Recommended oil for high milage car

[kloog]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to get some recommendations on what oil to use in my situation. My car is a 1991 Mazada protege 1.8 DOHC with 193,000 miles on it. The current oil it's been getting is castrol gtx 10w-30/5w(winter). I believe it has started to consume oil, maybe a quart every 3000 miles (valve guides might be worn based on vacuum tests). I am wondering if I should move to a thicker oil or go synthetic , like mobil 1.

Thanks

 

[mikeg5]

synthetic wont help much if any.. esp M1 its pretty thin stuff unless you go up to a 40wt..personally save the $ bc M1 isnt all that anyway.... i would go with a thicker gtx oil or go with Maxlife by Valvoline.. its good stuff. maxlife is nice and thick too in the 30wt range. i would go with that

 

[ericthepig]

The High Mileage oils - Maxlife, Castrol HM, SuperTech HM (from personal experience in my 88 323) work very nice for valve guide seals. I would definitely run a 10w40 in these.

Good luck.

 

[kloog]

Would you say a 10w-30 maxlife or 40, It can get cold where I am , sometimes down to -10~

 

[daman]

Try some HM Mobil-1 10w40, may help, hot it's a solid 40w.

 

[DMC]

I'd stick with a thicker 30 weight. GTX 10w30 is 10.6 cst @100 deg. c., you could go with either GTX high mileage or Pennzoil high mileage which are both 12 cst @ 100 deg.c. I don't think you need a 40 weight. 1 qt. per 3000 for that mileage is not too bad. Keep running 10w30 summer and 5w winter. You can go to a 40 if you want, but I think that's a little too thick for that engine.

 

[williar]

I, too, recommend staying with a 10w30 as a heavier weight will decrease fuel mileage and lube less effectively. I would go with one of the dino HM oils and stay away from synthetics.

 

[mikeg5]

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I'd stick with a thicker 30 weight. GTX 10w30 is 10.6 cst @100 deg. c., you could go with either GTX high mileage or Pennzoil high mileage which are both 12 cst @ 100 deg.c. I don't think you need a 40 weight. 1 qt. per 3000 for that mileage is not too bad. Keep running 10w30 summer and 5w winter. You can go to a 40 if you want, but I think that's a little too thick for that engine.

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DMC hit on it right.. you dont need a 40wt.. Maxlife or GTX or maybe even Penzoil HM would work good. just find one on sale

 

[daman]

Quote:

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1 qt. per 3000 for that mileage is not too bad.

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If my car used 1 qt. in 3k i'd be p*ssed off

, thats allot,
feel sorry for his cat converter.

 

[glenncof]

Valve guide wear won't show up in compression tests since it is on the other side of the valve seal being tested (with rings also). Drive behind the vehicle on fast, open highway and do sudden de-acceleration by releasing accelerator. Watch for smoke.

1qt/3000 miles is not bad but that it is increasing is not good trend. You did not say your OCI and I suspect it's higher(5K) than lower(3K). If so I would start more frequent changes.

I don't see any reason to use HM stuff unless leaking at the seals. A thinker oil would likely consume less, I have found cleaner oil gets consumes less also at times. Hense the shorter OCI recommendation. Synth by itself will not solve a problem and cost more.

I've used barrels of GTX (typ. $1 cost) but currently like TropArtic (Conoco) 5W30 blend at WM for $1.68 everyday.

 

[TR3-2001SE]

I would discontinue using Castrol GTX. Every car I have run it in burned oil after awhile. I would first try a 40 weight oil like Delo 15w-40. Then try some auto-rx in it. If it still burns oil, after the auto-rx treatmentr ,I would continue with the 15w-40 oil. If the oil consumption went away I would run 0w-40 Mobil 1.

 

[daman]

A xx/40w will hurt nothing, mileage shouldn't suffer any,try it if you don't like it go back to a xx/w30 oil then.

i run M1's HM 10w40 in my '99 chev and mileage is the same with that or the 5w30 i run in the winter,no difference.

 

[smokey1]

how about the SHELL "High Mileage" motor oil that's available at RITE-AID for $1.69 a quart before rebate , $1.27 with mail-in rebate or apply on-line. To get rebate need to buy 6 and there's a limit of 1 per household . If out of stock could ask for a raincheck . Was told delivery could be on a FRIDAY or call local RITE-AID(s) in advance to see if in stock . They have the "HIGH MILEAGE" in 10w-30 or 10w-40 ( your area may stock other weights ) . GOOD LUCK

 

[Merkava_4]

I'm thinking Maxlife 10W-30 with 1 quart of Maxlife 20W-50 added.

 

[vronline]

He lives in New York... A high mileage 5w-30 should work for you year 'round.

 

[vronline]

By the way, Mobil 1 (at least in 5w-30) is not thin.

 

[Merkava_4]

Quote:

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By the way, Mobil 1 (at least in 5w-30) is not thin.

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Apparently you haven't read the thread about the Passat 2.8L V6 that eats Mobil 1 5W-30 like crazy and is on its 6th page.

 

[daman]

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By the way, Mobil 1 (at least in 5w-30) is not thin.

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He is right, acually the 5w30 is a little thicker then the
10w30, check M1's site and vis. @ 40 and 100 cSt.

 

[ARB1977]

A qrt every 3K isnt bad. I would try auto-rx to see if that helps.

 

[Steelhead]

best you can do to extend life of this well used Mazda is to do 3K mile OCI's to reduce viscosity breakdown and piston blowby oil contamination with what ever name brand 10w30 is on sale locally and save your shekels for the replacement rig. stay away from the 5w30s, most suffer viscosity breakdown.

you may also have fuel dilution problems from dirty corroded damaged worn injectors

when was the PCV changed last?

try a 15w40 HDEO in summer if oil consumption becomes worse. Delo or Rotella... if necessary, a 5w40 in winter

may get you another 50k miles