I have learned more about oil over the past month than I ever have before...I ave always been an oil fanatic but I finally took the time to join & read the BITOG oil forums.
Some of what I previously believed to be true is confirmed, and some of it is having to be re-learned.
Anyway, I am not sure if you have me confused with someone else, but I have never used Amsoil. I know people who have, and it is a good oil, but harder to obtain and pricey; pus, Amsoil buys the base oil from Exxon/Mobil anyway. I have 2 Jeeps, a ZJ & WJ...
In my ZJ, I have used Mobil-1 (silver cap) since it had 65k on it and changed it every 3-4k. At 150k, I began using the Mobil-1 HM formula. The Jeep has 178k on it now and still runs strong. However, it is not a DD anymore and will probably not see more than 2k per year. I do not like the fact that the Mobil-1 has always burned off more than it should between oil change intervals. That fact combined with the fact it will be sitting and I will be changing the oil every 6 months, plus ALL THE INFO I have gotten from my own research has compelled me to switch it to Castrol GTX HM formula. I have learned so much and it is hard to take it all in or accept some of it even though there is scientific proof.
Basically, in an engine with no defects, you get no gain from synthetic oil unless you live where it is super cold all the time, operate in extreme use (like cabs do), have a turbo charged, super-charged, racing motor, are required to run synthetic for warranty (like porsche, corvette, etc.), or finally, (& MAIN REASON), IF YOU WISH TO GO AN EXTENDED OCI (oil change interval).
Apparently, 5k OCI is the new 3k OCI since conventional oils have gotten better and cars & trucks are designed better. My definition of an "extended OCI" has always been 5k, but apparently anything over 7500k is the real definition in today's market. I have seen scientific proof that name-brand "dino" oils can last 8k intervals as well as a decent oil filter. Now that doesn't mean I am gonna run out on my 178k vehicle and up the interval because it is a non-DD and has high miles. But I am at least going to try a dino oil in it for price and because it has always used a little oil with Mobil-1 and many others on low mileage cars have reported the same problem with ONLY Mobil-1.
You can switch to synthetic anytime or any mileage as long as you have no existing leaks. In my ZJ it currently has Mobil-1 HM formula 10w30 in the crankcase (bt will be trying another oil soon), and my WJ (73k on the odometer) has Trop-artic 10w30 syn-blend and I have been changing it every 4k.
I plan to go ahead and up my OCI interval on my WJ to 5k but will leave my ZJ to 3k, or 1-2 times per year (which ever comes 1st).
I have learned that the best synthetic oil for the money at Wal-Mart is the 5-gallon jug of Pennzoil Platinum!!! It is supposed to be better than Castrol Syntec and as good or better than Mobil-1.
If I was gonna stick to full-synthetic oil in the WJ you buy, I'd run PP (Pennzoil Platinum) every 5-6k as long as it doesn't use oil or have super high miles.
The guys on Bob IS The Oil Guy (BITOG) say that really there is no need to run synthetic in the average DD car unless you want to go 8-12k intervals and there are used oil analysis that prove it.
It is not in my genetic makeup to go that long so I will stick to 3-6k depending on the vehicle, oil, etc...but as outlined above, there are reasons to run synthetic in some cars; if nothing else, it gives you piece of mind which is why I ran it in my ZJ all these years.
In my g/f new car I am gonna run PP every 6k...it is a high-performance engine. If you stick to Amsoil or MOBIL-1, you can't go wrong, but I have my reasons why I am not.
I hope this helps you but if you are a synthetic guy, then if it wee me, I'd try PP (if nothing else for the money), and do it at whatever interval gives you piece of mind. Just be sure to use a Mobil-1 or WIX filter because they seem to be some of the best easy-to-find brands.
Some of what I previously believed to be true is confirmed, and some of it is having to be re-learned.
Anyway, I am not sure if you have me confused with someone else, but I have never used Amsoil. I know people who have, and it is a good oil, but harder to obtain and pricey; pus, Amsoil buys the base oil from Exxon/Mobil anyway. I have 2 Jeeps, a ZJ & WJ...
In my ZJ, I have used Mobil-1 (silver cap) since it had 65k on it and changed it every 3-4k. At 150k, I began using the Mobil-1 HM formula. The Jeep has 178k on it now and still runs strong. However, it is not a DD anymore and will probably not see more than 2k per year. I do not like the fact that the Mobil-1 has always burned off more than it should between oil change intervals. That fact combined with the fact it will be sitting and I will be changing the oil every 6 months, plus ALL THE INFO I have gotten from my own research has compelled me to switch it to Castrol GTX HM formula. I have learned so much and it is hard to take it all in or accept some of it even though there is scientific proof.
Basically, in an engine with no defects, you get no gain from synthetic oil unless you live where it is super cold all the time, operate in extreme use (like cabs do), have a turbo charged, super-charged, racing motor, are required to run synthetic for warranty (like porsche, corvette, etc.), or finally, (& MAIN REASON), IF YOU WISH TO GO AN EXTENDED OCI (oil change interval).
Apparently, 5k OCI is the new 3k OCI since conventional oils have gotten better and cars & trucks are designed better. My definition of an "extended OCI" has always been 5k, but apparently anything over 7500k is the real definition in today's market. I have seen scientific proof that name-brand "dino" oils can last 8k intervals as well as a decent oil filter. Now that doesn't mean I am gonna run out on my 178k vehicle and up the interval because it is a non-DD and has high miles. But I am at least going to try a dino oil in it for price and because it has always used a little oil with Mobil-1 and many others on low mileage cars have reported the same problem with ONLY Mobil-1.
You can switch to synthetic anytime or any mileage as long as you have no existing leaks. In my ZJ it currently has Mobil-1 HM formula 10w30 in the crankcase (bt will be trying another oil soon), and my WJ (73k on the odometer) has Trop-artic 10w30 syn-blend and I have been changing it every 4k.
I plan to go ahead and up my OCI interval on my WJ to 5k but will leave my ZJ to 3k, or 1-2 times per year (which ever comes 1st).
I have learned that the best synthetic oil for the money at Wal-Mart is the 5-gallon jug of Pennzoil Platinum!!! It is supposed to be better than Castrol Syntec and as good or better than Mobil-1.
If I was gonna stick to full-synthetic oil in the WJ you buy, I'd run PP (Pennzoil Platinum) every 5-6k as long as it doesn't use oil or have super high miles.
The guys on Bob IS The Oil Guy (BITOG) say that really there is no need to run synthetic in the average DD car unless you want to go 8-12k intervals and there are used oil analysis that prove it.
It is not in my genetic makeup to go that long so I will stick to 3-6k depending on the vehicle, oil, etc...but as outlined above, there are reasons to run synthetic in some cars; if nothing else, it gives you piece of mind which is why I ran it in my ZJ all these years.
In my g/f new car I am gonna run PP every 6k...it is a high-performance engine. If you stick to Amsoil or MOBIL-1, you can't go wrong, but I have my reasons why I am not.
I hope this helps you but if you are a synthetic guy, then if it wee me, I'd try PP (if nothing else for the money), and do it at whatever interval gives you piece of mind. Just be sure to use a Mobil-1 or WIX filter because they seem to be some of the best easy-to-find brands.
