cristphoto

Is there a concensus on brand of synthetic motor oil being used for TL's? I've been using Mobil 1 in the 5-20 weight since my car had about 4000 miles. I read on another web site (Bob Is The Oil Guy) that the Mobil 1 formula has been changed and not necessarily for the better. Pennzoil Platinum has been getting good comments at that site plus it's a good bit less expensive than Mobil 1. Any favorites here? Thanks.

ankur914

I use Mobil 1 with a Mobil 1 M1-110 oil filter, going to switch over to Mobil 1 Extended Performance (supposedly has more of the supersyn additive in it than the normal Mobil 1). Oh, and its 5W-20.

shayan

iTrader: (1)

I heard some good reviews on royal purpel(I think that is the name), but I havent tried it yet

minkl81

iTrader: (2)

Mobil1 Full Synthetic

Hapa DC5

Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic.

Jim in Oregon

Castrol synthetic 5W-50.

cristphoto

Has your gas mileage gone down any by using such a thick oil?

DMZ

Castrol Syntec 5W-20.

It's the only 5W-20 synthetic I can find in stock in most stores like AutoZone these days.

Desert_TL

5w-20 is what is required by the owner's manual.

I put castrol syntec 5w-20 in my car for the last oil change. However, according to the internet, both castrol and mobil have switched to using a crude oil base for their "full synthetic" oils. When they did this, they were sued by a consumer group for false advertising for calling the oil "full synthetic" even though 70% of the oil is directly derived from dino oil. The oil companies' argument was that they refined the dino oil so much that it was nearly indistinguishable from "full synthetic". The consumer group argued that you can't call something "full synthetic" if 70% of it is derived from fully natural sources. The arbitrator in the case eventually sided with the oil companies, so now castrol and mobil both sell "full synthetic" oil that contains a crude oil base. It's my understanding that pennzoil platinum is still a true full synthetic and contains no dino component.

I'll probably run pennzoil platnium 5w-20 for my next oil change.

TunedTL

PP used Group III base oil, which is re-refined from petrolum crude oil and marketed as synthetic in the U.S. Base oil makes us ~85% of the final products, so it is naive to say such product is synthetic.

It is still false advertizing to market such oil as synthetic in Japan and Europe.

In BITOG, there are some test results that Mobil 1 5w-30 EP and 15w-40 switched to the cheaper Group III base oil. Same stuff that PP, Castrol Syntec (except German Castrol 0w-30) use.

One can say additives package is also important, but when one company cheapens up on the base oil, how does one know it has not cheapened up on the add pack?

Personally I have no problem with that as long as Exxon Mobil does not charge a premium price on a non-so-premium product. Also it is a message Exxon Mobil sending to consumers to cut cost on raw material.

There are some argument that Group IV, the true synthetic PAO base oil is too expensive since Hurricane Kathrina. Keeping using Group IV as Mobil has done in the past would bankrupt the company. Take a look at the most recent quarter report, Exxon Mobil reported a record of $9.3 B in earning, a 10% rise, but the sales decreased. Guess where these additional profit came from, despite a rising price of crude oil since the war?
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070426/earns...obil.html?.v=9

Would $9.3 of net income and 10% growth a sign of a financially stressed company? More likely a sign of a greedy company.

No problem of business of making $, just not off me while I can buy the same fake synthetic from Pennzoil Platinum for $0.99 a quart at local Kragen after a mail in rebate.

DMZ

Gee, I wonder how much the oil companies 'paid' the arbitrator.

TL1999

i still use dino oil from acura...

soon i need to start to use 5w20 royal purple..

AzNGR81

Greddy 5W-30

Jim in Oregon

With 5W-50 oil I like having as much protection as possible since today's cars run so hot. I haven't noticed any difference in gas mileage. Acura uses 5W-20 only to really maximize gas mileage and help the engine quickly heat up so as to minimize emissions. I still get 29-31 mpg on my '07 TL-S on the highway. Heck my '04 BMW M3 requires 10W-60 Castrol Synthetic oil that is only found at the BMW dealership for $10/liter.

DMZ

5AT or 6MT?

I wish everyone who states gas mileage on this forum would state whether they have an automatic or manual tranny.

ankur914

ahahahha..yea dude, i was thinking the same thing!

JetJock

Red Line 5W-20 synthetic

subinf

I use Pennzoil synthetic

THTL

iTrader: (2)

so Pennzoil is truly 100% synthetic, not mobil 1 right?.

ankur914

No..pennzoil is not a true synthetic..I forgot where i read it, but they play the same game as everyone else......Its gonna be tuff finding a true synthetic ever since "psudeo-syntethics (those using Group III oil as a base)" were allowed to take on the name of "full Synthetic" in the US. Sucks man........ But if it helps your decistion out, Group III oils are by no means bad oils, they are highly refined and superior oils. Personally, i would like to run a 100% synthetic......Amsoil, but i heard that their 5w-20 uses a group III base? Can anyone shed further light on this entire issue (i know, i know, im going to use the search function ....). Thanks!

TunedTL

Amsoil XL line of oil uses Group III, including the 5w-20. It is the current fill in my 2G TL, but I paid $4.5 per quart shipped. Amsoil is an excellent blender, some believe its additive package is the best in the industry in the U.S.

Group III is not bad, just Group IV is better. In case one has not noticed, the industry trend is to use Group III:
Shell made the change to Group III 2-3 years ago in its Pennzoil Platinum line.
BP already uses Group III in its Castrol Syntec except German Castrol 0w-30

darksom1

Subinf any special reason or you just do? Also, do you change with the MID or on your own schedule? I know you said it before, but please don't make me search dude! LOL!

DeMAN

Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic-all three cars.

I almost have to laugh at these thread knowing where dino oils have came from over the last few years. The oil companies are laughing all the way to the bank, thanks to you all.

The market has been real good for lube oils, because its given refiners time to come up with the high quality oils we have today.
About 1% of the market knows anything about threads like this and the rest goes on name recognition such as Pennzoil and Mobil 1.

The bottom line is that know one keeps there car long enough for any of the major name oils to hurt there engine if they are changed on recommended intervals

I own a car now that is almost ten year old, and >200k miles. I've used Texaco base 5w-30, then switched to Mobil 1 for one interval, before going with Royal Purple for over 100k miles. Now I'm using PP and have been for the last three 7.5k intervals. My engine runs as strong as ever with no oil usage.

subinf

Special reason - doesn't cost me anything. Pays not to burn bridges with former employers.

I'll usually change the oil between 3k-4k, more or less. I didn't use to follow the MID, but not that I'm doing mainly city driving it is pretty much in line with a 3.5k service. Will get down to about 15% in 3000 miles. When I was still commuting on the highway, at 3000 miles it would be at about 50 percent.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Royal Purple at the suggestion of Joe Demaree. They are a sponsor of his....he uses it in his drag cars and when something major goes wrong...he says the oil has proven itself to be a real money saver by saving parts that otherwise normally would have been spent in the process.

TunedTL

I agree with most of what you wrote. Except people who pay premium prices usually are looking for additional benefits other than having an working engine for Xk of trouble free miles. Some want the best mpg possible, some want longer oil change interval to save time and environment, others just want real full synthetic and have that fuzzy feeling of using the best stuff.
Premium price = premium benefits, would you pay for a Ferrari and just be happy to go from point A to point B?

lil12002

you guys that use synthetic, what millage do u change ur oil?

Grinch80

What do you guys think of Valvoline SynPower compared to other synthetics like M1?

cristphoto

I continue to go by the MID display, which for my type of driving is about 7000-7500 miles. I then change the oil and filter. I've read on the bitog (Bob Is The Oil Guy) web site that with todays good synthetic oils you can basically double the oil change interval (to 12,000 - 14,000 miles) if you change the oil filter at 6,000 to 7,000 miles. This was concluded from lab oil test reports. That might save a fleet owner some money but I'm not going to take any risk.