Fun oil selector--Valvoline though.

[TallPaul]

Check out this oil selector. You input the vehicle, year, miles, zip code (so they can gauge your temperature regime), use info, and then it makes an oil recommendation, giving the reason why. At the bottom are listed all the Valvoline brands and you can click any of them for the reason they did not recommend that brand. There is a viscosity recommendation, but when I did it, that came up blank. Anyway, thought some folks might have a little fun playing around with it (not trying to push Valvoline, though that is about all I use).

 

[tmorris1]

I tried it and it doesn't work right. It keeps recommending SynPower (imagine that!) for my F150 because I consider it a performance vehicle even though I checked "No" for the "Do you condsider this a performance vehicle?" question. I think they should test things before putting them on the web.

 

[medic]

I like the part where it tells you why it didn;t recommend the other oils.

quote:

---

MaxLife
Because your engine does not yet have 75,000 miles, we did not recommend MaxLife®. MaxLife contains added ingredients that help fight the aging of critical engine parts and improve the life of your vehicle. Once your engine reaches 75,000 miles, you should switch to MaxLife

---

Hmmm, I'd think I would want to fight aging before it starts. Hmmm, maybe it needs to age before I can stop the aging process?

quote:

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DuraBlend
Because your engine has over 75,000 miles, we did not recommend DuraBlend™ Tough Driving Formula Motor Oil. DuraBlend has synthetic additives designed to protect your engine when it’s working the hardest – like when it’s hauling or towing a heavy load. So while DuraBlend is ideal for these high-strain situations, it does not have MaxLife’s added ingredients that are designed to help fight the aging of critical engine parts

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Hmmm, must be an engine with over 75,000 is considered old and feeble. I guess I'll have to quit pulling trailers and hauling stuff. I'll just get a toneau cover and have a 2 seater, 4x4 car with a really big trunk. Should I treat it like an old & feeble horse? Just take it out back of the barn & shoot it?

 

[94MaxGXE]

Link works fine. Says my 140K Integra GS-R should use MaxLife oil. Think I should switch away from the GC 0w30 thats in it now?
Not in my lifetime!!

 

[medic]

quote:

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Originally posted by tmorris1:
I tried it and it doesn't work right. It keeps recommending SynPower (imagine that!) for my F150 because I consider it a performance vehicle even though I checked "No" for the "Do you condsider this a performance vehicle?" question. I think they should test things before putting them on the web.

---

Hmmm, it seems F150's get synpower or maxlife regardless of what you do with them. Even if you tell it you tow heavy loads and then click on durablend, it starts out with "Because your vehicle does not haul or tow heavy loads".

I know I never overloaded my F150

. Twenty 100 lb bags of salt should be okay, right? The cars coming the other way were all flashing their highbeams at me - my lights were on low beam - I'm not sure what their problem was

 

[Bobert]

Synpower 20w-50 they recommend for my VR6. Ack! there goes my gas mileage.

I do have some Synpower 5w-40 in the basement though which seems like a more appropriate viscosity.

 

[sxg6]

it thinks my '03 civic has a 1.3l 4 banger

 

[Spector]

I don't like the fact that it recommends MaxLife in everything that has 75000 plus miles. That is ridiculous. IMO you only go to a high mileage oil when the OEM recommended viscosity is not providing good results, that is oil consumption is up, seals leak etc. Otherwise stay with the recommended viscosity dino or synthetic

I am still using the same viscosity and oil that I swithced to at 1000 miles and now have 170,000. No reason to switch if it ain't broke. I have two others over 100,000 miles and all of them are still using non high mileage oils.

 

[dkcase]

Interesting.
I was using Amsoil's site last night to look at information for a 99 Ford Ranger pickup my daughter is getting. There was no Owner's Manual aboard, so unless the dealer pulls it out of a drawer somewhere.....

While there I entered the car I drive, 89 Crown Victoria. It came up recommending 5W30 in all conditions. Well, I do have an owner's manual. It says 10W30 Preferred. 5W30 OK under 60 degrees F.

I emailed Amsoil with the link there to report this "discrepancy."

Interestingly, I just ran the 89 through Valvoline's selector here, and it spits out 5W30 also..

 

[2004 F150 4x4]

I tried it to. Next to worthless IMHO. For my 04' F150 4x4 it picked synpower and no viscosity. I'm not a Valvoline basher but these thing is a joke.

Actually I just bought 2 little 1:64 matchbox type cars ar Wally World tonite that have Valvoline on the sides of them. One has Valvoline and the Wizard of Oz tin man. Did'nt see any other oil brands listed, saw wrangler,army,home depot, lowes,dewalt...These things are pretty cool, I might start a collection. Would like to stick to oil brand cars though. Hope I did'nt high jack you thread...

 

[Jelly]

1992 Chevy C1500 -

Recommended weights:

MaxLife Synthetic 10W-30 (for Above -18)
MaxLife Synthetic 5W-30 (for All temps)

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

They said Synpower for the Yota and the Pac. For the Jeep, Maxlife Synthetic. When I clicked on anything conventional...

Because you have a high-performance engine or you drive your vehicle in monthly average temperatures that go above 90°F or below 20°F, we did not recommend Valvoline® Conventional Motor Oil.

OR

We did not recommend basic MaxLife® motor oil because you told us that your over-75,000-mile engine fits one of the criteria below:
It’s high-performance
It hauls or tows heavy loads
It’s a diesel engine that requires special oil per manufacturer recommendations
It operates in a place where average monthly temperatures go above 90°F or below 20°F
So while basic MaxLife contains the added ingredients that help fight the aging of critical engine parts, your engine needs more to perform under any one of the conditions listed above. It needs the additional performance characteristics of a full synthetic high-mileage motor oil – like MaxLife Synthetic.

 

[tom slick]

2 of my 3 vehicles it lists the wrong engine. for my toyota pickup it only lists the diesel and my pontiac it only lists the 2.0L and it has a 2.3 both are very different engines.

 

[tmorris1]

quote:

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Originally posted by tom slick:
2 of my 3 vehicles it lists the wrong engine. for my toyota pickup it only lists the diesel and my pontiac it only lists the 2.0L and it has a 2.3 both are very different engines.

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The F150 engine selections don't include the 5.4L either.

 

[FowVay]

I input the data for a 2004 Volkswagen Golf TDI. I know that this vehicle takes a specific oil in a 5W-40 only (VW 505.01).

The Valvoline recommendation was for Premium Blue 5W-30. I searched Valvolines site and they don't even make a Premium Blue 5W-30.

These things are embarassing.

 

[T-Keith]

Of course my 214,000 mile Lesabre is considered a "high mileage" vehicle, but since I checked the box for hauling stuff I got Maxlife Synthetic.

-T

 

[TallPaul]

Y'all are right, the site is a joke. I put in 1984 F150 with straight six and 300,000 miles. It told me to use 5w30--say what! I should have explored the site a bit more before I put it up. Oh well

But notice in the subject line I said "fun," not "useful" site, and we do seem to be having a little fun.

quote:

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Originally posted by 2004 F150 4x4:

Actually I just bought 2 little 1:64 matchbox type cars ar Wally World ...

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For what it's worth, might as well go off topic. Hey, I have some 1:64 Valvoline cars as well as some Citgo, Motorcraft, Quaker State--er ah, I should say my kids have them. Hard for me to keep a car unless I buy enough for everybody.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, it's a politically correct for energy policy applet indexed for the age of the vehicle.

Answering "NO" to all the questions...

You put in a 1987 Wrangler with a 4.2 ..you get 20w-50 for anything over -1
For a 99 4.0...you get 10w-30 to -18

The engine, other than head design, is unchanged as far as bearings and such (lubed surfaces).

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

This oil selector didn't recommend GC for my ride. It MUST be rigged!

 

[T-Keith]

quote:

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Originally posted by TallPaul:
Y'all are right, the site is a joke. I put in 1984 F150 with straight six and 300,000 miles. It told me to use 5w30--say what!

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Sadly enough when Ford backward recomended 5w20 for some of their engines, they also backward recomended 5w30 for the rest. I don't think it's too big of stretch. Today's 5w30s would seem to be much better then 5w30s in '84.