ARTICLE: Synthetic oil vs Mineral oil

[Vid6639]

Which authorised distributor is this?

[gpa]

Originally Posted by vid6639

Which authorised distributor is this?

Hi vid6639,

This is the Bangalore III Branch of the authorized distributor for Mobil 1. The address is below:

SPEED-A-WAY PVT LTD
No:1,Susheela Road,1st Cross
Lalbagh Fort Road,
Bangalore-560004

Thanks to T-Bhpian VJ_Maverick for the info on this place.

Cheers,
gpa

[kenetics]

Hey guys,

Please help. I run a Swift ZXI. She's clocked 4000km and of late the butter-smooth engine is running a little rough. A friend mentioned an oil change. Seriously, after 3000km? (the last engine oil change was at the first service (1000km). Any tips on what oil to use?

Mucho gracias,

Ken

[gpa]

Originally Posted by kenetics

Hey guys, She's clocked 4000km and of late the butter-smooth engine is running a little rough. A friend mentioned an oil change. Seriously, after 3000km? (the last engine oil change was at the first service (1000km). Any tips on what oil to use?

Hi Ken,

You don't have to change your oil at 3,000 kms. Since you have already changed your oil at the stipulated 1,000 kms. It is safe to run till the next oil change at 10,000 kms, but you could change your oil at 5,000 kms if you are keen on maintaining a clean engine. If you are keen on performace and extending engine life, I suggest you go in for a fully synthetic oil (Mobil 1, Shell, Petronas), but do so only at the 10,000 kms service after the engine has been properly run in.

Cheers,
gpa

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by kenetics

Hey guys,

Please help. I run a Swift ZXI. She's clocked 4000km and of late the butter-smooth engine is running a little rough. A friend mentioned an oil change. Seriously, after 3000km? (the last engine oil change was at the first service (1000km). Any tips on what oil to use?

Mucho gracias,

Ken

Its true that 3,000 km is too soon for an oil change... but thats true only if you have made sure that genuine and new oil has been used in your last oil change! Did you do the change yourself... or were you present when it was changed, and used oil from a genuine sealed container? If not, and if you suspect foul play, you might be better off changing it.

As for Mobil 1... does anybody know what base stock its made up of? Is it mentioned on the bottle? Unfortunately, the text in the pics on the last page isnt legible...

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

As for Mobil 1... does anybody know what base stock its made up of? Is it mentioned on the bottle? Unfortunately, the text in the pics on the last page isnt legible...

Mobil 1 is a pure synthetic engine oil commonly available in India only in the 5W-50 grade. I used it in my OHC. Did it make a difference? Yes, it did. The engine was smoother and revved more willingly. Is it value for money? No, it's most definitely not at Rs 800/litre compared with about 150 to 170 for a litre of dino oil.

Mobil1 5W-50 is NOT a recommended grade for cars at least the ones that I have owned. Manufacturers generally prefer 10W-30, 15W-40, 20W-50, 5W-30 or 10W-30. Check your owners manual and go by the recommended grades.

The dealer told me I could stretch oil changes to 20K Kms (!!). That's pure bunkum. Fat chance I'd do that. An owner MUST follow mfgrs minimum recommended change intervals. When you change oil at 4-5K kms intervals....synth just doesnt make sense. For me that is. I'd change the dino oil in my car every 3-4K Kms instead of the recommended 10K intervals. It's a comfort feeling to think that the fresh (dino) oil is better than 4000 Km old synth oil.

All this is IMHO.

Cheers!

R2D2

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Mobil1 5W-50 is NOT a recommended grade for cars at least the ones that I have owned. Manufacturers generally prefer 10W-30, 15W-40, 20W-50, 5W-30 or 10W-30. Check your owners manual and go by the recommended grades.

Sorry guys....a typo there...please read the last oil grade as 10W-40.

Cheers!

[kenetics]

Thanks GPA and Racoon, for taking hardly any time to give me the answer I was looking for. May your tribe increase.

Ken

[gpa]

[quote=R2D2;1125880]Mobil 1 is a pure synthetic engine oil commonly available in India only in the 5W-50 grade. Mobil1 5W-50 is NOT a recommended grade for cars at least the ones that I have owned. [quote]

Hi R2D2,

Most car manufacturers do not recommend Mobil 1. But if you can afford to pamper your engine with it, why not do so? This forum recommends synthetic oils for an engine and Mobil 1 is one of the world's best synthetic oils, so using it wil not harm your engine in any way. Just stick to the oil change intervals of 10,000 kms on the oil change and your engine will be performing at its peak.

Cheers,
gpa

[gpa]

Originally Posted by kenetics

Thanks GPA and Racoon, for taking hardly any time to give me the answer I was looking for. May your tribe increase.

Ken

Hey Ken,

I did suggest in my reply that you use a synthetic oil.

Cheers,
gps

[sunsetorange]

I use AMSOIL for my Swift vdi. When I sent her for the 10,000 km service and oil change, I got 4 Litres of it and the service guys returned about 300 ml. It is supposed to be the best synthetic oil available.

The engine sounds a lot smoother. I'm yet to check for any improvement in mileage.

Will keep you all posted!

[Raccoon]

Technically, engine oils have shelf lives of four to five years. However, as years pass, unused engine oils can become obsolete and fail to meet the technical requirements of current engines. The specs get updated regularly based on new scientific testing procedures and engine requirements. But this is only really a concern if you've bought a brand new car but have engine oil you bought for the previous car. An oil that is a number of years old might not be formulated to meet the requirements set for your newer engine.

Thats about oil shelf life. But what about oil already in the engine? Around how long is it safe to keep it there? Does anyone have any info about this?

This question is esp. relevant for people with low vehicle use - the oil is changed well before its useful life.

Not every auto maker is clear on this. Esteem's manual says change every year, HH CBZ-X manual says change every 6 months, Suzuki Shogun's manual mentions change (crankcase oil, of course) at 6,000 km... but no time duration for the same is mentioned, and so on...

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

I use AMSOIL for my Swift vdi. When I sent her for the 10,000 km service and oil change, I got 4 Litres of it and the service guys returned about 300 ml. It is supposed to be the best synthetic oil available.

The engine sounds a lot smoother. I'm yet to check for any improvement in mileage.

Will keep you all posted!

Where on Earth did you get Amsoil in India? Guess you got it from abroad?

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by gpa

Hi R2D2,

Most car manufacturers do not recommend Mobil 1. But if you can afford to pamper your engine with it, why not do so? This forum recommends synthetic oils for an engine and Mobil 1 is one of the world's best synthetic oils, so using it wil not harm your engine in any way. Just stick to the oil change intervals of 10,000 kms on the oil change and your engine will be performing at its peak.

Cheers,
gpa

Absolutely. I dont doubt the oil or its manufacturer. But the grade is NOT the one recommended for most Indian cars. Please read the manual and use the manufacturers recommended grade or you may void your warranty/extended warranty! Mobil1 is also available (not in India) in the 10W-30 grade which is what I could use in my current car without warranty issues. But to be on the safe side, the dealers advised me to use the OEM oil as the car warranty is 3 years.

Remember I tried it too in my OHC, after the warranty period. And enthusiastic as I am about tweaking my car, I couldnt justify the cost. Look at it this way: I will spend about Rs 3200 for 4 litres of Mobil 1 compared with about 700-800 for 4 litres of 'ordinary dino' oil. It is 5x the price. I generally change the oil around 4000 Kms or 6 months whichever is earlier. My running is about 600 Kms a month. Oil once in the engine has a finite life also measurable in time not just mileage. So 2 oil changes a year add up to Rs 6400 + 400 for 2 oil filters which makes it a hefty Rs. 6800 on oil changes alone.

Is it value for money if I consider the cost/benefit ratio? I dont think so...and that is why I prefer multigrade mineral oil or a semi synthetic like Castrol Magnatec.

Regards,

R2D2

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

I use AMSOIL for my Swift vdi. When I sent her for the 10,000 km service and oil change, I got 4 Litres of it and the service guys returned about 300 ml. It is supposed to be the best synthetic oil available.

The engine sounds a lot smoother. I'm yet to check for any improvement in mileage.

Will keep you all posted!

Amsoil?! Interesting...where did you buy this from? To my knowledge this isnt available in India. Was it a grey market can?

Regards,
R2D2

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Absolutely. I dont doubt the oil or its manufacturer. But the grade is NOT the one recommended for most Indian cars. Please read the manual and use the manufacturers recommended grade or you may void your warranty/extended warranty! Mobil1 is also available (not in India) in the 10W-30 grade which is what I could use in my current car without warranty issues. But to be on the safe side, the dealers advised me to use the OEM oil as the car warranty is 3 years.

Remember I tried it too in my OHC, after the warranty period. And enthusiastic as I am about tweaking my car, I couldnt justify the cost. Look at it this way: I will spend about Rs 3200 for 4 litres of Mobil 1 compared with about 700-800 for 4 litres of 'ordinary dino' oil. It is 5x the price. I generally change the oil around 4000 Kms or 6 months whichever is earlier. My running is about 600 Kms a month. Oil once in the engine has a finite life also measurable in time not just mileage. So 2 oil changes a year add up to Rs 6400 + 400 for 2 oil filters which makes it a hefty Rs. 6800 on oil changes alone.

Is it value for money if I consider the cost/benefit ratio? I dont think so...and that is why I prefer multigrade mineral oil or a semi synthetic like Castrol Magnatec.

Regards,

R2D2

May I ask why you change your oil so soon (6 months)? Is it mentioned in the manual? I'm asking because, as I mentioned in a post above, my Esteem's manual advises oil change at 1 year intervals. This is obviously for mineral oils. If you use a synthetic, I dont see why you cant stretch it for a year or so, with your kinda running...

I quite agree about the VFM issue with synth oils. Unless manufacturers bring down prices, I don't see them as a viable option... they just dont make sense. Whats more, they dont even have the right viscosities in the market yet. Sad!