For all you home oil changers

[BeastMode]

I used to change my own oil until I moved into an apartment. They highly frown on doing automotive work in their parking lots, so I just pay someone to do it and cross my fingers.

Will be house shopping later this year and then....I will be changing my own every time.

[TooCool5]

Originally Posted by Chevy_cowboy

Ditto. By the time I drove to the dealer, stood in their waiting room watching through the window, and then double checked everything they did before driving it back home, I could have had the oil changed, the yard mowed and dinner on the grill.

LoL so true, I always do myself now.
Let them do a few free chgs on warranty but that's it.

[crowejim]

Originally Posted by RedRaven

As the OP I put forth the following:

Saying that "Synthetic Blend" means that that is the "minimum standard" could also mean that 50/50 coolant to water is also "minimum standard". In other words it's perfectly fine to run full strength coolant in your cooling system. It's inefficient in all but the most extreme cold.

I drive this car daily, spiritedly, but I don't take it to the drag strip. I may some day take it to a rally course, but probably not until the drivetrain warranty is up. Until the warranty is up I will use the type of oil recommended in the manual, Period. When someone has a car with 300k on it using "any" full synthetic the entire time and has NEVER had ANY engine work done, mods or otherwise, I will concede defeat on manufacturer recommendations.

You do what you want. See you in 250,000 miles.

I just sold my 1997 Mercury Villager to a co-worker. Bought it new and always used Mobil1 10-30 with a quality filter. Change interval 10,000 miles! Engine is like new and burns no oil between changes. Odometer when sold: 307,000 miles and going strong. Of course, the rest of the vehicle has really rotted away, but the drivetrain is rock solid.

By the way, the drivetrain is borrowed from the Nissan Maxima.

[crowejim]

For what it's worth, I run Mobil1 Synthetic in all my vehicles - cars, motorcycles, tractors, snowblowers, and mowers. Never had an engine failure.

On the motorcycles, when I switched to Mobil1 Synthetic Racing 4T, they immediately ran cooler and quieter, the clutch was smoother, gear shifts much smoother, and gear noise much reduced. Of course, motorcycle oils have a zinc additive which would account for a lot of the transmission improvement.

I'm a true believer!

[crowejim]

There are sound scientific reasons for using a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze/water. Water conducts heat more efficiently than anti-freeze. Your engine will run cooler with pure water. However, you need the antifreeze to raise the boiling point, lower the freezing point, and prevent corrosion.

There is no valid scientific reason to prefer a blend oil over 100% synthetic. Synthetic is simply superior to dino oil. If dino oil were just as good, GM would recommend pure dino instead of a blend. Having said that, blend oils are good oils and will do a fine job. However, dino oil produces ash, which manifests itself as gunky deposits. Dino oil also contains many times the level of impurities, which cannot be refined completely out.

Remember, by using a blend, GM is saving a buck or two on every car they sell, which adds to a lot of additional profit for them.

Not trying to start an argument here - just pointing a few things out.

[RedRaven]

Congrats on the longevity crowejim! The Maxima 3 liter has a great record. Had a 91 with 180k+ on it when a tree limb crushed the rear top. Used virtually no oil. Lots of 3L Maximas and 300Zs made 300k without major engine work.

We Just had a timing chain replaced on my wife's Olds Bravada inline 6. With one exception, we've put conventional oil in it since we bought it new 11 years and 190k ago. I looked it over while it was apart, it was spotless. Compression test all within 1 psi. Even the shop owner was surprised. We change the oil every 3000 - 5000 miles, sometimes shop, sometimes ourselves.

Yes, engines are built with tighter specs these days and require less break-in, but some friction is needed to complete it. Synthetics break down also. They make gunky slime instead of gunk. The solution is changing oil in correct intervals.

My statement stands. I will use the manufacturer recommended oil at least until the drivetrain warranty is up.