Using Mobil 1 ESP X2 0W20: Any Additional Advantages in my Application?

[Best F100]

If Using Mobil 1 ESP X2 0W20 in a Non Euro (Hybrid) gasoline vehicle whereby the manufacturer recommends a 0W20 motor oil. Is there ANY reason to run this motor oil, instead of the more common: A) Mobil 1 0W20EP B) Mobil 1 AFE 0W20 or C) Mobil 1 Hybrid 0W20 or D) Mobil 1 Truck & SUV 0W20?

I am only looking at oil change intervals at 10,000 miles at most - which all of these oils should be able to handle. A robust, over the counter sold, “overbuilt” motor oil that can hold its viscosity is important to me. I am thinking the AFE oil is the way to go, going forward.

I am turned off by the current Triple Action Formula Mobil 1 0W20EP because it is apparently no longer a majority PAO product, like the previous formulation (even though it is still “warranted” for 20,000 miles). The accountants had the final say over the oil formulators, in my opinion.

Vehicles involved are a ‘22 Ford Maverick Hybrid pickup and a ‘20 Ford Escape with the 3 cylinder, 1.5L engine. Full disclosure, I put over 205,000 miles on a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, with the same 2.5L 4 cylinder engine as my current pickup, before trade in. Used Mobil 1 0W20EP (previous formulation). Engine was still going strong at trade in time.

 

[travis8352]

Well m1 ep 0w20 has the same amount of PAO as m1 esp x2 0w20 per the msds. Espx2 also contains some esters where as we assume EP 0w20 contains ANs

 

[chris719]

No, probably not. Only if it makes you feel better. It is probably a better oil since it meets the Euro approvals as well as SP but I doubt it will make a difference.

 

[bigjl]

Why do you want to run a different oil?

Is it to save money?

 

[shortyb]

What is your goal here and what conditions do you drive? If you don't stress the oil alot, sounds like ANY of the choices given would do fine for up to your 10K limit. Guess it would boil down to cost and availability at this point, both being moot with Amazon and Walmart.com around. Also, if you have a VW dealer around they probably have drums of the 508.00 oil which is M1 ESP X2 and could sell in bulk like my local dealer does. Don't get too hung up on PAO content. Used to be a big fanboy of it until I was educated about balanced formulations being more important than heavy cuts of this base or that. And if that doesn't satisfy, then just use Supertech. Personally, I prefer the ESP. The bottle and label color combination, along with the current graphics is just about perfect .

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Couple observations which may help you choose:
1. AFE is known to not have robust viscosity retention, it is designed to thin out in use, hence the Newspeak “Advanced Fuel Economy” name
2. PAO has many drawbacks like poor solvency and it causes seal shrinkage and must be counteracted with other oil components; about the only positive these days are its very good cold flow properties.
3. Right now, the ESP X2 is probably one of Mobil’s most-developed oils, but the EP is no bum oil as you previously experienced.

I’d personally rank your choices:
ESP X2
A
D
C
B

But if they all meet your engine’s recommendations, there literally will be zero difference you will be able to discern with their performance or protection. That’s the point of a certification, and Mobil 1 is no slouch in the development area.

 

[bigjl]

Couple observations which may help you choose:
1. AFE is known to not have robust viscosity retention, it is designed to thin out in use, hence the Newspeak “Advanced Fuel Economy” name
2. PAO has many drawbacks like poor solvency and it causes seal shrinkage; about the only positive these days are its very good cold flow properties.
3. Right now, the ESP X2 is probably one of Mobil’s most-developed oils, but the EP is no bum oil as you previously experienced.

I’d personally rank your choices:
ESP X2
A
D
C
B

But if they all meet your engine’s recommendations, there literally will be zero difference you will be able to discern with their performance or protection. That’s the point of a certification, and Mobil 1 is no slouch in the development area.

I suspect none of the other oils actually meet the specs the manufacturer specifies for that engine.

Why do people not just use the oil specified?

 

[Best F100]

Why do you want to run a different oil?

Is it to save money?

Of course not. The words “save money” were nowhere on my mind or lips. My objective and question went straight over your head.

I wished to exercise my options, regarding available 0W20 motor oils that may be robust enough to go BEYOND the stated Ford specifications. Nearly every over the counter 0W20/5W20 oil sold at the retail level meets Ford specifications. Are they all identical and will they all give the same results after 200-300,000 miles of usage (assuming I get there)?

I thought this was Bitog? Whereby “some” is good, “more” is better, and “too much” is just enough. I stated that one of my engines was a 1.5L 3 cylinder Escape. By definition, it is going to work harder, and turn more RPM’s than most 4 & 6 cylinder vehicles, on the way to 200,000 miles. Why NOT use an overbuilt 0W20/5W20, rather than something that meets the minimum durability specifications while meeting Ford’s maximum fuel economy expectations.

Once your engine is out of warranty, who do you think will foot the repair bill?

Going forward, I will probably use Mobil 1 5W20EP in both vehicles for up to 10,000 mile OCI’s - if AFE 0W20 doesn’t easily hold its viscosity as someone stated. Good safe choice?

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

I suspect none of the other oils actually meet the specs the manufacturer specifies for that engine.

Why do people not just use the oil specified?

Bc the manufacturers are not focused on engine protection, they are focused on CAFE and claiming there vehicle gets xxx MPG

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Bc the manufacturers are not focused on engine protection, they are focused on CAFE and claiming there vehicle gets xxx MPG

Can you prove that engine longevity has suffered with fleetwide move to 20 grades beginning almost 20 yrs ago?

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

Can you prove that engine longevity has suffered with fleetwide move to 20 grades beginning almost 20 yrs ago?

No problem, oil consumption on 5.0 coyote motor using 5w20, 5.4 2 valve and 3 valve ruined timing chain guides and chains using 5w20. That’s why the 5.0 now since 2020 uses 5w30 ford has recognized the problems. Ford 6.2 liter oil consumption using 5w20, went to 5w30 in 2017. Honda 1.5t 0w20 has ruined engines due to viscosity loss from fuel dilution, Honda k24 timing chain guides from 5w20, Toyota A25A-FKS oil burning around 100,000 miles, GM lifter issues with 0w20

This is just a little, I’ve seen more.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

Can you prove that engine longevity has suffered with fleetwide move to 20 grades beginning almost 20 yrs ago?

To note as well, I work now at BMW, worked at VW and a whole lot of other manufacturers. At BMW we don’t use 0w20 in absolutely nothing. 0w30
goes in everything calling for 0w20 Same at VW, we never used 0w20 in nothing. Everything that called for 0w20 got VW 504/507 0w30.

 

[chris719]

To note as well, I work now at BMW, worked at VW and a whole lot of other manufacturers. At BMW we don’t use 0w20 in absolutely nothing. 0w30
goes in everything calling for 0w20.

Not true. BMW even fills 0W-12 LL22FE+ in B58 TU2. My local dealer uses the specified oil. You work at a dealer? That’s not working at BMW either.

 

[tbm5690]

Side note on 0W-20 ESP X2: I just discovered that AutoZone sells this in 5 quart jugs at some locations...seems to be exclusive as I have yet to see anything other than single quarts anywhere else in store or online. AZ appears to only stock it locally and it is unavailable to ship from their website. At $36.99 this is certainly the cheapest way to get X2 and puts it at the same price point as the other ESPs.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

Not true. BMW even fills 0W-12 LL22FE+ in B58 TU2. My local dealer uses the specified oil. You work at a dealer? That’s not working at BMW either.

Yes I work at BMW. we DO not use 0w20. Just bc your dealership does, doesn’t mean all others do. Majority of dealerships I worked at doesn’t even use the manufacturer bottled oil. They buy bulk oil for the cheapest price. Only VW, BMW and ford uses the actual manufacturer branded oil which is not made by them, someone else makes it. ConocoPhillips makes fords, Castro now makes BMW, Mobil now makes VW/ AUDI I also live in the south, where we have the worst humidity and heat as well.

 

[mitsuman47]

Yes I work at BMW. we DO not use 0w20. Just bc your dealership does, doesn’t mean all others do. Majority of dealerships I worked at doesn’t even use the manufacturer bottled oil. They buy bulk oil for the cheapest price. Only VW, BMW and ford uses the actual manufacturer branded oil which is not made by them, someone else makes it. ConocoPhillips makes fords, Castro now makes BMW, Mobil now makes VW/ AUDI I also live in the south, where we have the worst humidity and heat as well.

Which dealer is this?

Do you have documentation from corporate BMW that you can go outside of the viscosity the engineers have specified?

I’m sure corporate BMW would love to know their techs/dealers aren’t following P&P.

Also, do your customers know you’re not filling their vehicles with the BMW specified fluid? And, even if you explain it to them, do they understand it? I’d say most folks have no clue about oil viscosity, and how it affects the various parts of their engines. Hell, most in BITOG don’t. And, I’ll even include myself on that stat.

I’m not saying that going up to a 0w30 from a 0w20 would be harmful. I just think it’s an unnecessary liability for BMW/the dealer to take on (possibly unknowingly) if there’s an engine failure and it turns out there’s documentation that the specified oil was not used.

 

[I<3oil]

, GM lifter issues with 0w20

This is just a little, I’ve seen more.

what GM lifter issues with 0W-20? Are you talking about AFM/DFM? Because GM was having issues WAY before 0W-20 came along.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

Which dealer is this?

Do you have documentation from corporate BMW that you can go outside of the viscosity the engineers have specified?

I’m sure corporate BMW would love to know their techs/dealers aren’t following P&P.

Also, do your customers know you’re not filling their vehicles with the BMW specified fluid? And, even if you explain it to them, do they understand it? I’d say most folks have no clue about oil viscosity, and how it affects the various parts of their engines. Hell, most in BITOG don’t. And, I’ll even include myself on that stat.

I’m not saying that going up to a 0w30 from a 0w20 would be harmful. I just think it’s an unnecessary liability for BMW/the dealer to take on (possibly unknowingly) if there’s an engine failure and it turns out there’s documentation that the specified oil was not used.

So it does not work like your thinking in the dealer world, first engineers don’t write the owners manuals, nor set the intervals for lubricants. In the service manual there is a whole lot more info than the public gets to see as well. Majority of the BMW clientele don’t want to know about anything, they just want to get their car serviced and get on about their business. The guys who are enthusiasts, bring their own oil anyway. BMW doesn’t question anything related to as far as I’ve seen. To be honest, majority of BMW I see broken are operator error.

 

[chris719]

Yes I work at BMW.

A dealership is not BMW. Every dealer I’ve been to has drums of the correct oils and the part number is on the work order.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

[QUOTE="I what GM lifter issues with 0W-20? Are you talking about AFM/DFM? Because GM was having issues WAY before 0W-20 came along.
[/QUOTE]
Those issues were related to people not changing oil at a reasonable time. they were over extending. The new lifter issues came about with the DOD/AFM and the thinner oils. People use use 5w30 and change at 5,000 miles never seem to have the issues. They also pull the screen from the sending unit and check it to make sure it’s clear.