Switching Brands Frequently??

[360kid]

When I got my Ford, I'm not sure what brand the previous owner was using. He may not know either since he had it done at a garage. I've only done one oil change so far and I went with Pennzoil Platinum. Now, I see Mobil 1 has really dropped in price at Wal-mart. So, I picked up Mobil 1 for my next oil change.

Is switching brands frequently okay? I always learned growing up that you pick one brand and stick to it. Only stray from your chosen brand if you're in a pinch.

 

[StevieC]

Won't hurt at all.. May see some consumption that will go away as the engine gets used to the new oil so to speak, but it's nothing to worry about.

 

[NismoMax80]

u can go back and forth between regular and synthetic if you want to for whatever reason i cannot think of right now...

guys on here switch a lot. I'm sure someone has an opinion or reason to stick with 1 viscosity, maybe even brand, but I think it's just easier.

 

[oil_spaz]

I have a theory that switching brands occasionally might actually be good for an engine. Could an engine possibly benefit from the exposure to different additives?

 

[360kid]

I'm definetely sticking with 5w20 and full synthetic. I just might switch up brands a little. I originally went with PP because of the high level of detergent. I wanted to make sure that this well cared for truck was as clean inside as it is out. I looked into the oil fill opening and there wasn't even any varnish.

However, now that I know the engine is pretty clean, I really wanted to use Mobil 1, but the price was a touch high. Now that it's come down, I'm going for the Mobil 1.

Does Mobil 1 have a lot of detergent like PP?

 

[tig1]

I switch a lot. In 1966 I switched from QS to Valvoline. In 1977 I switched from Valvolie to Amsoil. In 1978 I switched from Amsoil to M1 and been there ever since.

 

[360kid]

That's how I would prefer to be. However, I feel like I have been switching brands every oil change. I think if Mobil 1 works out, I will continue to use it forever regardless of price in both my truck and my wifes car.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: 360kid
That's how I would prefer to be. However, I feel like I have been switching brands every oil change. I think if Mobil 1 works out, I will continue to use it forever regardless of price in both my truck and my wifes car.


I don't pay much attention to price. A buck here are there doesn't mean anything when you are doing 10,000 mile OCIs and you have long lived and very clean engines.

 

[Superbuick96]

Originally Posted By: 360kid
When I got my Ford, I'm not sure what brand the previous owner was using. He may not know either since he had it done at a garage. I've only done one oil change so far and I went with Pennzoil Platinum. Now, I see Mobil 1 has really dropped in price at Wal-mart. So, I picked up Mobil 1 for my next oil change.

Is switching brands frequently okay? I always learned growing up that you pick one brand and stick to it. Only stray from your chosen brand if you're in a pinch.

I was thinking about this topic too, thanks for starting the thread. An old guy at work used QS in the 60's/70's then switched to PYB in sometime in the 70's and still using it in all his applications. Cars, trucks,tractors,mowers, he told me that you pick an oil and stick with it, because the engine gets "used" to it. He didnt claim to be an oil expert, and I didnt question him. You can't question his decision to use Pennz YB 35 years w/o an oil related failure to date...

 

[360kid]

I just want to get through the trial phase. I think Mobil 1 may be the oil I go with for the remainder of this trucks life. I plan on putting another 100,000 on this truck using Mobil 1 5w20 and a Motorcraft filter.

I've switched a bit in my wifes 2005 malibu too. I used Pennzoil YB for the first couple of years with Fram oil filters. Then I learned fram was junk and I switched to Super Tech Synthetic and ST oil filter. I've been using that for some time now. However, i just bought her Mobil 1 for her car too and I am switching her filter to AC Delco. I know a lot of people don't like them but I am a walmart shopper through and through. So, its either the fram filter that no one likes, the Super tech filter, or the AC Delco.

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: 360kid
Does Mobil 1 have a lot of detergent like PP?


Yes, both have a rather large dose of calcium.

 

[daves87rs]

Well, my cobalt will will going from QS dino to M1 to PP in staight oil changes. Has not hurt it so far..

Whether I stick with PP will depend on how it runs with it...

 

[Bill in Utah]

Let's see in 3 years and almost 140k I've run the following in the same engine;

Factory fill
Pennzoil conventional
Mobil drive clean
Mobil 5000
Mobil 7500
Mobil 1
Castrol Syntec blend
Castrol Syntec
Castrol GTX
Pennzoil PP
Amsoil ASL
QS
Halvoline
Halvoline DS
Chevron
Supertech
Supertech syn

Guess I'm in trouble if switching is a problem.

(and I've run UOAs on alot of the above)

No worries. Bill

 

[ADFD1]

Thanks Bill! It's posts like this that got me shopping for price vs being brand loyal for my older vehicle.

AD

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: 360kid

Is switching brands frequently okay? I always learned growing up that you pick one brand and stick to it. Only stray from your chosen brand if you're in a pinch.


I had an '88 Cougar that I purchased new that probably had a different brand in it on each oil change. At the most, I used the same brand twice in a row. It made it to 300K miles before it was retired without having a valve cover or oil pan off. I used mostly Motorcraft or SuperTech oil filters, although there could have been a half a dozen other brands on it during the life of the car.

 

[sunfire]

Won't switching brands sometimes cause a little extra engine wear? That's why people recommend doing 2 OCIs before doing a UOA. Some say its because of the different additives in the new oil and some of the old oil still in the engine.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: sunfire
Won't switching brands sometimes cause a little extra engine wear? That's why people recommend doing 2 OCIs before doing a UOA. Some say its because of the different additives in the new oil and some of the old oil still in the engine.


But if the additives clashed I think we would see some more stuff in the UOA.

I really feel that as long as you change the oil with another normal oil (ie API-SL/SM rated and approved) that its really not going to matter.

Now as far as a UOA, it would be better after the 2nd OCI then to run a one as most of the oil in the engine is going to be the same. And then the UOA will reflect what/how the engine/oil is doing OCI after OCI.

Also, if you are going to stick to a certain brand and like how it performs then do a UOA BOTH in the Summer and dead of Winter.

With a little trending you'll have a excellent idea how things are looking.

Of course, I've had hundreds of thousands and over 25 years of never running a UOA and my engines never has issues.

I guess I was "lucky" when I ran my first one and it came up with a coolant leak...

Lucky me..

But it DID prevent major damage if we allowed the leak to continue on.

Really changing brands is not a problem unless you are selling a brand of oil, then it is a problem.

Bill

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: sunfire
Won't switching brands sometimes cause a little extra engine wear? That's why people recommend doing 2 OCIs before doing a UOA. Some say its because of the different additives in the new oil and some of the old oil still in the engine.
Look up the uoas, the oils have the same additives are basically the same and there are only a handfull of additive makers and base oil refiners ! The base oils are the in general the same if dino and the syns are compatible with other syns and dinos.

 

[CharBaby]

Im switching brands all of the time due to all of the different sales/rebates going on when I need to restock my oil stash.

 

[hpichris]

I like what I like. So I stash em when they are on sale

Good time to get M1 btw.