Independent Motor Oil Testing??
 

Ok, does anyone know where to find a good source for an "independent" motor oil study against various brands?

All I can seem to find is AMSOIL hype and it seems they have the marketing down so all the websites link to them. Is AMSOIL like a network marketing type company or what? I mean, the way they market raises and eyebrow to say the least.

I use Mobil1 in my Honda but with our new van I want to start out with the best oil I can find and stick with it for the long run. Is Mobil really the best? Not sure!

So, I downloaded the "Oil Bible" and will read that but again, this seems like an AMSOIL marketing tool more than an independent calculation of facts.

If anyone has any links to real sites who are not bias towards one brand or another it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

p.s. Also need the same info on oil filters! I guess what I'm looking for is the best oil and filter for the money with long term benefits. Who isn't, right?

Well, I just answered part of my question. Check out this link...

http://www.pecuniary.com/newsletters/MLM.html

No wonder AMSOIL is so popular! Can someone say... MLM?

Sheesh, is there any truth out there on which oil is really the best? I'm not saying AMSOIL is not good, but it appears to be marketing more than anything else. I cannot find any "independent" studies showing what AMSOIL websites want you to believe. If they are out there please provide links. I won't be sold unless I actually see some studies or analysis from sources other than AMSOIL MLM reps.

amsoil tends to test very high in independent tests.

try www.bobistheoilguy.com

also, one of the better oils out there right now is Havoline GF4. however, "better" is relative. what do you want out of your oil? good protection? long oil change intervals? a blend of both? what kind of driving? etc.

Well, we just bought a Kia Sedona van (don't laugh) and I guess I want something that is going to protect the engine the best. This van won't be hit that hard with a lot of miles and it will be driven easy and "babied". I want this thing to last as long as possible. So I guess I am looking for the best "protection" oil in which I will probably change about every 5k-6k miles.

Also the best oil and air filters I can get too.

I can't see any oil being left in over 7k miles. That would scare me. I think 6k is really pushing it unless you drive very "easy" miles in good conditions. Of course, this is just my opinion. I have no idea really. :shrug:

I change my oil (Mobil1) in my Honda like every 5k but I drive mostly highway miles. It's always black as night when I change it too. Heck, it would probably be black after 500 miles, who knows. I never tested it. Is oil suppose to hold its color very long? You know, that "clean" look?

i'd recommend either mobil 1 or valvoline synpower. that will give you the ability to go to 7500 miles easily between oil changes. valvoline in particular, as it has an extremely high TBN and does very well in high temp and high shear tests.

oil should not look clean after even 500 miles. you should be concerned if your oil remains looking "clean". this means it is not doing its job. it turns "dirty" because it suspends contaminants, and the contaminants make it look dirty.

IMO,go with Mobil 1 if you like it (it's not the best, but for the price it's good, and it's not like you're running an F1 car). Here is a quick rule of thumb I use though for oil changes, most oil can go 5k, almost every synthetic I've analyzed has had no problem at 5k. If you are going to use Mobile 1, you can go 7.5k if you do lots highway, 5k if you drive hard in the city. I personally don't really trust non-synthetic beyond 5k, but synthetic generally have no problem going 7.5k. I just tested some oil for a friend of mine who live Florida, he had Mobil 1 in his car for 10k, and the oil TBN was still okay.

To better help with your van though, give us the make and model, and if you have it the oil change interval and weight of the oil they recommend that would help us out too. :)

The van is a Kia Sedona, 3.5L V6. The manual states change the oil every 7,500 miles using 5w-20, 5w-30, or 10w-30. I live in Ohio where the temps are kinda all over the board. Hot in summer, cold in winter!

Thanks

Ahhh.. I live in Ohio too :)

Well, the interval between changes is up to you. I would say somewhere between 5k and 7.5k, if the manual says 5k and you don't do any hauling or anything of that nature, then 7.5 should be good as long as you use a decent oil.

As for the type of oil, generally you want thinner during the winter months and a little thicker when hot. I would not use 10w30 if you live in Ohio. The highs here are only aroun 90-95F. If I lived in say Legas, where the high is 115F, then maybe the 10w30 would be okay. So that leaves us with 5w30 or 5w20, I would use the 5w20 during the winter and 5w30 during the summer, infact thats what I generally do. I like to change my oil twice a year, once in the spring and once in the late fall. In the fall I use 5w20, so it is thinner in the winter (this helps with starting) and in the spring I use 5w30, a little thicker for the summer, try this and all should work well :tup:

Over course I drive 15k a year, so if you only drive say 10k, just go with 5w20 all the time, that's what my mom and dad are bothing doing.