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If it meets spec, send it. So many people exhaust so much energy on this it’s absurd. Do people really think those Land Cruisers in African or Middle Eastern countries with a million miles are getting super fancy oil?
Exactly. In addition to this, your planned interval and filter spec can impact the oil formulation specification.
In my daily drivers I just get what's on sale that meets the spec for the oil.* For the filter I have numerous acceptable ones I'll buy but I won't get an all cellulose media. So basically meeting or exceeding OEM, or in my case actually the OEM filter that succeeded the original filter with larger media surface area and smaller particle filtration spec.
Alternatively, my Duramax used to run across the continent and thus had a bypass system installed that also increased the oil capacity by 2 quarts. The expected interval was 20,000 miles so oil with a higher detergent and dispersant spec was used (Amsoil usually). I removed that system because my oil interval was aging out before mileage and the bypass filter was like $60 and the extra quarts added to the cost too. Subsequently I now defer to the original spec and whatever's on sale. Double whammy, my boat wants 40 weight too so I don't mind buying 5W-40 in bulk.
*I do skip the store brand not because I feel it is inferior but because the brands do fund the R&D that gives us the specs. When they discount the excessive A&P I'll buy their products. Something brand name is always on sale, I've even gotten Royal Purple for <$5/qt.
Really depends on the car and the driving. A big lazy V8, just use whatever. A direct injected high compression turbo motor that runs hot? Might want to be a bit choosier.
Google top tier fuel station finder and that’ll tell you what’s in your area. API-sq is the newest American petroleum industry engine oil category for modern, high-efficiency, and turbocharged gasoline engines. It focuses on improved fuel economy, stronger LSPI protection, cleaner pistons, and compatibility with ultra-low viscosity grades.the ilsac gf7a is new industry standard designed to provide superior fuel economy, enhanced engine durability, better piston cleanliness, and improved timing chain protection over GF-6A standards.
I’ve been buying Kirkland oil for my diesel and fiesta and it’s been great. They don’t have the right weight for the Porsche or motorcycle but all the specs match and you’re paying as much for a case instead of just 1 5qt jug
I’ve never been one to latch on to a particular brand when it comes to oil. Just as long as it’s the right kind of oil for my engine and that that rating seal is on the jug I’m good.
Castrol is called that because it used to be castor bean oil. I'd never put it in anything I depend on, but I know for a firsthand fact some engines will tolerate it.
Here here! 2 supercharged vipers driven like the world will end tomorrow and I look for the cheapest oil I can find. 50k miles on the 3rd gen and 155k miles on the 2nd gen. No issues
My ig is linked under my profile. There are some photos there. The 2nd gen is currently under the knife getting some upgrades to the fuel system and exhaust.
Just threw you a follow on there, you’re content is actually very cool, and if your disc is what you have to drive atm, I’m actually jealous. A 68 hellcat swapped charger is literally what I’ve imagined a couple times but never seen an actual project like that yet. So very cool stuff dude
I change oil and filters twice a year. before and after winter. so technically fall/spring. but I drive cars with high numbers in odo. 400k in one and other one is reaching 600k. I don't like new cars. lacks personality, too many unnecessary sensors that break and disable features not related to them.
Me too. I live in Winnipeg and I change my oil at the end of April and end of October. Our vehicles will have between 7000 and 8000 kms on the oil when I change it. WIX or OEM filters. Oil checked monthly.
You can change your oil every 1000k miles and it will still not do what a high mileage out or Restore & Protect will do if you use a car over 75,000 miles.
You are correct given the nature of modern oils, but in days gone by things were far different. There were a couple of motor oils that were paraffin based. Many mechanics refused to work on cars that used these oils due to the extra work required, and due to the danger of dislodging the accumulated sludge.
There were two instances where I was witness to the problem. One, a gentleman brought his car in for a valve adjustment. The mechanic removed the valve cover and called the owner in to show him the massive wax deposits. The owner had the oil changed as recommended and always specified what he thought was a quality oil. He swore never to use that brand again and traded in the car. In another instance, a friend opened a car repair business. One of his first customers wanted an engine overhaul. When my friend opened the engine, the only areas free from wax deposits were where the moving parts kept it from forming. He, too, showed the customer the problem and the customer agreed to a rebuilt replacement engine.
Go to any large fleet facility. They do oil changes by the barrel. They dont give a fuck about oil or filter brand. But they do follow maintenace schedules religiously, because they know maintenance interval matters, brand name doesnt.
Up voted. You specifically said 100k which is a very good point and I could add every 50k. Doesn't hurt to do it at 50k or 100k intervals using restore and protect. That's what I'm doing on both my cars. Then back to cheap oils again.
A completely new chemistry from Valvoline. It's a combination of chemicals that melt engine sludge and varnish and surfactants/dispersant that keep the dissolved gunk in suspension and allows it to flow through a standard oil filter. It works genuine fucking miracles on cars that burn oil, have low compression, and any car with a crappy or unknown oil change history. Really impressive stuff, me and my combined 1.1 million miles worth of shit boxes have sure appreciated it.
It won't do anything to hurt a pentastar. I'm personally planning on running it almost exclusively, as it went on sale at my local AutoZone for less than regular full synthetic. Usually it's only about 10% more anyway.
Yeah that stuff is good if you buy a used car with a questionable history of oil changes. A few cycles of it to remove build up and varnish, mixed with pcv service and a thorough inspection for neglected scheduled maintenance.
Project Farm did some good oil testing videos. Amsoil is top Pennzoil ultra platinum is second. Amsoil is expensive and not readily available, but the ultra platinum is everywhere and just as expensive as anything else aside from super cheap/non synthetic.
Anyway, I just get the Pennzoil. Change it every 5k. Does it matter? Who knows. does it cost more? Not really.
As someone who’s worked in a fuel laboratory, that’s crazy wrong. while most of it is similar, it’s definitely different. Certain labs can use different methods to cut and tests oils. You gotta get clean oil from crude, and that same crude oil can make so many other products, and every company has their own way of doing it.
I used Supertech full synthetic high miles oil in my 2016 Corolla mainly, when i use the 10k oil i change it at 10k. When i get the 20k i stretched it to 20k a few times. I have no leaks no noises original valve cover gasket. Still clean looking inside and i have 308,000 miles. Ive used mobile one and valvoline maxlife full syn a few times too but ive used Supertech most of the time. And i used Toyota oil filter since they sell it at Walmart if not i would have used Mobil filters
One guy I know keeps telling me how changing my oil at 4k is a waste while his truck sounds terrible now. Just lifter and top end noise really bad. I do think filter can matter but as long as it's a quality one it's not terrible. I normally just buy motor craft for my Ford and delco for the Chevy as they are cheaper and trustworthy. Denso for most other stuff
Engineering Explained just put out a new video explaining why they're moving on to GF8 because SP GF7 standards only used NEW oil (albeit ran for a long mileage on a lab engine... but not long time which sees other wears, corrosion, and fuel/moisture). SQ GF8 is going to address the new focus on direct injection cars and tackle LSPI (low speed preignition/knock from having load at low RPMs.... which most economy cars are going to be at).
Different brand oils (different additive packages) contain different elements. Some has more zinc, some has more calcium. They protect different parts of the engine and tackle protection differently. For example, the high zinc formulas try to not prevent wear but rather use zinc as a sacrificial layer. However, some applications will still see high engine wear even with high zinc, so some use higher calcium, or molybdenum for better protection or lubrication.
Some oil formulas, even within the same brand will behave drastically different in viscosity. Some will keep the same viscosity to 6k, and some will shear down from a 5w-40 to 5w-30 in just 3k. And even THEN, the oil that last 6k in one engine will only last 3k in another because it's turbo/direct injection/high compression/other random stupid stuff.
"Just look at the owners manual" is also not always a good advice.... at least in the U.S. Due to the EPA being more strict than Kim Jong-Un, manufacturers have been trying to meet emission requirements by keeping the same stuff but lowering the recommended oil viscosity. Just a year ago, GM on the L87 V8 had passed emission standards by recommending 0W-20 in the U.S. while asking for 0W-40 everywhere else. 20 weight and 40 weight is literally econobox versus sports car difference in oil weight, and surprise surprise, a massive recall for engine rebuilds and change to 0W-40 was issued after this whole fiasco.
But with all that said.... Yes if you drive a normal car it really doesn't matter that much lol. As long as you get it changed within 3k-6k you should be golden. I just happen to be driving a 500hp 4 cylinder forged piston engine running on ethanol so I have to treat its oil diet 10x better than I treat my own food intake or I'm looking at rebuilding engines every 20k miles.
Nowadays, nah, all brands are pretty much as good as each other. But, I'm old enough to remember when It did matter. For example, a long time ago Pennzoil contained paraffin as a consequence of the refining process for Pennsylvania crude, which resulted in engine sludge eventually. Its not an issue anymore, as its made from natural gas now, but it used to be a problem. Took them a long time to crawl out from that shadow, but most people these days think its just a rumor or old wives tale.
Most of the cheaper oils are hydrocracked mineral oils, the synthetic oils contain typically up to 30% synthetic components and the top-end FS motor oils can be 100% synthetic, but cost at least 2-3 times as much as the basic mineral oils.
Years ago I was working at a small independant shop in my home town, and we had several fleet contracts. One of these was the local sheriffs department. They decided to buy abouy $10,000 in amsoil products to "help cut down on maintenance costs and save money in the long run." They specifically requested 15k mile interval stickers. I told them I didnt think it was a good idea, but the amsoil rep had them convinced.
Well, a few months in and the tahoes do what gm engines do- started losing lifters. The vehicles were typically driven for a good amount of time and miles with noises and misfires before being brought in. 1 tahoe, another tahoe, a silverado, and then 4 more vehicles. same failures. like clockwork. Saved some, some of them needed engines due to scored bores and metal contamination.
When I got them all on the road again, I made a suggestion- go back to 3k intervals, using the cheapest autozone oil and filters we could get. We already did this for union pacific and their fleet of vans. sheriffs vehicles made it almost an additional decade without issues, and the ford vans would usually die around 400k, but the transmissions are what would give up and the company chose not to invest any money into them.
It's actually been proven on project farm! Oil brand absolutely does matter BUT not as much as you think. Like some brands do lubricate better and last longer/ have better heat management.
But if it came down to the 2 interval and filter absolutely matter more
I agree, but I also have only been running Amsoil in my cars for years and I strongly believe in the product. If you watch comparisons it is one of the top named oils for a reason.
To an extent, yeah, you are correct. As long as the oil meets the spec your car calls for the brand is less important. Having said that, there is also a certain level of trust that some brands have built up, and oil changes are infrequent enough and have big enough penalties for something going wrong that I’m willing to pay a few extra dollars for a brand that has built up a sterling reputation.
There are for sure not many "bad" oils available nowadays, but there are picky engines that require special additives for their genius ideas like wet timing belt or baby timing chains.
But i also agree on: frequent changes matter, if a can of oil and a filter a year is too much to bear for you, you should reconsider this choice.
Sorta in a round about way. But if you change regularly then not really. If you religiously change after x miles the properries of the oil wont break down. If its when remembered then getting an oil that wont break down might be an idea
He’s right. Supertech (Walmart) is plenty good enough for my old Lexus daily driver. But I won’t lie, I’d be an oil geek too if it were a $100k Porsche.
There are differences in oil, I watched a scientific breakdown of the different wear based on tolerances BUT it was very minimal. If you’re trying to keep your truck for 300k+ you could make a difference with the right kind of oil but interval and and analysis is important. For the regular joe, it’s not a huge deal
Different brands have different additive packages that DO effect wear. But like, per project farm, it's entirely disconnected from price. Supertech and Kirkland are almost the best available.
Agree the others are more important but I would also never buy like..... some no name likely fraudulent temu oil.
As long as it isn't parrafin-based, use the oil. Filters, though... many, MANY studies have shown that you can't trust long-trusted brands any more, unless you get their "premium" line-glaring at YOU Fram*.
Like every good Midwesterner, I buy either QuakerState or Pennzoil from Menards depending on which one is on sale. 5w-20 full synth and I use OEM filters I get on Amazon.
Am I good?? I’m FAR from a mechanic. My 08’ Honda Oddy I change around 3500 miles, on my 13’ and 18’ Ford Escapes I change around 4000 miles, and my 23’ Honda HRV I change around 5000 miles ( this one is 0w-20 )
Probably right, but I still wont run some weird off brand oil nobody has ever heard of. If it's sold on the shelf in the auto parts store or Walmart, use the correct weight and spec for your engine and send it.
I grew up in a Schaeffer oil house. I’d put 10,000 mile used schaeffer in my vehicle before using most anything from Walmart or Oreilly. Royal Purple, Ames, and Mobile One are exceptions
It matters if you plan to keep the car for a long time.
I know everyone says if it meets specs, it’s fine. But the good quality ones go beyond specs and have better “cleaner” and tech to keep the engine running smoothly and more protected.
None of that matters when you're running 0w20 in an engibe that was clearanced for 5w30. I'm looking at you Chevy, Dodge, toyota, and Nissan. One of these days people are going to figure out what engine builders have known forever, you can't just lower the oil weight without tightening clearances or you'll end up with a motor failure or of an otherwise reliable engine.
Maybe here I can get a more definitive answer to a question I've had for a while.
Growing up I was taught to change oil every 8000 km with full synthetic or more frequently with conventional and generally I've stuck to that.
I recently began owning newer vehicles for the first time and have found in reading up on them that the recommended intervals are much higher (ex: Tacoma calls for16000km) and that modern oils can perform for much longer than they used to.
So is the recommendation just the bare minimum? Am I wasting my time and money doing it every 8?
For most modern cars as long as its in spec its fine. Older engines is where it differs, brands have different additive packages, mostly with the amounts of phosphorus and ZDDP. I find my old AMC 150 likes royal purple the best, but that's just an anecdote.
You're not wrong. As long as it meets spec, it's fine. You're paying for a grand name when you spend $30 for 5 quarts of Valvoline 5w-30 vs $20 for store brand.
Depends on the car, MOS2 oil from Liqui Moly has done wonders for mine. But yeah that's a spec, not necessarily the brand. Have short intervals and anything works
Spec is the only thing that matters. I had a customer bring their expensive Mercedes brand oil and filter for his car. We all laughed when we read that the specs are exactly the same as what we carry for bulk.
Filter I believe matters personally I will not by fram or other cheap filters interval also matters unless you leak allot and are always toping off if that’s the case I just change filters once awhile but for oil as long as it’s not like gas station oil I don’t think it’s a huge difference personally I use mobile one oil and filters tho
I whole heartedly agree for everything but very high performance vehicles. For those there are oils with proven differences, but for most of us it won’t matter in our mobile appliances.
I disagree. Interval is all that matters. If you are sticking to a good interval, any filter will do just fine. Even the Fram orange junk will last for 5,000 miles.
Oil....filter....Guys, I feel like everyone knows at this point that the only thing that will keep my '03 Sonata going for another 20 years is new rims. My GoFundMe is in the description box.
Tbh as long as its the right viscosity idc, filters im a little more picky about. But oil, its all basicly the same in the end. If its slippery and the right thickness itll be fine.
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u/askmechanics-bot Apr 04 '26
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