Oil brand, viscosity, type, mileage?

[mrbrian200]

Yes you really have to do your research when choosing a 'synthetic' oil here in the states. Probably like you should anywhere. Looking at a particular oil's API/ILSAC/ACEA specs also helps, as well as Bob is the oil guy forums and test results. He only tests US oils though. My choice of moving to QSUD from Amsoil was based on it meeting SN, GF-4, and A5-02 which is supposedly a magic number for engines designed originally for conventional, and a forum thread on the Bob site where it was determined that QSUD is, at the very least, mostly PAO. There was also a comparative wear test (might have also been on Bob's site) showing although QSUD's film strength may not be the highest number among competing oils (still considered outstanding), it held together/resisted breakdown at higher temperatures where other competing oils with a higher film strength numbers tended to fall apart. With a turbo-performance engine this ability to maintain protection at higher temperatures seems to me to be more important than simply having the highest film strength number (at a lower temperature).

[June]

Back in 1986 when the Buick dealer sold me on synthetic oil for my 1986 Buick Park Avenue the oil was Mobil 1 and pretty much it was the only synthetic oil. I now know M1 hit the market in 1974 and AMSOIL 1972, but back then I had no idea AMSOIL even existed. I am sure race car drivers know all about the moment when synthetic oil no longer was synthetic oil, but I had no reason to question it. I kinda feel like barbie saying "math is hard" when all those crazy acwa gl4 acwa or whatever crazy set of letters or letters and numbers to mean whatever about oil specifications.

I remember when Castrol made syntec which was the first time another synthetic oil was in the limelight. Nobody explained "we (the oil companies) are bending you over now and giving it to you good" with our greedy little hands in your pocketbook laughing all the way to the bank! Instead I (the consumer) payed the money in good faith trusting Volvo who started pushing Castrol without mentioning the fact they were not selling me 100% synthetic oil any more. I the consumer never got that memo. Resulting in a dirty engine that won't ever be clean again. I'm upset! JUNE

[abscate]

With your oil change interval, June, dirt in your engine should be the last of your worries. I think your engine is probably cleaner internally than Your seats.

[Rattnalle]

With your oil change interval, June, dirt in your engine should be the last of your worries. I think your engine is probably cleaner internally than Your seats.

Indeed. The top of the splash guard underneath the filler cap really isn't the right place to judge how the engine looks further down either. Mine looks much much worse. The oil stays reasonably clean and there's nothing unexpected in the filter cup though.

[June]

With your oil change interval, June, dirt in your engine should be the last of your worries. I think your engine is probably cleaner internally than Your seats.

Indeed. The top of the splash guard underneath the filler cap really isn't the right place to judge how the engine looks further down either. Mine looks much much worse. The oil stays reasonably clean and there's nothing unexpected in the filter cup though.

If yours is worse, don't you worry the engine is clogged up?

[abscate]

With your oil change interval, June, dirt in your engine should be the last of your worries. I think your engine is probably cleaner internally than Your seats.

Indeed. The top of the splash guard underneath the filler cap really isn't the right place to judge how the engine looks further down either. Mine looks much much worse. The oil stays reasonably clean and there's nothing unexpected in the filter cup though.

If yours is worse, don't you worry the engine is clogged up?

I did my first PCV service on my T5 at 167k miles and it was about 10% blocked on the engine port, and pretty clean. That car had 5000 mile OCI on dino oil most of its life, and then I switched to syn at about 150k - now at 200k

Its always had good suction on the glove test

[chrism]

Vehicles:
1.) 2005 S80 2.5T / 185,000 miles
2.) 2003 V70 2.4NA / 230,000 miles
Oil Brand: Walmart store brand;
Full synthetic;
10W-30;
Change schedule: Oil and filter @ 5,000 miles;
Reason for selection: Cuz it's cheap, like me. (5 qts/$17 and change)

[Rattnalle]

With your oil change interval, June, dirt in your engine should be the last of your worries. I think your engine is probably cleaner internally than Your seats.

Indeed. The top of the splash guard underneath the filler cap really isn't the right place to judge how the engine looks further down either. Mine looks much much worse. The oil stays reasonably clean and there's nothing unexpected in the filter cup though.

If yours is worse, don't you worry the engine is clogged up?

Not really, no. It passes the glove test, the oil pressure seems fine and there are no traces of debris in the filter cup when changing oil. The car isn't new so I assume there will be some buildup in there somewhere but it doesn't seem to affect its function. I did run flushing oil through when I got the car though and it turned pitch black during the 15 min it spent inside the engine.

Here's what it looks like underneath my cap.

IMG_20170912_184620041.jpg (3.33 MiB) Viewed 1154 times

[93SCMax]

No disrespect, but that doesn't look good. My 2001 using only 5w30 Mobil 1 w/145k, is clean as a whistle. You seem to be ingesting dirt or crud thru the oil cap, or your oil isn't very good.

[abscate]

I think my under cap looks better , I'll grab a picture tomorrow.

This is turning into a dirty laundry thread, as usual , June is winning the cleAn trophy.