Originally Posted by avi1777
as much as i learn on oils i start to realize all synths are very similar as long as they are in the same spec,that all the boutique oil are not really worth it if u r not racing and that its all in the right grade,specs and intervals.
took me a while but it happened.
sorry if i drove u guys mad.
I used to think that if I used the perfect motor oil that my engine would last forever, gain a few HP, and possibly even survive if something bad happened like a sudden oil leak. Or perhaps survive if I suddenly lost all coolant. Actually the last thing happened a couple of times. However, there are plenty of people posting to this forum who have had good experiences and virtually no oil-related issues using ordinary conventional motor oils changed regularly.
It's kind of fun thinking about all this, but in the end motor oil has gotten very good in the past 20 years. We talk about our favorites and run through all sorts of numbers, but you'll see a lot of different choices. Many discuss using basic API SN motor oils in vehicles that are easy on the oil. Then there are the cars where the manufacturer specifies some exotic specification that may be targeted for extended drain or some other unusual requirement (like BMW's 10W-60).
Doing these things are relatively inexpensive compared to car payments, and DIY maintenance makes the owner feel good. However, you're going to go crazy worrying about some unusual performance specification that the manufacturer doesn't care about. I still don't know exactly what use the four-ball wear test is when describing motor oils. Or worrying about film strength when most motor oils use sacrificial antiwear additives. Your vehicle will live a nice long life as long as you give it a good quality motor oil, new filters as specified by the manufacturer, and change it regularly. I didn't necessarily say often as I don't subscribe to the belief that more frequent oil changes will necessarily improve engine longevity. It just needs to be changed before the additives are depleted, VII breaks down to unacceptable levels, and/or the base oil is excessively thickened. And in your case perhaps before fuel dilution becomes excessive. I've read that manufacturers don't necessarily believe that trying to keep the wear metals in the oil (that aren't filtered out) down will necessarily extend engine life in any meaningful way.