Fluids and Lubricants Motor oil, transmission oil, radiator fluid, power steering fluid, blinker fluid... wait, there is no blinker fluid. Technical discussion and analysis of the different lubricants we use in our cars.
View Poll Results: What's better for the engine?
Mobile 1 every 6,000mi
79.49%
Regular motor oil every 3-4,000mi
20.51%
Voters: 39. You may not vote on this poll

what's better N why? Mobile 1 every 6,000mi, or regular oil every 3-4000mi

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Old Oct 11, 2004 | 11:56 AM
  #1  
viktornguyen's Avatar
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what's better N why? Mobile 1 every 6,000mi, or regular oil every 3-4000mi

Has anyone seen the comparison of Mobile 1 versus Regular motor oil? Just wondering b/c I changed my oil with regular oil over the weekend and thought it would save lotta hassle if I put in extra <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=money&v=56">money</a> for Mobile 1 and get twice as much mileage out of it.

What you guys think?
Old Oct 11, 2004 | 12:14 PM
  #2  
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Mobil 1 SuperSyn every 10,000

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html
Old Oct 11, 2004 | 12:17 PM
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well in the handbook you get with the car it says to change the oil every 7500 miles..i know everyone changes theres at different time. but thats when i change mine
Old Oct 11, 2004 | 12:55 PM
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i just do mobil 1 supersyn every 3k miles and thats like 4 times a year =)
Old Oct 11, 2004 | 01:00 PM
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With any quality oil you can go for longer periods of time between changes. I would rather have the better oil. How long you go is up to you. How hard your drive your car also makes a big difference. Any SC and especially turboed car should get good oil and change it pretty frequently.
Old Oct 11, 2004 | 05:29 PM
  #6  
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Originally Posted by 98MikeXimaSE
i just do mobil 1 supersyn every 3k miles and thats like 4 times a year =)

Read the link I posted and stop pouring money down the storm sewer.
Old Oct 11, 2004 | 08:34 PM
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Vikto....there is no right answer. Bill's Oil Spreadsheet is the closest anyone has come to comparing as you ask. Each approach has it's own pro's and con's. Better synthetics, like Mobil 1 & Amsoil, allow you to extend the drain out longer with confidence. 6K like you said, or 1OK, or more if you want. Synthetic runs cleaner, do better at temp extremes, and U may ulimately consume less oil if you extend the oil drain interval enough. Whether anyone owns a car long enough these days to enjoy all those benefits is also a good question. Mobil 1 is usually more expensive to buy and may not necessarily generate lower engine wear than regular oil. And if you enjoy working on your car, changing the oil every 3K with regular oil is more "fun" and cheaper than Mobil 1. Plus the new GF-4/SL oils out now may perform even better than GF-3/API-SL. Time will tell. Ultimately it's an individual thing. Searching for the best oil can be like this:
Old Oct 12, 2004 | 04:49 AM
  #8  
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Originally Posted by 98MikeXimaSE
i just do mobil 1 supersyn every 3k miles and thats like 4 times a year =)
Man, that's such a waste of money. Even going by the manual the change interval is nowhere near 3k unless you race your car for every mile you put on it. And, considering that mobile 1 is a superior lubricant to the dino that the manul calls for, it's especially wasting money.

I do mobil1 in both maxes about every 7500 miles. I could get away with dino and be in spec for the manual but I play it safe and do the syn. I know with certainty that my engine is superbly lubed because of it.
Old Oct 18, 2004 | 11:53 AM
  #9  
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Not to mention it can be a selling feature later on. If you take care of your car, and you're selling it sometime down the road, if you're looking for top dollar because you've kept it up, having an engine that's run on synthetic with regular changes certainly helps.
Old Oct 18, 2004 | 08:37 PM
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Didn't vote cuz changing mine mobil 5-30 every 4500 or 3 months.
Old Nov 15, 2004 | 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by mzmtg
Read the link I posted and stop pouring money down the storm sewer.



The only thing I started to do differently within my 10000 mile intervals with Supersyn is change the filter at around 5000 miles.
Old Nov 20, 2004 | 07:52 AM
  #12  
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Deezo, are you changing the Nissan filter at 5k miles or do you use a different type?
Old Nov 23, 2004 | 06:22 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by kevlo911
Deezo, are you changing the Nissan filter at 5k miles or do you use a different type?
I use a Bosch filter changed every 5k with a 10k oil change using Mobil 1.


Also, I'm not Deezo.
Old Nov 24, 2004 | 08:49 AM
  #14  
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Yes, mzmtg I figured the second part out


So I will only lose 1/4qt of oil when I change hte filter at 5k miles correct?
Old Nov 26, 2004 | 05:34 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by kevlo911
Deezo, are you changing the Nissan filter at 5k miles or do you use a different type?
I'm using the STP filter.
Old Nov 26, 2004 | 05:38 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by kevlo911
Yes, mzmtg I figured the second part out


So I will only lose 1/4qt of oil when I change hte filter at 5k miles correct?
It's probably more like a 1/2qt. Nothing to worry about though.
Old Nov 30, 2004 | 08:33 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by 98MikeXimaSE
i just do mobil 1 supersyn every 3k miles and thats like 4 times a year =)
Im the same way...Mobile 1 Super Synthetic every 3K miles...I have the s/c so I want as clean oil as i can get to run through there

-matt
Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:52 AM
  #18  
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My manual says every 3750. So untill my warranty is up I change mine every 3-4k with M1. 5-30 in the winter months and 10-30 in the summer.
Old Dec 1, 2004 | 08:15 AM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by matty
Im the same way...Mobile 1 Super Synthetic every 3K miles...I have the s/c so I want as clean oil as i can get to run through there

-matt
Because the oil looks dirty doesn't mean that it's not any good. Depending on how much you drive the car, you can still be throw money down the drain.
Old Dec 9, 2004 | 04:50 AM
  #20  
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MaximaMan 5-30 in the winter and 10-30 in summer? If you don't mind me asking, what benefits do you get from doing this? Anyone else doing the same?
Old Dec 9, 2004 | 05:51 AM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by wu54736
MaximaMan 5-30 in the winter and 10-30 in summer? If you don't mind me asking, what benefits do you get from doing this? Anyone else doing the same?
From late May early June through September it gets quite hot here in Atlanta and most of my driving is done locally. Most of the roads here are asphalt and the temps on the road are usually well over 100 deg during the day. I feel that using 10-30 is better than the lower weight when it's that hot, other wise I use 5-30 the rest of the year.
Old Dec 9, 2004 | 11:25 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by MaximaMan77
From late May early June through September it gets quite hot here in Atlanta and most of my driving is done locally. Most of the roads here are asphalt and the temps on the road are usually well over 100 deg during the day. I feel that using 10-30 is better than the lower weight when it's that hot, other wise I use 5-30 the rest of the year.
but the 30 is the top of the range as to how "thin" it can be. 5 vs. 10 is how "thick" you want it in the winter. 5-30 includes 10-30 so what's the point? the W designates it is for Winter use.

They are both all-season oils and perform the same in hot climates.
I just use 5W30 which is recommended.
Castrol GTX every 3750 for now. Syn every 5000 after 20k miles. maybe 10k oil change/5k filter change after warranty.
Old Dec 9, 2004 | 03:54 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by NismoMax80
but the 30 is the top of the range as to how "thin" it can be. 5 vs. 10 is how "thick" you want it in the winter. 5-30 includes 10-30 so what's the point? the W designates it is for Winter use.

They are both all-season oils and perform the same in hot climates.
I just use 5W30 which is recommended.
Castrol GTX every 3750 for now. Syn every 5000 after 20k miles. maybe 10k oil change/5k filter change after warranty.

"MULTI-VISCOSITY OILS
Multi viscosity oils have polymers added to a light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up, the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C, the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.

Multi-viscosity oils are one of the great improvements in oils, but they should be chosen wisely. Always use a multi-grade with the narrowest span of viscosity that is appropriate for the temperatures you are going to encounter. In the winter, base your decision on the lowest temperature you will encounter; in the summer, the highest temperature you expect.

10W-40 and 5W-30 require a lot of polymers (synthetics excluded) to achieve that range. The polymers can shear and burn, forming deposits that can cause ring sticking and other problems. This has caused problems in diesel engines, but fewer polymers are better for all engines. The wide viscosity range oils, in general, are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown due to the high polymer content. It is the oil that lubricates, not the additives. Oils that can do their job with the fewest additives are the best. Follow your manufacturer's recommendations as to which weights are appropriate for your vehicle."

The cost is the same either way...
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