Next oil change coming up. Board preference?

[Bud_One]

Personally I'd run what you been running Valvoline 5W20 High Mileage .
But I'd be more worried about it leaking oil out the oil cooler in the valley and her running it low on oil if it does leak while she's traveling.
Does she know how to check it and top it off if needed ?

 

[sloinker]

The van is normal use, wife's daily run a round town, interspersed with a couple 500 mile round trips per year to Denver from my daughter and friends enjoying concerts/conventions...whatever 24 year olds do in a pack. Usually a big West coast swing every other year but with my 90 YO dad in ill health maybe some more West coast swings in the future. Extremely handy vehicle, especially with the stow and go. We are on our third, this one has the 3.6 versus the 3.8 of yore. Garage kept but can see temps from -35F to 105F in its travels. Last couple vans approached 200k before being traded in/sold. They had few issues. I have had to change the leaking oil cooler on this one. Changed the T-stat and PCV valve preemptively as known failure items. Brakes all round recently even though they were all maybe 50% wear. Power steering pump has always been a little noisy. Drained/flushed and refilled that a couple times with zero difference. On its third battery. Need to replace one keyfob as it has lost most of its functions. Maybe I will get that before the next trip. They sell a box/software and new fob for $120 online. Dealer and private locksmith both over $200. That's all I remember off the top of my head for whoever asked.

 

[SevenBizzos]

You could go all 2021 BIOTG:
"Super Tech and forget about it"

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

[QUOTE="I The logic is that it's a run of the mill basic mom mobile that doesn't require anything fancy. A standard API SP/GF6 oil will more than suffice that's off the shelf from the nearest supermarket.
[/QUOTE]
There is a logic to what you are saying here, but that’s not what OP is asking.

Its a bit buried in his post, but he is asking what the best oil is in an absolute sense.

 

[I<3oil]

There is a logic to what you are saying here

I know.

but that’s not what OP is asking.

Its a bit buried in his post, but he is asking what the best oil is in an absolute sense.

And it's a Dodge Caravan, the off the shelf options at Walmart are 1000x good enough for it, assuming they are API SP and GF6.

 

[Nick814]

PP/PPEuroL/PUP
Valvoline Advance/Extended Protection
Amsoil SS

Wix/WixXP

 

[dkryan]

2014 Dodge Grand Caravan, 86357 miles total, 81385@ last change, used Fram XG11665 last change and have another for next change. I will be changing it in the next 2 weeks as the wife is going out West to visit relatives and rack up about 4k miles. I used Valvoline 5W20 High Mileage semi-synth last change. No lifter tick....yet. If it was your van, what would you use? In looking back I have used differing brands of MS-6395 approval in 5W20 or 5W30. I want the best oil and will pay for it if justified. I am also not against using the Valvoline again if it makes no sense to use something else. I am not even stuck on the MS6395 as I am contemplating possibly a 504/507 which I like the looks of the specs on and have some gallons of on the shelf right now. What do the fine folks on this board think is the best choice?

My oil choice: read the bolded sentence above with an emphasis on the italicized words.

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

[QUOTE="I I know.



And it's a Dodge Caravan, the off the shelf options at Walmart are 1000x good enough for it, assuming they are API SP and GF6.


[/QUOTE]
Depends. They’re certainly good enough for a healthy situation, but in my experience not good enough to resolve cleanliness issues if they exist already.

 

[02zx9r rev2]

Why not use whatever got it to over 86K miles

 

[Dehaka]

Freakin royal purple hmx with a royal purple or k&n filter. yeaaaah

 

[TomYoung]

On Amazon, you can buy a Wix filter cartridge 10100 for $6.23 and Quaker State full syn 0W20 five quarts for $22.97. That is both dirt cheap and high quality. The syn oil and the very slightly different grade are both big upgrades for you.

 

[TomYoung]

IMHO motor oil at this stage of development should be treated as and purchased like the commodity they truly are. Its's sort of like asking which aspirin is better, Rite Aid or Bayer. Have fun choosing.

I agree with the basic premise, but would warn that there are some poor, no-name oils out there. You are already using a blend, which is unnecessary in the synthetic world. Lastly, there are boutique oils with plenty of BITOG fanboys, but no real-world payoff. My suggestion is posted elsewhere in the thread, but be careful with the "anything goes, it's a commodity" idea. Another way for a car like yours is to look for the Dexos 1 Gen 3 insignia as a reliable shorthand indicator of a high quality, durable oil.

 

[mr_boring]

 

[medunko]

valvoline hm 5w30 is with Mann oil filter or mobile 1 extended, the fun with Mobil is that you can hear when you need a oil change ( engine is more audible).

 

[skippermatt]

 

[hrv]

View attachment 180593

and pick one.....

 

[tolian21]

Dodge deserves a jug of Kirkland from Costco

 

[cptbarkey]

QS synthetic at Walmart is the best price/value at the moment.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I use the Costco Kirkland synthetic for my vehicles and the Corvette gets Mobile 1. I have never had any engine problems using Kirkland synthetic and it's inexpensive compared to other oils. I use other brands at different times if I find a hot deal.

 

[MSCH]

I agree with the basic premise, but would warn that there are some poor, no-name oils out there. You are already using a blend, which is unnecessary in the synthetic world. Lastly, there are boutique oils with plenty of BITOG fanboys, but no real-world payoff. My suggestion is posted elsewhere in the thread, but be careful with the "anything goes, it's a commodity" idea. Another way for a car like yours is to look for the Dexos 1 Gen 3 insignia as a reliable shorthand indicator of a high quality, durable oil.

when you get down to it, all the motor oils on the market are a blend.. and unless they are counterfeit with false labelling, yeah they are pretty similar.. anyway you look at it they all have a base lubricant blended with some other chemicals.

I think most people on this forum understand that there are only a few companies manufacturing and producing the stuff, but those few companies package and ship the stuff off to multiple labels.. probably explains why I tend to think if it meets the specs, one is pretty much as good as the other.

sort of like me telling one of my friends that Warren Oil is the biggest lubricant manufacturer you never heard of..

or someone going tin a Napa and requesting Valvoline Oils not knowing Valvoline packages all the Napa labels too..