[Longwait4Train]

Does the Terrain come off the assembly line with Petroleum based Motor Oil or Synthetic Motor Oil??

Do people stay with the Petroleum based or is there a general switch to Synthetic at 1st opportunity??

If the latter, what Brand/ Viscosity is the preferred??

LW4T

 

[mstang66guy]

I switched mine over to Mobil 1 5W-30 at 10,000 miles (the second oil change). I had my first oil change done at the dealer and I was not happy paying 50 bucks for Pennzoil 5w-30 and an AC Delco filter. So I decided to start doing the oil changes my self and use a higher quality oil and filter (plus Walmart had Mobil 1 for 20 bucks for a 5 qt jug).

 

[NoobNox]

I did my first change at the dealership @5k....Mobil 1 5W-30 and probably an AC/Delco filter. (didn't check) ...is there any reason why an AC/Delco filter is not a good thing Mstng66guy?

edit- I used to have a 66 Mustang 289 drop top....I kick myself in the nads every time I remember the day I sold it. :-[

 

[gar187er]

I did my first change at the dealership @5k....Mobil 1 5W-30 and probably an AC/Delco filter. (didn't check) ...is there any reason why an AC/Delco filter is not a good thing Mstng66guy?

edit- I used to have a 66 Mustang 289 drop top....I kick myself in the nads every time I remember the day I sold it. :-[

many other filters flow, and trap better.....

 

[Longwait4Train]

many other filters flow, and trap better.....

Which one do you prefer??
LW4T

 

[RNOX]

The AC/Delco filter for the 4 cyl. is made by Hengest who make a quaility filter and have made the GM OEM filter for the Ecotech 4 cyl's and their offspring. K &N filters are made by Champ Labs http://www.champlabs.com/ and are extremely expensive. Champ labs also makes an Oil filter for the 4 cyl. that is branded as Champ. I can't speak for the 6 cyl.

 

[mstang66guy]

Nothing really wrong with the AC delco oil filter. It is much better than a Fram, but Purolator and Mobil 1 filters filter much better. I found a deal on the Mobil 1 oil and filter so I bought it otherwise I would have gone with a Purolator because it is just as good as Mobil 1 and cheaper.

As for the switch to syn I figured I spent 30k on a new car (for my wife as a long distance commuter car) so I might as well run "the best" oil in it. I also like changing the oil myself because it is much more convenient since my wife works out of town most weeks and I will never trust another quick change place again.

 

[Longwait4Train]

Nothing really wrong with the AC delco oil filter. It is much better than a Fram, but Purolator and Mobil 1 filters filter much better. I found a deal on the Mobil 1 oil and filter so I bought it otherwise I would have gone with a Purolator because it is just as good as Mobil 1 and cheaper.

As for the switch to syn I figured I spent 30k on a new car (for my wife as a long distance commuter car) so I might as well run "the best" oil in it. I also like changing the oil myself because it is much more convenient since my wife works out of town most weeks and I will never trust another quick change place again.

Thanks
When you do the oil & filter - do you have to jack the car up to get under or can it all be done with car normal stance on flat garage floor etc??
LW4T

 

[RNOX]

On the 4 cyl. Fram the filter is made in China. I don't care for the filter media on it compared to the Ac/delco (Hengest) (You can see as it is a Filiment). probably dosen't matter anyways

 

[scottyyyc]

I really have to wonder what makes one oil filter better than another... Is [aftermarket brand x] really going to clean the oil that much better, or really make that substantial of a difference in the long run? Come time at the 10,000mi / 15,000km oil change, is the oil going to be any cleaner with brand-x filter?

And then comes oil... Same thing... Is [after-market synthetic brand x] really going to perform any of oil's 3 basic functions (clean, lubricate, cool) any better then regular OEM oil? Any modern car engine these days should last well beyond the life of the rest of the car. Only very rarely do you ever hear of the engine itself failing or having serious problems, and even then it's usually not caused by oil not doing its job.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for using better components when they make a difference... But when it comes to shelling out significantly higher $$ for premium/synthetic oil and oil filters, I'm just not sold. But I'm more than happy to be shown the light on this one, if anyone has any hard proof that these things make a difference. I'll be the first to buy if that's the case. Otherwise, not sold.

 

[wbassnp007]

Thanks
When you do the oil & filter - do you have to jack the car up to get under or can it all be done with car normal stance on flat garage floor etc??
LW4T

It depends on your size.

 

[mattgroh]

I would love to see a scientific clear recommendation on ideal oil type too. I went with dino for the first oil change at 4,500 but the dealer suggested starting synthetic at 10k after inital break in. I feel like I should just default to their advice at this point.

 

[GuntherCam]

I really have to wonder what makes one oil filter better than another... Is [aftermarket brand x] really going to clean the oil that much better, or really make that substantial of a difference in the long run? Come time at the 10,000mi / 15,000km oil change, is the oil going to be any cleaner with brand-x filter?

And then comes oil... Same thing... Is [after-market synthetic brand x] really going to perform any of oil's 3 basic functions (clean, lubricate, cool) any better then regular OEM oil? Any modern car engine these days should last well beyond the life of the rest of the car. Only very rarely do you ever hear of the engine itself failing or having serious problems, and even then it's usually not caused by oil not doing its job.

Modern oil filters overall are generally good; you can get a better filter by paying more, but it's regular oil changes, and good driving habits (don't beat a cold engine) that are a much more significant factor to engine wear. "Cheap" filters may not be made to consistent standards, so you might get an out of spec off-brand filter that doesn't protect your engine as well as one in-spec. Paying for name brands is supposed to be providing build consistency but not 100%.

Comparing dino oil to dino oil, there is IMHO little difference brand to brand so long as you use the properly rated oil (weight, SAE spec code) that your engine was designed to use. Modern engines have tight tolerances and can be very oil-specific to yield the best performance. It makes a difference if you buy any plain 0W-30, for example, vs the proper spec 0W-30; many online sites have analyzed this.

That said, when comparing dino oil to synthetic oil, especially a quality synthetic that has a high esther content, I CAN see and feel a difference. I've torn down identically-built engines used in nearly identical applications over the years (some for towing, some for hobbyist racing) and can see the difference in component wear; the sythetic oils resist shear and prevent wear noticeably better than dino oils and they can do it for longer intervals if one wants to push it. On turbo engines the synthetic holds up whereas dino oil does not. Hence, many turbo cars specifically require synthetic oil. On an engine dyno, I see a minor increase in horsepower but on the road a measurable improvement in fuel economy (all else being equal). On my motorcycles, after switching to synthetic oil I now see them running a lot cooler in the same or hotter conditions than they did with dino oil. YMMV

 

[mstang66guy]

Thanks
When you do the oil & filter - do you have to jack the car up to get under or can it all be done with car normal stance on flat garage floor etc??
LW4T

I am 5'10 and 185lbs and there is no way I could get under the car comfortably without a set of ramps. With the ramps it was a piece of cake and I had it done in about 25 minutes. I could have been done quicker, but the gorilla at the dealer tightened the drain plug way too much. Also, be careful when changing the oil because GMC ran the exhaust right by the drain plug on the 6cyl.

 

[mstang66guy]

I really have to wonder what makes one oil filter better than another... Is [aftermarket brand x] really going to clean the oil that much better, or really make that substantial of a difference in the long run? Come time at the 10,000mi / 15,000km oil change, is the oil going to be any cleaner with brand-x filter?

And then comes oil... Same thing... Is [after-market synthetic brand x] really going to perform any of oil's 3 basic functions (clean, lubricate, cool) any better then regular OEM oil? Any modern car engine these days should last well beyond the life of the rest of the car. Only very rarely do you ever hear of the engine itself failing or having serious problems, and even then it's usually not caused by oil not doing its job.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for using better components when they make a difference... But when it comes to shelling out significantly higher $$ for premium/synthetic oil and oil filters, I'm just not sold. But I'm more than happy to be shown the light on this one, if anyone has any hard proof that these things make a difference. I'll be the first to buy if that's the case. Otherwise, not sold.

Check out these sites:

http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/

The first site is a really great comparison of a lot of the major oil filters. The basic thing to take away from that is do't buy FRAM.

The second site has more information about oil than you will ever care to know.

 

[Rickbb63]

I use steel ramps to change oil. And yes that drain plug is right next to the exhaust on the V6.I use the OEM PF48 on mine. Castrol 10w30 oil. My local dealership uses that. I have had good luck with that combo for years on my 1997 Grand Am. (151,000 miles)

 

[wbassnp007]

I use steel ramps to change oil. And yes that drain plug is right next to the exhaust on the V6.I use the OEM PF48 on mine. Castrol 10w30 oil. My local dealership uses that. I have had good luck with that combo for years on my 1997 Grand Am. (151,000 miles)

Which Castrol are you using?

 

[DavidPJ]

I stopped changing my own oil years ago mainly because it's become so cheap to have it done, even by the dealer. I bring my own Mobil 1 and filter to the dealer and pay only for their labor and disposal. The other reason I don't change my own oil is because I want a paper trail to prove I've changed the oil regularily, and by the car manufacturer's dealer. Lastly, I rather save the pain in my back than the few dollars it costs to have it done by a reliable company.

 

[bballr4567]

I stopped changing my own oil years ago mainly because it's become so cheap to have it done, even by the dealer. I bring my own Mobil 1 and filter to the dealer and pay only for their labor and disposal. The other reason I don't change my own oil is because I want a paper trail to prove I've changed the oil regularily, and by the car manufacturer's dealer. Lastly, I rather save the pain in my back than the few dollars it costs to have it done by a reliable company.

Im going to be doing a completely topside oil change on our Ecotec when the next oil change comes up. Im buying a Pela 6000 vacuum pump. No need to get under the vehicle at all.

 

[wbassnp007]

Im going to be doing a completely topside oil change on our Ecotec when the next oil change comes up. Im buying a Pela 6000 vacuum pump. No need to get under the vehicle at all.

How is the Pela working for you? Does it remove all of the old oil?