Oil for a 98 Neon?

[Josh48065]

1. 1998 Dodge Neon Dohc
2. Manual says 5-30 in very cold winters, and 10w-30 in summer.
3. Live in Michigan. About 20F right now.
4. I drive pretty easy, but my transmission doesn't make it easy for my car. Im 3500rpm at 75MPH
5. I driving habits are short and long trips. I work 2 miles away then I communite to Oakland University which is 35 miles one way.
6. It ticks on a cold start, and will almost sound like a knock if I hit the gas under load if I dont warm it up for about 5 minutes, but once it warms up the ticking is completely gone.


Cost really doesn't matter to me, I just want whats best for my car. I also perfer a synthic too. Its has 147k miles and hope to get another year out or two out of her. I personally like using Lucas oil products b/c it stops my ticking on a cold start.

At the moment im using 10w-30 PP with a quart of Lucas oil stablizer.
I would like someone's best oil recommendations.
Thanks!

 

[oggb]

I'd probably opt for a high mileage oil, like Mobil 1 High Mileage or Maxlife synthetic blend.

The MaxLife is cheaper and is a darn good oil.

Run 5w-30 year-round.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

If cost doesn't matter run a 0w-30 syn year round.

 

[fdcg27]

I'd probably ignore the ticking and use a 5W-30 for winter where you live.
You might try a different filter, to see whether that reduces noise on cold start.
Even with the ticking, the better flow properties of a thinner oil have to be better for your engine than 10W-30 plus what amounts to an oil thickener.
You could try any number of oils.
Check this forum, and see what people have had good results with.
Better yet, try searching for your specific application, and see what others have had good results with.

 

[Josh48065]

Different filter to reduce noise? alright! Any certain suggestions? Ive always use Purulator PureOne.

 

[Josh48065]

Sorry to double post, but is there any real difference between 5w-30 and 0w-30? Besides that its thinner in the cold..?

 

[aquariuscsm]

Why the Lucas stabilizer? I`m always curious as to why people use that stuff.

 

[dishdude]

I think you're great with the 10W-30PP, minus the Lucas.

I had a '95 SOHC Neon that my parents bought for me brand new in the summer of 94, I had it up until 2005. Sold the car with 182k on it and ran nothing but dino 10W-30 (Castrol).

These engines are very gentle on oil, and I went with 10w-30 due to the 3 speed tranny running the engine so hard at highway speeds. (This was before I discovered BITOG!)

Engine and Transmission were still clean and running smooth when I sold it!

 

[The_Eric]

Your ticking/knocking is likely piston slap. You should hear my 99 SOHC (same basic short block) when it 's first started. 186K HARD miles. I'll agree, most any 5w-30 dino will get the job done.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Use a Purolator Classic or Pure One filter in that Chrysler engine - then switch to 5W-30 and don't use Lucas Oil stabilizer.

Any major brand of oil is fine. I prefer Pennzoil, Valvoline, Mobil 5000, Formula Shell or Motorcraft.

 

[Josh48065]

Just curious, why drop the Lucas Oil? What do you have against it? A buddy of mine parents have been using Lucas in there Dakota since factor fill and now its has 240k miles still running strong.
I love hearing second opinions.

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Use a Purolator Classic or Pure One filter in that Chrysler engine - then switch to 5W-30 and don't use Lucas Oil stabilizer.

Any major brand of oil is fine. I prefer Pennzoil, Valvoline, Mobil 5000, Formula Shell or Motorcraft.

 

[wolfc70]

I had a 1997 Breeze with the 2.0 SOHC neon motor. It always clacked on cold mornings, just noisy lifters, dealer said it is normal. Once warm, no valvetrain noise at all. I ran 5w-30 Havoline year round, and it never really consumed oil, just leaked it!

 

[Durango]

Josh48065,

Based on the miles that you have I'd try a Mobil 1 oil filter and see if the morning engine slap goes away.

As far as the oil weight is concerned I would go with a 5W-30 weight version cuz now a days this weight is now the standard compared to a 10W-30 which isn't as popular anymore. This is assuming you want it for more MPG.

Like the others said stop using Lucas oil stableizer as I think it thickens the oil up more.

If you want to try a synthetic oil then I suggest Kendall synthetic. It made/produced by Conoco/Philipps 76 and is an excllent oil and priced pretty darn good compared to others. I myself use Mobil1 but always wanted to try Kendall but my parts store is always out of them. Current price is $4.99/quart compared to my Mobil 1 which is shelve priced at $7.99/quart.

Durango

 

[fdcg27]

I can't make a specific suggestion.
Just try a filter other than the one you're using, and see whether that reduces noise on start.
I would personally use something thinner than a 10W-30 for winter, but we used both 10W-30 and 10W-40 during the winter years ago, and saw no ill effects.
There is no reason to add the Lucas.
Chances are the blender of whatever name brand oil you use knows more about what is needed in an oil than does Lucas.
I would not potentially screw up an additive package with an additive of unknown content, and you really don't need to make the oil any thicker during the winter.
Thicker may be quieter, but quiet does not necessarily equal better lubrication for the main or cam bearings.
I use thicker oil in a variety of applications during the warm months (M1 EP 15W-50 in both Accords over the summer, for example), but prefer thin for the colder months.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted By: Josh48065
Just curious, why drop the Lucas Oil? What do you have against it? A buddy of mine parents have been using Lucas in there Dakota since factor fill and now its has 240k miles still running strong.


Here is an analysis on Lucas Oil Stabilizer. It's pretty weak - to say the least.

Lucas Oil Stabilizer VOA

 

[NightRiderQ45]

Originally Posted By: Josh48065
1. 1998 Dodge Neon Dohc
2. Manual says 5-30 in very cold winters, and 10w-30 in summer.
3. Live in Michigan. About 20F right now.
4. I drive pretty easy, but my transmission doesn't make it easy for my car. Im 3500rpm at 75MPH
5. I driving habits are short and long trips. I work 2 miles away then I communite to Oakland University which is 35 miles one way.
6. It ticks on a cold start, and will almost sound like a knock if I hit the gas under load if I dont warm it up for about 5 minutes, but once it warms up the ticking is completely gone.


Cost really doesn't matter to me, I just want whats best for my car. I also perfer a synthic too. Its has 147k miles and hope to get another year out or two out of her. I personally like using Lucas oil products b/c it stops my ticking on a cold start.At the moment im using 10w-30 PP with a quart of Lucas oil stablizer.
I would like someone's best oil recommendations.
Thanks!
UMMMM....keep doing what got you to 147k!

 

[Milkman]

I had a Neon of the same vintage a while back. The engine always made noise on start-up until I started using NAPA Gold Oil Filters. I ran what ever 10/30 I could find on sale. It's the filter that made the difference on that car.

Hope that helps.

 

[UncleS2]

Originally Posted By: Milkman
I had a Neon of the same vintage a while back. The engine always made noise on start-up until I started using NAPA Gold Oil Filters. I ran what ever 10/30 I could find on sale. It's the filter that made the difference on that car.

Hope that helps.



We have a winner! I put over 200,000 miles on a 97 DOHC 5-sp Neon. Though our NE Tx winter temps can't compete with those from much farther north, I learned a thing or three.

*You're adding a full quart of Lucas Oil thickener? That delays cold oil from reaching the SOHC/DOHC valve train at startup. For cold starts, your valve train would be much better off with any decent 5w30 with no thickeners in it.

*When I tried a good Pure One oil filter during the winter, my Neon worried me with all the extra startup noise from the valve train. When I went back to a regular Wix filter(also sold as NAPA Gold), the noise went away. Regular Purolator is much better than the P1, but in my car the Wix was quieter on cold starts.

*Instead of the little coffee mug size filters(such as AC PF-53, Wix 51348, etc) specified for your '98 Neon, try the oversized, ye olde standarde MOPAR filter that the original '95 Neons came with- Wix 51085, AC PF-13, and Fram(for reference only!) PH-16. When all else is equal, at least in theory, the larger area of filter media should provide less resistance for those cold starts.

I'll close by saying that the little 2.0 L Neon engines were/are very rugged(except for maybe the timing belt!), and normally are not fussy about motor oil, giving very good service on any 5/10w30 you care to use.

A whole quart of Lucas?!?!

 

[Challenger71]

Running PennUltra with a Bosch Distance plus on my Neon. Same mileage generally. Zero audible tick and great oil pressure (25-30 idle / 55 at speed)

Runs like it just drove off the dealer lot.