M1 Why all the different formulations

[perryg114]

So what is up with M1 having all these different formulations, high mileage, low mileage, new mileage etc. etc. I have been running M1 10W-30 in my Ranger at OCI's of 10k. It burns about 1/2 a quart in the first k or two then stops. I would call this boil off of volatiles. The truck has 200k on it now and still burns less than a quart between changes. I use the same 10k OCI on my wife’s Subaru Legacy and it does not burn much either. So am I being evil by not using the high mileage M1? I just put the same oil in my new to me 2000 V10 Excursion. I was planning on running a 10k OCI on it as well unless I am towing alot. It had 5W20 in it (yuck). Why make a synthetic that you can’t run at least 10k miles on? What is the point in running a synthetic otherwise? If not M1 what would be a better alternative? I may do an oil analysis on the Range soon just to see how it is doing at 200k. I have a 91 Turbo Eclipse and have been running M1 15W-50 in it since it was new. I have been thinking of going to 10W-30 on it as well and maybe it would quiet down the lifters a little. A Dodge Caravan I had did not like 15W-50 it made the lifters chatter.

Perry

 

[Johnny]

Marketing sells. Stick with what you are doing.

 

[sciphi]

Nothing wrong with 5w-20. Try M1 0w-20 next time if you want something that pours as thin as water. It works fine, however...

I'd keep using M1 10w-30 in the vehicles that call for a 30-weight oil, and a 20-weight in the V10 Ford. A 30-weight isn't going to harm it, though, and I'd bet it can't tell the difference.

For the high-mileage, it's more marketing than anything. I personally wouldn't use a product just because it's claimed to be high-mileage. It has to be an excellent product, not just a well-marketed one...

 

[dparm]

They can boast "an oil for every use". Look at companies that sell a single highly-specialized product -- it can only be sold to a certain group of people. The vast majority of Mobil 1 oils are basically the same, it's merely different additive packs or slightly different base stocks.

The net cost to make each formulation is probably marginally different, yet they can now reach 2, 3, 5, or even 10x as many people.

It's much like how the car companies use a single platform to make a variety of cars.

 

[dparm]

I can't see that Caravan liking 15w50 either, that's a bit of an unusual choice for that car.

For the Subaru and Excursion, you could consider Mobil Delvac 1 or TDT, or maybe even Mobil 1 0w40.

 

[dgee]

try M1 HM 10W-30
suhweeet add pack!

 

[synthetic_crazy]

It is only marketing.

 

[bullwinkle]

I think they're trying to crowd out all the other brands & steal their shelf space!

 

[dwendt44]

Nitch markets?

Of course, Amsoil has even more specific grades and weights.

 

[fdcg27]

Of course they are, and they've done a pretty good job of it.
Still, there are differences in the various flavors of M1.
The thing is that you'd have to come here to appreciate and understand the significance of those differences for your applications.

 

[perryg114]

Personally, I think the engines will out last the vehicles. The Ranger is getting a little thread bare. The Subaru interior is holding up well dispite constant kid and mom abuse.

Perry

 

[sangyup81]

M1 is best selling so they have a much easier time filling shelves with different kinds of oils. If other companies tried this, they would struggle to get all of their oils on the shelves compared to M1. For example, for synthetics I see M1, M1 HM, M1 ESP, and M1 EP at Pep Boys for the 5w30 grade. For Valvoline, they have Syn Power only even though they make a Maxlife Fully Synthetic. I can't find that Fully Synthetic Maxlife anywhere. All I can find is the Synthetic Blend version presumably because no company really dominates in the Synthetic Blend market (if there is much of a market)

It's kind of like how you're supposed to bully in Texas hold'em if you are a clear chip leader.

 

[daman]

One example....M1's HM line is a API SL rated oil with higher levels of anti wear,cleaning adds great for older cars or any car/vehicle that like some added protection and esters for seal conditioning.

ESP has it's purpose too,,not all of it's marketing.

search the site....

 

[ahoier]

Yea, Mobil confuses me too......

High Mileage, "Regular" - remember when their "regular" claimed 15k oil change intervals? Well, now that "claim" is gone, when they came out with their "Gold cap" Extended Performance line of Oils....lol. kind of crazy and confusing.

oh, and let's not forget their "Truck and SUV" formulation....lol.

I like valvoline's product line up, particularly in "correlation" to their warranty program (even though, how laughable those "lubrication warranties" are.....who's gonna change synthetic at 4k intervals? lol), but it sure makes it clearer which is "better"....

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: ahoier
Yea, Mobil confuses me too......

High Mileage, "Regular" - remember when their "regular" claimed 15k oil change intervals? Well, now that "claim" is gone, when they came out with their "Gold cap" Extended Performance line of Oils....lol. kind of crazy and confusing.

oh, and let's not forget their "Truck and SUV" formulation....lol.

I like valvoline's product line up, particularly in "correlation" to their warranty program (even though, how laughable those "lubrication warranties" are.....who's gonna change synthetic at 4k intervals? lol), but it sure makes it clearer which is "better"....



Nothing confusing about it. Pick the oil your engine requires and that's it. As for the Valvoline 3-4K warranty, nobody is going to do that kind of OCI with synthetic oil. As for M1 and a 15K OCI, that is only for thair EP line, their regular M1. However it's good for 10K without a problem in most engines.