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Is there any problems of you switching from one brand of motor oil to another?
All motor has to meet API specs. So make sure the oil you buy is the correct viscosity, API service classification, and type (synthetic or conventional) for your vehicle's engine.
Note that if you all an oil-change shop to change your oil, they will probably use recycled oil.
Motor oils are NOT all equal, read some tribology reports and you will see that. I'm willing to bet most of you will need to google tribology just to figure out what I'm talking about, and your eyes will glaze over if you try to read a report LOL
No but i doubt autozone has its own refinery and oil labs. They do what everyone else does. Ring up a oil refinery and tell them to package up 10,000 bottles of your finest 2015 vintage at x price point to meet minimum x requirement ratings.
Yes. For instance you don't want to buy the crap you find on the shelf at 7-11 unless you really need to top off and you're due for an oil change within the next couple hundred miles anyway.
No, as long as they're both high-quality and the viscosity is within manufacturer spec.
The companies that market overpriced commodities love guys like you.
I mean Ive gone into the gas station and picked up Wolfs head oil and thats been fine with me. My older brother always used it in his Chevy muscle cars. Ive always used Castrol or Mobil 1 in my 97 VW Gti when I had it.. Went through quite a bit of experimenting with various weights... In the end I settled for whatever the manual said to use because I honestly stopped worrying about it.
The big things with oils are: Synthetic/non-synthetic, and then the specific weight of the oil.
I dont think anyone has mentioned about how even though most of the oil comes from just a couple of major companies... the other companies will also add their own detergents and other mixes of stuff in the oil to make it "their own"
BTW pay attention to oil weight. Japanese and American cars recommend low viscosity oils for the marginal fuel savings for CAFE. Those thin oils don't necessarily protect the engine adequately. The car maker doesn't care if your car makes it to 200k miles but you probably do.
BTW pay attention to oil weight. Japanese and American cars recommend low viscosity oils for the marginal fuel savings for CAFE. Those thin oils don't necessarily protect the engine adequately. The car maker doesn't care if your car makes it to 200k miles but you probably do.
Agreed. I like using 0W, but I prefer to use 0W-30 over 0W-20. Sure I lose 1 or 2 miles to the gallon, but like you said, the added protection is worth it. 0W-40 seems to be all the rage with auto enthusiasts.
One thing to note - there are some oils out there that are fine for non-turbo engines, but are not turbo rated. If you have a car with a factory turbo, look in your owner's manual, maybe visit a forum where owners will have some ideas on what is and ain't OK. Dealer mechanics may or may not be much of a resource but you can ask.
If you did the turbo install yourself, I doubt you need any advice from me on this.
One thing to note - there are some oils out there that are fine for non-turbo engines, but are not turbo rated. If you have a car with a factory turbo, look in your owner's manual, maybe visit a forum where owners will have some ideas on what is and ain't OK. Dealer mechanics may or may not be much of a resource but you can ask.
If you did the turbo install yourself, I doubt you need any advice from me on this.
Yeah my Volvo requires some specific spec I can't remember now. It must be because of the turbo. Mobil 1 doesn't meet it. It could mean they never bothered to get certified.
IMO all these specs and ratings are way too confusing. For transmission fluid it's even worse. One supercedes another but the package doesn't explain that. And there are so many specs and weights. Can't there just be like THREE types of fluid and transmissions get built to use one of those?
Edit: Mobil 1 apparently created 3309 fluid for Aisin Warner yet it DOES NOT MEET THE SPEC ANY LONGER. What the hell does that even mean? Mobil 1 Syntheic ATF is not 3309 compliant!!
Last edited by thejackalope; 09-04-2015 at 04:39 PM..
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