Oil change question

[CobraKurt]

Hi everyone! While I had the oil changed at roughly 1,300 miles (to have any small metallic filings removed, during the initial break-in) .. I only recently went over 4,000 miles.

From reading the owner's manual .. it states to have oil changed every 5,000 miles. So .. should I change the oil at 4,300 miles (at 3,000, which is "the standard") or wait until 6,300 miles?

Thanks for your opinion in advance. :beer:

[RevMatt]

Hi everyone! While I had the oil changed at roughly 1,300 miles (to have any small metallic filings removed, during the initial break-in) .. I only recently went over 4,000 miles.

From reading the owner's manual .. it states to have oil changed every 5,000 miles. So .. should I change the oil at 4,300 miles (at 3,000, which is "the standard") or wait until 6,300 miles?

Thanks for your opinion in advance. :beer:
:wzup:
I am wondering how you drive your Cobra. How often, miles per week/month, percentage of driving in the city, freeway and "playing" (aka: driving hard). I am wondering if your motor oil is of stock variety or something else. What are your motives for your frequent changes; warranty?... meticulous car care?... you drive your Cobra hard a bit too often?... :spinem: Or...? I have my oil changed by the dealer every 2,500-3,500 miles! I have the dealer use my oil or leave the oil tank 2 1/2 quarts short so that I may add 2 qts. of Mobil1 and 1 container of Prolong Engine Tx. :D
I think you will have more clarity surrounding your own vehicular up-keep needs once you ask yourself (and answer) the aforementioned queries.
I hope this has been helpful. :cbra:

[Screamin04Cobra]

Every 3000

[waltman98]

Mine is my weekend toy. Short and very quick trips :D I change the oil every 5,000 as recommended. Car runs sweet and have no problems at all. I just did a quick round trip to San Diego yesterday, 250 miles total and used only 3/4 of fuel. Oil still holds its viscosity and had not added any since last oil change made last December (stock oil). :wow:

[XFIRECHIEF]

I generally change every 3-4K inc. the filter & use 100% synthetic oil. Nothing but the best care for the Snake.

[slowpoke]

I have 25K on mine, let Ford change it every 5K, never used any oil at all between changes

[svt2004cobra]

I change mine every 3000 to 3500 miles and use only MOBILE 1 5W20 Full synthetic....and its a daily driver. another thing never use any oil additive or any oil treatment ,because the majority of them that u get contain teflon & paraffin wax & other materials & chemicals that will gum up & varnish parts and create alot more carbon deposits .... its hype for $$$ to the companys that make them........another thing is could void some warranties using it...why do think they don't list there ingridents.on the bottle... ..the FAA does not alow use of these products except avblend ,that I'm aware of..( an additive which contains no teflon or paraffin wax or harsh chemical)( a few aircraft engine manufacturers alows spefic use of avblend and any other oil additive or treatment will void the warranties on the engines).

[kirks5oh]

i think the more important question/comment for those of us who use their cobra as a weekend toy, is not the mileage interval between changes, but the time interval. i drive my car less than 3,000 miles per year, and change the oil at least once per year, no matter what the mileage.

[XFIRECHIEF]

i think the more important question/comment for those of us who use their cobra as a weekend toy, is not the mileage interval between changes, but the time interval. i drive my car less than 3,000 miles per year, and change the oil at least once per year, no matter what the mileage.

As I posted earlier that is what I do too. My 3-4K is a summer (6 months or so) of driving & then she gets put away for the cold Wisconsin winters.

[vger]

3,000 miles nomatter what. No winter driving when she comes out in the spring the oil gets changed again no matter the miles. I drive between 6,000 & 8,000 miles a year. Some for work but mostly fun miles!!!!!!

[RevMatt]

another thing never use any oil additive or any oil treatment ,because the majority of them that u get contain teflon & paraffin wax & other materials & chemicals that will gum up & varnish parts and create alot more carbon deposits .... its hype for $$$ to the companys that make them........another thing is could void some warranties using it...why do think they don't list there ingridents.on the bottle... ..the FAA does not alow use of these products except avblend ,that I'm aware of..( an additive which contains no teflon or paraffin wax or harsh chemical)( a few aircraft engine manufacturers alows spefic use of avblend and any other oil additive or treatment will void the warranties on the engines).
Greetings,
Please pick up a bottle of "Prolong" engine treatment and read the lables carefully! No varnish, teflon, parafin, gum, etc. :guns:
Please feast your gear heads on the following information which was high-jacked from PROLONGs websight to here! :tmb:


Prolong Commercial/Fleet Engine Treatment is the ultimate lubricant enhancer that treats the metal and protects all the moving parts of your engine with a polarized layer of oil molecules that resist extreme pressure and excessive temperatures. This product contains the patented Prolong Anti-Friction Metal Treatment and is not the confused with ordinary "additives". Prolong Engine Treatment reduces friction, heat, wear, and provides immediate start-up lubrication. Maximizes equipment life and performance.

Does not contain plastic particles, PTFE resins (Teflon), graphite, molybdenum disulfide, or any other solids, which may cause armful buildup.

Key Benefits
Treats the metal...not the oil
Compatible with all Standard and Synthetic Oils
Reduces Friction and Heat
Introduction: The success of conventional lubricating oils is based upon maintaining a high film strength oil barrier between two surfaces moving relative to each other. Resistance, defined as friction, can be sliding or rolling or even caused by the shearing action of a lubricant attempting to separate two surfaces. Most commercial lubricants are reasonably capable of doing the job for which they are intended, but Prolong is a patented new lubricant which takes normal lubrication a step further.

Lubrication Types: The majority of lubricants are either natural (paraffin, napthene, asphalt esters, polymers), solids (graphite, molybdenum disulfide, Teflon) or greases (oils with various organic or inorganic thickeners). Prolong lubricants contain only pure petroleum and petroleum additives, and perform without the negatives associated with solid particle additives. Prolong blends easily with other lubricants and is most effective at a 10-15% mix. :jawdrop:

Mechanics of Prolong: Friction converts to heat from the billions of collisions of microscopic metal peaks on the surfaces of the moving parts. With ordinary oil, these peaks impact each other and usually immediately break off, creating “wear metals” that are often visible in used oil. Prolong, by contrast, magnetically adheres to these “metal peaks” causing bending, folding or flattening rather than breakage. This flattening greatly increases the total potential contact between the two surfaces, thus providing more surface area over which to distribute the load.
:spank:
Normal lubricants tend to migrate away from the high heat sources while Prolong’s strong ionic charge creates a tendency for it to bond to the metal surface and integrate itself into the structure itself. This bonding is maintained at the extreme temperatures mentioned above. As wear takes place, this cycle of bonding and integrating repeats itself into the next layer and re-establishes the same low friction and wear characteristics of Prolong at a constant self healing rate thereafter. The healing of seized surfaces means that incipient failures can now be slowed or stopped, allowing an extra buffer of time before ultimate failure.

Sand and Grit: Sand, or other abrasive grit, when introduced between moving surfaces, creates an entirely different seizure phenomenon than friction from microscopic peaks colliding. It is well known that when sand gets into conventionally lubricated bearings there is almost immediate grinding away or seizing of the mating surfaces. Prolong oil, through extensive testing, has proven to prevent this typical seizure. Additionally, an ammeter monitoring frictional drag shows momentary rise in consumed energy, possibly while the sand is being crushed, followed by a decrease in current draw, back to about the same level as before the sand was added.

Prolong’s AFMT/Engine Treatment Exclusive Advantages: :tmb:

Bonding effect prevents it from easily “draining away” when engine or machine is stopped thereby reducing “dry start” wear phenomenon. Reduced friction means lower energy (fuel & oil) consumption, increased horsepower and improved overall performance.

Lower operating temperatures mean longer oil life due to slower breakdown of engine oil.

Reduced wear means longer service life for your engine and fewer costly repairs.

Does not contain any solid particles (Teflon, Moly, Lead, Magnesium or Graphite) that may cause harmful build-up in passages and filters. :hbomb:

[CobraSusie]

Hi everyone! While I had the oil changed at roughly 1,300 miles (to have any small metallic filings removed, during the initial break-in) .. I only recently went over 4,000 miles.

From reading the owner's manual .. it states to have oil changed every 5,000 miles. So .. should I change the oil at 4,300 miles (at 3,000, which is "the standard") or wait until 6,300 miles?

Thanks for your opinion in advance. :beer:
My 2004 Cobra I got the first oil change at 500 miles (conventional Pennoil)

and then got my first synthetic oil (Mobil 1) change at 2955 miles last week,
I will be changing the sythentic every 2800-3000 miles that how I
do it with all the cars, and they run forever. :beer:

[3ponies]

My Cobra is just over 2 years old. It has 3200 miles on it. I drive hard when I play. I have changed it 3 times already. Just the standard oil that the Packey Webb Ford uses.

I believe frequent changes are cheap insurance! :D

Rick

[CobraSusie]

My Cobra is just over 2 years old. It has 3200 miles on it. I drive hard when I play. I have changed it 3 times already. Just the standard oil that the Packey Webb Ford uses.

I believe frequent changes are cheap insurance! :D

RickBTW, it was nice to meet you Sunday, and see the beautiful car

[Mgrad92]

I love these questions, because there are as many answers as there are owners. And everyone thinks they're right, but very few of them have any evidence to back up their opinion. So, here's the most logical advice I've ever heard, and it's what I practice:
READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL. FOLLOW IT RELIGIOUSLY. Changing oil less frequently than recomended will harm the engine. Oil changes more frequently will waste money and provide minimal additional protection. Synthetic oil offers more protection, but unless you keep the car for 10 years or more, or unless you drive it really hard (track events) you really don't need the extra protection.
Now why should you listen to me? Because I believe that Ford knows more about the engines they build than anyone else. They spend thousands of dollars at their dynomometer facitily testing and blowing up their engines. Then they make their oil change recomendations based on their findings. So, I say, listen to the guys who built the car. I'll bet they know more about the engine than you do.

OK, let the E-mails slaming me begin...

[ChicagoMike]

If Ford knew more about these engines than anyone else .... that would be nice.

1. 5W20 synthetic blend oil is used from the factory because of fuel mileage requirements by the goverment/EPA people. All fords and hondas are required to use this oil as of 2003. The oil is very thin so it causes less drag on internal parts so it can squeeze out a little better gas mileage. It does not improve the life of the motor. Besides, after 3 years or 36,000 miles, who cares?

2. If Ford knew a lot about these motors, then why does LDC Performance and Apten/Modular Depot offer a cooling mod for cylinders 7 & 8. Upon close inspection you will find a design flaw - there are no proper coolant exit passages for the last 2 cylinders on the drivers side head. Over time the heat build up leads to premature failure. Those pulleying the car or doing any mods over stock (heck even intake/exhaust combo) should consider this mod. The mod is a copy of the passenger side head parts, flipped the correct way for the other side for coolant exit.

The auto clutch adjuster sucks if you DRIVE the car, etc.

Real-world use of these cars by enthusiasts learn the most - and that is also why Ford monitors these message boards and they learn things. As far as the 5W20 oil thing though, that's strictly a management decision for a tax break by big brother, so they cannot really change that, it's not an engineering decision, it's a cost vs. longetivity thing. I think Ford bean counters figure the worn motor isn't their problem past warranty, and most people are probably going to modify their cobras before warranty anyway. I use 10W30 full synthetic oil.


I love these questions, because there are as many answers as there are owners. And everyone thinks they're right, but very few of them have any evidence to back up their opinion. So, here's the most logical advice I've ever heard, and it's what I practice:
READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL. FOLLOW IT RELIGIOUSLY. Changing oil less frequently than recomended will harm the engine. Oil changes more frequently will waste money and provide minimal additional protection. Synthetic oil offers more protection, but unless you keep the car for 10 years or more, or unless you drive it really hard (track events) you really don't need the extra protection.
Now why should you listen to me? Because I believe that Ford knows more about the engines they build than anyone else. They spend thousands of dollars at their dynomometer facitily testing and blowing up their engines. Then they make their oil change recomendations based on their findings. So, I say, listen to the guys who built the car. I'll bet they know more about the engine than you do.

OK, let the E-mails slaming me begin...
:rolleyes:

[XFIRECHIEF]

Ford also wants to sell more vehicles & parts so maybe they would not have you change oil so much as to have these HD engines wear out before their time but after the warranty period.

I use 100% Synthetic (Amsoil) & change it between 3-4K along with a expensive oil filter but what the hay, I paid 40K for it so I guess a few bucks for a extra oil change or so won't bankrupt me.

[CobraSusie]

Everyone HAS their own opinion, thats why we are giving our 2 cents,
HOW we take care of our cars is OUR way.

We all read our owners manuels, but there is NO WAY I would leave oil in my car for 5000 miles even if it is synthetic, and I am sure alot of other feel the same way.

[Mgrad92]

I routinely flog my 92 mustang after 120,000 miles and have had no engine probelms that relate to oil. Is that because of the brand of oil that I used? Was it the viscosity of the oil? Was it the frequency of oil chages? Was it the type of driving I do? Was it the engine architecture? Was it a combination of all these factors? Who knows. To make an assumption that one factor is responsible for the engine's longevity is foolish. And to pretend to know the answers is arrogant.
And while I don't doubt that the bean counters and clean air nazi's have more than their fare share of input on engine oil viscosity, I still think following Ford's recomendations is the best way to do it.
I change my oil every 4,000 on my daily drivers and once a year for my non daily drivers. This splits the difference between the harsh driving and regular driving recomendations in my owner's manual. I've never had an engine oil related problem. Changing it more often is a waste of money.

[RevMatt]

I love these questions, because there are as many answers as there are owners. And everyone thinks they're right, but very few of them have any evidence to back up their opinion. So, here's the most logical advice I've ever heard, and it's what I practice:
READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL. FOLLOW IT RELIGIOUSLY. Changing oil less frequently than recomended will harm the engine. Oil changes more frequently will waste money and provide minimal additional protection. Synthetic oil offers more protection, but unless you keep the car for 10 years or more, or unless you drive it really hard (track events) you really don't need the extra protection.
Now why should you listen to me? Because I believe that Ford knows more about the engines they build than anyone else. They spend thousands of dollars at their dynomometer facitily testing and blowing up their engines. Then they make their oil change recomendations based on their findings. So, I say, listen to the guys who built the car. I'll bet they know more about the engine than you do.

OK, let the E-mails slaming me begin...
:barfy:
(Just a little smiley to confirm the slam-fest is about to begin!) (Just kidding...)
I agree with your logic and MOST of your conclusion. I am hoping to keep (and keep modifying) this car for 5-10 years. I live in a fairly dusty agicultural area. The summers here can be tough on a car. (Average high temp for the last seven days was 104 !) If adding "Prolong" every other oil change and "Mobil1" every oil change (at least 2 qts.) can protect the engine 10-20 % better than stock oil, I am willing and eager to do so. Track events are in my future and I drive my baby as a daily driver. (10,000 during the first twelve months.) I have also driven to/from Northern Calif. and Southern Calif. 3 times during the same months. I have, on occassion, driven "my baby" hard! :D If I am wasting my money, so be it. :huh: If my engine is still in great shape after 50,000 miles, it will have been worth it to me and any future owner. :beer: I treat the exterior of the vehicle the same way. Over-kill...? Maybe. I "Griots Garage" the Pony religiously! :moon: I like the results of my obsession and any future owner, in 5-10 years, will as well. Wouldn't you? ;)

[intellimatic]

Well I guess I will get my two cents in. In one of the post that I read the obvious answer was "it depends on how you drive your car". While Ford recommends the 5K mile change interval that may not apply to everyone because Ford makes assumptions about your driving habits for the normal car buyer. Addtitionally the replacement type of oil makes a difference on the interval. I typically change my Oil between 3K to 5K miles. However if I go to a track event I have the oil changed before and shortly there after. I wish I could remember the site that described the more technical aspects of Oil lubricants but it was the most reasonable answer to this question. The short version is that Oil is made of several compounds that gets activated based on the compression strenght and size of each compound. There is roughly three types in most oils. I use Royal purple synthetic and it does not list the compounds anywhere yet the tech data refers to those compounds. As you heat the oil and place additional stress on the engine the larger compounds are squeazed out leaving the finer smaller compounds to be used as the lubricant. The problem is that the smaller compounds are not as abundant as the larger one. Reasonable since they would be used less frequently. After the third compound is squeazed out you are basically touching metal to metal. You can tell that you have consumed the the third compound by the smell you get after running your engine hard at a track event or other places. If you keep doing this without changing the oil you will run out of the compound and cause engine failure. The smell, is the burning of the compound, its normal.

If I find the technical article about this I will post the information. I believe it was a white paper published by a university. My friend that used to work at Pratt and Whitney engine facility in Florida confirmed this behavior of oil. At that level they perform engine analysis similiar to F1 racing with mass spectrometers to measure oil charactoristics and contaminates.

My recommendations, if you can afford to run your car hard you can afford to change the oil more frequently. Otherwise stick to the recommended change out based on normal driving. (Excuse the spelling errors)

[Mgrad92]

Do you konw why all the quick oil change places say to change your oil every 3,000 miles? Because they're selling you oil, that's why! Do you wash your hair twice just because the shampoo says "lather, rinse, repeat"? Heck no. The shampoo guys just want to sell you more shampoo.
And of course, the guys who change their oil every 3000 miles always say they have never had any problems. Well of course they haven't, their oil is not even close to being "used up." But their wallets are lighter than mine, I'll tell you that.

[RevMatt]

:spank:
Do you konw why all the quick oil change places say to change your oil every 3,000 miles? Because they're selling you oil, that's why! Do you wash your hair twice just because the shampoo says "lather, rinse, repeat"? Heck no. The shampoo guys just want to sell you more shampoo.
And of course, the guys who change their oil every 3000 miles always say they have never had any problems. Well of course they haven't, their oil is not even close to being "used up." But their wallets are lighter than mine, I'll tell you that.
:wzup: There is a very clear and somewhat basic article on oil in the June 2005 edition of MM & FF. :bash:
With regards to oil type, weight and "change frequency," I will stick with my routine. :D
I suggest every SVT owner read this article. It pretty well explains it all! :jawdrop:
I like the extra protection I get from adding Mobil1 & Prolong into the mix.
selah....

[Mgrad92]

I never said you would go wrong by changing the oil too often, and putting in additives that are unecessary. You'll just find yourslf with a little less money in your pocket.

BTW, for those of you who use a synthetic blend, don't bother paying the extra for Castrol or Valvoline. Motorcraft 5w20 and 5w30 oils are synthetic blends and costs significantly less than other name brands.

[Mgrad92]

:spank:
:wzup: There is a very clear and somewhat basic article on oil in the June 2005 edition of MM & FF. :bash:
With regards to oil type, weight and "change frequency," I will stick with my routine. :D
I suggest every SVT owner read this article. It pretty well explains it all! :jawdrop:
I like the extra protection I get from adding Mobil1 & Prolong into the mix.
selah....


So, I re-read the MM&FF article. There was some good information. But I would bring your attention to the second to last paragraph where they make their conclusion. They recomend that you follow the manufacturers recomendation on oil changes unless you drive your car very hard. Gee, isn't that what I said?

[RevMatt]

So, I re-read the MM&FF article. There was some good information. But I would bring your attention to the second to last paragraph where they make their conclusion. They recomend that you follow the manufacturers recomendation on oil changes unless you drive your car very hard. Gee, isn't that what I said?

There has been a problem with 03-04 Cobra motors under-lubricating and melting 2 of the 8 cylinder areas of the block. This has been addressed numerous times in MM & FF as well as on this sight. :guns:
I plan to keep my "baby" beyond 30,000 miles.
I, therefore plan to go the extra mile (or five?) in caring for the motor as well as the rest of the car. Some of my buddies think I over-do-it with my "Griots Garage" routines also. :bna
When 2007-2010 roll around, I will be the one driving this car! I want it to look, sound and perform as well then as it does now!
So, go ahead and use cheap oil and oil filters... drive your car as a daily and/or track-events vehicle and you can have the results of that kind of care. :eek:
I would rather buy a five to eight-year-old SVT Cobra from one who took the extra time and expense from someone like me than from someone who took "average" care of their car like you plan to.
There's no need to argue the point any further. If you are convinced that changing the oil "as per Ford MINIMUM recommendations" is enough for your car, so be it! :wtf:
I have also added using a K & N oil filter to my routine. Again, another "waste(?) of money," right?!?
I do not know how you plan to drive your SVT. I drive mine on long distance highway-driving trips (800-1,000 miles "both-ways), city stop-and-go driving, occasional "misbehaving" driving and, eventually, a couple of 1/4 mile & auto-cross events are planned. I have run a few 1/4 mile runs with some buddies on their private property AND have misbehaved on lonely I-5 (from Northern CA to Southern CA) in the weee hours of the morning while on long trips. Otherwise, I drive within 5-10 mph of the posted speed limit 95% of the time while in City driving or on short 25-80 miles) trips.
My Fiance' thinks I drive too slowly 75% of the time. :confused:
Given the wide range of driving styles I put my Cobra through, I feel more comfortable and hopeful if I "waste money" going the extra mile in my "car care."
I have put 12,000 miles on it in 14+ months.
You have your opinion. I have mine. If "factory" oil & filter, changes every 5,000 miles, etc. is the style with which you chose to take care is sufficient, so be it.
I would be willing to bet that most of the folks here would rather buy my car in 2009 (@ age 5) than yours. :jawdrop:
So, go ahead and think you are "right." Sounds like a poll is in the making....?

[waltman98]

Dear fellow Cobra owners. These are our toys and we treat them as we see fit. There is nothing wrong following the manufacturers' recommendations. If you want to be anal about it, you can change the oil once a week, wash it every other day, change tires twice a month, change belts every 1k miles, replace the air filter every time you come back home. drain/replace the coolant every weekend, replace brake pads once a month, while you are at it, machine the rotors at the same time and why not drain/replace the brake fluid too. And let's not forget wax the baby at least once a week, and of course a new paint job with thick clear coat every 2 months. Got a pebble ding on the bumper? replace it don't waste time retouching, it will look like a crap and the value of your car will go down. :jawdrop: Wanna be even more anal, get yourself a tow truck with a flat bed to carry your baby places and show it off. I'll be damned if I get those tires dirty. :knock:
Wife spilled coffee in your precious velour seat? Dang! time to get that Recaro racing seat, heck might as well get two of them to match. :D

[RevMatt]

:moon: Given the wide range of driving styles I put my Cobra through, I feel more comfortable and hopeful if I "waste money" going the extra mile in my "car care."
I have put 12,000 miles on it in 14+ months.
You have your opinion. I have mine. If "factory" oil & filter, changes every 5,000 miles, etc. is the style with which you chose to take care is sufficient, so be it.
I would be willing to bet that most of the folks here would rather buy my car in 2009 (@ age 5) than yours.
:tmb:

[Mgrad92]

Just FYI, RevMatt, I've got 120,000 miles on my 13 year old 5.0 V-8. No compression problems. No oil consumption. No oil leaks. Maybe I'm not so crazy.

[marcobra]

Just FYI, RevMatt, I've got 120,000 miles on my 13 year old 5.0 V-8. No compression problems. No oil consumption. No oil leaks. Maybe I'm not so crazy.

Mgrad92, good for you! 120,000 miles on a 13 year old car tells me you know what you're talking about. It's nice to see every once in a while someone who can walk the walk, rather than the everyday pseudo expert who just talks the talk.

[RevMatt]

Mgrad92, good for you! 120,000 miles on a 13 year old car tells me you know what you're talking about. It's nice to see every once in a while someone who can walk the walk, rather than the everyday pseudo expert who just talks the talk.
Given the wide range of driving styles I put my Cobra through, I feel more comfortable and hopeful if I "waste money" going the extra mile in my "car care."
I have put 12,000 miles on it in 14+ months.
You have your opinion. I have mine. If "factory" oil & filter, changes every 5,000 miles, etc. is the style with which you chose to take care is sufficient, so be it.
I would be willing to bet that most of the folks here would rather buy my car in 2009 (@ age 5) than yours.
I owned a 1967 Chysler Town & Country for years... When I sold it, it had 197,000 miles on it a great compression all around. Yes it was the original motor... (440 magnum with 4-bbl carb, dual-exhaust and a detroit locker!) Yes, I took it to "fun runs" as a sleeper... best ET 1/4 mile was 13.5 !
So what?
Reread my "red" post above. I am not slamming you, my point is EXACTLY as stated! Cobraken & Mgrad92... chill out! :wow:

[cobraken]

Reread my "red" post above. I am not slamming you, my point is EXACTLY as stated! Cobraken & Mgrad92... chill out! :wow:[/QUOTE]



I didn't even know I was part of this discussion. Was I upset @ something or voice intolerence of a view point?

[CobraBoots]

I have seen mobil 1 mentioned several times on prior posts. I would like to point out that mobil 1 5w 20 is not a good oil. 5w 20 is not a good oil weight in general.

I know they call for it for fuel economey, cold weather, blah blah blah blah.!!!

If your car only sees the streets in the warm weather as mine does, and you want to use the best oil money can buy, look no further then AMS Oil.

Let me put it for you this way, AMS oil makes the oil used on the moving parts on the space shuttle where temps are at their most extreme. Aircraft makers use it, as do many many many pro racers. Big Rig tractors use it, as do most other heavy duty diesel equipment. (them large international and catepillar engines are worth more the the house i live in!!) AMS Oil actually has labs you can send oil samples too and they will tell you when you need to change your oil, and how your car is running based upon the contents of the sample. !!!

Now i am not going to knock mobil 1... it's ok if you like a fake synthetic oil. Oh yea, its not really synthetic. it's just a highly refined mineral oil they call synthetic, that is due in part to a court decision. Read about it here:

http://www.worldsbestoil.com/amsoil/synthetic/articles/mobil1-castrol-court.htm

So mobil said if you can't beat em, join em, and now does the same thing to cut costs.

AMS oil is actually fully synthetic. If you want the best oil money can buy for your motor, use AMS Oil ASL 5w 30 !!!

https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/asl.aspx

Service life is 25,000 miles, but i change mine every 4,000. the oil always looks like it could do another tour of duty too.

Hope this info is helpfull to all.

Oh look up wome ware numbers while your out there. Stay away from the 5w 20 that oil weight is evil!!! Unless it's mid winter. !!

[JRHWhiteSnake '04]

Now i am not going to knock mobil 1... it's ok if you like a fake synthetic oil. Oh yea, its not really synthetic. it's just a highly refined mineral oil they call synthetic, that is due in part to a court decision.
So mobil said if you can't beat em, join em, and now does the same thing to cut costs.


Where did you hear this B.S. about Mobil 1?
I know about Castrol Syntec.

Care to back up your claim about Mobil1? :spank:

[Gremlin]

3K-5K miles depending on mode of driving. Syntec is my personal preference....

:bna

[ChicagoMike]

Interesting about Mobil 1. I think Mobil 1 is just fine for regular performance cars, but when you start modding and getting crazy, Amsoil and Redline oils might be the right choice. I use Redline 10W30 in my 2003 Cobra. No problems, runs great and pulls like rocket.

[beerkat]

I have run Syntec 5w20 in my Lightning for the last 52,000 miles without problems. I run the same oil in my Cobra which is mostly a track car now. Neither of the vehicles uses any oil. The Cobra has 13,000 plus miles on it about half of that is on Road courses running hard.

[GaborVincer]

Erik you are absolutely right. :tmb: I believe in changing my oil at the recommended intervals if be mileage or time. If you let your beast rest for hibernation then the wake up call should be new oil before start-up. That's it that's all :guns: :guns:

[jgruggs]

I've been a Mobil 1 user since it came out. Remember when Jeremy Mayfield ran the California Nascar race several years back , and won , when he was driving the Mobil 1 car. The oil cooler malfunctioned and had no cooling effect on his motor. The cooler was mounted on the back of the seat. After the race, Jeremy had burns on his back from the cooler getting so hot. The oil held up for a big portion of the race. If it can hold up to 500 miles of Nascar torture, it's good enough for my car. I've never had any problems with it, and like I said , I've used it since it came out. And I'm not biased , makes no difference that I work for Mobil uuuhhhh Exxonmobil. Yes there are other oils out there that are just as good, but don't say that the Mobil 1 will not hold up. That's just bunk.

[RevMatt]

I've been a Mobil 1 user since it came out. Remember when Jeremy Mayfield ran the California Nascar race several years back , and won , when he was driving the Mobil 1 car. The oil cooler malfunctioned and had no cooling effect on his motor. The cooler was mounted on the back of the seat. After the race, Jeremy had burns on his back from the cooler getting so hot. The oil held up for a big portion of the race. If it can hold up to 500 miles of Nascar torture, it's good enough for my car. I've never had any problems with it, and like I said , I've used it since it came out. And I'm not biased , makes no difference that I work for Mobil uuuhhhh Exxonmobil. Yes there are other oils out there that are just as good, but don't say that the Mobil 1 will not hold up. That's just bunk.

:spinem: Taking a step up in your protection of your motor and other moving parts cannot be LOGICALLY argued with. I hope you reap the benefits for going "above & beyond!" :hehe:

[XFIRECHIEF]

I sometimes wonder, just because a car is sponsored by, lets say "Mobil 1" does it have to use it? I have my doughts about that thinking.

Does a car sponsored by Citco use that fuel?
Just food for thought.

[cobra venom]

I change my oil every 5000 kilometers / 3000 miles and not a mile more. I think it is better to change earlier vs later. My cobra gets parked for winter and as soon as it comes out it go's straight to ford for oil change (my 03 cobra). I don't take the cobra to those B.S. drive through oil changes.

I also have an 89 25yr anniversary lx hatch back.
It has 330 000 kilometers on it and puffs a little blue when you hammer on it. I put prolong in it and change the oil every 5000 kilometers or when convienient. I will continue to drive the hell out of it for fun but it is starting to get a little tired. Yeah right I got a cobra to drive now.

[jgruggs]

Like most of you I too change my oil at 3000 miles, no matter what "they" recommend. It just don't feel right to go longer. Yes, they did use Mobil 1 in the #12 car of Jeremys , they might not now , don't really know. Do you think Mark Martin uses Viagria? it's on his car, but ... oh well I won't go there. Sure , some don't actually use there sponsers product b but they use their money to fund the car. And I change my own oil , rotate my own tires , do almost everything myself to my baby, almost anal about it.LOL