OIL Change??

Bypass filter

Jim G...

How do you feel about bypass filters? I hear it can extend oil and engine life.

FYI, regarding engine oil, you can get an engine oil sample eval from Blackstone labs (don't have the web site, you'll have to google it). I have done this for my Honda Pilot and Odyssey over the last few years and actually skipped an oil change or two.

Doe anyone have an opinion on $20 towards the oil sample testing? They will even do a "baseline" check on your "fresh" oil (not yet run thru an engine but straight out of the bottle) for free (and comparison purposes).

Coach me on how to enclose a PDF document and I can show you a typical report (for a med-revving 6er VTEC).

Doug

tonystoolroom said:

Did you notice how small the oil filter is on the 6.0 engine? I never seen such a small oil filter on a V8.

Click to expand...

Yes it is small. Same filter goes on my 02 Z06 and my wife's Chevy Trailblazer. I use this filter which has a special cellulose, synthetic and glass blend media to provide longer life and improved efficiency. It has about 25% more capacity to store particulates than a typical filter without sacrificing filtration or flow:
AMSOIL SDF Oil Filter

Doug,
Somewhat in line with this thread and your comments, I have used Blackstone labs for both virgin and used oil analysis testing on one of my customers car, a Corvette C5 with the LS1 engine using the AMSOIL Series 2000 0w30. The results show that this oil has about 25% more anti-wear additives than Mobil 1, and the used oil analysis results show wear metals about 1/4th that of the Blackstone lab universal average for the LS1. However, I'm not sure it is cost effective for the normal driver to pay $20 an oil change for a sample. I did it to verify the quality of the product I am selling and using.

FYI, I do use extended drain intervals (e.g. I follow the oil life monitor) in my wife's Chevy Trailblazer using this oil:
AMSOIL XL Synthetic 5w30

Her last two oil changes came out at about six months and 7500 miles for one, then 9000 miles for the next. :cheers

I notice that on my 2000 Vette which is almost always driven in a city mode (short trips under 3 miles at low speeds), the oil change indicator comes on around 3,000 miles. This is where I would normally change the oil anyway. On my '05 SSR, also driven almost exclusively in the city, it seems as if the oil change indication will be coming on around 8,000 miles. Both use Mobil 1. I have found these computer based functions to be very accurate in remembering how the vehicle is driven. But my observations are that the GM programmers have upped the oil change trip point. I have also noticed that Mobil has advertised that they have greatly improved Mobil 1 synthetic oil. I suspect this is largely advertising hype even though some improvment must have occurred since the manufactures seem to be going along with the greater mileages between oil changes. Only us nuts that keep cars for over 5 years probably have any basis of concern. I have changed my oil change mandate from 3K miles to 5K miles in the belief that the synthetic oils have improved since their introduction. I know the syntheic oil extended the life of the turbo in my Porsche by many orders of magintude (heat load/oil coking problems). It is only the ability of synthetic oils to handle greater heat loads that make it different from regular oil. When Chevy went to recommending synthetic oil for the Corvettes, they removed the oil cooler from the car line!

I've been using Mobil-1 in my truck since my first oil change. In the beginning, I was changing it completely everytime the change oil indicator started flashing (well, sometimes a week or two later). However, I now "extend" my intervals. When the monitor flashes, I change the filter and top off 1 quart, then the second time it pops up, I do a complete change and filter. This way, I do get about 7-8000 miles on a change, but the filter is fresh and it's topped up along the way. My only problem now is that I finally ran out of my stock of Mobil 1 filters. I bought as many as I could when the local Kmarts were shutting down - as low as 2.50 a filter was too good to pass up! I guess I'll have to go to the AC/Delco or WIX filters since $11 is way too much for a filter.

On my SSR, I have yet to reach my first change. I'll probably do an oil change across the board (engine, trans, diff), even at low mileage, just to get rid of the break in debris that might have accumulated. After that, it should be routine schedules. I'm at 1500 miles now, and my last glance at the OLM said about 80%. At that rate, it'll be 7500 miles at the first change. Funny, isn't that what the manual states?

New Extended Life Mobil 1

I read a report recently on the new Mobil 1 Extended Life Oils, i.e. 5000mi, 7500mi and 15000mi oils. The tests indicated that all these oils were good for the stated milage claims but reccommended topping off and filter changes at 5000mi on the longer life oils. In addition I also read that the fuels we burn today burn much cleaner due thier modern formulations lack of lead and the efficiency of EFI. Therefore less contamination of the oil. I believe that our "every 3000 mile" mentality is based on what our fathers did with thier "old school" technology cars, fuels and motor oils. That and the lube shops do not want to cut thier revenue in half so they still try to convince us that we need to change every 3000mi. My 2004 BMW X5 oil change monitor calls for a change about every 12,000 to 14,000. BMW has their own synthetic oil, but my service tech tells me that it is Mobil 1 Extended Life. My .02 For what it is worth.

Caveat: Free advice is worth what you pay for it.