Quote:
Originally Posted by Bumble Bee '77
Hmm funny you should bring this thread up , I just changed my oil a few weeks ago and filled it with 4 1/2 quarts of 5w30 Royal Purple and now recently when i start the car the change oil light comes on. And I know I haven't driven 5k since the change. The light goes out after about 10 minutes. Could the sensor be messed up?
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i hope you have a v-6 if you are only putting 4.5 qt in it. the LS1 requires 6.5qt. have you checked the fluid level lately? go warm the car up, then check the oil level. it wouldnt hurt to add a little in anyway. the sump on your car (all cars for that matter) are not accurate enough to make a difference, all cars have a +/- of nearly a full quart anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToneyTone
5k is the longest i'll go between changes.
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3500 is as far as ill go with my v-8. my ol 292 straight-6 id change the oil twice a year, once in the fall to a "thinner" oil then once in the spring to a "heavier" oil (ill hit more on the "thinner/heavier" later down)
Quote:
Originally Posted by gladiatoro
 Have you guys ever heard of AMSOIL they basically invented synthetic oils years ago before anyone else had it. 100 % full synthetic motor oil , I use it in my Mercedes and it is good for 25.000 miles per oil change, GUARANTEED amazing product they can even test your oil say at 20.000 miles by a independent lap to prove it is still good, but you do need a special oil filter with nano fiber technology that can handle the extended drain cycle which AMSOIL also makes. If everyone used these SUPER OILS our oil prices would go way way down . Not only that they are much better for your engine since synthetic oils almost totally eliminate engine wear due to there extreme anti friction properties , I was in Germany on holidays a few years a go and I rented a brand new BMW for the autobahn anyways the digital computer said next oil change in 30000 km , the oil is full syntetic right from the factory when it is built thats why ... |
amsoil is a great oil, no doubts about that. but the 25000 miles is a stretch. their independent lab test might have proven that the oil will last 25000 miles, but the thing to keep in mind is that you can spin a motor on a dyno in a clean test room all day long, but when you are driving down the road in rain, dirt, mud, sludge and all that crap slowly creeps into the motor, your oil wont last that long. also the moisture that aclimates inside your motor does damage. if you are doing the testing they did with those motors, (and by that i mean spinning the motor and letting it run till it hits 25k miles) is not ROAD testing, its LAB testing. you can test the oil all day long, but throw some dirt into it and run it another 25k miles and see what happens. also, what kind of motor are we dealing with as well as what filter are they running?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muscle Master
I been meaning to look for a good proformence filter
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Amsoil, Mobil1, and KN are great filters but way over priced.
AC Delco/WIX/NAPA/Purolator and Baldwins filter and flow so closely to the KN/Mobil1 that you cannot hardly differntate the results. But cost about 50% less. SuperTech is a good one too.
fram sucks however.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theholycow
I totally agree with you there. I probably posted something like this earlier in the thread, but really...do you know anyone who has had a modern engine failure that could have been prevented by better/more frequent oil? I sure haven't heard of any such incident! Modern engines and modern oils (even cheap modern oils) are quite decent, and unless you really are putting in abnormal rough service, the manufacturer's recommendation for "normal" conditions ought to be fine.
actually, yes. i have a friend who is a mechanic at a local dealership and has commented on a guy who has brought in 5 different vehicles, ranging from a 1988 dodge caravan, a 2001 vette, a 1999 impala, and a couple others, that have all had motor failure. when the motor was removed, it turned out the guy had NEVER changed the oil in the vehicles. the one with the least amount of miles was the vette with 37,xxx. when they pulled the pan off, it was nothing but sludge. but on the guys defense, he said he would check the oil gauge and it always showed light brown in the correct range. as it turns out, the sludge was staying at the right level and would wipe the dipstick clean when he removed it.
I wouldn't recommend anyone be as careless as I was, but at least with a GM, following the manufacturer's recommendation ought to prevent oil-related failure pretty much forever.
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as for the last part of your statement, i agree 100%. change the oil at regular intervals using the required amount and type and you wont ever have to worry about that... untill your motor blows a head gasket and overheats to the point where the oil cant do its job properly.
now for some excellent reading material about oil...
http://jcpm-inc.com/images/oiltest.pdf
http://www.swri.edu/4org/d08/global/...HS/default.htm
http://www.worldsbestoil.ca/dyno-test.php
http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...01.html?page=1
http://www.outdoorlife.com/article/Gear/All-About-Oil
as far as "thicker" oils vs "thinner" oils (which isnt really true, because thicker doesnt always mean higher viscosity, just as thinner doesnt always mean lower viscosity. thinner/thicker has to be taken in account with viscosity, flow rate, and shear strength):
take 5w-30 vs 10w-30
some people think
5+30=35
10+30=40
DONT EVER DO THIS. this is stupid math.
the first number is the flow characteristic in like 32f the 10w means that it flows better at 32f/0c. so if you live in a colder climate, a 5w oil would be better for start up conditions. as for the other number, that is for the operating temp flow characteristic.
however, the differences are minimal and are so close in ambient flow rates that its a toss-up.
here's a quote from
Chevron on the matter:
Quote:
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What does multigrade mean? Multigrade motor oils offer a combined viscosity to work under varied temperatures. Multigrade oils such as a 10W-30, are designed to have the viscosity of an SAE 10W oil at cold temperatures combined with the viscosity of an SAE 30 oil at engine operating temperatures. The "W" or "Winter designation indicates that the oil meets viscosity requirements for low temperatures (below 30°F).
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tho everyone has their own opinions and theories and old urban myths die hard, and "my mechanic told me this or that", im not bs'ing you on the info im posting.
as for me personally, i use RP 10w-30 and a Wix filter, and i change at around 2500-3000 miles. longest ive gone with the 94Z is 4300, but that was just cus i got side tracked with other things. during race season, its roughly 500-1000 miles per OCI.
now if money is no object...
http://www.renewablelube.com/
if you have any more questions... feel free to ask.
