best brand of motor oil?
10-01-2009
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Re: best brand of motor oil?
Mobil 1 5W30 Full Synthetic is what I have been running in my car alternated with a Mobil 1 Filter or a Fram High Mileage Filter. (My dad goes on oil filter buying binges when they're on sale, so it's really whatever I happen to grab out of his dark garage first) Mine's a 2001 Civic LX, and I drained all the conventional crap out when I bought it and switched to Synthetic.
I just had surgery on my hand and I no longer have a garage to work on my car, plus my apartment complex decided to call me out for topping off my fluids in the parking lot so now EVERYONE knows we're not allowed to do vehicle maintenance on the sealed and paved lots. Anyway, I ended up getting an oil change at Firestone today. They wouldn't use my stuff, so I ended up with a Kendall Filter and Kendall 5W30 Full Synthetic.
Admittedly, I'm kinda nervous that the filter only cost $3.99 on my invoice whereas the oil itself was $39.99, but it was better than letting my current filter go on 8K miles, especially since my mileage was down 12mpg.
Anyone have any dirt on Kendall products?
I just had surgery on my hand and I no longer have a garage to work on my car, plus my apartment complex decided to call me out for topping off my fluids in the parking lot so now EVERYONE knows we're not allowed to do vehicle maintenance on the sealed and paved lots. Anyway, I ended up getting an oil change at Firestone today. They wouldn't use my stuff, so I ended up with a Kendall Filter and Kendall 5W30 Full Synthetic.
Admittedly, I'm kinda nervous that the filter only cost $3.99 on my invoice whereas the oil itself was $39.99, but it was better than letting my current filter go on 8K miles, especially since my mileage was down 12mpg.
Anyone have any dirt on Kendall products?
10-01-2009
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Re: best brand of motor oil?
kendall is pretty good, its not great but gets the job done. i hope they gave you synthetic for that kind of price.
10-01-2009
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Re: best brand of motor oil? Kendall and Motorcraft are the same. You are ok with that oil change. One Motorcraft comes in Red bottle, Kendall black bottle. Try to find someone that will change the oil with your oil and filter.
10-02-2009
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He seemed to question the fact that a girl knew what she wanted and surprised that I actually had a clue about anything pertaining to my vehicle.
My hand should be healed by the time I'm due for my next oil change, so I'll do it myself with my stuff.
Thanks, guys!(Paid $45 incl tax for oil, filter, labor, and disposal after a $10 discount)
10-02-2009
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you guys argue all about synthetic n whatever but it seriously biols down to regular maintenance and ur car will last forever. well, almost.
hey gearbox, did u see that 800,000 mile 2003 civic hybrid? honda sent the email i believe.
hey gearbox, did u see that 800,000 mile 2003 civic hybrid? honda sent the email i believe.
10-02-2009
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lol i wanna see it role over to zero miles haha, either that or a fatal error on the display 
10-02-2009
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Eh. I use synthetic for a few reasons. 1, I'm lazy, and am not always on-top of oil changes every 5K miles, especially since I live in Ohio, where Winter likes to linger longer than we'd like (and before Ohio, I was in Chicago, and before that, Superior, WI). Synthetic is more forgiving, or at least Mobil 1 has been to me.
Changing oil in -15 degrees Fahrenheit sucks monkey *****.
2, Because of the climate I live in and the fact I have to drive in severe weather (both hot and cold), synthetic holds up better in temperature extremes.
3, Most of my driving is highway, and until recently, I was making weekly 550 mile round trip treks.
4, I like the added satisfaction of spending a little bit more money on things for my car, who is my 'baby'. Think of it as buying Pampers over the store brand. I was gonna say cloth diapers, but I don't even want to think of the demons an infant can unleash into an ***-napkin.
Changing oil in -15 degrees Fahrenheit sucks monkey *****.
2, Because of the climate I live in and the fact I have to drive in severe weather (both hot and cold), synthetic holds up better in temperature extremes.
3, Most of my driving is highway, and until recently, I was making weekly 550 mile round trip treks.
4, I like the added satisfaction of spending a little bit more money on things for my car, who is my 'baby'. Think of it as buying Pampers over the store brand. I was gonna say cloth diapers, but I don't even want to think of the demons an infant can unleash into an ***-napkin.
10-02-2009
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10-03-2009
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^whats this "winter" u guys talk about?
PS gearbox, when r u gonna move to CA?!
if u do, lets go have dinner or somethign man, my treat! bring the wife n kids!
PS gearbox, when r u gonna move to CA?!
if u do, lets go have dinner or somethign man, my treat! bring the wife n kids!
10-03-2009
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when hell freezes? lol. i doubt i could ever live there, i can barely afford to live and buy food, and my car is not CALI legal ha. prolly going to colorodo or wyoming.
10-09-2009
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10-20-2009
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For me the best brand isthe syn. on sale. Right now Edge is a deal with $15 back on a 5qt. purchase. Advance auto has a sale on Edge plus filter Pure ONe, comes out to $2.00 a qt. Now that is the best this month...
10-20-2009
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-still running)
12-02-2009
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Re: best brand of motor oil? The best brand of oil might be Redline which is only 9.95 qt. Contains a very robust additive package. If 9.95 is too much, you might try Edge, on sale at advance for 25$ plus a Pure One filter. Or mobil EP which varies in price at Walmart.If price is your only concern I cannot suggest any one that is best.
12-02-2009
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12-02-2009
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12-02-2009
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honda makes its own synthetic, in the Bay Area they charge a whoppin $7 bucks a quart for it. fukin rip off since it doesn't spec even close to the top of the oil chart in comparison, however it is much better than a dino. if you don't specify for them to use synthetic, they'll use the standard honda dino oil. either case its honda made (unless they outsource the oil from somewhere...)
highest retail for mobil 1 here is $6 a quart, i've found it in discount down to around $4.50 if i grab a 12 pack on sale. if you're going synthetic, and are willing to do your own oil change (i don't let anybody work on my car, even the certified techs) then go mobil 1
highest retail for mobil 1 here is $6 a quart, i've found it in discount down to around $4.50 if i grab a 12 pack on sale. if you're going synthetic, and are willing to do your own oil change (i don't let anybody work on my car, even the certified techs) then go mobil 1
12-09-2009
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Let me first start off by saying there are many oils that will do the job. Their margins for failure are a different story.
Also, there are many different oils all claiming to be fully synthetic. The truth is a hydrocracked or ultra processed dino oil can be technically marketed as a full synthetic.
Amsoil (certain series are blends), Royal Purple, and Castrol syntech all are BLENDS of dino oil with some synthetic components.
Mobil 1 is a PAO synthetic (true synthetic base) and Redline is polyol ester (full synthetic).
I used 5w20 Red Line oil. I also use Mobil 1 in our other cars.
Polyol Esters are a better high temp lubricant, and they actually adhere to hot metal. No other lubricant can do this.
YOu can spend 1000s of hours on bitog.com. It's a great site.
Also, there are many different oils all claiming to be fully synthetic. The truth is a hydrocracked or ultra processed dino oil can be technically marketed as a full synthetic.
Amsoil (certain series are blends), Royal Purple, and Castrol syntech all are BLENDS of dino oil with some synthetic components.
Mobil 1 is a PAO synthetic (true synthetic base) and Redline is polyol ester (full synthetic).
I used 5w20 Red Line oil. I also use Mobil 1 in our other cars.
Polyol Esters are a better high temp lubricant, and they actually adhere to hot metal. No other lubricant can do this.
YOu can spend 1000s of hours on bitog.com. It's a great site.
Last edited by mf150; 12-09-2009 at 07:17 PM.
01-12-2010
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I use Castrol GTX High mileage 5w-30. It costs a little more than some other conventional oils but its supposed to be good for extending engine life and preventing leaks on older cars. I'm not completely sure if it's worth it but it's not that much more $$$ and one of the more knowledgeable guys at autozone 
said it was a good way to go for me. 
said it was a good way to go for me.
01-13-2010
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I've looked at several independent lab tests over the years; Mobil one full synthetic seems to always be at or near the top in every test result I've looked at.
However, if you engine is higher mileage and you switch from dyno oil to synthetic, it may be possible get increased smoke/oil consumption. If this happens, switch back to dyno oil.
However, if you engine is higher mileage and you switch from dyno oil to synthetic, it may be possible get increased smoke/oil consumption. If this happens, switch back to dyno oil.
02-16-2010
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Re: best brand of motor oil?
Point of fact regarding Redline Synthetic multigrade oils. While its a great oil with a "nice package" , "Redline has not reduced the amount of ZDDP in their multigrade oils". Zink and Phosphorous can harm catalytic converters. Most other sm oils to include synthetic have reduced the zink and phosphorous to protect cats. Check out your oils.
02-17-2010
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my car is pretty much going to stock (i have my stock exhaust, front lic plate, and removed my tints a few weeks ago...eeek)...im getting de riced...
03-13-2010
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This question agian....
Okay, the best oil depends on YOU. How often do want to change the oil? How many miles do you have? How much do want to spend?
If you drive less than 5,000 miles in 6 months, don't waste your money on Synthetic oil. You will never get to see the benfits of synthetic oil, which the only benifit to is that you can go longer between oil changes, just stick with a good quality dino oil. ANd since you should be changing the oil at least every 6 month, it doen't make since to use synthetic.
If you drive more than 5000 every 6 months, ask your self how long you want to go between oil changes. I personally go 4,000 miles on dino oil (valvoline or motorcraft), because the extra milage you get from the synthetic is not worth the extra cost IMO. PLus I want to protect my car, the more frequently you change you oil the better protection you have agianst outside sustances killing you engine. And once agian, if you don't want to go 7,000 miles or on oil, then why spend the extra $$$$ on synthetics?
So, if you REALLY want to go a long time between oil changes, use synthetic. Generally I tell people who drive all highway to go with synthetic, since they can go upwards of 8,000 miles if they drive all highway, and for them, that may only be 1-2 months worth of driving. Afterall, it would really suck if you had to change your oil every 3 weeks. Now if you do more city driving (stop an go and stop and go) then you are putting more stress on the engine, and hence the oil. Specially since the oil must do more cooling, if you live in say San Fransico, where the average speed is about 5 MPH on a good day, then maybe you should run synthetic too, this is the only case I can think of where you should change a synthetic oil every 3,000 miles.
If you drive like most people, maybe 30-40 miles day, a mix of highway and city, your best bet is to go with a good dino oil every 4,000 miles or so.
OF COURSE, THIS IS JUST A GUIDE LINE, if you really want to know how long to go on a specific oil, get your oil tested.
As for brands, pretty much all your synthetic oils are good, stay way from Royal Purple. RP is a very good oil, but the TBN drop very quickly. This is a true race oil becuase most race engines only last 500 miles, so why make an oil that last longer than that? Don't get me wrong, it is probably one of the best oil on the market, but it just does not last long. Mobil 1 is probably the best you will find on a store shelf, Redline and the rest of those high end oils are all good, but not worth the extra $$$ IMO.
As for dino oils, I personally use Motorcraft and Valvoline, Castrol is good too, but generally I go just go with Valvoline before Castrol.
If you look at oil analysis, they all pretty much agree, that for the average driver, a good dino oil like the ones I mentioned above, last about 4,000 miles and a shelf synthetic last about 6-7k miles. So you figure out where you belong and what oil you need.
BTW, if you have over 65,000 miles on your car, I STRONLY suggest using Valvoline Max Life. Why? Because it has a 5 wt% moly count (highest around, which is GREAT for older engines as an anti ware addative) and is 22% synthetic oil and at Wal-Mart you can pick up 5 quarts for about $10-$12, which makes it pretty cheap. I use this in EVERY older car I have.
Okay, the best oil depends on YOU. How often do want to change the oil? How many miles do you have? How much do want to spend?
If you drive less than 5,000 miles in 6 months, don't waste your money on Synthetic oil. You will never get to see the benfits of synthetic oil, which the only benifit to is that you can go longer between oil changes, just stick with a good quality dino oil. ANd since you should be changing the oil at least every 6 month, it doen't make since to use synthetic.
If you drive more than 5000 every 6 months, ask your self how long you want to go between oil changes. I personally go 4,000 miles on dino oil (valvoline or motorcraft), because the extra milage you get from the synthetic is not worth the extra cost IMO. PLus I want to protect my car, the more frequently you change you oil the better protection you have agianst outside sustances killing you engine. And once agian, if you don't want to go 7,000 miles or on oil, then why spend the extra $$$$ on synthetics?
So, if you REALLY want to go a long time between oil changes, use synthetic. Generally I tell people who drive all highway to go with synthetic, since they can go upwards of 8,000 miles if they drive all highway, and for them, that may only be 1-2 months worth of driving. Afterall, it would really suck if you had to change your oil every 3 weeks. Now if you do more city driving (stop an go and stop and go) then you are putting more stress on the engine, and hence the oil. Specially since the oil must do more cooling, if you live in say San Fransico, where the average speed is about 5 MPH on a good day, then maybe you should run synthetic too, this is the only case I can think of where you should change a synthetic oil every 3,000 miles.
If you drive like most people, maybe 30-40 miles day, a mix of highway and city, your best bet is to go with a good dino oil every 4,000 miles or so.
OF COURSE, THIS IS JUST A GUIDE LINE, if you really want to know how long to go on a specific oil, get your oil tested.
As for brands, pretty much all your synthetic oils are good, stay way from Royal Purple. RP is a very good oil, but the TBN drop very quickly. This is a true race oil becuase most race engines only last 500 miles, so why make an oil that last longer than that? Don't get me wrong, it is probably one of the best oil on the market, but it just does not last long. Mobil 1 is probably the best you will find on a store shelf, Redline and the rest of those high end oils are all good, but not worth the extra $$$ IMO.
As for dino oils, I personally use Motorcraft and Valvoline, Castrol is good too, but generally I go just go with Valvoline before Castrol.
If you look at oil analysis, they all pretty much agree, that for the average driver, a good dino oil like the ones I mentioned above, last about 4,000 miles and a shelf synthetic last about 6-7k miles. So you figure out where you belong and what oil you need.
BTW, if you have over 65,000 miles on your car, I STRONLY suggest using Valvoline Max Life. Why? Because it has a 5 wt% moly count (highest around, which is GREAT for older engines as an anti ware addative) and is 22% synthetic oil and at Wal-Mart you can pick up 5 quarts for about $10-$12, which makes it pretty cheap. I use this in EVERY older car I have.
I work for Valvoline:-)
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