is it ok to run mobil 1 15000 mile oil. can it really last that long and not hurt the motor? i was thinkin of trying it. who still runs regular oil? who runs synthetic? what is everyone opinion? thanks

I'll be switching mine over to Royal Purple as soon as my oil gets here.

i dont care what mobil 1 says, I personally would never wait that long, id go crazy...i dont think synthetic oil is all its cracked up to be, except for a waste of money...just my personal opinion so nobody jump down my throat


i think the 5w-30 the manufacturer reccomends is too thin for summers in GA, i run 10w-30 in summer and if it gets cold enough ill run 5w-30 in the winter.....i dont have piston slap.....

Have you ever tested the oil in your engine before you empty it out? Just because the color has changed does not mean that the harmful metals and other comtaminants are present. Go to the dealer and talk to the mechanic about the need to change oil at 3K and how the world is brain washed into spending dollars just because your father did it. I have seen many engines go way beyond it's planned expectancy mostly due to synthetic and changing it when it needs it not just because a mileage has been surpassed.

Each to his own.

I don't change the oil often because it breaks down, but because it gets dirt in it. I don't think that fancy synthetics are solving this problem.

Synthetics don't solve the dirt issue but it's molecular structure consistant and does not have the waxes and other petroleum pollutants that hurt the engine over time. Built up is a byproduct of comtaminants that can not be suspended and properly removed by the oiling system. If your engine is already destrying itself, no synthetic will not help you. If you are in a harsh dirty environment you will have to change your oil more nayways. What synthetic does do is provide the cleanest purist oil availible to keep your investment running longer.

i think the 5w-30 the manufacturer reccomends is too thin for summers in GA, i run 10w-30 in summer and if it gets cold enough ill run 5w-30 in the winter.....i dont have piston slap.....

I don't get the logic of the 10W in the summer when the summer factor is the 30 number?????? Please explain that one.

5w-XX is not as heavy as a 10w-XX oil.

i think the 5w-30 the manufacturer reccomends is too thin for summers in GA, i run 10w-30 in summer and if it gets cold enough ill run 5w-30 in the winter.....i dont have piston slap.....

I to live in GA, and I agree about the hot summers. But I still run 5w30, mainly because I just go with what the manufacturer says. I just recently switched to Valvoline high mileage synthetic...I would stop on the edge of the road and change my oil if it gets to 3000 miles if I could, I'm very picky about this. Im gunna run this synthetic to about 5000 and then change it..maybe 6000 even.

5W30 oil acts like a 5 weight oil when cold and a 30 weight oil when hot. All oils are like this There was a thread about this very issue a while back regarding the meaning of the numbers in oil ratings. Maybe do a search and read uo more about it there.

Well, damn I live in GA, too. My dad NEVER changes his oil in his truck, though it does have a slight leak, so he adds a little new oil periodically. We got a used 305 v8 back in 1997 and stuck it in his truck. He has always driven the shit out of it, runs it without an air cleaner, and has had ZERO problems with it.

I use Mobil 1 in all of my vehicles and change it every 5-6K, whether the jug says it can go 10,000, 15,000 or 100,000,000 miles. :2cents:

Mobil 1 and an ACDELCO PF59 every 3k. I'm just traditional, and picky like Jayson. Plus I figure it costs me the same to change my oil myself with synthetic and a delco filter as it does for me to have it changed somewhere with regular oil and no-name filter. I know many will disagree with that change interval, especially with synthetic oil, but I take no chances with all the other little nuances of these trucks. I haven't had any piston slap or other funny noises from the motor in 70k.

I also run 5w30 because that's what the motor calls for. The truck has spent it's fair share of hot summer days in the desert of West Texas without incident(it's another reason I run synthetic though).

Jeb

This topic is very opioninated....so just do what you like and don't complain how everyone takes care of there toys. But my 2 cents worth is the 3000 mile change is way over rated. 2004 silverado tells when to change it.

yes 99 silverado does too....i dont think a single person has complained about anyone elses ways of there trucks maintanence only thing is smart one.....the trucks oil change reminder is based on RPMs.....it goes about 6000 miles between oil changes on me.....different driving characteristics, different mileage between changes.

and i ran 5w-30 for a while once i got my truck...as soon as i switched to 10w30 piston slap, spark knock, lifter tick, whatever u wanna call it stopped

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Home/Homepage.aspx
and
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?

Know the Facts
AMSOIL Saves You Money!

AMSOIL extended drain intervals mean fewer oil changes, long term savings and convenience

Example:

Conventional motor oil companies recommend 3,000-mile drain intervals

Conventional 10W-30 Motor Oil
*(40 quarts needed for 25,000 miles) @ $1.50/qt. x 40 = $60.00
8 Standard Oil Filters @ $5.00 per filter x 8 = $40.00
TOTAL $100.00

AMSOIL recommends 25,000-mile/1-year drain intervals

AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
*(6 quarts needed for 25,000 miles) @ $6.15/qt. x 6 = $36.90
2 AMSOIL Super Duty Oil Filters @ $10.00 per filter x 2 = $20.00
TOTAL $56.90

* Comparison based on 25,000 miles driven per year and 5-quart oil capacity, with one quart top-off for for filter change.

You save $43.10 per year using AMSOIL premium quality synthetic motor oil and oil filters. And at Preferred Customer prices, you save even more.

Even if you drive only 12,000 miles per year, the cost for AMSOIL is the same as you pay for petroleum oil now! But you still get better protection, lower engine temperatures, easier cold-weather starts and less engine wear. All of these benefits add up to an engine that will last longer and need fewer repairs. Change your oil and filter today and in six months change the filter again. That's it! What could be more convenient and good for your vehicle, too?

Know the Facts
AMSOIL Saves You Money!

Amsoil IS a great oil. That's all i used for injector oil back when I rode 2 stroke sleds. However, I would never go 25k with the same oil in my vehicle. Deposits are deposits, whether it remains slippery or not. :2cents:

Snowmobiling also turned me onto AMSOIL. I have had amazing results. 2 stroke motor oil normally gums up what they call power valves on snowmobiles. I have only had to clean mine once in 8000 miles. Most clean theirs once or twice a year, averaging 1500 miles per cleaning. Most would also consider 8000 miles on a snowmobile very high miles and a tired motor. There was a recall on my motor due to rod clips which required a top end rebuild 2 winters ago at approximately 4800 miles, and the mechanics were amazed at the condition of my cylinders, pistons, and rings. In addition, my sled stock will still run even out of the hole and top end with brand new sleds of the same size 800cc motor. I swear by AMSOIL.

Where can one buy Amsoil?

WWW.AMSOIL.COM

Ok, I've read like 10 threads on theoildrop.com, and those guys REALLY talk in circles. Nobody ever makes a clear stand on anything. So, let me ask you guys: I am expecting my shipment of Royal Purple in a few days, but what oil should I use and how often should I change it if i want to get the longest life out of my engine? I drive normally, I do not go to the track, etc, etc.

THe trick with Amsoil or any other synthetic is to have a sample of the oil in your vehicle sent to a lab to check for contaminents, viscocity break down, and other peramiters. My co-worker is an Amsoil rep and he has 30K on the last change in a dodge diesel that is a farm truck. The last sample showed no problems and good for another 4K.

The idea is not to go forever, the idea is to use the oil until it shows breakdown and contaminents.

Im going to start never changing my oil. I will change the oil fliter out every 4-6 thousand miles and add whatever needs added and thats it. I know one person with a ford tuck that has 260 grand and ever since he owned it he has just changed the filter and added oil. I have seen and heard many people do this. Although I would use synthetic since I have read in many places petrolium based oils burn off and create carbon deposits and sludge real bad yet synthetic has very little burn off.

I want to expirement with this and see just how bad every one else is brain washed with the 3000 mile oil change. Besides, Nobody ever learned anything new by following everyone elses old ways. I feel as long as you change the oil filter, you are removing most of the dirt and metel deposits in the oil anyway. I have only 118k miles on mine but I have gone so far 12000 miles without changeing oil.

On the weight issue, I pick up 10w-40 most of the time just to be different. I live right above texas in the panhandle of oklahoma (Guymon) where it gets over 100 degrees with little to no humidity in the summer and sometimes below 0 degrees in the winter and I have not had any noise with my chevy truck with a 350, 84 ford van with a 302, suzuki sidekick with a 4 banger. ( I do change it in my lawnmower though since it has no oil filter)

Im going to start never changing my oil. I will change the oil fliter out every 4-6 thousand miles and add whatever needs added and thats it. I know one person with a ford tuck that has 260 grand and ever since he owned it he has just changed the filter and added oil. I have seen and heard many people do this. Although I would use synthetic since I have read in many places petrolium based oils burn off and create carbon deposits and sludge real bad yet synthetic has very little burn off.

I want to expirement with this and see just how bad every one else is brain washed with the 3000 mile oil change. Besides, Nobody ever learned anything new by following everyone elses old ways. I feel as long as you change the oil filter, you are removing most of the dirt and metel deposits in the oil anyway. I have only 118k miles on mine but I have gone so far 12000 miles without changeing oil.

On the weight issue, I pick up 10w-40 most of the time just to be different. I live right above texas in the panhandle of oklahoma (Guymon) where it gets over 100 degrees with little to no humidity in the summer and sometimes below 0 degrees in the winter and I have not had any noise with my chevy truck with a 350, 84 ford van with a 302, suzuki sidekick with a 4 banger. ( I do change it in my lawnmower though since it has no oil filter)


Did you see me mention my dad's '84 Silverado 305 with ~700,000 miles on it? This is exactly what he did. He had a small oil leak, and every couple of weeks, he'd add a quart. He's got a '81 with a 305 and a slight oil leak, and it is fast on it'sway to doing the same thing. it currently has ~250,000 miles on it. He only changes his oil filter when the rubber seal on them goes so bad, it begins to leak around it. The first SBC's didn't even have an oil filter.

here is why I change my oil every 5k

Lets say you have a very small intake leak or head gasket leak. If The oil doesn't get contaminated enough in 5k to notice then it doesn't hurt anything and you drain it and change it. If you go 20k, you have 4 times as much coolant in the oil. I don't know if you all follow what I am saying, but I do, I guess!

Lots of luch Chevyman! I'll leave the testing up to you. Keep us posted.

everyone else has said something so I guess I will too. I have an '01 silverado. I switched to syntec at 60k. I now have 87k and have just recently started noticing piston slap. (never knew what piston slap sounded like until now). I change my oil about 4k mile intervals.

Also, I know on my '01 and I'm sure some other years, the oil senser thing is set up to illuminate the message center "change oil" light when it registers a breakdown in the oil, excessive contaminates or 10k miles. Which ever comes first.

Talking with the tech at the Dealer, the Change Oil" light is produced by a formula according to how you drive. A sensor can not do the testing to check viscocity or other testing. When your light comes on take a sample and send it off to see what the oil really looks like. I bet you will not see a viscocity breakdown. Just my :2cents:

From what I've read, the early Oil Life Monitor (like 2001) records things like temperature, rpm, and cold starts, but can't actually test the oil. Mine has come on as early as 3200 with a lot of short trips in cold weather. I changed at 6200 once with a lot of summer highway driving and the light had not come on yet. The OLM is calibrated for dino oil if that's what the truck came with, so the "change oil" mileage will be conservative if you've switched to synthetic.

Anybody considering a "no oil change" program might be interested in the test linked below. They wanted to see how long they could go without changing synthetic oils, and had a sample tested every 1000 miles. They changed filters when "insolubles"--the stuff the filter can't catch--got too high, and changed the oil when the anti-acid additives were almost gone.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html

Edit: The test used regular Mobil 1, not the new extended drain version.

ive been running full synth now since 15000 miles . i run it 5-6000 miles, and loose my nerve after that because i loose faith in the oil filter. i also buy an upgraded oil filter buy fram inted of the standerd orange box filter. Having real good results so far and will pull a oil test kit on it next oil change and post the results.. im at 75000 miles now...jj

hopefully this aids some people, to my knowledge half the reason petroleum based oils even need to be changed is because the viscosity index enhancers that they have to add to the petroleum to stop it from turning to water at high temperatures are long chain molecules that can shear after a while from heat, pressure, whatever. so if you run a petro oil too long it will lose its ability to remain a 30 weight at engine temperature.

also, the first number in an oil rating like the 5 in 5w-30 is not a viscosity rating. the first number is actually a relative viscosity indicator, its a way of specifying the oil's flowability at a low temperature, relative to other oils, it is determined using a simulator where they spin a rotor submerged in the oil and measure the torque value. (or at least something like that)

Obviously many people are believers in synthetics. However it seems that most aren't evaluating their "needs" in the decision making process. Advertising by the manufacturers of oils and synthetics - in my opinion - too much influences buying decisions.

I use a regular oil in my vehicles - Havoline. No - I don't use whats handy - no - I don't buy whats on sale - no - I no longer switch between 2 or 3 brands - I use Havoline for everything except my jetskis - where I use Castrol. Havoline is still ALWAYS a western states product - while many others oil may be from the eastern states even though they come from Texas. All oil is not the same - and I don't believe in eastern states oils (paraffin is your sludge enemy). I use (or will consider) synthetics only in areas where flushing is not a normal process (like differentials).

To me - its all about "fire". My current truck has the added coolers on it - as a result my temperature does not move up from the 200/210 range. If it did go to 250/260 - then I'd start using synthetics - because synthetics keep lubrication levels at above 250 degrees. Temperature (fire) is the most harmful thing for your engine - keep the temperature lower - and you have less stress and less strain on the engine. Secondly - I WANT to flush the engine - its not an inconvenience - its a neccessity for me - so I want to change oil. I want the oil to be disposable - so that my engine is not. Cold, hot, dirt, and combustion create impurities and contaminants - flushing the system every 2500 to 4500 miles is the way to eliminate them. Better analysis and choices of oil filters is paramount too. 25 years ago - I'd use FRAM filters - today - because of the changes in their construction - I would not. Now I use Purolator. Puraltor ONE in the later Spring and summers - Purolator standard during the late fall and winters of Wisconsin. Why different filters? Because filtration levels are different in these two products and temperature determines it for me. No FRAM filters (or FRAMs under other names) of any kind for me anymore (since 1998's construction design change).

I change my own oil whenever possible - because I want to see and feel it. Use a halogen light at an angle to the oil - and you'll be able to see if you have any metalic in the refuse oil. Don't worry about color of the oil - worry about metalic - and smell the oil - burnt smell isn't a good thing. Lastly - look for seperation - that indicates gas in the oil - not a good thing either - blowby - bad rings etc..

I was told on my new truck - that my first oil change should be at 3000 miles. I laughed - and changed it at 750. Then I showed them a sample of the oil after 750 miles. Alot of stunned faces. My next change was at 1200 miles - again I showed them the sample compared to the 750 miles - you would have thought they'd never seen this "break in procedure" before. Then 2000 more miles. Now I'm up to 3000 mile changes and by this fall I'll be at 4000 mile changes. Consistent SAME good quality oil - a better choice of oil filters - maybe some Slick 50 - and regular intervals once break in is completed (first 10,000 miles).

I know - I know - new tolerances, tighter fits, less need for break in - I've heard it all before - and then - and then - you look at those oil samples - and it all becomes "clear". :smile:

My two cents.

So if you want to really know what is in your oil why don't you get it analyzed? Your nose and your eyes are not calibrated and can not seperate the harmful contaminants from the other misc that your oil picks up. As you stated oil will change color as it picks up moisture and other small chain unbroken carbons among other materials. Why not let the analasys tell you when to change your oil??????

I have never had my oil analized so I dont know about cost....but which is more cost effective? $20-25 every 5k miles or what ever your interval is... or the cost of shipping your sample, getting it tested and their replying back (fees)? just asking because I dont know and I'm sure others that are just finding out that you can have your oil tested (like me) dont know either.

Go here, they are also used by a lot of my coworkers who have their deisel daily/farm truck oil checked.

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

So, for $20 I can have my oil tested to see if I need to spend $20 more and change it or just leave the same old oil in for another 3-5k mi.

If I drove an 18 wheeler that used 10 gallons of oil, then I might consider testing my oil. For now I think I'll just change it every once in a while.

Use the test to tell you the what is going on. If you are changing it before the oil even gets to half life I guess that is what you want. If you can use the test to set a change schedule then I guess you found out what the tset can show you. With a synthetic the oil costs more than $20. If I can use the test and see that I need to get a better air filter than I guess I saved my engine. If I use the test to catch problems before the engine blows up than the $20 is well spent. Then again I could fall under the brain wash of 3000 miles because they said so. Each to his own....

ok, cool. I see your point now. Use it once in a while to see whats going on inside....then make adjustments to your schedule and maintenance as required.

The intent is not to test every time. Testing in a pattern that can help you set a program for oil changes is what you are after. If you start seeing certain metals than you know your engine is having problems and you can look into it. Just because you have less than 5000 miles on a clean air filter does not mean that it is still doing a good job, maybe you need a different type of filter.

That is the point, sorry for going off the deap end.... :banghead: