I just bought a 2002 blazer 4x4.

How can I tell if the oil is synthetic when I drain it?

If its not synthetic 51,xxx miles is low enough to start using synthetic oil right?

Any MPG gains from using?

Thanks

I don't know anyway of telling if your current oil is synthetic or not; had you thought of sending a sample to one of those mail-order places that evaluates the oil and tells you how the motor is running?

I run Mobil 1 5w-30 synthetic in my 02 Xtreme; just change it every 3 months, regardless of mileage.

Keep in mind I just sole an 89 cavalier Z24 2.8 liter / 5 speed manual that was purchased new with 80 miles. I started running the same Mobil 1 at around 35,000 miles, and just sold it last year with over 218,000 miles! I drove this hard, and the motor didn't burn oil, leak, or have any engine problems!

The new owner just passed 230,000 miles, and it's still going strong.

Well I found the maintenance records and they had been using Synthetic blend, so a full synthetic wouldnt be a major change.

Thanks

Well I found the maintenance records and they had been using Synthetic blend, so a full synthetic wouldnt be a major change.

Thanks


I know using a lower weight motor oil will get better gas milage and more power (Response) but does this engine do good with 5W30?

Whats recommened?

I know smaller engines usally use a lighter weight.

5w-30 is the reccomended oil. Your best bet is to run a fully synthetic oil. I use Mobil1 and change every 12k miles with a new filter and top off @ 6k. Make sure you use a good filter too - you can use the search feature to find tons of discussions on filter choices.

I use Mobil 1 5w-30 15K oil change and change it every 5K and my mpg has increased, the oil now runs clean and the engine is smooth. The first time I changed the mobil 1 15K oil it came out jet black and was almost thick and chunky now it is perfectly clean like new. Good luck with it and every car I own from this point on will run mobil 1

Don't use any other synthetic other than Mobil 1 , Amsoil or Redline.

The rest are NOT true synthetic.

BTW, you might as well service the transmission and drain and refill the differentials and transfer case with synthetic as well for MAX fuel economy.

I use Mobil 1 5w-30 15K oil change and change it every 5K and my mpg has increased, the oil now runs clean and the engine is smooth. The first time I changed the mobil 1 15K oil it came out jet black and was almost thick and chunky now it is perfectly clean like new. Good luck with it and every car I own from this point on will run mobil 1

Is Amsoil really that much better than Mobil 1?

You have to order that oil online correct?Any special filters?

Is Amsoil really that much better than Mobil 1?

You have to order that oil online correct?Any special filters?
Mobil 1 is all you need.

As for the filter, I prefer NAPA GOLD they are awesome filters, they are made by WIX and offer a good balance of filtration and flow. They also have excellent silicone anti-drain back valves. AC Delco is another good choice.

Don't use FRAM filters, they are cheaply made and the anti-drain back valves leak causing noisy (and damaging) dry starts. Don't use Pensoil, or Quaker State filters either, they are also made by FRAM.

Is Royal Purple a true synthetic? It's only about 25 cents more than Mobil 1.

If I recall properly, it's an extremely hydrocracked petroleum distillate base. A poor man's synthetic is what's found in Royal Purple - a group III fossil oil with hella additive pack to make it halfway decent. However, Mobil -1 is a superior base oil with a stout additive pack making for a much more robust oil. Mobil - 1 will turn dirty quick in these engines, but - it's doing a good job of keeping them clean. The reason why it looks so dirty in short time is because it's doing it's job of holding onto junk that is passing through your filter, too small to be caught. Otherwise, Mobil - 1 can very easily see 7,000 or more miles in the 4.3 push-rod V-6's; these engines are rather easy going on the oil they carry as compared to a high strung import engine. Royal Purple is a fine oil, however; I would not trust it past how far I can toss a quart bottle of SuperTech, IMO. The additive pack used to toughen up Royal Purple (An oil touted for it's racing performance) contains materials that if present in an engine with an oil control problem - could poison and destroy the catalyst. So help mitigate oil control problems, "flush" the engine as you drive, safely as thus:

And if I may add, it's working well! But anyway...

Currently, I run a mixture of Shell Rotella-T Full synthetic 10w-40 (2 quarts) to 2.5 quarts of regular, petroleum based Shell Rotella-T 10w-30. This mixture of "diesel" engine oils has my valve-train looking BRAND new. Individual parts were at first indistinguishable from other similar, lumpy, brown-black crufty parts under the valve cover. 3000 miles currently running this mix, the oil's staying cleaner a bit longer, but it's starting to darken, but it's a honey-brown and the hash marks are still visible on my dipstick. (Well, up until I had the recent misfortune of having my lower intake gaskets break. It's had a fresh fill of decent Havoline 10w-30 since, and well, I'll take it out here at the end of the month) When I first ran this mixture two months back, the oil came out of the drain plug like MUD... At the end of this run of blended, high solvency engine oil, in will go a fill up of Synthetic and a Fram XG3980. I will not have to look sideways at it until Feburary of '06. :D The fill up of choice for me will be Mobil 10w-30 since winters are not steep where I am at, but a part of me wants to look into Castrol Syntech 0w-30 bottled in Germany. I have been hearing rather outlandish and magical claims about it. If I cannot find it, Mobil -1 for sure will be in my beast when all is said and done. *I* would not use Royal Purple in a daily driver.

:sly:
Hey all. I'm new to AF. Just to let you know, I completley agree with most, if not all, of you on the Mobil 1. I too am addicted. Just curious about the K&N Racing oil filter. I've ran it ever since I started using Mobil 1, and you all seem to know quite a bit about Blazers. What's your opinion?

Not worth the price they charge for them.

A WIX or anything other than Fram is good for the money.

Just don't change your oil every 3000 miles if you are running synthetics. Complete waste of money.

I use the new Mobil 1 15k change oil and change it about ever 7500 miles. I either use a Napa Gold, AC Delco. and believe it or not, the X2 Fram filter which has worked very well for me.

You know what .... this was a very interesting thread. I have never owned a car that used synthetic oils. I didn't even know there was a difference in them cept that one costs way more money and works better. Never knew synthetic would let you got 15K miles between oil changes or that it kept the engine cleaner. So, how do I swtich to synthetic or can I even do it at 125,000 miles? Maybe start out with a blend and work my way closer to full synthetic?

You can switch to synthetic at any mileage, at anytime, you can mix it with standard oil, you can flip flop from one to the other. There are alot of myths that will tell you otherwise, but they are false.

There is one concern though...synthetic has far better cleaning properties than normal oil. Sounds good right? Well, after using normal oil for so long, there will deposits built up, the synthetic will remove most of these deposits, dirtying (is that a word?) the oil. So for your first few oil changes the oil will be very dark. It is not necessary, but it is recommended to do an engine flush when switching, this will remove most of the deposits and allow the oil to provide better protection. Also... some of the deposits may be blocking a few leaks, after the deposits are removed, you may develop a couple leaks until the synthetic swells the seals back up to their normal size. When I switched my Blazer to synthetic, my rear main started leaking for a little while, but it cleared up and I no longer have any leaks.

You know what .... this was a very interesting thread. I have never owned a car that used synthetic oils. I didn't even know there was a difference in them cept that one costs way more money and works better. Never knew synthetic would let you got 15K miles between oil changes or that it kept the engine cleaner. So, how do I swtich to synthetic or can I even do it at 125,000 miles? Maybe start out with a blend and work my way closer to full synthetic?

You can switch whenever. You gas mileage ill increase, horsepower will increase, much better for the engine. The first time I used it, after just about 4 thousand miles the oil was jet black it cleaned the engine so well. You don't need to prep the engine for synthetic, I chose to run an engine flush like the directions the great people on here said to do. I used gunk 5 minute engine flush, but instead of using it for 5 minutes you use it for 45! What you do is change the filter and leave the old oil in, your oil level will be almost a quart low but that is ok cause the flush is a quart. You install the new filter to catch all the build up the engine flush loosens up. Let your blazer IDLE for the 45 minutes, DO NOT REV THE ENGINE! You will only do damage. After the 45 minutes proceed with the oil change. When I took my oil filter off if weight at least twice as much as the other one after the flush. Then you change the oil with Mobil 1 full synthetic 5w-30 and a good filter. you may need to do the first change after a flush fairly recently like I did. This is totally optional and not required. And it is an old wives tale that some people tell when they say once you go synthetic you can't go back, they 100% interchangable. Now the Gunk flush is a harsh flush. The better one is autorx which BlazerLT did an awesome job with pics and everything. Read his thread for the info on that. Good luck!

The X2 actually is the exception to the Fram rule. Good for you for knowing a good filter from a bad one.

Also, RedLT, buy a bottle of engine flush and add it into the oil and run the engine AT IDLE for 30 minutes before you next oil change.

Then dump the old oil and add the synthetic. Mobil 1 5w30 is good stuff and will let you go for 7000-8000miles easily without a change.

You can go with the new Mobil EP oils which will last a lot longer, but remember, change out the oil filter after 7500miles.

i run mobil 1 syn. 10w-30. next change i'm going to 5w-30. i also change the oil and filter once a year and oil comes out still clean. a little darker but not by much. haven't pulled the valve covers so i could tell you how clean it is but it did get rid of my valve tap i had before i switched. been running syn for 2 years and still runs strong at 77,779 miles.

I have only one thing to say ... SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. I have about $300 burning a hole in my pocket, gota go get some synthetic.