1st oil change 1999 What oil do you use?

[Chango]

Hello all,
I know this might simply be a matter of choice but I know that some cars seem to do better with different brands and weights. I know that sometimes it's not always what is in the manual. So I'm asking a open question to anyone who has opinion on it. Thanks in advance

[GaryFenza]

Jack the Car up on front suspension. After that.....put Jack stands on the the two front suspension bars. Bust out a Socket Wrench with the right size to take off the drail plug, where the oil will drain out of into a Pan. after oil drains get a Oil Filter Wrench and take off the oil filter, then put on a new oil filter, but lube the oil filter gasket with fresh oil before putting it on. After all that......let the car down off the jack and stands and add fresh oil, dont overfill the crankcase. Start Engine and make sure there are no leaks, good luck

[97TaurusGuy]

Originally Posted by GaryFenza

Jack the Car up on front suspension. After that.....put Jack stands on the the two front suspension bars. Bust out a Socket Wrench with the right size to take off the drail plug, where the oil will drain out of into a Pan. after oil drains get a Oil Filter Wrench and take off the oil filter, then put on a new oil filter, but lube the oil filter gasket with fresh oil before putting it on. After all that......let the car down off the jack and stands and add fresh oil, dont overfill the crankcase. Start Engine and make sure there are no leaks, good luck

I dont think Chango was asking how to do any oil change but rather what kind of oil other users use. I use Mobil Clean 5000. It is rather inexpensive and is a good quality conventional oil. I change it about every 5000 miles and it is usually reletively clean. It sells at Walmart for about $2.50 a quart.

[tamango98]

I try to use Mobil 1 Synthetic or just Mobil 1, I also add 1 litre of Lucas Oil Stabilizer. But whatever brand you use, always add that 1 litre of Lucas.
Also, if you go for Mobil 1, look for 15w-50 made in Germany not in USA (sorry for the patriots out there).
That's what I'll go for if I had the money

[GaryFenza]

Yea, haha i kind of picked up on that when i reread this thread. Anways it couldnt have hurt if he wasnt sure, but yea those oils are good. I personlly use Pennzoil High Milaege 10w-30 in my Grand Prix

[shorod]

I see you're from the midwest. Personally I use Mobil 1 full synthetic along with an oil filter (non-Fram is my preference) with a check/anti-backflow valve. When I still had a Taurus, I stuck with what it recommended, 5W-30. There is a reason that is what's recommended, both for fuel economy purposes and for proper oil pressure and oiling. Engines in modern cars are highly engineered, tight tolerance pieces of machinery. If you go with too thick of an oil viscosity, certain parts may not receive the proper oil which as you might expect can lead to premature wear.

This debate about "what oil is best" comes up quite often, and what it really comes down to is personal preference. If you feel synthetic oil is worth the extra price, go with synthetic. If you can't justify the extra cost of synthetic, go with conventional oil that meets the proper SAE rating for your car. Check the level and condition of the oil regularly, and certainly change the oil and filter regularly. For an added piece of mind, add a bottle of fuel injector cleaner to the fuel tank at every oil change.

-Rod

[Huney1]

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm
Before you go with ANY additive read the link and see exactly what happens inside your crankcase. Fact is, modern oils have all the cleaners and additives needed to keep your car running great for a long, long time. They're called "additive packages" and the synthetic oils tolerate heat better along with other advantages, but for normal driving regular dinosaur oil will do fine. Your manual should specify the oil weight so stay with that. Yes, 5W-20 is about as thin as water but the cop cars use it and you know what a beating those engines take. Ford Motorcraft oil rates high on the list of good oil and WalMart has it. http://www.fordpowerproducts.com/products.do?item=15 They are synthetic blend oils and I beleive that means they're half dino oil and half synth oil.

Allow me to elaborate on what Rod said about modern engines being built tight. If you go with a thicker oil like say a 10W-30 it takes about 40% more torque just to turn the engine because of the thicker oil. So, using thicker oil than needed will result in less miles per gal of gas. DUH? I know it sounds crazy and I had a link explaining it all but it's on my other computer. If you chose to go with synthetic I suggest considering the WalMart Super Tech full synthetic about half of what Mobil 1 costs and their SuperTech oil filters are good and economical.

" Wal-Mart now offers its own brand of full synthetic motor oil called "Supertech", which has performed admirably in my Q, though I have no oil analysis data to prove its performance compared to Mobil 1. Supertech is bottled for Wal-Mart by Quaker State. See proof of Supertech being bottled by Quaker State." I remember seeing somewhere they had been bought by Pennzoil but can't say for certain.

Please use the proper drain for the old oil and dispose of it in the proper manner. Do not let it on the ground because ONE QUART of oil can contaminate 30,000 gals of water. Check with your county or city garbage disposal and they can tell you where the dump stations are. Same goes for anti-freeze and we should recycle it.

[road_rascal]

I've been using Pennzoil Platinum 5w/30 in my '99 24v for awhile now. It gets changed every 6 months (about 5-6K). I just sent in another sample for analysis and it came back looking great. Here's the link for the report.

[Huney1]

That Pennzoil Platinum is good stuff and something about the molecules go back together after they are sheared. Your analysis proves going 5K or more is OK and under normal driving conditions I don't think 7500 is bad. Did you know when they did analysis right after oil change it was not as good as when the oil had 3000 miles on it? That proves new oil does not lube as well as oil with some miles on it.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by Huney1

That Pennzoil Platinum is good stuff and something about the molecules go back together after they are sheared.

Yep, we use Pennzoil Platinum and nothing but Pennzoil Platinum We are also a big fan of K&N filters. We've looked all over and can't find a better built filter. When we test each brand we cut them in half to inpsect them and the K&N's are built like tanks, and they are also one of the only filters to have a Anti-drainback valve which eliminates dry starts (a main contributor of engine wear) Stay away from Fram filters unless you're selling the car. BTW- Wal-Mart usually has a good price on the Pennzoil Platinum if you love your car and you want to try it

[Huney1]

"Also, if you go for Mobil 1, look for 15w-50 made in Germany not in USA"

Why would you use such thick oil that makes it harder for the engine to turn and doesn't get in the tight places as well as Ford recommended 5W-20?

"Many new vehicles are marked to use 5W-20 oil (Honda, Ford and more recently Toyota)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil

Ford says use 5W-20 in the 4.6 V8 engines in Crown Vics, Marquis, Lincolns and Taurus and probably in all the cars they make. Now, given the extensive testing Ford, Honda and Toyota do to ensure an engine will perform well with 5W-20, . . why wouldn't you use the recommended oil?

"Modern engines have such precise engine tolerances that very lightweight oil is often required, such as 0-W20 or 0-W30. Thicker oil, such as 10W30 or 10W40, may not lubricate as well, because it won't flow as quickly into key nooks and crevices.

Thicker than required oil will also reduce your gas mileage, because it takes more energy to push through thick oil than it does through thinner oil. Check your owner's manual for the recommended viscosity, and ask for it specifically when you get your oil changed. You don't just want whatever they have on special this week."

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by Huney1

Why would you use such thick oil that makes it harder for the engine to turn and doesn't get in the tight places as well as Ford recommended 5W-20?

Not only that, but think about all the extra stress that it's putting on the starter, the battery, etc... plus it would increase engine wear. Pretty much all the things that oil is supposed to help you prevent, the thicker oil is negating Not a very educated move

[wafrederick]

Put in what is recomended or the lifters will rattle if you don't.If it calls for 5w 20,put in 5w 20.5w 20 is not cheap ,$25.00 for a box of 12 at Sam's Club in my area and it made by Quaker State.It says on the emissions label or on the oil cap on some Fords.Chrysler does put in 5w 20 oil in too,my mother's 2006 Chrysler 300 uses 5w 20 and it says on the oil cap.

[Huney1]

Thank you gents for the support. I submit this document on engine oil for your consideration and if you want the facts please read it top to bottom and get hip to what engine oil is about. Which is good, better best, what viscosity/weight is best.

To get you interested, here's an excerpt;
"One way to gauge the performance of motor oils is to test them on the road. We did just that, using a fleet of 75 New York City taxicabs. Indeed, the oil industry itself tests its oils in New York City taxis. For 22 months, we tested the performance of 20 popular motor oils. Each of those oils met the industry's latest standards, as certified by a starburst symbol on the container."

Tests in a fleet of city cabs and I doubt many commercial vehicles run under worse conditions than city cabs. Can I get an AMEN??
OK, read, enjoy and we'd appreciate your comments. http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.htm

I realize the article is 11 years old and there have been considerable improvements in engine oils, but the information is what is important.

More oil education here and not just about motorcycles either. http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html

[wwepatriot]

Castrol GTX

this oil takes a good while before it ever breaks down, most oils break down over night and get real dirty, but GTX wont do that for about 2,000 miles or 3 months.