Never had to pull an oil out before....

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daves87rs

daves87rs

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Being all proud (giving Bill in Utah the nod here
grin.gif
), I was going to learn to save a few bucks,and stop wasting syn in my Cav...was not getting the full use out of it. So, I grabbed a jug of Service Pro semi syn 5w30 and a filter, and did the deed...


Took the car for a long drive this morning, and noticed something odd. The car was very "off" in the way it drove. Also made an strange "hum" it never did before. Figured it was just getting use to it, so I kept going. Things did not change. Gut told me do something. So, against my greater common sense, I dumped the oil after just 300 miles, replaced with the some QSUD and the same Delco cartridge filter. Drove it another 40 miles, and everything was back to normal. And I can't explain it. I've used many different oils, and never had this problem. The car itself has seen it all....dino, syn blends, and full syns. It is a simple Ecotec, which is easy on oil. I did not do anything different. Even used the same exact filter. I feel bad about wasting the oil, but my peace of mine is much more important, and there is always some oil somewhere to buy......


I'm going to to just say it was bad luck....but after this, it bothered me enough to not go back to Service Pro...the rest I have will be given away. (just a few more jugs) They will get a second chance down the line, but it will be on their Full syn this time....


Also concerned that SP was pulled at my local Auto Value part store...all oil was yanked....


For as much as I have learned about oil, it still feels weird to do....
 
I always buy name brand oil, never buy house brand or unknown brand. Since I only buy oil when it is on sale and/or with rebate, my cost of name brand dino is usually less than $1-2/qt and less than $2-3/qt for syn.
 
SO you are saying that your Chevrolet Cavalier runs great on Quaker State Ultimate Durability and runs like [censored] on Service Pro semi-synthetic on the same AC Delco oil filter?
 
Originally Posted By: stchman
SO you are saying that your Chevrolet Cavalier runs great on Quaker State Ultimate Durability and runs like [censored] on Service Pro semi-synthetic on the same AC Delco oil filter?



Cliff notes: Car ran "strange" on SP.


Ran fine on Everything else...........



EDIT: I forgot to add one thing: It was down almost a half Quart, which I never found (leaking) Car has never burned oil....ever.

I forgot to add that too...I was trying not to make SP sound like the worst oil ever or something. I just wanted to share what happened to mine...and maybe try to figure out what happened....
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I always buy name brand oil, never buy house brand or unknown brand. Since I only buy oil when it is on sale and/or with rebate, my cost of name brand dino is usually less than $1-2/qt and less than $2-3/qt for syn.



Normally I don't either...though with that being said- I tried Napa synthetic and had great success with that.....
 
So what is your theory as to why this oil caused a "hum" and the feeling of something being "off"?
 
Have you ever had the feeling that your car "ran better" after an oil change? I get that feeling every time I change the oil in any of my cars. It's just that, a feeling. I think it has something to do with the simple fact you did something to your car that is good for it.

Could it be the same thing happened when you did something you're not totally comfortable doing? It's like climbing the steps on a fire tower, you know, those expanded metal steps you can see through. In your mind, you know they will hold your weight, but your heart races just the same.
 
I have ran SP in my 02 caravan with no issues. If you're giving it away I would happily take some. For those of you that haven't heard of it, its semi syn, SN GF-5 and I believe its made by Warren. I would not hesitate to use it again.
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Have you ever had the feeling that your car "ran better" after an oil change? I get that feeling every time I change the oil in any of my cars. It's just that, a feeling. I think it has something to do with the simple fact you did something to your car that is good for it.

Could it be the same thing happened when you did something you're not totally comfortable doing? It's like climbing the steps on a fire tower, you know, those expanded metal steps you can see through. In your mind, you know they will hold your weight, but your heart races just the same.


That feeling!! HA! I always "feel" like my vehicles run "smoother" after an oil change. All in my head yet the "feeling" is very real.
 
People who have never discerned a difference in engine "noise" or "smoothness" with different oils simply do not believe that it can happen; some people do not believe that it's possible for an engine to sound or to act different on different lubricant.

But they sometimes do, and it's sometimes a dramatic difference. With very few exceptions, every engine I've owned seemed to run best on a certain type of oil. And that's been different for every engine. Our Acura, in fact, has the first engine where I really haven't been able to tell a difference in different oil types. Our Honda, ironically, has an engine that seems to be particularly sensitive (in terms of overall engine "din") to oil selection.

I'm a SOPUS guy; have been for a very long time. So I WANT to use SOPUS oil in the Honda (and am currently, until a few days from now). But it simply runs louder and noisier on SOPUS oil. PYB seems to be the quietest of the SOPUS bunch, but it's really raucous on PP or PU. My wife even notices. That's the real litmus test: she has no idea what oil is in the car, nor does she particularly pay attention to it. But if she's commenting that the engine is noisy, it's noisy. Its oil change is a few days (well, a few hundred miles) away, and it won't get SOPUS oil. It'll be back to what runs the quietest in it.
 
Interesting observation. I've ran SP syn blend several times before (I'm using it now in the Fusion) and have never had issue. I also used it in my old Focus, which had a very similar engine to the Fusion, and no issues there either. Maybe something in the ad-pack did not agree well with your Cavi? I'm sure it was still lubricating properly, but maybe it was another one of those instances like the Mobil1 loud engine syndrome
confused2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
People who have never discerned a difference in engine "noise" or "smoothness" with different oils simply do not believe that it can happen; some people do not believe that it's possible for an engine to sound or to act different on different lubricant.

But they sometimes do, and it's sometimes a dramatic difference. With very few exceptions, every engine I've owned seemed to run best on a certain type of oil. And that's been different for every engine. Our Acura, in fact, has the first engine where I really haven't been able to tell a difference in different oil types. Our Honda, ironically, has an engine that seems to be particularly sensitive (in terms of overall engine "din") to oil selection.

I'm a SOPUS guy; have been for a very long time. So I WANT to use SOPUS oil in the Honda (and am currently, until a few days from now). But it simply runs louder and noisier on SOPUS oil. PYB seems to be the quietest of the SOPUS bunch, but it's really raucous on PP or PU. My wife even notices. That's the real litmus test: she has no idea what oil is in the car, nor does she particularly pay attention to it. But if she's commenting that the engine is noisy, it's noisy. Its oil change is a few days (well, a few hundred miles) away, and it won't get SOPUS oil. It'll be back to what runs the quietest in it.


Interesting. I find the K24 noisy as well (I have driven some CRV's) but my R18 did not seem to care what oil it had in it. (Noticed no difference)

I have yet to do an oil change on the SI, I have M1 5w30 slated to go in. We'll see how it compares to the whatever the dealer used oil that's in it now.
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Have you ever had the feeling that your car "ran better" after an oil change? I get that feeling every time I change the oil in any of my cars. It's just that, a feeling. I think it has something to do with the simple fact you did something to your car that is good for it.

Could it be the same thing happened when you did something you're not totally comfortable doing? It's like climbing the steps on a fire tower, you know, those expanded metal steps you can see through. In your mind, you know they will hold your weight, but your heart races just the same.


After my normal 10K OCI which I have been doing for decades, I have never noticed any change in engine performance.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
People who have never discerned a difference in engine "noise" or "smoothness" with different oils simply do not believe that it can happen; some people do not believe that it's possible for an engine to sound or to act different on different lubricant.

But they sometimes do, and it's sometimes a dramatic difference. With very few exceptions, every engine I've owned seemed to run best on a certain type of oil. My wife even notices.


I`m right there with you. I put M1 10W30 in my gf`s Mustang and it ran rough,loud,and had no smoothness to the power. She even said her car wasn`t running right and had no acceleration. I ran it to 3000 miles (with no improvement),reinstalled Synpower 10W30 and it was immediately smooth and powerful again. Maybe a good theory is some engines react differently to the different chemical makeups of different oils? It definitely runs better with Synpower over VWB,which I`ve tried as well.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Maybe a good theory is some engines react differently to the different chemical makeups of different oils? It definitely runs better with Synpower over VWB,which I`ve tried as well.


I think so. I tried M1 5W-20 in our Chrysler minivan once and it was very loud; ticking valve lifters, ticking everything it seemed like. So I was on the bandwagon of M1 = loud. With hesitation, I tried it in our CR-V, in 0W-20 flavor. Note, I was pre-programmed to think it M1 is loud, I just KNOW it is. Turns out, it runs extremely quiet in our CR-V; it's the quietest oil I've used it ever. Valvoline products, like SOPUS synthetics, are real loud in this CR-V engine. I've used both white bottle and SynPower. Especially when it gets colder; it rattles like a can of marbles. M1 is very smooth and nearly silent. Go figure.
 
Not sure...did you re-use the same filter cartridge or a new identical cartridge?

There are a very small percentage of defective filters from every maker. A bad filter is possible.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Not sure...did you re-use the same filter cartridge or a new identical cartridge?

There are a very small percentage of defective filters from every maker. A bad filter is possible.



They were both Delcos, and I did use a new one for the new one just in case it was a filter. I did take a look at it, and it did not seem to have issues.


Now thinking about it, I should have took a few pics of it so that more eyes could have seen it...
 
Originally Posted By: Klutch9
Interesting observation. I've ran SP syn blend several times before (I'm using it now in the Fusion) and have never had issue. I also used it in my old Focus, which had a very similar engine to the Fusion, and no issues there either. Maybe something in the ad-pack did not agree well with your Cavi? I'm sure it was still lubricating properly, but maybe it was another one of those instances like the Mobil1 loud engine syndrome
confused2.gif



It could seriously just be my car. I agree, I'm sure it was lubing just fine, but it bothered me enough to change it.

When I first got my Cobalt some years back, it's first few oil changes were Service Pro, and it has the same engine as the Cavi. Had no issues there.


And I know people who use SP, including my brother in his Caliber. Hence why I was shocked with mine...
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Have you ever had the feeling that your car "ran better" after an oil change? I get that feeling every time I change the oil in any of my cars. It's just that, a feeling. I think it has something to do with the simple fact you did something to your car that is good for it.

Could it be the same thing happened when you did something you're not totally comfortable doing? It's like climbing the steps on a fire tower, you know, those expanded metal steps you can see through. In your mind, you know they will hold your weight, but your heart races just the same.


While it could be true, I've owned the Cav almost ten years, and changed the oil many times since I have owned it. It never has done this before....
 
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