Engine Oil FAQ

Started by S204STi, February 09, 2008, 08:03:58 PM

CALL_911

Oddly enough, the warning didn't come up. Maybe my parents are bullshitting me....


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

Secret Chimp

I love how your BMW's motor picture is almost the same as the one my Honda has, NEITHER OF WHICH HAVE A BIG FAN ON THE FRONT OR A BIG AIR CLEANER ON THE TOP! Lawl.


Quote from: BENZ BOY15 on January 02, 2014, 02:40:13 PM
That's a great local brewery that we have. Do I drink their beer? No.

CALL_911

Quote from: Secret Chimp on March 27, 2008, 02:22:13 PM
I love how your BMW's motor picture is almost the same as the one my Honda has, NEITHER OF WHICH HAVE A BIG FAN ON THE FRONT OR A BIG AIR CLEANER ON THE TOP! Lawl.

Actually, your Honda doesn't have all that. The BMW has a submarine for an engine. That picture is of a submarine. God, you're a n00b. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

rohan

#93
So here's the question I thought I'ld try the 7500 miles the Durango book recommends for normal duty and I had the dealership do the oil change so that if anything happened if I followed their recommendation there might be something they could do to help me - the used Castrol 5-20 and a Fram filter.  At 3,484 miles I had to fill up and checked the oil like I always do- I always fill it before the wife goes back to the hospital so I can check the oil because I don't trust her to do it- it was low and needed almost a full quart.  It was fine at around 3,000.  Now I've got about 4,800 on the same batch and I had to add almost another full quart -it's totally black looking and it smells like it's burned and has a gritty feel to it.  I'm getting it changed in the morning and that's the end of following the manufacturers recommended interval for me - back to every 3,000.  I'm too scared to I'm going to burn up the engine by going that long between services. 

My question is why would it do that- my wife drives it mostly to and from Ann Arbor about 2 hours or so away and takes the bus from her apartment there to the hospital everyday and then drives it back home.  It hardly ever sees any severe duty like towing or city driving but it does see a really tiny amount.  And once or twice a week I drive it to my work about 35 minutes away -It seems like it's exactly the opposite of what you said about following the manuals recommdations- like it was fine until it got to 3,000 and then it just turned black and started "going away" -What'ld I do wrong?
http://outdooradventuresrevived.blogspot.com/

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from out children."

~Chief Seattle






S204STi

Quote from: rohan on June 07, 2008, 03:53:27 AM
So here's the question I thought I'ld try the 7500 miles the Durango book recommends for normal duty and I had the dealership do the oil change so that if anything happened if I followed their recommendation there might be something they could do to help me - the used Castrol 5-20 and a Fram filter.  At 3,484 miles I had to fill up and checked the oil like I always do- I always fill it before the wife goes back to the hospital so I can check the oil because I don't trust her to do it- it was low and needed almost a full quart.  It was fine at around 3,000.  Now I've got about 4,800 on the same batch and I had to add almost another full quart -it's totally black looking and it smells like it's burned and has a gritty feel to it.  I'm getting it changed in the morning and that's the end of following the manufacturers recommended interval for me - back to every 3,000.  I'm too scared to I'm going to burn up the engine by going that long between services. 

My question is why would it do that- my wife drives it mostly to and from Ann Arbor about 2 hours or so away and takes the bus from her apartment there to the hospital everyday and then drives it back home.  It hardly ever sees any severe duty like towing or city driving but it does see a really tiny amount.  And once or twice a week I drive it to my work about 35 minutes away -It seems like it's exactly the opposite of what you said about following the manuals recommdations- like it was fine until it got to 3,000 and then it just turned black and started "going away" -What'ld I do wrong?

I've never been to Michigan, so forgive this naive question, but are there lots of hills on the route your wife takes?  Sustained higher RPMs and engine braking can cause oil consumption to rise.

If you really want to know if that oil is toast, go to blackstonelabs.com and get a test kit, collect a sample, and mail it to them.  Pay the extry $10 for a TBN "Total Base Number" reading, which tells you how much effective additive is remaining.  Between these two you can get an idea of whether or not this is the right interval for you.

Also, many owner's manuals list a different oil change interval for "severe" service; read that carefully to determine whether or not your vehicle falls into that category.

280Z Turbo

NEVER buy a Fram filter ever again. They are shit. I've heard of engines getting ruined by these things.

http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html#fram-ph8a

This filter cartridge has a small outside diameter with a rather low filter element surface area (193 sqin), and features cardboard end caps that are glued in place. The rubber anti-drainback valve seals the rough metal backplate to the cardboard end cap and easily leaks, causing dirty oil to drain back into the pan. If you have a noisy valve train at startup, this filter is likely the cause. The bypass valves are plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak. The backplate has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow.
The telltale signs for a Fram Extra Guard are: It has 8 small holes for the oil inlet and a thin, cheap looking backplate, and is currently stamped with a "2Y". There are 5 very small crimps holding the gasket in place. If you look into the center hole all the way to the top of the filter, you will see a kind of "button" in the end cap of the cartridge (which looks like it's made of metal from there). This is the plastic bypass valve.

S204STi

I have to agree.  Every time someone proudly tells me they "only use Fram filters" I just want to drop to one knee and weep.

Secret Chimp

I used Purolator PureOne filters on my Accord. Have I sinned grievously?


Quote from: BENZ BOY15 on January 02, 2014, 02:40:13 PM
That's a great local brewery that we have. Do I drink their beer? No.

The Pirate

I used to use Fram oil filters, when I had my first car.  I read bad things some bad things (similar to what 280Z posted above) and haven't used them since.  I think I bought the Purolator ones after that, too.  I used OEM ones with my Civic (surprisingly cheap, and I buy the crush washers at the same time).

I've been buying Bosch ones for the Proteg?.  I suppose I could start hitting up the dealer though.  Closest Mazda dealer used to be 70 miles away, that changed when I moved up here.  There's one just down the road from where I work, and it's on the way home, actually.

1989 Audi 80 quattro, 2001 Mazda Protege ES

Secretary of the "I Survived the Volvo S80 thread" Club

Quote from: omicron on July 10, 2007, 10:58:12 PM
After you wake up with the sun at 6am on someone's floor, coughing up cigarette butts and tasting like warm beer, you may well change your opinion on this matter.

S204STi

Quote from: Secret Chimp on June 14, 2008, 10:11:16 PM
I used Purolator PureOne filters on my Accord. Have I sinned grievously?

No, those are ok.

rohan

#100
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on June 14, 2008, 08:33:03 PM
NEVER buy a Fram filter ever again. They are shit. I've heard of engines getting ruined by these things.

Like I said the Dodge dealership put it on- I don't do oil changes because if they screw it up they pay for it but if I screw it up I pay for it.  It's a no brainer.

By the way the roads she drives to UofM is I-94 and she says she goes about 75 and it's slightly hilly but not "hilly" if you know.  It's just your standard duty highway and a little bit around Ann Arbor.  When I took it back to the dealership-  which by the way only charges $5 if you bought the vehicle from them- the mechanic asked why I waited so long to ge t it changed I told him I didn't even go the recommended 7500 miles and he said- now this is what he said not me "oh shit don't ever go 7500 miles without changing it- especially in a v8 you'll just end up tearing it up- you should change it around 3,000 but definately before 4,500."  When I asked him why he told me that they just won't go that far.  I didn't ask him any more detailed questions than that.  But in fairness to your thread they guy is older- maybe 50-55.
http://outdooradventuresrevived.blogspot.com/

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from out children."

~Chief Seattle






S204STi

Quote from: rohan on June 15, 2008, 08:42:54 AM
Like I said the Dodge dealership put it on- I don't do oil changes because if they screw it up they pay for it but if I screw it up I pay for it.  It's a no brainer.

By the way the roads she drives to UofM is I-94 and she says she goes about 75 and it's slightly hilly but not "hilly" if you know.  It's just your standard duty highway and a little bit around Ann Arbor.  When I took it back to the dealership-  which by the way only charges $5 if you bought the vehicle from them- the mechanic asked why I waited so long to ge t it changed I told him I didn't even go the recommended 7500 miles and he said- now this is what he said not me "oh shit don't ever go 7500 miles without changing it- especially in a v8 you'll just end up tearing it up- you should change it around 3,000 but definately before 4,500."  When I asked him why he told me that they just won't go that far.  I didn't ask him any more detailed questions than that.  But in fairness to your thread they guy is older- maybe 50-55.

Being older means nothing in this case.  The reason this 3000mi oil change thing has been perpetuated for so long is because a lot of old salts absolutely refuse to change their ways, regardless of the information given them.  But if you feel more comfortable doing what he suggests I certainly won't blame you!

S204STi

Like I've said over and over and over again, if you really want to know what your oil is like when you change it get a UOA.  It can tell you tons about how much wear is occurring, how worn out the oil is, etc.  You made a point which I would like you to think about; if you change the oil and something goes wrong it's on you.  If they mess up it's on them.  Same deal with the manufacturer recommended oil change intervals.  READ your owner's manual and figure out if your vehicle falls under the severe service category.  If so, follow their severe service recommendations.  If not, follow their alternate recommendations.  It's not rocket science.

rohan

Never said it was rocket science- just thought you might like to know what we're being told by dealership mechanics.  :huh:
http://outdooradventuresrevived.blogspot.com/

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from out children."

~Chief Seattle






GoCougs

There's no way an automaker would make such recommendations without legions of data, and since most automakers have been using 7,500 mile intervals for a while, if there was a problem it would have come to light by now.

Engines, oil, and filter are many many many times better today than back when the 3,000 change interval really was important. I have/had 250,000 miles on two vehicles and I've never not followed the recommended interval (5,000 mile on one, 7,500 miles on the other), and they ran like tops and used no oil.

S204STi

Quote from: rohan on June 15, 2008, 12:51:56 PM
Never said it was rocket science- just thought you might like to know what we're being told by dealership mechanics.  :huh:

I'm a dealership mechanic, last time I checked.  I'm just explaining to you why he's saying what he's saying, and why I think he's wrong.

rohan

Quote from: R-inge on June 15, 2008, 03:26:11 PM
I'm a dealership mechanic, last time I checked.  I'm just explaining to you why he's saying what he's saying, and why I think he's wrong.
I know this is going to come of dickish- and I'm sorry because I don't know anyother way to ask it- but just because you're a dealership mechanic doesn't mean that your view is the same as all the rest of them especially the older guys.  And you contradicted yourself- first you said his age didn't mean anything in this topic and then you siad old salts refuse to change their thinking.  Liek I said - I didn't mean for it sound so dickish and I'm not trying to  be hostile I'm just trying to let you know what we're being told away from your dealership and asking you for your opinion.  I'ld forgotten about the test you suggested.
http://outdooradventuresrevived.blogspot.com/

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from out children."

~Chief Seattle






S204STi

Quote from: rohan on June 22, 2008, 07:39:01 AM
I know this is going to come of dickish- and I'm sorry because I don't know anyother way to ask it- but just because you're a dealership mechanic doesn't mean that your view is the same as all the rest of them especially the older guys.  And you contradicted yourself- first you said his age didn't mean anything in this topic and then you siad old salts refuse to change their thinking.  Liek I said - I didn't mean for it sound so dickish and I'm not trying to  be hostile I'm just trying to let you know what we're being told away from your dealership and asking you for your opinion.  I'ld forgotten about the test you suggested.

Look, I'm not going to turn this thread into an argument of who's right, me or your own mechanic.  I'm just saying that if you think that just because someone has a lot of years means that he knows everything about every aspect of the automobile you're wrong.  I know a few guys who would be clueless outside of their own brand or specialty.

My point is that if anything his age puts him in a category of techs who have done it their own way for so long that they absolutely refuse to change their minds regardless of the info presented to them.

I'll leave it at that.

rohan

#108
Quote from: R-inge on June 23, 2008, 11:30:30 AM
Look, I'm not going to turn this thread into an argument of who's right, me or your own mechanic.  I'm just saying that if you think that just because someone has a lot of years means that he knows everything about every aspect of the automobile you're wrong.  I know a few guys who would be clueless outside of their own brand or specialty.

My point is that if anything his age puts him in a category of techs who have done it their own way for so long that they absolutely refuse to change their minds regardless of the info presented to them.

I'll leave it at that.
That wasn't what I was saying and I said what I was saying- you got seemingly upset because I mentioned what the mechanic at MY local dealership told me- and continued to be upset (it seems) even though I told you I was only telling you what other mechanics were saying.  You wrote this "Being older means nothing in this case.  The reason this 3000mi oil change thing has been perpetuated for so long is because a lot of old salts absolutely refuse to change their ways, regardless of the information given them. " and then you proceed to write this "My point is that if anything his age puts him in a category of techs who have done it their own way for so long that they absolutely refuse to change their minds regardless of the info presented to them."  Which is what I was trying to say when I wrote this "I didn't ask him any more detailed questions than that.  But in fairness to your thread they guy is older- maybe 50-55." It's not an effort to discredit you or your opinion in fact I even wrote that I wanted your opinion. 
http://outdooradventuresrevived.blogspot.com/

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from out children."

~Chief Seattle






S204STi

Quote from: rohan on June 29, 2008, 11:38:51 AM
That wasn't what I was saying and I said what I was saying- you got seemingly upset because I mentioned what the mechanic at MY local dealership told me- and continued to be upset (it seems) even though I told you I was only telling you what other mechanics were saying.  You wrote this "Being older means nothing in this case.  The reason this 3000mi oil change thing has been perpetuated for so long is because a lot of old salts absolutely refuse to change their ways, regardless of the information given them. " and then you proceed to write this "My point is that if anything his age puts him in a category of techs who have done it their own way for so long that they absolutely refuse to change their minds regardless of the info presented to them."  Which is what I was trying to say when I wrote this "I didn't ask him any more detailed questions than that.  But in fairness to your thread they guy is older- maybe 50-55." It's not an effort to discredit you or your opinion in fact I even wrote that I wanted your opinion. 

I apologize for the misunderstanding then, and I appreciate your respectful clarification of the matter.  Sorry! :lol:

hounddog

Trying the 15,000 mobile 1 in my Durango with the extended life filter.  I figure it has to work because thats what BMW is using, so I thought I would try it.  Again.  Last time was in the Ram 2500.
"America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
~Abraham Lincoln

"Freedom and not servitude is the cure of anarchy; as religion, and not atheism, is the true remedy of superstition."
~Edmund Burke

Fighting the good fight, one beer at a time.

S204STi

Quote from: hounddog on November 10, 2008, 06:18:36 PM
Trying the 15,000 mobile 1 in my Durango with the extended life filter.  I figure it has to work because thats what BMW is using, so I thought I would try it.  Again.  Last time was in the Ram 2500.

Do us a huge service and send a sample out for analysis if you can without too much trouble, please.

hounddog

I will if I remember.  And, I assume you mean at the end of the 15,000?
"America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
~Abraham Lincoln

"Freedom and not servitude is the cure of anarchy; as religion, and not atheism, is the true remedy of superstition."
~Edmund Burke

Fighting the good fight, one beer at a time.

S204STi

Quote from: hounddog on December 11, 2008, 08:42:47 PM
I will if I remember.  And, I assume you mean at the end of the 15,000?

Yes please.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

SVT_Power

Do you have a preferred brand of synthetic oil?

It seems like most places agree amsoil is the best including guys on the contour boards who've tried different synthetic oils for their cars. But it's just about impossible to find around here and I'm not gonna go out of my way to get some. I have royal purple in my car right now and I had only heard good things until recently when someone claimed all of royal purple's claims had been proven wrong.

I mean are we just nitpicking between synthetic oils or what?
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - Ayrton Senna

Eye of the Tiger

I only put Mobil 1 in the Swift, because the Swift is #1.  :praise:
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

S204STi

Quote from: SVT_Power on May 31, 2009, 03:04:49 PM
Do you have a preferred brand of synthetic oil?

It seems like most places agree amsoil is the best including guys on the contour boards who've tried different synthetic oils for their cars. But it's just about impossible to find around here and I'm not gonna go out of my way to get some. I have royal purple in my car right now and I had only heard good things until recently when someone claimed all of royal purple's claims had been proven wrong.

I mean are we just nitpicking between synthetic oils or what?

I have had good luck with Valvoline Synpower, but really if you want to use synthetic oil any one of them is good.  I just personally noticed that I had to add maybe .5qt Mobil 1 when I used it over a 3000mi oil change interval, and some guys who were running analysis on their oil found high wear metals using Mobil, but not others such as Castrol Syntec or Valvoline Synpower.

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: R-inge on May 31, 2009, 03:48:44 PM
I have had good luck with Valvoline Synpower, but really if you want to use synthetic oil any one of them is good.  I just personally noticed that I had to add maybe .5qt Mobil 1 when I used it over a 3000mi oil change interval, and some guys who were running analysis on their oil found high wear metals using Mobil, but not others such as Castrol Syntec or Valvoline Synpower.

I put Synpower gear l00b in the Swift's transaxle, and the sychros work much more smoothly (when I use them, anyway).
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Minpin

Quote from: R-inge on December 12, 2008, 07:32:21 PM
Yes please.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

We use something like this for our boats oil. It can tell you if something is going to fail before it happens. Pretty useful. You should give it a whirl on your boat as well, mr. hounddoggystyle.
?Do you expect me to talk?"
"No, Mr Bond. I expect you to die!?

S204STi

Quote from: NACar on May 31, 2009, 03:53:43 PM
I put Synpower gear l00b in the Swift's transaxle, and the sychros work much more smoothly (when I use them, anyway).

Ditto.  Switched from some pricey Redline synthetic gear oil to Synpower in the same weight, and my box works better as well as getting rid of a 3-4 grind that occasionally reared its head at highway speeds.