Hi all.

I am about to change engine oil for the first time in my Cooper S but is unsure about a few types.

Mobil 1 5W50
Mobil 1 10W30 or
Mobil 1 0W40 Trisynthetic

I heard that 0W40 was the better option. Is that true???

 

I am not sure where you are but in the USA its recommended 5w-30. Im sure you could get away with 10w-30, but it seems a 40 would be too thick.
Mobil 1 is definitely a better choice IMO than Syntec, unless its the German formula which from what I understand is a true synthetic.

 

I use redline 10w40 in my MCS :smile: Works great. What type of climate do you live in? How cold does it get?

 

Stick with 5w30 or 0w30.

Those are both all climate oils and you won't get the mpg penalty that a 40 viscosity oil gives you.

 

I believe Amsoil is the best.

 

>>I believe Amsoil is the best.


Yah me too. We need to covnert the rest of humanit away from their false idols, conventional or non amsoil synthetic, so that they can see the true light.

I use Amsoil in my 89 Bonneville and have recorded my best gas mileage at over 40 mpg. That is with the original 3800 pushrod V6 that has nearly 130,000 miles on it.

 

just to get a rise out of the amsoil boys - REDLINE is the BEST :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

The oil you run alot depends on what you are doing with your car...autox? stop and go? climate? who cares about all climate oil if you live in Arizona? Gas milage - while very important to some, I couldn't really gets a rats ****....if better gas milage happens to come - cool - but I'm not going to be changing things just to get better gas milage while possible losing performance etc(more general statement then just oil).

Nothing against amsoil, another great oil, I just prefer the redline.

 

>>just to get a rise out of the amsoil boys - REDLINE is the BEST

It takes all kinds.

 

Amsoil is good too, although it all depends on change interval and oil analysis to tell which oil is the best for each situation and each car.

One thing I have noticed on other boards is that Amsoil people are zealots. Im curious is it because they love the oil that much or the multi-level marketing aspect of Amsoil?

 

I spoke to a retired Ford Motor Company Auto engineer who had many auto patents and awards over a very long career. I respect his opinion and about 8 years ago he told me he always used Amsoil in his cars routinely and that it was worth the effort and cost. These days it is much easier to find.

I think RandyBMC uses Redline. Good for the track? probably.

 

daMatta: 10W40 is pretty thick stuff for a new modern car. Even in Arizona, you probably aren't getting ideal lubrication with that sludge. Nevermind the power loss, mileage, etc.

 

>>daMatta: 10W40 is pretty thick stuff for a new modern car. Even in Arizona, you probably aren't getting ideal lubrication with that sludge. Nevermind the power loss, mileage, etc.

I get so many people, generaly older guys 50+, in my shop that want straight 30 or even worse straight 40 because...

1. The car is old now it needs that oil.
2. It will keep the car from burning oil
3. Will keep the car from leaking oil.
4. Will keep the valves from ticking.
5. Its a truck/Van/SUV it has to use this tough oil because it is a tough vehicle.

That last one is always the most pathetic of the main five and many of these reasons follow the line, "Well my buddy told me..."

The funniest part is when I try to explain to people that 10w30 or 5w30 is no different from Straight 30 once it gets up to operating temperature they just won't listen to me. Oh well I have given up on these people now. They aren't my cars and if they want tear them up then go right ahead.

 

"Best choice for engines that typically run high oil temperature. Best choice for engines in daily drivers operated in very hot weather on a regular basis. Best choice for high-performance engines that see street as well as frequent racetrack duty" - considering that I will be autox'ing my car and doing a crap load of modifications including pulley, cam, headers, cat, exhaust, chip, intake for starters I would classify it as high performance and it will see both track and street use and I'm moving to Texas it seems to be the right choice. BTW the above quote is from the redline site....I trust what they have to say - they don't care which oil they sell me - they just want me to buy redline - so I trust their recommendations. It was also recommened to me by a long time german car tuner that has included bmws, mercs, porsches etc.

 

All these gestimations and/or assumptions about oil are worthless unless you have access to a viscosity machine and do various tests at different temperatures. I used one approx. a year ago and tested approx. 20 different oils and gear oils. One thing I can tell you is that Redline was one of the worst of the bunch and that includes there gear oil. And to think I used to use it in my race car! Not any more. One of the best synthetics that we tested overall was Castrol Syntec. Anyway, the Redline was terrible and was just about as good as no frills brand oil.

 

>>"Best choice for engines that typically run high oil temperature. Best choice for engines in daily drivers operated in very hot weather on a regular basis. Best choice for high-performance engines that see street as well as frequent racetrack duty" - considering that I will be autox'ing my car and doing a crap load of modifications including pulley, cam, headers, cat, exhaust, chip, intake for starters I would classify it as high performance and it will see both track and street use and I'm moving to Texas it seems to be the right choice. BTW the above quote is from the redline site....I trust what they have to say - they don't care which oil they sell me - they just want me to buy redline - so I trust their recommendations. It was also recommened to me by a long time german car tuner that has included bmws, mercs, porsches etc.


Sorry don't buy it. The whole reason 10w40 was invented was to have increase film strength through increased viscosity. Once you start using a high quality synthetic film strength and viscosity don't have as much of a direct relationship that they used to with conventional oils.

That is why you can have 0w30 synthetic oils without any metal contact issues in cold start situations. A conventional oil would not have the film strength to stop metal to metal contact at the 0 viscosity rating but a synthetic oil does.

By using a 10w40 instead of a 10w30 5w30 or 0w30 oil you are leaving HP and MPG on the table. Not very much but some.

 

Senna - interesting - which redline oils did you test? You mentioned you used in your race engine - but where you comparing the redline race oil or the redline street oils, or both? Not many people have access to an oil viscosity machine in their garage so we only have experiences to go off of. I'd love to try some of these myself - where abouts can you get access to these and what will it cost me to use? Or is it only access if you have connections type of deal?

 

I am currently in Sydney where the climate is not too cold. However for the next 5000 kms or so, it will be cool.

Thanks for all the great input guys. Not many Cooper S around in Sydney. Not enough for some good feedback.

 

>>daMatta: 10W40 is pretty thick stuff for a new modern car. Even in Arizona, you probably aren't getting ideal lubrication with that sludge. Nevermind the power loss, mileage, etc.


Actually it's not that it is thick, but that 10W-40s have additional polymers (viscosity improvers) that subtract from the antiwear additives. This is why General Motors is now banning the use of 10W40s in their vehicles.

 

>>All these gestimations and/or assumptions about oil are worthless unless you have access to a viscosity machine and do various tests at different temperatures. I used one approx. a year ago and tested approx. 20 different oils and gear oils. One thing I can tell you is that Redline was one of the worst of the bunch and that includes there gear oil. And to think I used to use it in my race car! Not any more. One of the best synthetics that we tested overall was Castrol Syntec. Anyway, the Redline was terrible and was just about as good as no frills brand oil.


A Senna, yes, but anyone here has access to oil analysis. There are dozens of companies that do it. I sell a kit from a company in Cleveland.. Comparing Amsoil to Redline is apples to oranges.. Redline is not a cost effective choice for passenger car use or any long term performance use. It must be changed frequently as it will not hold up to moisture as any moly based chemistry. When technical services described this to me I did some checking aroud and found out the graphite solidifies and clogs filters as well as builds up in oil passages. Cummins has banned the use of these as stated in Cummins Engine Oil Recommendations, Bulletin No. 3810340-02.

I have had even more customers complain about their gear lubes. They just don't hold up in the long run.. Same goes for their use in marine outboards.

I do see people using Redline in their passenger cars and trucks. Some buy it for as high as $8.00 per quart!
A 5 quart oil change not counting the filter costs $40. Changing at 4000 mile intervals - that costs you $120!

AMSOIL Series 2000 0W30 (no analysis needed because it's guaranteed and your engine is covered) costs $33.3 for a 5 quart change and you change per the interval you are comfortable with. I suggest at least going to 15,000 with one filter change. You save $87.00 over Redline if you go to 12,000 miles.
If you go the guaranteed 35,000 miles you save $350.00

Use our 5W30 (again guaranteed for 25,000 miles/1-year) for $23.60.
(all prices even less with preferred customers)

We had a display at a race at Texas Motor Speedway and there was a Redline dealer there. He was telling people we did not have a racing product and that Amsoil was just for mom and pop cars. When I walked down to the end of the isle he had already packed up. Our racing 20W50 and 10W30 turbo is growing in popularity but unlike others you can't compare the customer service you get from Amsoil Dealers. We provide the latest data sheets, MSDS, and service suggestions to any customer.

Richmds: People love AMSOIL because when they use it, the results are often beyond what they considered.

Note: There are testing inconsistancies with someone who tests oil bought in Tulsa, OK vs. someone who bought the same exact bottle in Rochester because the plants and packaging processes are not controlled the same. Amsoil all comes packaged from the same plant in Superior Wisconsin. Read this article on the plant:
http://www.syntheticwarehouse.com/Feature_Qual_cntl.htm

I will be visiting the lab and plant July.. I'll post the photos when I get home.

 

Ha! I used to use Mobil Delvac 1300 super (15w40) in my jeep. I figured hey, works great in the big trucks we fix, and hell its free! That plan worked great all summer long, all of fall, and part of winter. I'll never forget that day. Chicago gets cooooold, jeeps don't have enough power, took damn near 3 days for it to warm up enough for me to start my engine. My poor jeep had been though a lot, its looking forward to its retirement.

 

Change oil every 3000..this is the rule i live by and has payed off well

 

>>
>>Ha! I used to use Mobil Delvac 1300 super (15w40) in my jeep. I figured hey, works great in the big trucks we fix, and hell its free! That plan worked great all summer long, all of fall, and part of winter. I'll never forget that day. Chicago gets cooooold, jeeps don't have enough power, took damn near 3 days for it to warm up enough for me to start my engine. My poor jeep had been though a lot, its looking forward to its retirement.

Interestingly, Mobil now makes Delvac 1 full synthetic which is 5w40 and
supposed to be good in gas as well as diesel engines. Supposed to be a bit
more rugged than their Mobil 1. I think BMW uses or used this oil as their BMW
branded synthetic 5w40 (or a slight reformulation of Delvac 1). Might be a good
Mini oil in southern climes?


_________________
cristo

 

>>We provide the latest data sheets, MSDS, and service suggestions to any customer.<<

Sorry, but I didn't feel like letting this one slide... You HAVE to provide MSDSs upon request. It's an OSHA rule. Doing so doesn't make you special.

 

A synthetic 15W-40 should flow freely at
-36F if I am not mistaken. Or so Mobil One
claims. I have wondered this....how about
a mix of 5W-30 and 15W-40 in hot climates?

 

AMSOIL... AMSOIL... AMSOIL !!! 0W30.

I will never use any other type again... and I HIGHLY recommend buying from the Synthetic Warehouse.