2.2L L61 Performance Tech 16 valve 145 hp EcoTec with 155 lb-ft of torque

Synthetic Vs. Regular Oil in a 2.2

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Old 03-05-2010, 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by tmharsh
Here's something else to think about...
"Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."

Source: http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html
That is the biggest crock of **** I have ever seen.
Old 03-05-2010, 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by tmharsh
Your car calls for conventional to be changed when the oil life monitor says to. Currently you're changing it at 3,000 miles which is way too soon, so going by the monitor would give you the longer oil change intervals you desire and you don't have to spend the extra money on synthetic. Only reason to use synthetic would be for even longer oil change intervals beyond when the monitor says it's time. I don't see why people continue with the ancient practice of 3,000 mile oil change intervals. Has oil and engine technology simple not advanced one bit in the past 20 years?

Here's something else to think about...
"Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."

Source: http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html
^^^ This is actually the truth. Engine wear actually DECREASES as the oil gets older. The reason you have to change your oil is that the oil TBN gets low and the oil can no longer nuetralize the acids created by combustion and wear.
Old 03-05-2010, 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by rnjmur
^^^ This is actually the truth. Engine wear actually DECREASES as the oil gets older. The reason you have to change your oil is that the oil TBN gets low and the oil can no longer nuetralize the acids created by combustion and wear.
Well, since Mobil-1 synthetic is $20 for 5 quarts here, so it's no skin off of my nose. I'll stick to every 3,000.

It helps me sleep at night.
Old 03-05-2010, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Tank07
^^^you are wasting your money

Mobil 1 fully synthetic change it at 5% and you will never have a problem due to dirty oil

^^^you are wasting your money

Mobil 1 fully synthetic change it at 5% and you will never have a problem due to dirty oil
Its possible I am but thats 5000 miles on oil. Granted I will check it and see what its looking like at that point. But I worked at chrysler when they first suggested 5000 mile oil changes. Should of seen all the 2.7s that were all coked up with oil inside. They were actually blowing engines due to the build up of oil. The ecotec is different yes. But ever since seeing that im going to stay under the manu's recommendation.
Old 03-05-2010, 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by xxxxsh4d0wxxxx
Well, since Mobil-1 synthetic is $20 for 5 quarts here, so it's no skin off of my nose. I'll stick to every 3,000.

It helps me sleep at night.
Well, if you actually look at the data from that study I linked to, it backs up the results from the testing Ford and Conocophillips did. The most wear occurred within the first 3,000 miles and was a fourth that from 3,000 to 6,000 miles. So this would indicate that you're actually keeping your engine in the area of most wear by doing 3,000 mile oil changes.

I have yet to see anyone provide any substantial data backing up a 3,000 mile oil changes making an engine last longer. Everything I have seen states they are unnecessary and potentially results in more wear.
Old 03-05-2010, 03:15 PM
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i do every 3k to 5k with mobil 1.
its just whatever you feel comfortable doing. a lot of manufactures say 5k is ok to do now days.
Old 03-05-2010, 07:26 PM
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I been using full synthetic since i got the car. i drive it kinda hard, i want hard good oil. i go by the dash myself. i think i change the oil maybe like every 10k miles. i even checked the dip stick a few times and the color still looked good. i pay 45 bucks for a full synthetic oil and oil filter change including labor. thats a good price i think.
Old 03-05-2010, 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by dragonkingg5
I been using full synthetic since i got the car. i drive it kinda hard, i want hard good oil. i go by the dash myself. i think i change the oil maybe like every 10k miles. i even checked the dip stick a few times and the color still looked good. i pay 45 bucks for a full synthetic oil and oil filter change including labor. thats a good price i think.
thats a very good price! my dealers in town want $60 and $70 to do a synthetic oil change! where are you getting it so cheap? dealer or....?
Old 03-05-2010, 07:46 PM
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http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/


/thread
Old 03-05-2010, 07:49 PM
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I made the horrible idea of starting this topic on another forum too.
Old 03-06-2010, 12:14 AM
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Originally Posted by tmharsh
Well, if you actually look at the data from that study I linked to, it backs up the results from the testing Ford and Conocophillips did. The most wear occurred within the first 3,000 miles and was a fourth that from 3,000 to 6,000 miles. So this would indicate that you're actually keeping your engine in the area of most wear by doing 3,000 mile oil changes.

I have yet to see anyone provide any substantial data backing up a 3,000 mile oil changes making an engine last longer. Everything I have seen states they are unnecessary and potentially results in more wear.
Gee, I don't know.. Try the last 200 ******* years, and like I said, $20 for 5 quarts of Mobil-1 fully synthetic and an ACDelco filter from the dealer for $2. It's not hurting my pocket one bit.

How would it result in more wear..? That doesn't even make sense. I think you're looking way beyond the simple fast of, oil prevents wear from internal parts running at a high rate, no questions asked.

In fact, I work at a ford dealership and even the veteran mechanics will say it's a load of ****. I've seen cars come in with motors that are full of sludge from what you're claiming.

To each his own, though.
Old 03-06-2010, 08:26 AM
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its not because of the lubricating properties that you change it at 3-5k. Yes the oil is still doing a great job with lubricating the engine. Its oil contamination from the combustion cycle, bearing wear, and other little purities that will saturate the oil.

The reason why you change it at 3-5k is because the oil is starting to lose its acid neutralizing ability. and it cant hold much wore along the lines of contamination. If the oil cant suspend these contaminants, they will deposit themselves inside the engine as SLUDGE.



some of you people amaze me with your misinformation. Half of this board must be around 18.....
Old 03-06-2010, 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by lwrs10
Half of this board must be around 18.....
Haha some younger. but thats who these cars where demographed for.
Old 03-06-2010, 10:41 AM
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http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/
Old 03-06-2010, 10:43 AM
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^You're a little late...it was posted on page 2..

Here's the main thing....everyone has their own ideas and opinions on how long they can/should go between oil changes...no single person will change another persons mind in most cases.

I for one am a believer that you can go 5-10k on conventional oil in some cars (my old Saturns I owned with the 1.9L they burned oil so I would just add every couple weeks...then at 10k I would do an oil change and they last fine....engines in those cars are still doing great to this day). My dad had a 1984 Cavalier Type 10 that he stopped changing the oil in all together. He only replaced the filter and topped off the oil every so often (I believe he did it once or twice a year only)...the car lasted until the early 2002 or something like that...18 years until the car finally crapped out and it wasn't due to the engine failing either....I forgot to mention my dad was a mechanic for a number of years as well so he wasn't clueless when it came to cars.

I know in those cars for sure there wasn't that much contamination in the oil when I did oil changes...there was probably the same amount as I find in my car with a 6k oil change...

Last edited by 007CobaltLS; 03-06-2010 at 10:45 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Old 03-06-2010, 10:53 AM
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"My dad had a 1984 Cavalier Type 10 that he stopped changing the oil in all together. He only replaced the filter and topped off the oil every so often..."

Makes sense though, if a car loses oil and it is topped off, you're replenishing the additives and putting more life back into the oil. The concern at that point though would be the oil filter, which would still need to be changed regularly. I recall on BITOG people installing some crazy oil filter setups in order to pull extreme oil change intervals. You can learn a lot over there -- more than you'd ever want to know about oil.

And I agree...this is a topic that we could never meet a consensus on. Do what you want with the information and make your own decision.
Old 03-06-2010, 11:39 AM
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Mobil1 full synthetic, they even make a extended performance that guarantees 12k I think..I change mine@20%
Old 03-07-2010, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by randizzle
GM sent this car out with conventional and recommends any SAE 5W-30 in the owner's manual. why would anybody waste their money on synthetic?
I don't want the Irish dude from Castrol whipping my ass with a dipstick.
Old 03-07-2010, 01:10 PM
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conventional lets the rings wear down better.
Old 03-07-2010, 02:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Blue_Balt
I don't want the Irish dude from Castrol whipping my ass with a dipstick.




Originally Posted by 06_ion2
conventional lets the rings wear down better.
Proof?
Old 03-07-2010, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by xxxxsh4d0wxxxx



Proof?
I will when my car runs.
Old 03-07-2010, 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by 06_ion2
conventional lets the rings wear down better.
what do you mean by this?

i change around 3k but im HARD on the LAP...it sees WOT at least everyday
Old 03-07-2010, 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by nhanson
what do you mean by this?

i change around 3k but im HARD on the LAP...it sees WOT at least everyday
I'm hard on my l61, see 17psi daily, countless wot pulls in 2-5th gear, wouldn't trust anything but mobil1 for my car...last thing I need is nasty as sludge from cheap oil...have 60k on the car, still running good
Old 03-07-2010, 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Jn2
I'm hard on my l61, see 17psi daily, countless wot pulls in 2-5th gear, wouldn't trust anything but mobil1 for my car...last thing I need is nasty as sludge from cheap oil...have 60k on the car, still running good
Yeah, I'm a huge Mobil-1 fan, and my car sees WOT 1st, 2nd, 3rd, probably like 10 times a day. (Quite a few open roads where I live, and by open I mean cornfields on both sides.)

I have also tried:

Valvoline fully synthetic (x1)
Castrol Edge fully synthetic (x1)
Royal Purple fully synthetic (x3)
Mobil-1 Extra Protection fully synthetic (Rest of the time)

ACDelco filter from the dealer.

I do try other fully synthetics sometimes just for fun, but at the end of the day Mobil-1 is what's in my car.
Old 03-07-2010, 04:45 PM
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Originally Posted by nhanson
what do you mean by this?

i change around 3k but im HARD on the LAP...it sees WOT at least everyday
I have a fresh built motor it needs the conventional oil because the additives in the synthedic doesnt allow the rings to wear down well at all so thats why they recomend it after 20-30k miles.


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