5000 to 7500 - I drive Toyota Trucks

F250 is a V10

maroon barchetta said:

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I check oil and other fluids at each fill-up. My son has been educated to do the same.

My wife - well, that's a different story.

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Your wife has you to do it for her.

But but feminism

Women's lib

I am woman, hear me roar


No?

maroon barchetta said:

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But but feminism

Women's lib

I am woman, hear me roar


No?

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I don't expect my hubby to change my oil; I take it to the dealer every 6 months.

I'll also take my car to Discount to get the tires rotated. I use the compressor to air up my own tires.

I will ask for help if I hear a weird noise and wonder what is wrong. So I'm probably more independent than most females.

dubi said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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But but feminism

Women's lib

I am woman, hear me roar


No?

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I don't expect my hubby to change my oil; I take it to the dealer every 6 months.

I'll also take my car to Discount to get the tires rotated. I use the compressor to air up my own tires.

I will ask for help if I hear a weird noise and wonder what is wrong. So I'm probably more independent than most females.

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ohboyherewego.gif

OldArmy97 said:

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But Brand does matter! Oil companies buy their base oil and additive packages and formulate according to spec

Not all oil is the same oil - and Kirklands is no Mobil 1 or Pennzoil Synthetic

Sure, motor oils lubricate engine parts all the same, but depending on the base oil and additive packages used, will determine how fast the oil breaks down; and furthermore synthetic oil will break down slower over conventional oil

No different than Sutters Home Cabernet Sauvignon versus Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon- both are bold red wines but you know there is a difference!

The make-up of motor oil is no different…

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On what metrics is the Mobil1 superior to the Korklands?

Year? Use 15W40 or other?

It's difficult to quantify metrics on a thread - most people use preference as a metric or others want a Dyno test to be used a metric

Most labs look at piston cleanliness or sludge or heat as metrics to determine comparison analysis

It depends on the engine, the year of the vehicle or better yet miles/hours

Truth is major oil companies spend millions of dollars on R&D and have been formulating for many years

OEMs and Store Brands are not oil companies, they do not buy base oil and they do not buy additives but they do pay oil companies to produce, bottle and ship their products to their stores or dealerships.

Oil companies will produce their branded oils to EXCEED spec and will produce those OEM or Store Brands to MEET spec - everything from the type of detergents or anti foam or any other additive that they believe is a differentiator to competition

If Kirklands work for you and the price is right - great - change your oil at either OEM recommendation or what your vehicle monitoring system says

But if I wanted to extend my drain interval knowing that the protections I needed to do so are not going to breakdown because I am using a product that MEETS spec - I am going to use a branded motor oil like Mobil 1 or Shell Rotella or Pennzoil Synthetics where I know they will EXCEED spec

PSA for everyone - don't buy your oil, or much else for that matter at the auto parts store.

I use Penzoil platinum on both 3.5 Ecos with the Motorcraft filter. Get the oil from Walmart in 5 quart jugs and get the filters on Amazon.

I was changing the Expy at every 5K when it was the tow vehicle but have backed off to 7.5K and now change my F150 at 5K.

Expy has 170K miles and F150 has 125K. Some phaser rattle on cold starts for both when they have been sitting for several days. Otherwise no issues.

'03ag said:

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OldArmy97 said:

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But Brand does matter! Oil companies buy their base oil and additive packages and formulate according to spec

Not all oil is the same oil - and Kirklands is no Mobil 1 or Pennzoil Synthetic

Sure, motor oils lubricate engine parts all the same, but depending on the base oil and additive packages used, will determine how fast the oil breaks down; and furthermore synthetic oil will break down slower over conventional oil

No different than Sutters Home Cabernet Sauvignon versus Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon- both are bold red wines but you know there is a difference!

The make-up of motor oil is no different…

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On what metrics is the Mobil1 superior to the Korklands?

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Both are bottled by Warren. Like super tech.

OldArmy97 said:

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Year? Use 15W40 or other?

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1999 F250 with V10. I use mobil 1 5w30. The rear seal leaks also. It needs a quart every 1000 miles at 325k on the odo. It had about 150k on it when I bought it. No idea on the PO's maintenance.

OldArmy97 said:

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It's difficult to quantify metrics on a thread - most people use preference as a metric or others want a Dyno test to be used a metric

Most labs look at piston cleanliness or sludge or heat as metrics to determine comparison analysis

It depends on the engine, the year of the vehicle or better yet miles/hours

Truth is major oil companies spend millions of dollars on R&D and have been formulating for many years

OEMs and Store Brands are not oil companies, they do not buy base oil and they do not buy additives but they do pay oil companies to produce, bottle and ship their products to their stores or dealerships.

Oil companies will produce their branded oils to EXCEED spec and will produce those OEM or Store Brands to MEET spec - everything from the type of detergents or anti foam or any other additive that they believe is a differentiator to competition

If Kirklands work for you and the price is right - great - change your oil at either OEM recommendation or what your vehicle monitoring system says

But if I wanted to extend my drain interval knowing that the protections I needed to do so are not going to breakdown because I am using a product that MEETS spec - I am going to use a branded motor oil like Mobil 1 or Shell Rotella or Pennzoil Synthetics where I know they will EXCEED spec

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but what IS spec? what does that mean and where are areas a store brand might fall short? Personally I'm not looking to extend intervals, I do every 5k despite a 10k manufacturer interval.

'03ag said:

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OldArmy97 said:

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It's difficult to quantify metrics on a thread - most people use preference as a metric or others want a Dyno test to be used a metric

Most labs look at piston cleanliness or sludge or heat as metrics to determine comparison analysis

It depends on the engine, the year of the vehicle or better yet miles/hours

Truth is major oil companies spend millions of dollars on R&D and have been formulating for many years

OEMs and Store Brands are not oil companies, they do not buy base oil and they do not buy additives but they do pay oil companies to produce, bottle and ship their products to their stores or dealerships.

Oil companies will produce their branded oils to EXCEED spec and will produce those OEM or Store Brands to MEET spec - everything from the type of detergents or anti foam or any other additive that they believe is a differentiator to competition

If Kirklands work for you and the price is right - great - change your oil at either OEM recommendation or what your vehicle monitoring system says

But if I wanted to extend my drain interval knowing that the protections I needed to do so are not going to breakdown because I am using a product that MEETS spec - I am going to use a branded motor oil like Mobil 1 or Shell Rotella or Pennzoil Synthetics where I know they will EXCEED spec

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but what IS spec? what does that mean and where are areas a store brand might fall short? Personally I'm not looking to extend intervals, I do every 5k despite a 10k manufacturer interval.

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This. These oils all have API SN or SN plus rating. Most of us on here aren't running track days daily or using our vehicles on extreme climates, or abusive or neglect level OCI.

5000/7500 on your favorite oil will yield you many good years of service.

If Warren motor oil was a subpar product , it wouldn't be able to have the API SN Plus rating, nor would people buy it as Kirkland, Amazon, and Supertech.

Truck blew a heater hose last night and pegged the thermostat for about 15 seconds. Once i got it patched up my oil life meter said 0% when i swear it was like 45% yesterday, so i guess the gm oil life algo treats any overheat as a mandatory oil change.

Daily driver. Every 10,000 miles with full synthetic Redline.

Weekend drivers. Once per year.

What part of country are you in? If Texas/South consider switching to Rotella T3 15W-40 but if uncomfortable because have been using 5W-30, then Rotella Synthetic 5W-40 (and if live in North/winter)

With those many miles you likely need a thicker oil which will prevent burn off and since you don't know maintenance history prior to purchase this should help

Imagine your cylinder wall over the years - for example, 3000 revolutions per minute x 60 minutes x 24 hours x 7 days x 52 weeks x 24 years that that piston has been going up and down - eventually it begins to slowly bore a wider cylinder and reason thinner oil burning off is because it's escaping - thicker weight oil may help prevent

Plus there is also a high TBN number in Rotella to support

OP asked When Do You Change Your Oil?

My dad has always been a "change your oil every 3,000 miles regardless of what new cars/dealerships say" most newer cars say to change every 5,000 or 10,000 miles. I just wanted to get the texags opinion on this.

My reply was basis that question only and since it's the Major Oil Companies who factory fill these engines for the OEM they know a thing or two about oil technology but moreso what engine specifications are required to pass beyond SN+ or GF6 - for example BMW LL01 spec

Car Dealerships want you coming back for that oil change because they are afraid you will change your own oil or run to Jiffy Lube and take all that service oil change money with you. But doesn't mean vehicles algorithm doesn't know what it's doing either. Since most newer cars come with 5W- or 0W- these days these are mostly synthetic oils anyway and which helps with liner drains

What isn't known is what kind of vehicle, sports car, minivan or pickup truck does OP have - are we racing, taking kids to soccer practice or hauling a loaded trailer and how those motor oils will be used (breakdown and when)

Where we differ on opinion is I don't consider Warren Oil to be in the same company as a Major Oil Company. Nothing against Kirklands Costco Brand or Wal-Marts SuperTech Brand but it's no Mobil 1 (Exxon) or Pennzoil (Shell) or Castrol (BP).

If Kirlands or any other motor oils works for you = great, keep doing what your doing

But then again I don't use AIM toothpaste or drink HEB cola

Brands matter! OP wanted a TexAgs opinion. This is mine.

My man, I'm asking you to educate us with your 25 years of experience. This is board full of automotive enthusiasts from a major university,. We're big boys, we can take it. But you haven't told us anything that we can't get from a Mobil1 sales rep.

We all know synthetic is better than conventional. We all know extreme use cases like racing are going to require different solutions. Kirklands has a number of industry certifications. HOW do other oils exceed those certifications and what does that mean? How does that impact my engine?

I drain the old oil and fill it with new. I have a fair bit of mechanical knowledge, but I have no idea if it "works for me" beyond whether or not the car keeps running.

I am coming in late so apologies if the discussion has shifted away from this. I just changed the oil in my 2.0 ecoboost and started thinking how not only have oils gotten better, but engine oil capacity has increased. 5.7 quarts in the 2.0. I think the coyote has 10quart capacity? I hate having to buy the extra quart. I wish we could buy 6 quart jugs now.

Walmart Mobil 1 extended performance and a motorcraft filter. Out the door for around $40. Mobil 1 claims 20,000 miles on this oil. I just go by the vehicle computer and choose the first nice weather day once it gets below 15%.

At the end of the day, if folks change their oil on a scheduled basis using a GF6, SN+ motor oil, monitor it during fuel fill-ups from time to time during the interval and rinse wash dry repeat then the average person will be fine using any quality motor oil and filter.

But a lot of people do not follow a schedule, they think they are mechanics because they pop the hood to check if their windshield washer fluid is empty and if the oil on the dipstick isn't a quart low (or still looks clean and not black) to see if they need to change their oil or not.

Some people swear by Mobil 1 because it's a polyalphaolefin or Pennzoil because it's made from natural gas but the base oil is important and depending on which group is used matters. There are 5 groups on the market 1 -5 with groups 3 through 5 typically being synthetic based in terms of refined oil, Those who use higher groups use lesser additives than those who use lower groups and have to use more additives - to make up the difference.

Engine oil's job is to lubricate the piston to cylinder so one's engine doesn't seize up because it turned to sludge or couldn't handle the heat of the engine or was dirty from the filter not picking up particles, for examples. And it's because
folks don't keep a schedule and change exactly on time between oil changes, or pull a Uhaul trailer at the time they needed to get their oil changed or kept their engine idled for a couple of hours at their kids soccer game because it was too hot outside with A/C on - are reasons why brands matter - because the make-up of their motor oils support those things I just mentioned - like dummy proofing and especially if one extends their oil drains!!!

Additives tend to fall out when the motor oil breaks down beyond a point. I just don't see Super Tech holding up against Castrol for example when it comes to oil drain intervals.

I can drink a margarita with crap tequila and a lot of lime and mixer or I can drink one with a quality tequila - which tequila do you think you'll wake up the next day with the least headache?

Both cars, once in the spring and once in the fall. Pick a nice weather day cuz I do it in the driveway.

OldArmy97 said:

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At the end of the day, if folks change their oil on a scheduled basis using a GF6, SN+ motor oil, monitor it during fuel fill-ups from time to time during the interval and rinse wash dry repeat then the average person will be fine using any quality motor oil and filter.

But a lot of people do not follow a schedule, they think they are mechanics because they pop the hood to check if their windshield washer fluid is empty and if the oil on the dipstick isn't a quart low (or still looks clean and not black) to see if they need to change their oil or not.

Some people swear by Mobil 1 because it's a polyalphaolefin or Pennzoil because it's made from natural gas but the base oil is important and depending on which group is used matters. There are 5 groups on the market 1 -5 with groups 3 through 5 typically being synthetic based in terms of refined oil, Those who use higher groups use lesser additives than those who use lower groups and have to use more additives - to make up the difference.

Engine oil's job is to lubricate the piston to cylinder so one's engine doesn't seize up because it turned to sludge or couldn't handle the heat of the engine or was dirty from the filter not picking up particles, for examples. And it's because
folks don't keep a schedule and change exactly on time between oil changes, or pull a Uhaul trailer at the time they needed to get their oil changed or kept their engine idled for a couple of hours at their kids soccer game because it was too hot outside with A/C on - are reasons why brands matter - because the make-up of their motor oils support those things I just mentioned - like dummy proofing and especially if one extends their oil drains!!!

Additives tend to fall out when the motor oil breaks down beyond a point. I just don't see Super Tech holding up against Castrol for example when it comes to oil drain intervals.

I can drink a margarita with crap tequila and a lot of lime and mixer or I can drink one with a quality tequila - which tequila do you think you'll wake up the next day with the least headache?

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but how do they facilitate those things?

Very carefully, through rigorous tests, over a long period of time with the OEM and their engineers working alongside their Major oil company and their engineers who factory fill those engines.

Kind of a vague answer.

OldArmy97 said:

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Very carefully, through rigorous tests, over a long period of time with the OEM and their engineers working alongside their Major oil company and their engineers who factory fill those engines.

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Yeah that does not happen. Real world is the engineers do not stick around d that long to give a rat ass. They contract all of that testing out so they do not have to pay all extra the unions want.

They change oil companies all the time but private label it as "MOTORCRAFT" or "DELCO". change the manufacture based on current cost. NONE if the big auto manufacturers make oil or filters or batteries. All are private label.

Just the way it is.

Lot of back and forth in here.

OP...mostly on Saturdays.

Yes, it does happen - it's why they are called global companies and can do this work outside of the U.S. where there are no unions and furthermore they tend to have long contracts with one another (5yrs+)

Yes, BMW doesn't make motor oil but BP who does make Castrol motor oil also makes BMW engine oil - both you'd see on old and/or new oil caps under the hood or in manuals.

But what do these billion dollar companies know.

Somewhat related question: How often do you go get an alignment? I just got my first one done at 78k and I keep hearing annually.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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Somewhat related question: How often do you go get an alignment? I just got my first one done at 78k and I keep hearing annually.

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Depends on how and where you drive.

Houston is annual for me.

Every time I change tires.
Anytime I start to pull left or right.
Anytime I see weird tire wear.