Save more money and don’t change it. my daily has been going since 2013 with 1 oil change. When it blows up, I’ll yank my plates off and leave the title in the glovebox and call the scrapyard to come get it.
I'm not even really into cars at all , but It's easy to see that you have put a great deal of time and effort into helping educate people about what youre into. The video editing is amazing and your overall delivery is straight pro . So props on doing you keep it going!
Man you explained it in a way that I'll never forget it FOR LIFE. Don't worry about the word thickness vs viscosity we definitely understood. The honey or syrup analogy nailed it! Great explanation and great video. And thanks to the guys at Total.
Journalists are not allowed to think these days. At best, they are told by so called news directors "get me a story on ___". At worst, they are just supposed to fluff a pre-written script [or talking points] with on site babbling or just get footage for a preset narrative waiting to be aired. I love independant enthusiastic exploration like this vid - the guy was invested in finding out how to do the right thing for his car [not setting out to do a corporate hit piece], and sharing the results as found. The business of zinc additives can be a grey area to anybody who owns an 89 to 95 model car that had its engine developed during the early years of EPA mandated reduction of zinc. For even older cars with flat tappet lifters, zinc is not optional. What's cheaper: a new cat, or an engine rebuild? Do what you think is best, but I put zinc in my 95: the [overhead cam] valvetrain runs quieter for it, and I consume less than 250ml [8 ounces] between 5k mile oil changes on an engine with 195k miles on it. I replaced my cat at about 125k miles, which seems ok to me on balance. The motor hp is like new, which makes my original purchase price break down to $2/day for ownership [maintenence excluded], and under $3/day after maintenance is thrown in. By the way... Total is a French company, so it has a little more development experience/history with european motors under its belt.
Yep. And give evasive, bullshit answers. I still cannot get ANY oil company to admit if it uses grade IV base oils (PAO or ester). These "fully synthetic" oils are just dino oil with extra additives.
@Gaunter O'Dimm Exactly. If you use the weight oil recommended for your car, and use an SN oil, today's standard, you will be just fine. You can choose any brand you feel comfortable with, and if it's the correct weight and meets SN standards you are good to go.
James Crabb so you learned nothing. It hast to be approved. For example fords EcoBoost motors run with a lubricated timing belt. But well normally timing belts kind of “melt” in oil, so it is a very special oil you have to put in to prevent a disintegration of this belt. I’ve put some bmw branded oil into my car and well.. after 30.000 miles (new Ford Focus) the belt snapped and was only goo.. didn’t end well)
1:10 Holy cow, spin on a new filter while dirty oil is still pouring out of the filter block! Didn't even wipe it out (yes, I understand the risk of introducing lint into the oil system - that's why a lint-free cloth should be used for this). That's straight-up bush league rookie crap.
@@McCarthyism_by_UA-cam dry starting is literally the biggest myth of all time.... you NEVER get all oil from the engine on an oil change usually if you have a 7qt engine with 7qt in it when you change the oil youll only get 5-6qts out. Theres a try of sorts the cam sits in that holds oil. Dry. Start. Is. A. Myth.
@@ryancollins3227 i both agree and disagree because my car holds 6.5 liters and every oil change my mityvac 7201 pulls out 6.5+ liters due to routine overfilling by .5 liters as a precaution. My bmw has a top mounted cartridge oil filter that also needs to be filled first 1 liter before closing. Not doing that starting up with a bone dry oil filter makes for a loud unhappy v8. It takes less than 10 seconds for the main and scavenging pumps to saturate the filter before the horrible sound of disgruntled metal disappears. I use group V based oil because esters have a electrochemical attraction to metal clinging to it long after PAO oils have gravitated to the oil pan. I'm using Redline 5w50 now and will try another group V, Motul Sport 5w50 in 2 months. In summary, yes one can only hope to extract 85% of the oil during a change but to say dry starts are a myth is plain anecdotal posturing, as there are still people using conventional oil. You've never heard castrol's claim that 75% of wear occurs on cold starts? What's the difference between a cold and dry start?
I like the question about additives. If there weren't additives to the oil, it would burn up and burn off so fast you couldn't keep up to it. Castrol GTX back in the day was one of the best oils where it resisted burning off, which means your oil consumption was far less and over the life of the car, you spent less money on top ups between oil changes. Of course now I use a better oil, but I'm still a fan of Castrol.
Your access to this facility was fantastic. Add the flawless editing, to the point questions and the story, it was a video well worth multiple "thumbs up". Very well done.
And by design to make money. Test your oil after 3000 miles. It is not even close to being broke down. The oils today hardly break down. Changing oil every 3000 miles is a waste of money. Always use mobile one extended milage oil. It's good for at least 15,000 miles.
@@Ecoscienceczar That's a lot, though... I would never exceed 10.000 mi in any car, even with full synthetic. And honestly, if anything, it's even better for your engine to change it slightly sooner. You won't harm it. I wouldn't change it every 3.000 mi either, though (except if it's a very old engine / barely runs / is very worn and you'd like to use it for a couple more years).
Thank you for making this video, it's informative and educational. This cleared up a lot of questions concerning choices of what weight and how semi synthetic affect a vehicle.
Bravo for publishing your non dramatic findings. It shows respect for the truth and the ability to forego the chance to snag more subscribers by throwing in a bunch of intriguing half-truths and conjecture. Subscribed!
I have an AAS in automotive technology was a A union tech for Chrysler and a fixed operations director for Chrysler and Ford , and my father in law was a chemical engineer for Hess refinery and my father worked 40 years for Sunoco refinery . Long story short , use Sunoco gasoline and Mobil 1 full synthetic oil , they are the best out there . No more explanation needed , end of story . Take this excellent advice or don't , but you'll be glad you did if you do ! Sunoco gas and Mobil 1 full synthetic oil ! 100 % !
Additives in the oil from manufacture are different than additives bought off the shelf and added into an oil. So I believe you're picking on two different subjects really. Most questions online asking about additives are referring to store bought, additional additives. Higher zinc content is recommended for all higher revving engines, whether boosted, N/A, water cooled or air cooled. As stated, too much zinc is bad in catted vehicles. No mention of ash content, which equates to sludge. No mentions of benefits of choosing a full syn over a semi or conventional. Overall, this video doesn't do a whole lot for car guys.
amorton94 Mobil had a huge mess back in the 80s I believe when they introduced synthetics in aircraft. They got it worked out but they paid for a lot of engines!
Did you even watch the video? Yes it does clear up some basic things for car guys. In short, use what the manufacturer recommends and do it routinely. If your engine requires synthetic, don't use non-syn. If you use non-synthetic, there's no real advantage to full syn for daily driving. Racing etc are different. bottom line, use what the manufacturer recommends.
eiji81 Lmao. No advantage to full syn for daily driving. Lets just pretend it's not superior oil that gives superior protection for longer intervals. Apparently we have different definitions of "car guy", cuz the info in this vid might news to some kid, but not any actual enthusiasts. Try to be the tough internet warrior you wish you were, but you just look stupid.
For the latest oil specifications, go to your vehicle manufacturer's website once per year in order to check for an updated list of approved spec oils. You might be able to now choose a 5w-20 full synthetic when the owner's manual calls for 5w30. The thinner the oil that you are permitted to use, will result in much better fuel economy. Many times the season will be calculated in figuring out which spec oil to use. On many vehicles, the 20w50 summer time spec dino oil, can now be replaced with with 5w50 or 10w60 full synthetic winter time, this gets better cold weather startup, and extended high speed driving protection when fully warmed up.
Great video! Many people simply don't know enough about oil. One thing that I'd like to add about the "meets or exceeds manufacturers' specifications" issue: Sadly, some of the oil brands that don't specifically state that they meet certain specifications... actually do meet them, but in order to keep costs down they refuse to pay the manufacturers to certify their products. They gamble on customers simply buying their products. On the other hand, some oil manufacturers do not meet the standards for certification, while still claiming that they do. They know that by the time a customer notices the damage to their engine, most customers won't even consider the oil as a contributing factor, because they'll simply know that they've been diligently changing it. So, it definitely pays to do your homework.
@@AEVMU I'm not going to open myself up to any possible libel lawsuits, so suffice to say that my best advice to you is: should you find yourself in a position, wherein you're on vacation... driving your car in a foreign country... and you need to top up your oil... DO NOT try to save money by purchasing a cheaper, unfamiliar brand. Stick with what you know; and keep the receipts. You'd be surprised at how many unscrupulous people are out there, willing to make a fast buck off of unsuspecting victims.
This is one of the best normal human - not to technical - explanation. Don’t spare a dime on cheaper oils which don’t match up to the specification your engine needs. In the end it will cost you a lot more on the wear of your engine. Not to mention it can cause chain reactions creating both minor and major problems which not always points directly to wrong spec oils. And more often than not, this kind of videos in the end turns out as a kind of infomercial. But this one, totally (pun intended) not. A clear explanation without pushing certain kind of products or diminishing others. Just explaining the way it is. Great job from AMMO NYC and Total!
Very informational I enjoyed the video my concern is semisynthetic oils in the video they talked about it could be 50% could be onepercent. Knowing that I would always stay away from semi synthetic and I would put only full synthetic oils in my car and motorcycle.
@Random GearHead yep i'm from a 3rd/2nd world country and all the German cars work just fine ,everyone read the owners manual but in the west they have reliability problems
Then again, VW wanted their customers to change oil every 30kkm on a 1.4l twin-charged engine. That's not reasonable at all. But you know, just like that Total dude said, that's what the factory intended and they intended these engines to brake just outside of warranty (or sooner in most cases).
This is literally the only reason why I would ever want to buy a brand new car, just so I could know for an absolute fact that in no time during this cars life has it been maintained improperly. I swear every used car I get I find something the previous owner stupidly neglected.
Name ONE case where a VW engine broke down before 150 000 miles because of insufficient lubrication due to wrongly calculated service intervals. Name just ONE case where the engine went to hell because of poor lubrication due to aged oil.
Best video I've seen on explaining oil viscosity was made by engineering explained. Very in-depth and quite "dry" content so not for people that are just slightly interested but if you have a strong interest in how oil weights and oil types affect your car I highly recommend it solid science across the board. I will go on to say this video here is great
The "additive question" is usually about separately bottled products sold to be added to the oil that already has the proper additives in it. I never ever add stuff to my oil unless I have an oil burner and am trying to fix it on the cheap and get a bit more life out of it.
super informative video. thanks for sharing with us Larry! i've been a motor head for a long time, but getting the insider's perspective on how oil is manufactured and the differences between the oils is great! appreciate your high quality content as always. thank you!
So many videos that I saw about what gas to use, what oil to use, what parts to use for your cars all have one common final answer, and that is: FOLLOW YOUR CAR MANUAL. Period. And that is the answer. It is simple and a no-brainer. And it make perfect sense because no one knows better about your car and engine than the actual designer and manufacturer themselves. And it would not be in their best interest to not recommend the optimal and ideal parameters to their customers with regards to their car. So the car manual instruction beats all the other advice you can get from outside experts, dealers, mechanics etc etc.
I've been changing oil for 35 years. Trust me on this, the brand of oil makes a difference. Some oils run quieter in your engines. So if you change your oil and you hear a lifter ticking at idle after an oil change and not before, the new oil brand used is not as good for your engine. Change it with the name brand you used before!
I switched to a Turbo Diesel oil for my gas car, notice how quickly they switched subjects when ZDDP was brought up. I have a flat tappet performance cams and it needs all the zinc/phosphorus protection it can get. Oil companies removed most of it which increases engine wear to save the life of the converter. Even If I still had a catalyst on my car I would take catalyst wear over engine wear any day. Very weak responses from Alex. You'd think he be more jovial about his passion for being a chemist. Seemed like he was more annoyed about getting home or perhaps tight lipped for signing a NDA. We didn't need a guided tour or ask a chemist to just be told to read our owners manual. I was expecting him to talk about engine temps and viscosity and plethora of other reasons why you would choose a different grade. Which is the most important question here and where oil breaks down. But he took the least sophisticated route on explaining that. Here's a free sucker and a coloring book. Thanks chap
Aero Tman; You are so right. An old mechanic told me to run Shell Rotella 15W-40 T4, was T3 at the time in my 26 year old Honda Helix 250cc engine that does not even have a oil filter but a screen. It is still the quietest engine I have ever heard and I change the oil every 2,000 miles. Use it for the zinc/phosphorus. Works for me.
Firstly the converter is a transmission part has nothing to do with engine oil. Next yest a flat tappet cam needs zonc but whats mkre important is film strength. Zinc means nothing if metal to metal contact displaces it. Thirdly rotella has had its additive package gutted a few years ago now. Your best option is an oil design for older engines such as lucus hot rod oil or amsoil z rod.
Racing oil can be a gimmick, but my old smog engine with it's flat tappet cam needs that zinc and phosphorus that can be found in best quantities in racing oil. However, I usually just end up adding a containter of Rislone 3x concentrate to regular oil, and when I sent it for testing it spec'd out good. Oil has changed over the years and it is best to know what is good for your own specific application.
Aside from high performance cars as long as the oil meets api, ilsac and passes the PQIA requirements , cheap or expensive it doesn't matter I used walmart oil in a car I had with over 200k miles and never had a problem
Exactly. All this worry over oil and oil filters. NOT important. Just change often and do not crash your car. The nut behind the wheel is the big limitation, not the oil.
Let me add my 2 cents from actual experience with Supertech. I had a 2004 Chevy 3500 Duramax that I hauled campers with. I drove in every type of environment from high heat in desert to blizzards in Wyoming, drove in mountains to flats, straight roads to curvy roads. So to save money I decided to use Supertech oil. I didn't think much of it but I noticed my truck using oil and thought it was normal considering how much towing I was doing. Some guys I work with were talking one day about motor oils and how pretty much every single one of them used Rotella. So I decided the next time I got my oil change I would give it a try. To my surprise my truck not only stopped using oil, but my fuel mileage went up also and all I did was switch from Supertech to Rotella. So yes I would have to say there is a difference between quality oil and Supertech.
News Flash! Most of the well known engine oil brands have a 'Which Oil' selector on their website which you can use to easily get quoted the right oil for your vehicle. Same with oil filters. Select your preferred brand and use the filter manufacturer's website to get the right filter. Nothing complicated at all. Happy motoring folks!
I've been doing all my own car maintenance for over 20 years. I have 3 vehicles, two with over 200K miles and one with over 300K miles. None have needed any major engine repairs. I follow the maintenance schedule in the owners manual for each vehicle. I use a great car maintenance program on my laptop www.automotivewolf.com configured to track and manage all the maintenance. It also monitors fuel economy performance, expenses, parts and does a cost analysis to show how much each vehicle costs you to own it. I also only use OEM oil and filters as recommended from the manufacturer. Toyota has specialized oil for many of their vehicles. So far it seems to be working just fine :)
Hi Larry: just wanted to compliment you on this particular video. I have watched all of your videos. Some of them multiple times. I am impressed with this one because of how all components fit together: images, voice over, background music, montage. Really impressive. Keep up the good work!
A European car specialist once told me that 5w30 was being used to meet government mileage standards and that early GM's using this oil had engine problems as a result. He said he would never use 5w-anything in any of his cars. Porsche recommended 10w40 0r heavier in my water cooled 944S at that time. I now have a 2002 Honda Odyssey that uses 5W-20. I heard that camshafts go out after a couple hundred thousand miles. I used 5W20 for 250,000 miles, but after seeing the scored camshafts last time I changed the timing belt and set valve lash, I decided to switch to 10W30 in summer (using up my stock of 5w20 in the frozen winter months.) Engine runs quieter with it. I'm sure the tolerances are worn in it so I figure it won't hurt. Hope to squeeze a bit more life out of it. So far so good. Transmission has lasted despite the under-cooling from factory, so I added a cooler to that, which I should have done long ago. Also, the sludge problems Toyota and others were having a while back is due to US government changing PCV specs. Even if manual says you can go 5000 or 10,000 miles on an oil change, the detergents break down after 2000 per my instructor in mechanic school. He buys cheapest API approved oil and changes oil every 2000 miles in his non performance daily car. I aim for 3000 but push it to 4000 on my old cars.
oil change intervals are designed to support major oil cos, the most important part of a change schedule is the filter, most of the filters are very small anymore so they should be changed more often,if you change the filter more often you can run the oil longer as the only thing that goes wrong with oil it gets dirty, clean it and you can continue to use it
exactly and add new to the full mark, change fully maybe once every other regular oil change depending how much driving idle time andwhat conditions you drive in dirt roads are terrible so changing more is necesary@@videosurfah
@@joescheller6680 Its not dirt its carbon blow by ,when running oil to long the protection package drops out leaving crappy base oil ( no protection ) we spend 30 to 90k on our vehicles don't cheap out CHANGE THE OIL ! I change mine ( full syn. ) every 5k . I have a small Euro shop about 1300 customers they all come in at 5 k miles. the best part NO oil leaks the seals love it , that alone justifies early chang out , do the math.
High quality engine oil doesn't come from the ground its engineered in a laboratory often from natural gas. The drain interval in the owners manual is for conventional oil (unless its factory filled with synthetic).
cant believe you just said that, natural gas is basically just that, liquid turned into vapor, it may be used to make synthetic in some sort of heat process but in no way a lubricating application
I work in an autoparts store and what we tell the customer is that for non-highend or non-luxury cars, after one hundred or one hundred twenty five thousand miles you have to start using higher viscosity oil than what the manual recommends. The manual may say 0w-20 or 5w-20 but that's only if it were newer. Once you're in the high mileage range your car will need thicker oil for better lubrication and protection. I would advise them to move up to 10w-30 or so.
So, it’s kinda like this, synthetic oils will always give the best protection, this is because of the way there designed on a molecular level, the molecule chains are more uniform, tighter, therefore they resist sheer much better and take longer to break down. They are also designed to absorb contamination (ash, water, dirt particles, etc) thereby keeping the engine cleaner, (this is typically why they allow for a longer drain interval, think of it like this, a conventional oils molecular structure is kinda like a handful of gravel, with the molecules being different shapes and sizes, so they don’t hold up as well/long, synthetic oils molecular structure is like a handful of marbles, all molecules being the same size/shape, and because of this they hold up much longer, and keep your engine cleaner. Then there are the additives. Additives help the oil do everything from change viscosity, to antifoaming, and everything in between Semi synthetic oil is probably the best marketing scheme out there, because there is no government regulation as to what constitutes a “syn blend” oil, oil companies can literally put an eyedropper of synthetic oil in to a 10,000 gallon vat of conventional and call it a blend. Stay away from blends, your just waisting your money, because you cant be sure what you really have. The other trick bag about car manufacturers and oil is a lot of them wont come right and say it requires a synthetic oil. Instead, they say must meet Chevrolet dexos specifications, or BMW 12345677, and so you have to do a little digging to see what really does and does not. You have to be careful with that because car manufacturers/dealers will do anything to avoid honoring a warranty. If you have an engine problem that you think is warranty, the first thing there going to ask for are maintenance records, and if you don’t have them, no warranty, if you have them, but they find you haven’t been using an approved oil, no warranty, on and on and on. This includes vehicles that are recommended for 0-20, 5-20 can void your warranty, so be careful
So, in a nutshell; Step 1: Read the owners manual Step 2: Use oil with the specs recommended by your owners manual regardless of the brand Step 3: In case of any confusion, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR GOD's SAKE PEOPLE!
@@deasttn Step 1: Open google Step 2: Type "What is a good replacement for :your-oil-name-here:" Step 3: Hit enter and hope there's easily accesible information on the subject or dig trough untill you find it.
People spend hours upon hours reading FakeBook or whatever fake bullshit social media they have that makes them feel important, but they cant take 10 mins to read ANY owners manual.
This is how informative self help videos should be done. This guy is more than some shade tree mechanic giving his 2 cents on why you should do this or not do that with absolutely no presentation of his credentials. . This guy went to the oil company and then shared what he learned. This gives him credibility. Well done Sir !
These guys do make really good oil for specialty applications. While many oil brands are capable of this I agree that there is no finer motor oil than one specifically designed with your engine in mind.
It depends what kind of driving you do. I commute in traffic jams for most of my driving so I'm changing my full synthetic oil every 4 to 5 thousand miles. If I ran conventional then id shoot for somewhere closer to 3 thousand miles. I could probably go a bit longer either way but I like to keep mine changed on the earlier side. I think 7500 miles is questionable even with synthetic when you drive in grindy bumper to bumper traffic all the time like us California city slickers do. If I drove mostly mostly highway and steady speeds I would change conventional at 5 thousand and synthetic at 7500. Always check levels every so often for topping up especially if you don't know your engine yet.
I live in nyc and change my synthetic oil in my car every 2-3k because NYC traffic does severe wear on the oil. I usually drive 2-3k miles every 4-6 months.
You may think its questionable, however multiple fleet studies have shown that 7500 miles is not a problem, especially for synthetics. Marketing has done its job, and now people actually believe commuting is somehow a hardship case. First I heard of it was when I moved to NorCal from NY State, and didn't think it make sense. I usually was and still do OC at 5K, or longer if I'm running synthetic, and never had any problems. I usually end up having to add some at 3K for my Q45 because they were built to burn a little more oil as they built the engine for power, and its a little loose tolerance wise. But feel free to go every 3K if it makes you feel better. They'll take your money.
@@tonychambers9228 Yo, Tony -- New York City traffic is no harder on your engine than traffic in Detroit, Phoenix, Se0attle, Houston, or Los Angeles. It only SEEMS that NYC is worse. ;>) However, there are steps you can take to ensure that your engine lasts it's longest life possible, while giving maximum performance AND economy: 1. - Install a NEW PCV Valve -- DO NOT clean the old one -- throw it away. 2. - Install a NEW AIR FILTER -- FRAM's "Tough Guard" Air Filter has the latest technology, can trap and hold more dirt. The BOSCH Premium oil filter has a 20-Micron rating. VERY FEW oil filters can meet that standard. Reasonable price, and is available almost everywhere. 3. - Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic is refined from Natural Gas, and contains only 5% of petroleum oil -- When using the manufacturer-recommended oil viscosity, your engine will probably run smoother and quieter than with any oil (of the same viscosity) that you used in the past. 4. Get a DIGITAL Tire Guage ( JACO # X0025NLFVT -- Amazon.com) and USE IT !! Set your tire pressures at the Manufacturer's recommendations. 5. - Considering your circumstances, and following the suggestions above, you could do a "ONCE-A-YEAR" Oil & Filter change without any risk of harm to your engine. P.S. -- PLEASE don't ruin your engine by purchasing "Whatever's on sale." If you can afford to own a car in NYC, you can afford to choose and buy top-quality parts and lubricants for your engine. Good Luck !!
I was able to take a tour of the Amalie factory and interview their chemist, but they were a little less camera-friendly. The Total facility shown here looked very similar, though!
i am actually surprised, I was expecting an older individual to do all the explanation on behave of the oil factory and we got a very young and knowledgeable one. glad to see the young people take charge! . congrats smart guy!
Fond memories! I worked as Blending Lab supervisor at ERCA Esso's research centre in the UK. Formulating an engine oil is an art form and millions are spent getting the mix of ingredients just right. Oil's ain't oils!
Well the reality is that the Owners Manual isn't ALWAYS the best thing to do! Especially with older cars as new tech comes out. My 94 Integra recommends 5w or 10w30 oil depending on climate. I use 0w30 full synthetic to help reduce engine wear at cold startup, and I'd like to think that is partly why the engine still runs great at 362,000 miles. Back in 1994 there was no such thing as 0w30 oil. Since most engine wear occurs during cold starting, you want the thinnest oil possible when cold. 0w is still thicker than what's needed at operating temperature, so any engine that requires 5w or 10w30 can use 0w30, and any engine that requires 5w20 can use 0w20.
They have had straight 30 weight oil sense the 60's. Oil pump design and clearance aswell as oil galley design just gooping in heavier weight thinking it means more protection it doesnt film strenth gives you that. Whatbyou have done is slowed ur drain back likely raised ur oil temp.
You got it backwards , you are causing more wear , the 5w is what the oil thickness is when started cold , it's thinner to flow better . Your using a thicker oil on start up , harder to flow and harder on the oil pump as well . You are causing more wear by doing this
That VTEC 4 cylinder engine you have can probably tolerate the thinner synthetic oil that you use because it revs higher than most cars but it is not good advice to tell others to use a thinner oil at startup than what is recommended. The best advice is to warm up your car to prolong engine life and I am sure you already do this.
Just two comments: When people say "tight tolerances," they usually mean "tight clearances." Tight clearances require tight tolerances, but you can have a loose clearance between parts made to tight tolerances. I still say it, and didn't think about it until I saw it on a web forum. Do a web search for more info. It's sort of like how firearm people say "accuracy" when they are talking about what is technically defined as "precision." Everyone says it, and everyone knows what is meant, but it's technically incorrect. The SAE numbers (20, 30, 40) aren't measures, they are ratings. They don't equal any units of viscosity, they are just convenient numbers to use. SAE 40 isn't twice as "thick" as SAE 20, for example. People see SAE 5W and thing OMG that's 1/4 as thick as 20W but that's not correct.
It's been a few decades since I saw video of oil testing, but there is a friction roller test used to find the shear point [how much pressure it takes to break film thickness and get metal on metal contact]. It's more informative than viscosity [which does matter also]. Seems like the best real world evaluation, but no idea if or how SAE ratings use it in their ratings. There's way more to consider than a 10w-40 rating [for example] when designers pick machinery lubricants, but I suspect each rating has acceptable performance range limits to get SAE approval.
i always thought of the two numbers as temperatures. "αW-β oil is appropriate for climates with temperatures ranging from α° Celsius to β° Celsius... *roughly*"
SAE numbers ARE actually measures of something: the amount of seconds that grade of oil takes to flow through some tube that the SAE uses for quantifying grades.
I have learnt that you must wear safety glasses when doing an interview, very dangerous if the geek your interviewing projects a bit of spit in your direction.
My turbo charged Jeep came with instructions to use 100% synthetic and it even specified what grade of synthetic. There are ratings on the bottles to compare. I recently learned that synthetic oil can withstand higher temperatures before it begins to harden and stick to engine surfaces. Since a turbo is the hottest place on an engine it only makes sense to use the toughest high temp tolerant oil available.
Bought a new Ram Hemi truck back in 2015.....Dealer gave me approx 2 years of freebee oil changes using their Mopar oil and filter which ended at 32,000 miles. At 38,000 miles I began using 5-20 Amsoil Signature Series along with the Amsoil's extended life filter. A few days after putting in the Amsoil, I noticed that the engine was a little quieter when going through my usual favorite drive thru for lunch when my driver window was down (engine noises reflect off the walls)......As more time went by, the Hemi became even more quiet. After using Amsoil Signature Series for just over 25K miles now, I can report a 1.5 MPG average increase, a quieter engine AND some increased engine performance as well..........At the 55K mile mark, I converted the trans and rear diff over to the Amsoil Signature Series. To my surprise, the trans shifting actually became a little crispier and somewhat smoother............Now I do not know if Amsoil makes anything to Porsche oil requirement specs. But if they did and if I owned a Porsche, I would be using Amsoil Signature Series without hesitation.............
Have you done an oil analysis as proof that your oil really works? If their oil is true synthetic oil why it's not labeled 100% synthetic oil. From machinery lubrication website "While most engine oils are made to acceptable standards, their general and specific qualities can vary widely. Poor-quality engine oils are often put on the market due to ignorance or greed. Unfortunately, for the uninformed automobile owner, a high-quality engine oil and one of poor quality will look and feel the same."
The branding "Synthetic" is not a regulated formula, there are no actual API, or SAE requirements to be met in order to become "Synthetic". True Synthetic, Full Synthetic, Synthetic, all have the same meaning. It could be a POA formula but, more commonly, synthetic is a Grade III oil. Both use additives to meet or exceed specific manufacturer requirements. An extra refined, hydrocracked or Isocracked, Grade III oil is just as effective and even more so in many cases as a "truly synthetic" (POA) based oil. With the latest refining technology from (leading oil refiner's name omitted), Isocracked oil can exceed many "true" synthetics in a Grade II or Grade II+ base oil. The hype on the bottle means nothing. When it comes to oil, price usually does dictate quality and performance, the additives and extra refining are really expensive! In most cases, North American passenger cars will only require an SN grade, in which case there's no real benefit to synthetics. With European and some Japanese cars, turbo and diesel engines, there are usually very specific requirements, as mentioned in the video, MB 229.5 VW 505 etc.
Oz Media , nothing outperforms true 100% synthetic Motor oil. I have tested in my own vehicles. Group 2 and 3 is just not good enough. Engine remanufacturing shops making billion dollars, because people use group 2 and 3. If group 2 and 3 were good, majority people would never have engine problems.
Actually, in Germany and Japan, only engine oils with base stocks that are comprised of at least 80% Group 4 or 5 oils may be labeled as "fully synthetic". It was Exxon Mobil that went to court over said issue back in the day. Having said that (and having spent some years in a refinery), there are great group 3 HC (hydrocracked) base stocks out there that are on par with almost any given PAO blend. It all depends on the process. And in the end, the additive package is even more important than the chemist in the video made it out to be. Total is a good brand for high quality oils - the Mazda "original" oils are being produced by them 😁 And: oil change importance cannot be understated. Manufacturers don't want their stuff to last but since I want my engines to last, I have decided for myself to cut each drain interval in half and use manufacturer-approved oil. The requirements for approvals are really tough but engine oils can't perform miracles. Nothing is as good for an engine as fresh oil - besides proper treatment by the driver.
Oz Media Exactly. Perhaps you should have written the script for this verbose and very basic video. Also I would add that clear physical evidence to show that lower viscosity oil will produce more wear than higher viscosity oil in passenger cars with conventional use is lacking given identical antiwear additive packages. Wow, that was a run-on sentence! I've heard owners say things like, "my car is getting old so I'm going to start using thicker oil to reduce wear." That's simply wrong.
I'm actually using for at least 17yrs total oil, the last few years quartz7000 10w40. In a non-reliable engine(x16xel) on LPG. Few months ago, coz i'm a idiot, we removed the head to resurface it and change the gasket(I ran out of coolant, but didn't noticed it for a few km, coz my bulbs behind the gauges are dead for a few month now, and it was around midnight). The cylinders don't have any edge, or any signs for the mileage the car actually has(315,000km). And i repeat, it's a really known unreliable engine. Like massively unreliable engine. People can't believe it has made that much kilometers. And I change my oil every 10,000km. Edit: I drive the car like it's stolen. All the time.
is because you are burning lpg the cleanest burning fuel out there and natural gas would be almost equivelant. burning lpg your oil hardly ever gets dirty always appears to be clean like right out of the can
I think as long as you use the proper oil and change frequently brand doesn’t matter. My preference is pennzoil ultra platinum but I bet super tech oil would be fine for your engine. Engine Oil has to meet certain requirements
@@mikeprice8307 The OP mentions nothing at all about oil specs apart from brand doens't matter. Pennzoil Platinum is just one buch of branded oils. It's not that simple, nor that difficult. Especially not if you don't reside in Retardistan.
The ONLY true synthetic By Total I know of, is the 0w-30 a3/b4 euro oil and is the only synthetic sold here.I e. PAO bro Is and Grp V esters. Most shit is not grp 4 or 5 and I applaud Total for telling the truth.
I have worked in the petroleum industry for over 20 years. I have been told, like the comment made on this video about "synthetic Blends", the oil industry loosely regulates the specifications on what an oil weight is. Such as, a 10 weight might be any where from a 5 to a 15 class weight. The same thing for the heavier number. A 30 weight oil might actually be any thing from a 20 weight to a 40 weight.
Thanks for what the numbers and letter stands for. I don't drive a race car but it anything that helps me keep my daily driver on the road longer helps.
Very contradictory video and the oil guy doesn't make sense, oil that exceeds or equivalent to the owners manual is fine. Additives are also branded differently even if they're the same as part of the selling point to make them sound exotic. When the oil guy was asked about the specifics, he still repeated company speak. Ie, BMW or Mercedes, that doesn't matter, it's the viscosity that's important and ANY brand that meets the specific minimum requirements is absolutely fine, the rest is only for sales, how do I know, because my good friend works for Mobil oil and makes oil for many manufacturers who brand it as they're own, when they don't have they're own manufacturing plant. So car brand oil, is totally unimportant, contrary to what the lab rat said. Peace.
He looks very young and the type that would rather be PC gaming than actual oil testing or research. I've called a Mercedes dealership service dept before and they've told me they use Mobil 1. If you look on bmw forums they recommend the same and that's coming from bmw enthusiasts.
When he refers to 'mercedes' or 'bmw' he doesn't mean oil branded by these companies, he means oil formulated as recommended by these companies - or whatever brand of car/engine is relevant - Not just viscosity. Companies may have a very specific formula for one engine. For example early VW pump duese engines suffered alot of top end wear so a specific formula was produced to prevent this. So simply matching the viscosity grade isn't always adequate. For instance a 5w 40 PD oil is different to other 5w 40 oils. You can use any brand of oil, just to the correct blend and spec recommended by the engine manufacture. Also when he refers to additives he means additives used at point of oil production, not DIY off the shelf crap.
Your way to understand oil viscosity aka thickness might be rudimentary to some but it made perfect sense to me. Especially the maple syrup part. It also made me want pancakes. Doh!
i have developed a high grade of respect for Total as an automotive lubricant provider. I'm convinced and going to try it for my lightly modified type-r.
In the summary you said, "change it regularly". The Chemist said to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Changing the oil at 3,000 miles is a useless waste if the manufacturer suggests changing it at 5,000 miles. Listen again beginning at 14:15. You also indicated that the brand does not matter if it has the correct specifications. The Chemist stressed it has to say approved by the manufacturer. Presumably some oil with similar stated specifications are not approved by the manufacturer and may have a problem. It may be ok but simply not tested but who wants to take that chance. I worked for an automotive seal manufacturer. Our Chemist told me that it did not matter what brand of oil I used but do not mix brands. He added that the individual additives in major brands are ok but if mixed, some mixtures would "eat" the seals.
*+Matt's Shop* You've just misunderstood. Oil always THINS when hot. In #1, he's not saying the opposite of that - he's saying that oils with higher numbers stay thicker (have a higher viscosity) at warmer temperatures than oils with lower numbers. So, for example, if you put a 20W-50 oil and a 5W-30 oil side-by-side in bowls and raised the room temperature from 0-212˚F and then lowered it again, both oils will get thinner as they heat up and thicker as they cool down, but the 20W-50 oil will remain thicker than the 5W-30 every step of the way because it has a higher viscosity. If you did that with a 10W-30 and 5W-30, the 10W-30 would be thicker than the 5W-30 at lower temperatures (10 being the higher cool temp number), but they would both be the same thickness - or thinness, however you want to look at it - when they reached 212˚F (30 being the same high temp number).
Close.With multi-viscosity oils, a "W" after the number stands for "Winter" grade oil. The numeric value of the first number (example 5W-20) is a measure of the pour point of the oil expressed in degrees Celsius whent he oil is cold. The rating is determined in a lab using a cold crank simulator and mini-rotary viscometer test. The oil weight is its viscosity index at 100 degrees C (the boiling point of water). What this means is 5w20 for example will stop pouring a 5c and has a viscosity of 20 at 100c.
Thats just dead wrong William, i run 5w-40 in my car and the oil flows very fine at 5c. The first number is the oils viscosity measured at 0 c and the 2nd number is the viscosity measured at 100c (operating temperature). The benefit of multigrade oil is that you dont have to run 2 viscosities depending on what season it is, like we had to here in norway back in the days. During winters we sometimes see -30c and summers are normally between 20-30c, having 1 multigrade oil allows us to run 1 type of oil all year.
Moriquendiii multi weight oils REDUCE the need for running different oils, they do not eliminate it. Every engine I have from my push mower to by semi has multiple oil weights listed depending on temperature. Pickup recommends 15w-40 for anything above 0°F, but cold of -30°F it recommends switching to 0w-30
Probably THE best car car video I have ever watched. Extremely informative and an eye opener. I best check my oil in my VW. She's an old girl now and I want to keep her running.
I currently use Motorcraft Semi-Synthetic in my Ford F150 EcoBoost engine, as that's what my manual states to use. Many are telling me I'd be better off using a full synthetic, and even a high end Ford Tech states to use Penzoil Platinum full synthetic, and whichever oil I use, it states to change it at 5,000 miles, whereas the manual says I could do so at 10,000 miles, using their Motorcraft semi-synthetic and Motorcraft oil filer. Is there a way to find out how much 'synthetic' is in their semi-synthetic 5-30w product?
I use Honda synthetic blend in my Civic. Nothing is wrong with using a reputable brand's semi-synthetic. Wear typically happens when you don't change your oil on time and you have all those impurities scratching surfaces at high temperature. Even if you drive your truck hard you're barely scratching the surface so no need to spend extra on full synthetic. Frequent oil change is key to longevity. Blackstone lab analysis of OEM Honda synthetic blend after 8k miles shows it is on par with Amsoil, Castrol, Mobil and could be pushed to 10-12k miles. Pretty damn good for a semi. There are advantages to using semi-synthetic. I think Blackstone labs can identify the % for you, contact them.
My manual tells me every 5k change it. I'm nobody's fool, I can feel the oil breakdown at like 3k. The manufacturer intended on me wearing out my engine and buying another one.
So that information I felt was basic, but I've learned most people don't know it. This guy always does great videos and this is one I think every car owner should watch. To add to it, based off of some obscure engineer's blog from back in the day and some other reading I'm going to throw in my two cents so take with a grain of salt. Initially synthetic wasn't good for vehicles since it was being pioneered. By the time it was a better alternative people would still blame it for messing up their engines. The blog explained that sometimes on high mileage vehicles the the carbon deposits eat at and become the gaskets. By using synthetic you risk cleaning them out the deposits acting as gaskets and opening a leak. So my take away was don't switch to synthetic unless under 100k and you're religious about oil changes. Mechanics have okayed my engine for synthetic at 200k because they know I religiously change oil. Not worth the risk for me. Also, mentioned in the blog is aside from synthetic running cleaner longer, the dual weight is built up in the base formula. Conventional oil the dual weight is created by additives. This means that conventional oil properties will degrade quicker than synthetic. Even if an oil maintains viscosity, the additives meant to protect or clean your engine can wear down too. Add to it that biproducts are meant to be absorbed by some of the additives so you should always follow your vehicle's recommended interval changes rather than the oil companies to which many oil companies will acknowledge in fine print. Change your oil so the additives can take out the crud! That said, yes synthetic is cleaner and lasts longer so if you push mileage it won't be as bad as pushing conventional. Manufacturers are also changing manuals to represent synthetic intervals. Now something many people say and I roll my eyes at, "I had a car in the 70's that could go 8k to 12k on conventional". Older cars have looser clearances for pistons and other moving parts. Abrasions from dirty oil might be more forgiving. Older cars tend to burn up oil. Newer cars are finely tuned athletes with soft spots. Modern engines have tighter clearances and stricter emissions standards. They don't really lose oil through the pistons until they get older and worn typically. Dirty oil even while viscous may shorten your engine's lifespan. If oil starts to slip through in it's old age you need to keep it topped off. The plugs will burn it off if small. Eventually, there will come a day when the wear and tear fails your emissions and you'll need a new car or engine. Now let's talk weight. Your owners manual will have different recommendations for different environments, but most modern vehicles can do one specific grade across most climates which your manual will recommend. That said, you can try a heavier weight within recommendations to try and slow the loss of oil; however, a heavier weight may increase engine pressure and make the leak worse. You have to experiment and watch it. I recommend fixing the leak, but sometimes the internal piston or valve leaks aren't bad enough to justify opening it right away. You might get a little more mileage then rebuild or go new. As long as your spark plugs burn up the excess oil, don't destroy your Catylitic converter, and you still pass your emissions tests then the only issue is remembering to keep the oil topped off. Synthetics can be harder to burn off than conventional and I have read recommendations to use it if the pistons allow more oil by. My thoughts are as long as it gets burned off the less likely it is to go out the exhaust & pollute the O2 sensors or catalytic converter. Just acknowledge at this point your engine is going to need addressing soon. Lastly, if you travel to higher elevations your engine pressure will increase as it works harder to which it will lose more oil than normal. I see older cars broken down on the way in to Denver from Texas quite a bit. The cars might just reflect the priorities of the owners. That said, your gas mileage will get better as air gets thinner and your car dumps less fuel in to the thin air mixture, but that is also why you will have less engine power and increased engine pressure from it working harder. Feel free to kindly correct me if you think me mistaken.
Such a MASSIVE difference between this oil facility and the video on you tube of the Mobil 1 facility It's like night and day, with this facility looking very old.
Video didn't answer anything that a 30 second video has not already shown. Lab coat wouldn't answer shit and looked like his boss was on the other side of the camera.
Another great video Larry! I like the journalist approach. If anyone cares about going deeper down the rabbit hole, here's a pretty detailed look at the technical side of engine oil: ua-cam.com/video/l-zDt9FGJi8/v-deo.html
excellent video.👍 i use to host work shops @ my mom & pop performance shop on the importance of quality oil & understanding all that was covered in this video. forever greatful to my neighbors Torco Oil for thier insight all these years. debating which oil brands are "best" within a racing community is comical. I've discovered its mostly hereditary much like your dads aftershave or deodorant preference. statistically society will stick/vouch with what thier family believes is best. 😆 Another great feature one should look into is seeing if your performance oil producer can test a sample of your motor oil after a cycle. studying the used oil can reveal a ton of info & teach you a thing or to about your driving habits.... 👍
I just change the oil once a year in my VR6 GTI (2003) at the dealership using Castrol Edge 5W-40. I only put about 5 to 6 thousand miles a year on the car... usually short local trips to and fro. Have had the car 16 years with no issues whatsoever! Then again, I only have 89,000 miles on it, original owner.
Base oils are categorized into "groups" which are defined by performance. Conventional or as you stated "regular" oil is considered Group 2 and has a pour point much higher than a synthetic oil (Group 3). Synthetic oil's lower pour point, resistance to heat and better lubricity characteristics make it a much better performer as compared to conventional oils especially in low and high temperature environments. Adding Group 3 to Group 2 base oils gives us "synthetic blend" and improves the overall performance as compared to conventional but short of full synthetic.
Synthetic has longer molecule strands than mineral, every time your drive your car these strands get sheered. Because the strands are longer and more tightly grouped in synthetic it takes longer for the oil to break down, this means the grade of the oil stays at its advertised viscosity for longer.
Adam Randell yup, and also under different temperatures (hotter) can change the pH of the oil (via additives), causing those designed synthetic chains to come apart and form longer “thicker” oil at higher temperatures. And doing the opposite of what basic base oils do. Go science! 😀
Adam Randell Synthetic base oils have a much higher viscosity index (difference in viscosity from cold to hot) which means less of the polymers required to achieve the desired multi grade. These polymers will shear with use as you say but synthetic oils don’t change as much Synthetics are man made molecules which means less impurities so has higher resistance to oxidisation and heat leading to longer life Synthetics also have higher film strength allowing lower viscosities be used hence more power and efficiency
This part is crucial: 14:22 "Just as smoothly as your vehicle manufacturer INTENDED it to be. " The thing nowadays is: do manufacturers want our engines to last long? I doubt it
@@gabrielegalati9011 I'm just saying that it used to be true that following your user's manual was the absolutely best thing to do. As easy as that. Not [necessary] true anymore.
My oil is self changing. It has this great feature called a leak and all I have to do is put 1l in every week.
Lawrence Timme rear main seal? If so, I know the pain 🛢️💲
Save more money and don’t change it.
my daily has been going since 2013 with 1 oil change.
When it blows up, I’ll yank my plates off and leave the title in the glovebox and call the scrapyard to come get it.
not sure that is brag worthy.
Lawrence Timme 😂 hahah the niggas😂👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
so you have a british car, then?
I love how careful was the engineer at answering the question since the question itself can lead to a misleading result if answered lightly.
If video games have taught me anything, it's that red barrels are the exploding kind
Andrew Malkin I played 007 golden eye and EVERY barrel was the exploding kind!
Haha! Awesome reply.
TNT lol
LMAO good one...
ACME brand are the powerful ones...
I'm not even really into cars at all , but It's easy to see that you have put a great deal of time and effort into helping educate people about what youre into. The video editing is amazing and your overall delivery is straight pro . So props on doing you keep it going!
Man you explained it in a way that I'll never forget it FOR LIFE. Don't worry about the word thickness vs viscosity we definitely understood. The honey or syrup analogy nailed it! Great explanation and great video. And thanks to the guys at Total.
Every journalist should organise an interview like this: "Hey can I stick a camera in your face and ask a bunch of questions?"
Only if you agree to wear one of our "Total" shirts.
Journalists are not allowed to think these days. At best, they are told by so called news directors "get me a story on ___". At worst, they are just supposed to fluff a pre-written script [or talking points] with on site babbling or just get footage for a preset narrative waiting to be aired. I love independant enthusiastic exploration like this vid - the guy was invested in finding out how to do the right thing for his car [not setting out to do a corporate hit piece], and sharing the results as found. The business of zinc additives can be a grey area to anybody who owns an 89 to 95 model car that had its engine developed during the early years of EPA mandated reduction of zinc. For even older cars with flat tappet lifters, zinc is not optional. What's cheaper: a new cat, or an engine rebuild? Do what you think is best, but I put zinc in my 95: the [overhead cam] valvetrain runs quieter for it, and I consume less than 250ml [8 ounces] between 5k mile oil changes on an engine with 195k miles on it. I replaced my cat at about 125k miles, which seems ok to me on balance. The motor hp is like new, which makes my original purchase price break down to $2/day for ownership [maintenence excluded], and under $3/day after maintenance is thrown in.
By the way... Total is a French company, so it has a little more development experience/history with european motors under its belt.
Yep. And give evasive, bullshit answers. I still cannot get ANY oil company to admit if it uses grade IV base oils (PAO or ester). These "fully synthetic" oils are just dino oil with extra additives.
I'm not an "expert" on oil by any means but this video told me absolutely nothing I didn't already know.
@Gaunter O'Dimm Exactly. If you use the weight oil recommended for your car, and use an SN oil, today's standard, you will be just fine. You can choose any brand you feel comfortable with, and if it's the correct weight and meets SN standards you are good to go.
James Crabb so you learned nothing. It hast to be approved. For example fords EcoBoost motors run with a lubricated timing belt. But well normally timing belts kind of “melt” in oil, so it is a very special oil you have to put in to prevent a disintegration of this belt. I’ve put some bmw branded oil into my car and well.. after 30.000 miles (new Ford Focus) the belt snapped and was only goo.. didn’t end well)
@@avinci3116 BS x 2= more BS
Nonsense !!
Yeah, I knew all this stuff already too.
1:10 Holy cow, spin on a new filter while dirty oil is still pouring out of the filter block! Didn't even wipe it out (yes, I understand the risk of introducing lint into the oil system - that's why a lint-free cloth should be used for this). That's straight-up bush league rookie crap.
IT AINT NOTHING TO JESUS
Chris Leone what?
and at least soak the new filter with oil to offset the initial dry start. So glad i own a mityvac
@@McCarthyism_by_UA-cam dry starting is literally the biggest myth of all time.... you NEVER get all oil from the engine on an oil change usually if you have a 7qt engine with 7qt in it when you change the oil youll only get 5-6qts out. Theres a try of sorts the cam sits in that holds oil. Dry. Start. Is. A. Myth.
@@ryancollins3227 i both agree and disagree because my car holds 6.5 liters and every oil change my mityvac 7201 pulls out 6.5+ liters due to routine overfilling by .5 liters as a precaution. My bmw has a top mounted cartridge oil filter that also needs to be filled first 1 liter before closing. Not doing that starting up with a bone dry oil filter makes for a loud unhappy v8. It takes less than 10 seconds for the main and scavenging pumps to saturate the filter before the horrible sound of disgruntled metal disappears. I use group V based oil because esters have a electrochemical attraction to metal clinging to it long after PAO oils have gravitated to the oil pan. I'm using Redline 5w50 now and will try another group V, Motul Sport 5w50 in 2 months. In summary, yes one can only hope to extract 85% of the oil during a change but to say dry starts are a myth is plain anecdotal posturing, as there are still people using conventional oil. You've never heard castrol's claim that 75% of wear occurs on cold starts? What's the difference between a cold and dry start?
What I learned in this video: how to pronounce Total
lol
Total is a french company. That's how they pronounce it
Man from Nantucket ITS TOTAL NOT TOTAL DUDE 🤔
Oh I didnt catch that. How's it pronounced?
@@spiralnapkin to-TAL
I like the question about additives. If there weren't additives to the oil, it would burn up and burn off so fast you couldn't keep up to it. Castrol GTX back in the day was one of the best oils where it resisted burning off, which means your oil consumption was far less and over the life of the car, you spent less money on top ups between oil changes. Of course now I use a better oil, but I'm still a fan of Castrol.
Your access to this facility was fantastic. Add the flawless editing, to the point questions and the story, it was a video well worth multiple "thumbs up". Very well done.
Yeah, but how much profit can there be in making a specific blend of oil for classic Porsche owners who track their car?
Summary of the video: use what the manual says, change it when the manual says to, there was literally nothing else in this video.
Exactly. Car makers and oil chemists do know a thing or two about engines and oils. There is much more to it than SAE viscosity rating.
Foreal 😂😂
And by design to make money. Test your oil after 3000 miles. It is not even close to being broke down. The oils today hardly break down. Changing oil every 3000 miles is a waste of money.
Always use mobile one extended milage oil. It's good for at least 15,000 miles.
thanks for saving my 15 minutes
@@Ecoscienceczar That's a lot, though... I would never exceed 10.000 mi in any car, even with full synthetic. And honestly, if anything, it's even better for your engine to change it slightly sooner. You won't harm it. I wouldn't change it every 3.000 mi either, though (except if it's a very old engine / barely runs / is very worn and you'd like to use it for a couple more years).
Thank you for making this video, it's informative and educational. This cleared up a lot of questions concerning choices of what weight and how semi synthetic affect a vehicle.
Bravo for publishing your non dramatic findings. It shows respect for the truth and the ability to forego the chance to snag more subscribers by throwing in a bunch of intriguing half-truths and conjecture. Subscribed!
I have an AAS in automotive technology was a A union tech for Chrysler and a fixed operations director for Chrysler and Ford , and my father in law was a chemical engineer for Hess refinery and my father worked 40 years for Sunoco refinery . Long story short , use Sunoco gasoline and Mobil 1 full synthetic oil , they are the best out there . No more explanation needed , end of story . Take this excellent advice or don't , but you'll be glad you did if you do ! Sunoco gas and Mobil 1 full synthetic oil ! 100 % !
In most places it's the same damn suppliers for every station with whatever crap the station adds to the tank. It's really almost all the same gas.
I just get longer dipsticks ! Oil level remains constant !
@Copter Cop that is what ford did with the 2017 -2020 f150 5.0
Additives in the oil from manufacture are different than additives bought off the shelf and added into an oil. So I believe you're picking on two different subjects really. Most questions online asking about additives are referring to store bought, additional additives. Higher zinc content is recommended for all higher revving engines, whether boosted, N/A, water cooled or air cooled. As stated, too much zinc is bad in catted vehicles. No mention of ash content, which equates to sludge. No mentions of benefits of choosing a full syn over a semi or conventional. Overall, this video doesn't do a whole lot for car guys.
amorton94
Mobil had a huge mess back in the 80s I believe when they introduced synthetics in aircraft.
They got it worked out but they paid for a lot of engines!
Ummm okay?
Sadly that's true.
Did you even watch the video? Yes it does clear up some basic things for car guys. In short, use what the manufacturer recommends and do it routinely. If your engine requires synthetic, don't use non-syn. If you use non-synthetic, there's no real advantage to full syn for daily driving. Racing etc are different.
bottom line, use what the manufacturer recommends.
eiji81 Lmao. No advantage to full syn for daily driving. Lets just pretend it's not superior oil that gives superior protection for longer intervals. Apparently we have different definitions of "car guy", cuz the info in this vid might news to some kid, but not any actual enthusiasts. Try to be the tough internet warrior you wish you were, but you just look stupid.
For the latest oil specifications, go to your vehicle manufacturer's website once per year in order to check for an updated list of approved spec oils. You might be able to now choose a 5w-20 full synthetic when the owner's manual calls for 5w30. The thinner the oil that you are permitted to use, will result in much better fuel economy. Many times the season will be calculated in figuring out which spec oil to use.
On many vehicles, the 20w50 summer time spec dino oil, can now be replaced with with 5w50 or 10w60 full synthetic winter time, this gets better cold weather startup, and extended high speed driving protection when fully warmed up.
Define much better if your adding more oil as it pisses out the tailpipe because it's thinner.
MPG is the main reason they specify thinner oil to get their cars EPA certified.
Great video! Many people simply don't know enough about oil. One thing that I'd like to add about the "meets or exceeds manufacturers' specifications" issue: Sadly, some of the oil brands that don't specifically state that they meet certain specifications... actually do meet them, but in order to keep costs down they refuse to pay the manufacturers to certify their products. They gamble on customers simply buying their products. On the other hand, some oil manufacturers do not meet the standards for certification, while still claiming that they do. They know that by the time a customer notices the damage to their engine, most customers won't even consider the oil as a contributing factor, because they'll simply know that they've been diligently changing it. So, it definitely pays to do your homework.
What oil has ever claimed to meet a spec but has not actually met that spec?
@@AEVMU
I'm not going to open myself up to any possible libel lawsuits, so suffice to say that my best advice to you is: should you find yourself in a position, wherein you're on vacation... driving your car in a foreign country... and you need to top up your oil... DO NOT try to save money by purchasing a cheaper, unfamiliar brand. Stick with what you know; and keep the receipts. You'd be surprised at how many unscrupulous people are out there, willing to make a fast buck off of unsuspecting victims.
This is one of the best normal human - not to technical - explanation. Don’t spare a dime on cheaper oils which don’t match up to the specification your engine needs. In the end it will cost you a lot more on the wear of your engine. Not to mention it can cause chain reactions creating both minor and major problems which not always points directly to wrong spec oils.
And more often than not, this kind of videos in the end turns out as a kind of infomercial. But this one, totally (pun intended) not. A clear explanation without pushing certain kind of products or diminishing others. Just explaining the way it is. Great job from AMMO NYC and Total!
I appreciate your attempt at transparency and, quite frankly, I think that it's good you encourage owner research.
Very informational I enjoyed the video my concern is semisynthetic oils in the video they talked about it could be 50% could be onepercent. Knowing that I would always stay away from semi synthetic and I would put only full synthetic oils in my car and motorcycle.
if everyone read the owners manual their shit wouldn't break near as much!
@Random GearHead
yep i'm from a 3rd/2nd world country and all the German cars work just fine ,everyone read the owners manual
but in the west they have reliability problems
Then again, VW wanted their customers to change oil every 30kkm on a 1.4l twin-charged engine. That's not reasonable at all. But you know, just like that Total dude said, that's what the factory intended and they intended these engines to brake just outside of warranty (or sooner in most cases).
Agreed. People would then know the bares bones basics required for successful automotive ownership.
This is literally the only reason why I would ever want to buy a brand new car, just so I could know for an absolute fact that in no time during this cars life has it been maintained improperly. I swear every used car I get I find something the previous owner stupidly neglected.
Name ONE case where a VW engine broke down before 150 000 miles because of insufficient lubrication due to wrongly calculated service intervals. Name just ONE case where the engine went to hell because of poor lubrication due to aged oil.
Best video I've seen on explaining oil viscosity was made by engineering explained. Very in-depth and quite "dry" content so not for people that are just slightly interested but if you have a strong interest in how oil weights and oil types affect your car I highly recommend it solid science across the board. I will go on to say this video here is great
The "additive question" is usually about separately bottled products sold to be added to the oil that already has the proper additives in it. I never ever add stuff to my oil unless I have an oil burner and am trying to fix it on the cheap and get a bit more life out of it.
Holly crap! 0:18 mins,
You know you've made it when Brad Pitt is changing your oil!
LOL, that's hilarious
No shit. Wow
how i didn't catch that i don't know. lol
BWAAHAHAHHAHA
Holy crap. Tyler Durden changes his own oil!!
Glad to see you back Larry.
super informative video. thanks for sharing with us Larry! i've been a motor head for a long time, but getting the insider's perspective on how oil is manufactured and the differences between the oils is great! appreciate your high quality content as always. thank you!
So many videos that I saw about what gas to use, what oil to use, what parts to use for your cars all have one common final answer, and that is: FOLLOW YOUR CAR MANUAL. Period. And that is the answer. It is simple and a no-brainer. And it make perfect sense because no one knows better about your car and engine than the actual designer and manufacturer themselves. And it would not be in their best interest to not recommend the optimal and ideal parameters to their customers with regards to their car. So the car manual instruction beats all the other advice you can get from outside experts, dealers, mechanics etc etc.
I've been changing oil for 35 years. Trust me on this, the brand of oil makes a difference. Some oils run quieter in your engines. So if you change your oil and you hear a lifter ticking at idle after an oil change and not before, the new oil brand used is not as good for your engine. Change it with the name brand you used before!
I switched to a Turbo Diesel oil for my gas car, notice how quickly they switched subjects when ZDDP was brought up. I have a flat tappet performance cams and it needs all the zinc/phosphorus protection it can get. Oil companies removed most of it which increases engine wear to save the life of the converter. Even If I still had a catalyst on my car I would take catalyst wear over engine wear any day.
Very weak responses from Alex. You'd think he be more jovial about his passion for being a chemist. Seemed like he was more annoyed about getting home or perhaps tight lipped for signing a NDA. We didn't need a guided tour or ask a chemist to just be told to read our owners manual. I was expecting him to talk about engine temps and viscosity and plethora of other reasons why you would choose a different grade. Which is the most important question here and where oil breaks down. But he took the least sophisticated route on explaining that. Here's a free sucker and a coloring book. Thanks chap
Aero Tman amen dude. i add ZDDP to my oil, fuck my converters. my engines all run smooth as the day they were made.
Aero Tman; You are so right. An old mechanic told me to run Shell Rotella 15W-40 T4, was T3 at the time in my 26 year old Honda Helix 250cc engine that does not even have a oil filter but a screen. It is still the quietest engine I have ever heard and I change the oil every 2,000 miles. Use it for the zinc/phosphorus. Works for me.
tlumacz tekst
Firstly the converter is a transmission part has nothing to do with engine oil. Next yest a flat tappet cam needs zonc but whats mkre important is film strength. Zinc means nothing if metal to metal contact displaces it. Thirdly rotella has had its additive package gutted a few years ago now. Your best option is an oil design for older engines such as lucus hot rod oil or amsoil z rod.
longstar550 Catalytic Converter not torque converter
As per the title, what actual myths did you dispel?
Tony ORourke Beto is a communist.
Nothing.
That (W) stands for weight
Racing oil can be a gimmick, but my old smog engine with it's flat tappet cam needs that zinc and phosphorus that can be found in best quantities in racing oil. However, I usually just end up adding a containter of Rislone 3x concentrate to regular oil, and when I sent it for testing it spec'd out good. Oil has changed over the years and it is best to know what is good for your own specific application.
C- Al-Sabri Stands for Winter, not weight.
Aside from high performance cars as long as the oil meets api, ilsac and passes the PQIA requirements , cheap or expensive it doesn't matter I used walmart oil in a car I had with over 200k miles and never had a problem
donovan stagg SUPERTECH FTW😂🤣
Exactly. All this worry over oil and oil filters. NOT important. Just change often and do not crash your car. The nut behind the wheel is the big limitation, not the oil.
@@michaelprice3785 Yeah right why dont i just fill it with veggie oil then
@@jordancritser7479 Stupid comment.
@@michaelprice3785 thanks thats what I was aiming for.
Let me add my 2 cents from actual experience with Supertech. I had a 2004 Chevy 3500 Duramax that I hauled campers with. I drove in every type of environment from high heat in desert to blizzards in Wyoming, drove in mountains to flats, straight roads to curvy roads. So to save money I decided to use Supertech oil. I didn't think much of it but I noticed my truck using oil and thought it was normal considering how much towing I was doing. Some guys I work with were talking one day about motor oils and how pretty much every single one of them used Rotella. So I decided the next time I got my oil change I would give it a try. To my surprise my truck not only stopped using oil, but my fuel mileage went up also and all I did was switch from Supertech to Rotella. So yes I would have to say there is a difference between quality oil and Supertech.
News Flash!
Most of the well known engine oil brands have a 'Which Oil' selector on their website which you can use to easily get quoted the right oil for your vehicle.
Same with oil filters. Select your preferred brand and use the filter manufacturer's website to get the right filter.
Nothing complicated at all.
Happy motoring folks!
I've been doing all my own car maintenance for over 20 years. I have 3 vehicles, two with over 200K miles and one with over 300K miles. None have needed any major engine repairs. I follow the maintenance schedule in the owners manual for each vehicle. I use a great car maintenance program on my laptop www.automotivewolf.com configured to track and manage all the maintenance. It also monitors fuel economy performance, expenses, parts and does a cost analysis to show how much each vehicle costs you to own it. I also only use OEM oil and filters as recommended from the manufacturer. Toyota has specialized oil for many of their vehicles. So far it seems to be working just fine :)
Does Toyota really make their own oil? Or are they buying it from a refinery and slapping their label on it like every other car dealer?
I beleive mobile one makes toyota synthetic oil the non synthetic was casterol and may still be.
Toyota is a tank even with minimal maintenance.
Hi Larry: just wanted to compliment you on this particular video. I have watched all of your videos. Some of them multiple times. I am impressed with this one because of how all components fit together: images, voice over, background music, montage. Really impressive. Keep up the good work!
Brilliant idea for an episode Larry. Well done as always.
Truth of the matter is any group 4 oil will be excellent for most high-performance applications.
A European car specialist once told me that 5w30 was being used to meet government mileage standards and that early GM's using this oil had engine problems as a result. He said he would never use 5w-anything in any of his cars. Porsche recommended 10w40 0r heavier in my water cooled 944S at that time. I now have a 2002 Honda Odyssey that uses 5W-20. I heard that camshafts go out after a couple hundred thousand miles. I used 5W20 for 250,000 miles, but after seeing the scored camshafts last time I changed the timing belt and set valve lash, I decided to switch to 10W30 in summer (using up my stock of 5w20 in the frozen winter months.) Engine runs quieter with it. I'm sure the tolerances are worn in it so I figure it won't hurt. Hope to squeeze a bit more life out of it. So far so good. Transmission has lasted despite the under-cooling from factory, so I added a cooler to that, which I should have done long ago. Also, the sludge problems Toyota and others were having a while back is due to US government changing PCV specs. Even if manual says you can go 5000 or 10,000 miles on an oil change, the detergents break down after 2000 per my instructor in mechanic school. He buys cheapest API approved oil and changes oil every 2000 miles in his non performance daily car. I aim for 3000 but push it to 4000 on my old cars.
oil change intervals are designed to support major oil cos, the most important part of a change schedule is the filter, most of the filters are very small anymore so they should be changed more often,if you change the filter more often you can run the oil longer as the only thing that goes wrong with oil it gets dirty, clean it and you can continue to use it
Joe Scheller how do you clean it? By changing the filter alone?
exactly and add new to the full mark, change fully maybe once every other regular oil change depending how much driving idle time andwhat conditions you drive in dirt roads are terrible so changing more is necesary@@videosurfah
@@joescheller6680 Its not dirt its carbon blow by ,when running oil to long the protection package drops out leaving crappy base oil ( no protection ) we spend 30 to 90k on our vehicles don't cheap out CHANGE THE OIL ! I change mine ( full syn. ) every 5k . I have a small Euro shop about 1300 customers they all come in at 5 k miles. the best part NO oil leaks the seals love it , that alone justifies early chang out , do the math.
Larry the production and educational content is awesome and you make a great host! 👍🏽
High quality engine oil doesn't come from the ground its engineered in a laboratory often from natural gas. The drain interval in the owners manual is for conventional oil (unless its factory filled with synthetic).
smile.amazon.com/Pennzoil-550040849-Platinum-Racing-Synthetic/dp/B00JMCCM94/ref=sr_1_16?srs=2598345011&ie=UTF8&qid=1531808701&sr=8-16
natural gas comes from the ground
@@chrisk119 : Or politicians...
Wow, finally someone who knows what synthetic oil really is. Motul and others still make real synthetic oil. thank you boodleman.
cant believe you just said that, natural gas is basically just that, liquid turned into vapor, it may be used to make synthetic in some sort of heat process but in no way a lubricating application
I work in an autoparts store and what we tell the customer is that for non-highend or non-luxury cars, after one hundred or one hundred twenty five thousand miles you have to start using higher viscosity oil than what the manual recommends. The manual may say 0w-20 or 5w-20 but that's only if it were newer. Once you're in the high mileage range your car will need thicker oil for better lubrication and protection. I would advise them to move up to 10w-30 or so.
So, it’s kinda like this, synthetic oils will always give the best protection, this is because of the way there designed on a molecular level, the molecule chains are more uniform, tighter, therefore they resist sheer much better and take longer to break down. They are also designed to absorb contamination (ash, water, dirt particles, etc) thereby keeping the engine cleaner, (this is typically why they allow for a longer drain interval, think of it like this, a conventional oils molecular structure is kinda like a handful of gravel, with the molecules being different shapes and sizes, so they don’t hold up as well/long, synthetic oils molecular structure is like a handful of marbles, all molecules being the same size/shape, and because of this they hold up much longer, and keep your engine cleaner. Then there are the additives. Additives help the oil do everything from change viscosity, to antifoaming, and everything in between
Semi synthetic oil is probably the best marketing scheme out there, because there is no government regulation as to what constitutes a “syn blend” oil, oil companies can literally put an eyedropper of synthetic oil in to a 10,000 gallon vat of conventional and call it a blend. Stay away from blends, your just waisting your money, because you cant be sure what you really have.
The other trick bag about car manufacturers and oil is a lot of them wont come right and say it requires a synthetic oil. Instead, they say must meet Chevrolet dexos specifications, or BMW 12345677, and so you have to do a little digging to see what really does and does not. You have to be careful with that because car manufacturers/dealers will do anything to avoid honoring a warranty. If you have an engine problem that you think is warranty, the first thing there going to ask for are maintenance records, and if you don’t have them, no warranty, if you have them, but they find you haven’t been using an approved oil, no warranty, on and on and on. This includes vehicles that are recommended for 0-20, 5-20 can void your warranty, so be careful
all about that Ｔ Ｈ Ｉ Ｃ Ｃ Ｎ Ｅ Ｓ Ｓ
I'll show myself out
i like em thicc
THICKNESS
LMAO I am 2 years too late
😂
So, in a nutshell;
Step 1: Read the owners manual
Step 2: Use oil with the specs recommended by your owners manual regardless of the brand
Step 3: In case of any confusion, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR GOD's SAKE PEOPLE!
Yeah, but the car owner manual was written back when car was made (Nissan no longer makes the ATF that's written in manual)
@@deasttn Step 1: Open google
Step 2: Type "What is a good replacement for :your-oil-name-here:"
Step 3: Hit enter and hope there's easily accesible information on the subject or dig trough untill you find it.
People spend hours upon hours reading FakeBook or whatever fake bullshit social media they have that makes them feel important, but they cant take 10 mins to read ANY owners manual.
Great video! Thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned some concrete principles from it and will apply gained knowledge to ALL of my vehicles.
This is how informative self help videos should be done. This guy is more than some shade tree mechanic giving his 2 cents on why you should do this or not do that with absolutely no presentation of his credentials. . This guy went to the oil company and then shared what he learned. This gives him credibility. Well done Sir !
These guys do make really good oil for specialty applications. While many oil brands are capable of this I agree that there is no finer motor oil than one specifically designed with your engine in mind.
1:03 that Porsche really caught my eye like oil really comes from there but not on my 96
It depends what kind of driving you do. I commute in traffic jams for most of my driving so I'm changing my full synthetic oil every 4 to 5 thousand miles. If I ran conventional then id shoot for somewhere closer to 3 thousand miles. I could probably go a bit longer either way but I like to keep mine changed on the earlier side. I think 7500 miles is questionable even with synthetic when you drive in grindy bumper to bumper traffic all the time like us California city slickers do. If I drove mostly mostly highway and steady speeds I would change conventional at 5 thousand and synthetic at 7500. Always check levels every so often for topping up especially if you don't know your engine yet.
I live in nyc and change my synthetic oil in my car every 2-3k because NYC traffic does severe wear on the oil. I usually drive 2-3k miles every 4-6 months.
You may think its questionable, however multiple fleet studies have shown that 7500 miles is not a problem, especially for synthetics. Marketing has done its job, and now people actually believe commuting is somehow a hardship case. First I heard of it was when I moved to NorCal from NY State, and didn't think it make sense. I usually was and still do OC at 5K, or longer if I'm running synthetic, and never had any problems. I usually end up having to add some at 3K for my Q45 because they were built to burn a little more oil as they built the engine for power, and its a little loose tolerance wise. But feel free to go every 3K if it makes you feel better. They'll take your money.
@@tonychambers9228 Yo, Tony -- New York City traffic is no harder on your engine than traffic in Detroit, Phoenix, Se0attle, Houston, or Los Angeles. It only SEEMS that NYC is worse. ;>)
However, there are steps you can take to ensure that your engine lasts it's longest life possible, while giving maximum performance AND economy:
1. - Install a NEW PCV Valve -- DO NOT clean the old one -- throw it away.
2. - Install a NEW AIR FILTER -- FRAM's "Tough Guard" Air Filter has the latest technology, can trap and hold more dirt.
The BOSCH Premium oil filter has a 20-Micron rating. VERY FEW oil filters can meet that standard. Reasonable price, and is available almost everywhere.
3. - Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic is refined from Natural Gas, and contains only 5% of petroleum oil -- When using the manufacturer-recommended oil viscosity, your engine will probably run smoother and quieter than with any oil (of the same viscosity) that you used in the past.
4. Get a DIGITAL Tire Guage ( JACO # X0025NLFVT -- Amazon.com) and USE IT !!
Set your tire pressures at the Manufacturer's recommendations.
5. - Considering your circumstances, and following the suggestions above, you could do a "ONCE-A-YEAR" Oil & Filter change without any risk of harm to your engine.
P.S. -- PLEASE don't ruin your engine by purchasing "Whatever's on sale."
If you can afford to own a car in NYC, you can afford to choose and buy top-quality parts and lubricants for your engine.
Good Luck !!
I was able to take a tour of the Amalie factory and interview their chemist, but they were a little less camera-friendly. The Total facility shown here looked very similar, though!
I couldn't get a camera in a meth lab this one time. Much less an interview with the chemist. Rules...
i am actually surprised, I was expecting an older individual to do all the explanation on behave of the oil factory and we got a very young and knowledgeable one. glad to see the young people take charge! . congrats smart guy!
Fond memories! I worked as Blending Lab supervisor at ERCA Esso's research centre in the UK. Formulating an engine oil is an art form and millions are spent getting the mix of ingredients just right. Oil's ain't oils!
Great Information, Great Examples, Great Insights!
Very Well Detailed! Great Job! 😎
Well the reality is that the Owners Manual isn't ALWAYS the best thing to do! Especially with older cars as new tech comes out. My 94 Integra recommends 5w or 10w30 oil depending on climate. I use 0w30 full synthetic to help reduce engine wear at cold startup, and I'd like to think that is partly why the engine still runs great at 362,000 miles. Back in 1994 there was no such thing as 0w30 oil.
Since most engine wear occurs during cold starting, you want the thinnest oil possible when cold. 0w is still thicker than what's needed at operating temperature, so any engine that requires 5w or 10w30 can use 0w30, and any engine that requires 5w20 can use 0w20.
Patrick94GSR so with the information you just gave would it be better to change my jeeps oil to ow30?
I use 10w40 dc2
They have had straight 30 weight oil sense the 60's. Oil pump design and clearance aswell as oil galley design just gooping in heavier weight thinking it means more protection it doesnt film strenth gives you that. Whatbyou have done is slowed ur drain back likely raised ur oil temp.
You got it backwards , you are causing more wear , the 5w is what the oil thickness is when started cold , it's thinner to flow better . Your using a thicker oil on start up , harder to flow and harder on the oil pump as well . You are causing more wear by doing this
That VTEC 4 cylinder engine you have can probably tolerate the thinner synthetic oil that you use because it revs higher than most cars but it is not good advice to tell others to use a thinner oil at startup than what is recommended. The best advice is to warm up your car to prolong engine life and I am sure you already do this.
I use 0-40 even though my manual said use 10-40. I live in the dolomites where it can be -15 to 30 plus Celsius
Ever try WD-40? Winter Diesel 40w
Beh -15 non è tutta sta cosa :) 5w40 va bene
Good vid for people that know nothing about oil but it’s not very scientific or detailed.there is soo much more to oil science
Yep, moral of the story: RTFM!
(8)You can't trust the system(8)!!! Man!!!
but thats written by a engineer my mechanic dude know much better.
Just two comments:
When people say "tight tolerances," they usually mean "tight clearances." Tight clearances require tight tolerances, but you can have a loose clearance between parts made to tight tolerances. I still say it, and didn't think about it until I saw it on a web forum. Do a web search for more info. It's sort of like how firearm people say "accuracy" when they are talking about what is technically defined as "precision." Everyone says it, and everyone knows what is meant, but it's technically incorrect.
The SAE numbers (20, 30, 40) aren't measures, they are ratings. They don't equal any units of viscosity, they are just convenient numbers to use. SAE 40 isn't twice as "thick" as SAE 20, for example. People see SAE 5W and thing OMG that's 1/4 as thick as 20W but that's not correct.
Absolutely right.
It's like an 18 year old explaining this for the first time to his friends. Pro tip: mechanics usually know the LEAST about lubes. "20w-50, duh"
It's been a few decades since I saw video of oil testing, but there is a friction roller test used to find the shear point [how much pressure it takes to break film thickness and get metal on metal contact]. It's more informative than viscosity [which does matter also]. Seems like the best real world evaluation, but no idea if or how SAE ratings use it in their ratings. There's way more to consider than a 10w-40 rating [for example] when designers pick machinery lubricants, but I suspect each rating has acceptable performance range limits to get SAE approval.
i always thought of the two numbers as temperatures. "αW-β oil is appropriate for climates with temperatures ranging from α° Celsius to β° Celsius... *roughly*"
SAE numbers ARE actually measures of something: the amount of seconds that grade of oil takes to flow through some tube that the SAE uses for quantifying grades.
I have learnt that you must wear safety glasses when doing an interview, very dangerous if the geek your interviewing projects a bit of spit in your direction.
My turbo charged Jeep came with instructions to use 100% synthetic and it even specified what grade of synthetic. There are ratings on the bottles to compare.
I recently learned that synthetic oil can withstand higher temperatures before it begins to harden and stick to engine surfaces. Since a turbo is the hottest place on an engine it only makes sense to use the toughest high temp tolerant oil available.
Bought a new Ram Hemi truck back in 2015.....Dealer gave me approx 2 years of freebee oil changes using their Mopar oil and filter which ended at 32,000 miles. At 38,000 miles I began using 5-20 Amsoil Signature Series along with the Amsoil's extended life filter. A few days after putting in the Amsoil, I noticed that the engine was a little quieter when going through my usual favorite drive thru for lunch when my driver window was down (engine noises reflect off the walls)......As more time went by, the Hemi became even more quiet. After using Amsoil Signature Series for just over 25K miles now, I can report a 1.5 MPG average increase, a quieter engine AND some increased engine performance as well..........At the 55K mile mark, I converted the trans and rear diff over to the Amsoil Signature Series. To my surprise, the trans shifting actually became a little crispier and somewhat smoother............Now I do not know if Amsoil makes anything to Porsche oil requirement specs. But if they did and if I owned a Porsche, I would be using Amsoil Signature Series without hesitation.............
Have you done an oil analysis as proof that your oil really works? If their oil is true synthetic oil why it's not labeled 100% synthetic oil. From machinery lubrication website "While most engine oils are made to acceptable standards, their general and specific qualities can vary widely. Poor-quality engine oils are often put on the market due to ignorance or greed. Unfortunately, for the uninformed automobile owner, a high-quality engine oil and one of poor quality will look and feel the same."
The branding "Synthetic" is not a regulated formula, there are no actual API, or SAE requirements to be met in order to become "Synthetic". True Synthetic, Full Synthetic, Synthetic, all have the same meaning. It could be a POA formula but, more commonly, synthetic is a Grade III oil. Both use additives to meet or exceed specific manufacturer requirements. An extra refined, hydrocracked or Isocracked, Grade III oil is just as effective and even more so in many cases as a "truly synthetic" (POA) based oil. With the latest refining technology from (leading oil refiner's name omitted), Isocracked oil can exceed many "true" synthetics in a Grade II or Grade II+ base oil. The hype on the bottle means nothing.
When it comes to oil, price usually does dictate quality and performance, the additives and extra refining are really expensive! In most cases, North American passenger cars will only require an SN grade, in which case there's no real benefit to synthetics. With European and some Japanese cars, turbo and diesel engines, there are usually very specific requirements, as mentioned in the video, MB 229.5 VW 505 etc.
Thats why i use Amsoil. UOA have been very good😎
Oz Media , nothing outperforms true 100% synthetic Motor oil. I have tested in my own vehicles. Group 2 and 3 is just not good enough. Engine remanufacturing shops making billion dollars, because people use group 2 and 3. If group 2 and 3 were good, majority people would never have engine problems.
Actually, in Germany and Japan, only engine oils with base stocks that are comprised of at least 80% Group 4 or 5 oils may be labeled as "fully synthetic". It was Exxon Mobil that went to court over said issue back in the day.
Having said that (and having spent some years in a refinery), there are great group 3 HC (hydrocracked) base stocks out there that are on par with almost any given PAO blend. It all depends on the process. And in the end, the additive package is even more important than the chemist in the video made it out to be. Total is a good brand for high quality oils - the Mazda "original" oils are being produced by them 😁
And: oil change importance cannot be understated. Manufacturers don't want their stuff to last but since I want my engines to last, I have decided for myself to cut each drain interval in half and use manufacturer-approved oil. The requirements for approvals are really tough but engine oils can't perform miracles. Nothing is as good for an engine as fresh oil - besides proper treatment by the driver.
Oz Media
Exactly. Perhaps you should have written the script for this verbose and very basic video. Also I would add that clear physical evidence to show that lower viscosity oil will produce more wear than higher viscosity oil in passenger cars with conventional use is lacking given identical antiwear additive packages. Wow, that was a run-on sentence! I've heard owners say things like, "my car is getting old so I'm going to start using thicker oil to reduce wear." That's simply wrong.
I'm actually using for at least 17yrs total oil, the last few years quartz7000 10w40. In a non-reliable engine(x16xel) on LPG. Few months ago, coz i'm a idiot, we removed the head to resurface it and change the gasket(I ran out of coolant, but didn't noticed it for a few km, coz my bulbs behind the gauges are dead for a few month now, and it was around midnight).
The cylinders don't have any edge, or any signs for the mileage the car actually has(315,000km). And i repeat, it's a really known unreliable engine. Like massively unreliable engine. People can't believe it has made that much kilometers. And I change my oil every 10,000km.
Edit: I drive the car like it's stolen. All the time.
Master Skywalker because it's lpg ya dingus. Much cleaner in the combustion chamber than gas and especially deisal
No name-calling, but it's Diesel.
is because you are burning lpg the cleanest burning fuel out there and natural gas would be almost equivelant. burning lpg your oil hardly ever gets dirty always appears to be clean like right out of the can
I think as long as you use the proper oil and change frequently brand doesn’t matter. My preference is pennzoil ultra platinum but I bet super tech oil would be fine for your engine. Engine Oil has to meet certain requirements
Agreed. Follow the manufacturer guidelines. There is more to oil than SAE grade.
Project Farm is currently closing in on the finals for his Oil Championship where he compares many different brands of oils.
@@paulanderson79 you day agreed. But the op & what you say is contradicting
@@mikeprice8307 The OP mentions nothing at all about oil specs apart from brand doens't matter. Pennzoil Platinum is just one buch of branded oils. It's not that simple, nor that difficult. Especially not if you don't reside in Retardistan.
@@paulanderson79 you are very correct, neither did he mention. Manufacturer guidelines.
Awesome video. Well thought out & produced. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 This is a great learning resource. Thank you.
Good point, don't over think it. Most guys really overdo thinking on oil, it drives me crazy.
The ONLY true synthetic By Total I know of, is the 0w-30 a3/b4 euro oil and is the only synthetic sold here.I e. PAO bro Is and Grp V esters. Most shit is not grp 4 or 5 and I applaud Total for telling the truth.
Great info! Thanks! ... also, I love your videos. Very informative and interesting
He uses 10W-30 in his hair.
I use 40 weight to pull a fast one with sr20s on race day.
Na. It's 40 weight!
Good comment, Mr. Proper.
I use 10w60 so jokes on u
@@frontspring1 How good is the lubrication? I'd like to try it sometime
I have worked in the petroleum industry for over 20 years. I have been told, like the comment made on this video about "synthetic Blends", the oil industry loosely regulates the specifications on what an oil weight is. Such as, a 10 weight might be any where from a 5 to a 15 class weight. The same thing for the heavier number. A 30 weight oil might actually be any thing from a 20 weight to a 40 weight.
Thanks for what the numbers and letter stands for. I don't drive a race car but it anything that helps me keep my daily driver on the road longer helps.
Very contradictory video and the oil guy doesn't make sense, oil that exceeds or equivalent to the owners manual is fine. Additives are also branded differently even if they're the same as part of the selling point to make them sound exotic. When the oil guy was asked about the specifics, he still repeated company speak. Ie, BMW or Mercedes, that doesn't matter, it's the viscosity that's important and ANY brand that meets the specific minimum requirements is absolutely fine, the rest is only for sales, how do I know, because my good friend works for Mobil oil and makes oil for many manufacturers who brand it as they're own, when they don't have they're own manufacturing plant. So car brand oil, is totally unimportant, contrary to what the lab rat said. Peace.
lab rat gets paid by big oil and different car manufacturers want pay off from said oil co
He looks very young and the type that would rather be PC gaming than actual oil testing or research. I've called a Mercedes dealership service dept before and they've told me they use Mobil 1. If you look on bmw forums they recommend the same and that's coming from bmw enthusiasts.
When he refers to 'mercedes' or 'bmw' he doesn't mean oil branded by these companies, he means oil formulated as recommended by these companies - or whatever brand of car/engine is relevant - Not just viscosity. Companies may have a very specific formula for one engine. For example early VW pump duese engines suffered alot of top end wear so a specific formula was produced to prevent this. So simply matching the viscosity grade isn't always adequate. For instance a 5w 40 PD oil is different to other 5w 40 oils. You can use any brand of oil, just to the correct blend and spec recommended by the engine manufacture. Also when he refers to additives he means additives used at point of oil production, not DIY off the shelf crap.
Your way to understand oil viscosity aka thickness might be rudimentary to some but it made perfect sense to me. Especially the maple syrup part. It also made me want pancakes. Doh!
This is a very long ad; anyway who uses Total engine oil?
nobody i know
I do. Quartz 9000 10W-30 in my 4.0l Wrangler.
i have developed a high grade of respect for Total as an automotive lubricant provider. I'm convinced and going to try it for my lightly modified type-r.
In the summary you said, "change it regularly". The Chemist said to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Changing the oil at 3,000 miles is a useless waste if the manufacturer suggests changing it at 5,000 miles. Listen again beginning at 14:15.
You also indicated that the brand does not matter if it has the correct specifications. The Chemist stressed it has to say approved by the manufacturer. Presumably some oil with similar stated specifications are not approved by the manufacturer and may have a problem. It may be ok but simply not tested but who wants to take that chance.
I worked for an automotive seal manufacturer. Our Chemist told me that it did not matter what brand of oil I used but do not mix brands. He added that the individual additives in major brands are ok but if mixed, some mixtures would "eat" the seals.
10:20 I'm confused #1 and #3 totally contridict each other. #1 Oil thickens when hot. #3 Oil thins when hot. Which is it??
*+Matt's Shop* You've just misunderstood. Oil always THINS when hot. In #1, he's not saying the opposite of that - he's saying that oils with higher numbers stay thicker (have a higher viscosity) at warmer temperatures than oils with lower numbers. So, for example, if you put a 20W-50 oil and a 5W-30 oil side-by-side in bowls and raised the room temperature from 0-212˚F and then lowered it again, both oils will get thinner as they heat up and thicker as they cool down, but the 20W-50 oil will remain thicker than the 5W-30 every step of the way because it has a higher viscosity. If you did that with a 10W-30 and 5W-30, the 10W-30 would be thicker than the 5W-30 at lower temperatures (10 being the higher cool temp number), but they would both be the same thickness - or thinness, however you want to look at it - when they reached 212˚F (30 being the same high temp number).
Close.With multi-viscosity oils, a "W" after the number stands for "Winter" grade oil. The numeric value of the first number (example 5W-20) is a measure of the pour point of the oil expressed in degrees Celsius whent he oil is cold. The rating is determined in a lab using a cold crank simulator and mini-rotary viscometer test. The oil weight is its viscosity index at 100 degrees C (the boiling point of water).
What this means is 5w20 for example will stop pouring a 5c and has a viscosity of 20 at 100c.
Thats just dead wrong William, i run 5w-40 in my car and the oil flows very fine at 5c. The first number is the oils viscosity measured at 0 c and the 2nd number is the viscosity measured at 100c (operating temperature).
The benefit of multigrade oil is that you dont have to run 2 viscosities depending on what season it is, like we had to here in norway back in the days. During winters we sometimes see -30c and summers are normally between 20-30c, having 1 multigrade oil allows us to run 1 type of oil all year.
Moriquendiii This makes sense.
Moriquendiii multi weight oils REDUCE the need for running different oils, they do not eliminate it. Every engine I have from my push mower to by semi has multiple oil weights listed depending on temperature. Pickup recommends 15w-40 for anything above 0°F, but cold of -30°F it recommends switching to 0w-30
Your Porsche looks great! How do you get it SO shiny?
(Kidding, I'm, kidding!)
He takes it regularly to a local hand car wash that uses the same Mitt & shampoo on hundreds of cars.
I prefer Biltema.
Are you a hair or scandinavian?
Probably THE best car car video I have ever watched. Extremely informative and an eye opener. I best check my oil in my VW. She's an old girl now and I want to keep her running.
I currently use Motorcraft Semi-Synthetic in my Ford F150 EcoBoost engine, as that's what my manual states to use. Many are telling me I'd be better off using a full synthetic, and even a high end Ford Tech states to use Penzoil Platinum full synthetic, and whichever oil I use, it states to change it at 5,000 miles, whereas the manual says I could do so at 10,000 miles, using their Motorcraft semi-synthetic and Motorcraft oil filer. Is there a way to find out how much 'synthetic' is in their semi-synthetic 5-30w product?
I use Honda synthetic blend in my Civic. Nothing is wrong with using a reputable brand's semi-synthetic. Wear typically happens when you don't change your oil on time and you have all those impurities scratching surfaces at high temperature. Even if you drive your truck hard you're barely scratching the surface so no need to spend extra on full synthetic. Frequent oil change is key to longevity. Blackstone lab analysis of OEM Honda synthetic blend after 8k miles shows it is on par with Amsoil, Castrol, Mobil and could be pushed to 10-12k miles. Pretty damn good for a semi. There are advantages to using semi-synthetic. I think Blackstone labs can identify the % for you, contact them.
VISCOSITY means resistance to flow
"Changing my oil on a 'militant' like schedule"
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
My manual tells me every 5k change it. I'm nobody's fool, I can feel the oil breakdown at like 3k. The manufacturer intended on me wearing out my engine and buying another one.
Guitarsnspraycans today’s synthetic oil is perfectly ok for 5k miles. Conventional, 3k i would change it
So that information I felt was basic, but I've learned most people don't know it. This guy always does great videos and this is one I think every car owner should watch.
To add to it, based off of some obscure engineer's blog from back in the day and some other reading I'm going to throw in my two cents so take with a grain of salt. Initially synthetic wasn't good for vehicles since it was being pioneered. By the time it was a better alternative people would still blame it for messing up their engines. The blog explained that sometimes on high mileage vehicles the the carbon deposits eat at and become the gaskets. By using synthetic you risk cleaning them out the deposits acting as gaskets and opening a leak. So my take away was don't switch to synthetic unless under 100k and you're religious about oil changes. Mechanics have okayed my engine for synthetic at 200k because they know I religiously change oil. Not worth the risk for me.
Also, mentioned in the blog is aside from synthetic running cleaner longer, the dual weight is built up in the base formula. Conventional oil the dual weight is created by additives. This means that conventional oil properties will degrade quicker than synthetic. Even if an oil maintains viscosity, the additives meant to protect or clean your engine can wear down too. Add to it that biproducts are meant to be absorbed by some of the additives so you should always follow your vehicle's recommended interval changes rather than the oil companies to which many oil companies will acknowledge in fine print. Change your oil so the additives can take out the crud! That said, yes synthetic is cleaner and lasts longer so if you push mileage it won't be as bad as pushing conventional. Manufacturers are also changing manuals to represent synthetic intervals.
Now something many people say and I roll my eyes at, "I had a car in the 70's that could go 8k to 12k on conventional". Older cars have looser clearances for pistons and other moving parts. Abrasions from dirty oil might be more forgiving. Older cars tend to burn up oil. Newer cars are finely tuned athletes with soft spots. Modern engines have tighter clearances and stricter emissions standards. They don't really lose oil through the pistons until they get older and worn typically. Dirty oil even while viscous may shorten your engine's lifespan. If oil starts to slip through in it's old age you need to keep it topped off. The plugs will burn it off if small. Eventually, there will come a day when the wear and tear fails your emissions and you'll need a new car or engine.
Now let's talk weight. Your owners manual will have different recommendations for different environments, but most modern vehicles can do one specific grade across most climates which your manual will recommend. That said, you can try a heavier weight within recommendations to try and slow the loss of oil; however, a heavier weight may increase engine pressure and make the leak worse. You have to experiment and watch it. I recommend fixing the leak, but sometimes the internal piston or valve leaks aren't bad enough to justify opening it right away. You might get a little more mileage then rebuild or go new. As long as your spark plugs burn up the excess oil, don't destroy your Catylitic converter, and you still pass your emissions tests then the only issue is remembering to keep the oil topped off. Synthetics can be harder to burn off than conventional and I have read recommendations to use it if the pistons allow more oil by. My thoughts are as long as it gets burned off the less likely it is to go out the exhaust & pollute the O2 sensors or catalytic converter. Just acknowledge at this point your engine is going to need addressing soon.
Lastly, if you travel to higher elevations your engine pressure will increase as it works harder to which it will lose more oil than normal. I see older cars broken down on the way in to Denver from Texas quite a bit. The cars might just reflect the priorities of the owners. That said, your gas mileage will get better as air gets thinner and your car dumps less fuel in to the thin air mixture, but that is also why you will have less engine power and increased engine pressure from it working harder.
Feel free to kindly correct me if you think me mistaken.
Such a MASSIVE difference between this oil facility and the video on you tube of the Mobil 1 facility
It's like night and day, with this facility looking very old.
And, the myths were...?
Video didn't answer anything that a 30 second video has not already shown. Lab coat wouldn't answer shit and looked like his boss was on the other side of the camera.
Another great video Larry! I like the journalist approach. If anyone cares about going deeper down the rabbit hole, here's a pretty detailed look at the technical side of engine oil: ua-cam.com/video/l-zDt9FGJi8/v-deo.html
excellent video.👍 i use to host work shops @ my mom & pop performance shop on the importance of quality oil & understanding all that was covered in this video. forever greatful to my neighbors Torco Oil for thier insight all these years. debating which oil brands are "best" within a racing community is comical. I've discovered its mostly hereditary much like your dads aftershave or deodorant preference. statistically society will stick/vouch with what thier family believes is best. 😆 Another great feature one should look into is seeing if your performance oil producer can test a sample of your motor oil after a cycle. studying the used oil can reveal a ton of info & teach you a thing or to about your driving habits.... 👍
I just change the oil once a year in my VR6 GTI (2003) at the dealership using Castrol Edge 5W-40. I only put about 5 to 6 thousand miles a year on the car... usually short local trips to and fro. Have had the car 16 years with no issues whatsoever! Then again, I only have 89,000 miles on it, original owner.
hes eyes are lying esp on additives...,i can see that!
1:11 am wtf I'm doing here besides learning something
You didn't ask what the exact difference between regular amd synthetic oil is.
Base oils are categorized into "groups" which are defined by performance. Conventional or as you stated "regular" oil is considered Group 2 and has a pour point much higher than a synthetic oil (Group 3). Synthetic oil's lower pour point, resistance to heat and better lubricity characteristics make it a much better performer as compared to conventional oils especially in low and high temperature environments. Adding Group 3 to Group 2 base oils gives us "synthetic blend" and improves the overall performance as compared to conventional but short of full synthetic.
Synthetic has longer molecule strands than mineral, every time your drive your car these strands get sheered. Because the strands are longer and more tightly grouped in synthetic it takes longer for the oil to break down, this means the grade of the oil stays at its advertised viscosity for longer.
Adam Randell yup, and also under different temperatures (hotter) can change the pH of the oil (via additives), causing those designed synthetic chains to come apart and form longer “thicker” oil at higher temperatures. And doing the opposite of what basic base oils do. Go science! 😀
Adam Randell
Synthetic base oils have a much higher viscosity index (difference in viscosity from cold to hot) which means less of the polymers required to achieve the desired multi grade. These polymers will shear with use as you say but synthetic oils don’t change as much
Synthetics are man made molecules which means less impurities so has higher resistance to oxidisation and heat leading to longer life
Synthetics also have higher film strength allowing lower viscosities be used hence more power and efficiency
differences is marketing gimmick + extra addictive added = demand higher retailing price 😂
You could also use a 20w50 synthetic oil and use ZDDP Max(by Turbo Maxx) additive package with it.
This part is crucial: 14:22
"Just as smoothly as your vehicle manufacturer INTENDED it to be. "
The thing nowadays is: do manufacturers want our engines to last long? I doubt it
Then, use thicker oil?
@@gabrielegalati9011 I'm just saying that it used to be true that following your user's manual was the absolutely best thing to do. As easy as that. Not [necessary] true anymore.
heyy!! It's Brad Pitt as a mechanic 9:58 xD
TacoBell he wish he looks like him
he's even done his hair like Pitt's