Did high mileage oil cure YOUR leak?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 12, 2004
Messages
1,327
Location
Western Washington
I'm considering using Pennzoil High Mileage 10W-30 to help with a persistent oil leak in my '95 Accord. I know that HM oils are marketed as being able to help slow or stop leaks, and are often recommended on this board for that purpose. I'm curious, does any of you fellow BITOGers have firsthand experience with a high mileage oil slowing or stopping an oil leak?
 
If your seal is fully intact, not split but age hardened, the theory behind HM oils; is it's supposed to soften and or swell the seal and restore it's pliability. A first hand success story would be nice to hear though.
 
FWIW, I didn't have success with a HM oil when I attempted to stop a leak on a previous car I owned. The car was a '98 Civic EX sedan, the oil was Mobil Drive Clean Plus HM Synthetic Blend 10w-30; car seeped oil from the oil pan gasket and after running the HM for over 3000 miles the leak still persisted.
 
Like AutoRx, the HM oil may make a leak worse before it gets better. I don't know if 3000 miles is enough time. Even AutoRx takes that long or longer to work.

I have used Maxlife HM in my motorhome for a couple years (about 10-15 thousand miles) and it is not leaking. Has some weepy seals (not sure if were that way before HM), but never a leak.
 
you might want to try HM or dino oil WITH VSOT. The combination of MC 10/40+10/30 (50:50) mix with half a btl of VSOT stopped the 0.75 qt/4k miles consumption/leak in my 4.6L Tbird (which it had a for a long time) for good.

Yesterday I checked the oil with about 3000 miles on it (using Mobil clean 10/30 HM for winter months), and oil was full...hasn't used a drop.

In summer I'm going to use Havoline HM 10/30...perhaps with VSOT even. The bird now has over 110k, and I think it runs a lot better on a rather thick mix of oil...
 
Valvo Maxlife 10w40 didn't help a bit stopping a rear seal leak in my prev owned but reliable beater 190E 2.3...but not until I used a two-pronged Auto-Rx dose.

Though the 1st regimen actually was enough to stop the leak(and increased the compression), I did a second dose to remove whatever remaining oil crap in it's innards considering the engines' TMU history..

Looking thru the oil cap hole, the engine is now way cleaner than before..pretty decent clean and quiet for a 22yr old MBZ engine.
smile.gif
 
Judging upon the ever-changing condition of the valve cover gasket on my Volvo 240....yes, Maxlife 5W30/10W30 seems to work for me. When I tried Castrol Syntec Blend 10W30 it began to leak. Retorqued VC nuts to spec...still leaked. Replaced VC gasket(also checked trueness of head & VC)...still leaked. Switched to BC 5W40...still leaked(although not as much). Went back to Maxlife dino...dry as a bone. I'm sure there are other factors involved, but I know my PCV system is clean as a whistle(most common cause of oil leaks in Volvo red blocks).
 
Thank you to everyone who's responded so far!

Judging from the responses so far, it seems like it might help with the leak.

I'm going for the Pennzoil HM 10W-30 because it's 12 cst and has an HT/HS of 3.4. I'm planning on running it for 3 5k mile OCIs. I figure that 15k should be plenty of time for the seal conditioners to do their thing.

The car is leaking just about a quart per 1500 miles. Thooks, it's leaking from the rear passenger side of the engine. There's a VTEC control solenoid valve (#9 in the picture below) that seems to be the source. If I touch the bottom of the assembly, I get lots of oil. The oil goes from there, down the brake lines, and drips on the cat's heat shield and smells terrible! If anyone can think of anything else in the vicinity of that valve that might be leaking, please let me know. I just don't see anywhere else for it to leak!

I've replaced the seal and filter (#10 in the picture) between the valve assembly and the cylinder head already. It was physically intact, but was cooked and hardened. Its replacement didn't slow the leak at all. I'm going to order the other two small seals that go in it (#12 & #21), and see if they help. I really don't want to buy the whole assembly, because even though it's on sale, it's still $229. I'd have to leak a lot of oil to break even on that!

 -

(had to crop this pretty bad to make it fit, sorry)
 
I;m currently using Maxlife 5w30 in my 92 Accord, with seemingly good results so far. When I first got the car in Ocbober (I think) I changed the oil and used Quaker State winter blend 5w30. The Accord used an atrocious amount of oil while I was running the QS oil. Probably a quart or more a WEEK. It was leaking and burning oil, but I think it was mostly leaking it. I got fed up with it after a while and since I was due for an oil change, I tried the Maxlife. I've only had to add just one quart of oil since the switch to the Maxlife, I've got probably 1800 miles or more on it now. I know I would have used 2 quart or more of the QS oil within the same distance. Based on that, I can say that the Maxlife definetely has slowed my oil leakage. It also seems to have slowed my oil burning as well. The Accord used to puff blue smoke while I was running the QS if I revved it hard, it did that in neutral and in gear. Now with the Maxlife, I don't see any smoke wqhen I rev it hard, even when I take it up to 105mph in 4th gear there's no smoke, whereas before the car would leave a blue plume in it's wake. Maybe the QS 5w30 was just too thin or something, I don't know.
 
I have used Pennzoil HM with very good results in two vehicles: 90 Camry (5W-30) and 92 Transport (10w-30 and 40). In addition, Bar's makes a Stop Leak product for engine oil that I have used with great success in the Transport.
 
I've used Valvoline Maxlife for several years and it has brought a leak that used to drip on my driveway to no drips at all. Oil still present on the bellhousing but it won't drip.
 
Palut,

Which of the two items in #10 is the seal ?

Is the seal fibrous or neoprene ?

Are there any seals that go around each end of the camshaft between the head and cam cover?
 
Maxlife 10w30 did squat for a valve seal issue on my wife's saturn. Good thing it was free.
grin.gif
 
Regarding the #10 item, the seal I got from the dealer has the little filter thing built into the bottom ring, so both items. It's a rubber seal.

The a valve cover gasket that goes over the cam, but I can visually verify that its not leaking. I don't believe that the cam seal is leaking either, because I haven't found any oil at all in the area of the cam or distributor. Not even residue.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top