on the 10w-30.
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...1_10W-30.aspx#
there it is 10.1

The 0w-30 advanced fuel economy is 10.9
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/..._1_0W-30.aspx#
The 5w-30 ESP has a viscosity of 12.1 which is just barely higher than the 10w-30 high mileage which is 12.0

Just so you get a better idea of the scale their 0w-40 has a CST@100 of 13.5 and the 5w-20 has a measurement of 8.9.

I gave you a few links here and rattled off more numbers pulled from the same website, it is up to the individual readers if you want to understand it or go on believing the myth that 10w-30 is thicker than 5w-30, it can be but as I have just detailed in M1's product lineup that is not the case.


If someone is a big M1 fan and thinks a slightly thicker oil might benefit their motor going from their standard 5w-30 to standard 10w-30 is the opposite but you could switch to the high mileage or ESP in 5w-30 would both be thicker.

Grimes

iTrader: (3)

if you want to stay synthetic, then m1 0w-40 or castrol 10-w30, whatever is on sale.