Is oil just oil?

[RECONMARINE]

So is oil just oil? I just wanted to share my experience and opinion here with you guys. I sent an oil sample to Blackstone recently and I am using Castrol GTX 10w 30 right now. I had a high sodium count in the sample and when I asked is that normal they replied that Castrol GTX has a high sodium count compared to Mobile 1 and other oils. So I asked them do they recommend any oil out there that would be good or better because we all want to get the best stuff right? Well they surprised me by saying that any oil will do the job of lubricating the engine they way it is recommended to do. To my surprise I was told that a few of the guys at the lab use the Walmart oil since oil is just oil and just lubricates the engine. With that said I also asked about Quantum Blue and what they thought about it and they replied the following “We've seen plenty of samples from engines using Quantum Blue oil, and it appears to be good stuff. Wear metals are usually quite low, and the oil doesn't cause any problems for the engines.” So if oil is just oil and any oil does the job of lubricating the engine then an oil that reduces wear metals I guess it is not snake oil like some people claim. On my next oil change I am going back to QB since I was running it before and if an independent lab has notice less metal wear then it begs the question does less metal wear help with the life of the engine? I think so.

[A.Clark]

Sounds like a win for QB oil glad I switched on my 1st oil change at 5000 miles my 2012 Charger will never use a different oil!


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[AFPVet]

I don't know about others, but I noticed better performance by switching from conventional oil to Mobil 1 while keeping within the manufacturer's recommended intervals on both conventional and synthetic. For my car, synthetic is better.

[TNCHARGER]

Need to ask yourself how many miles do you plan to put on the car before trading?...many 150,000+ mile cars here use name brand oil and their engines use little or no oil betwen changes.

[PowerslavePA]

Oil is just Oil, unless you compare Synthetic to Dino oil.

I use Synthetic, and change twice a year. I change in the Fall to a 5W product, then I change in the Spring to a 10W product. Even the 2010 520i BMWs oil change interval flag is very 15k miles, and you must use Synthetic as called for in the owners manual. The best being the 0W40 by Castrol, made in Germany. Other Castrol weight oils do not indicate it is made in Germany, only the 0W40 does, that I have seen. I looked at all the other Castrol oils, all other blends and weights, none say Made In Germany except the 0W40 brand.

Still, even regular oil has come a long way in 10 years alone. My 2008 Pontiac Vibe manual says 7K interval with Energy Conserving 5W30, though I use regular, it is a company vehicle, they won't pay the Synthetic prices... Which is dumb, because you can go almost 3 times as long between Synthetic changes...

This is, of course, my opinion, and what I do, and is not a part of the 10 commandments. I use what works for me, and has gotten results, for me. You all can so whatever you want, with whatever you want.

[JGcharger]

Oil isn't just oil. Oil is the lifeblood of our Chargers. Consider using Quantum Blue engine oil and their other fluids along with Aces IV. Contact Brian at 370 HEMI

[1stDodge]

subscribed...

[PlumCrazyDaytona]

I made the move over to BND or quantum blue oils almost a year ago. I am running engine oil, coolant, gear oil, power steering fluid and coolant. This spring when I dump the oil at 10k miles I will flush and refill the transmision with BND's oil

Now I will agree with the blackstone guys on "oil is oil" as that blanket statement covers 90% of people who own cars. Currently compared to maybe 20 years ago oil is oil, its all good stuff and low quality products are tougher to find, where as high quality oil is available everywhere.

If you want to run the heck out of your car, protect it and make all wear parts last as long as possible then a special blend oil like BND offers is for you.

I run BND oil because that is what I want, the best protection I can get, an oil that will free up some horespwer and give me the ability to run 80+ passes down the track and protect the engine on the street, did I mention I can run the same blend in all four seasons in North Dakota

[Ddaddy]

Yep, and a McDonald hamburger and a center cut prime rib are both just beef. They will both provide you protein and calories to keep you alive.

However, if you want more out of the meal you know which one is better.

Just like motor oil...

[Jonny]

Yes, using oil that costs ~$120 per oil change probably will give you another 10k miles engine life over the lifespan of the car. If you plan on driving your car for 300k miles, you win!

I'm currently driving the car with the most miles that I have ever put on a car I've owned... my Charger with 72k miles. I've run the cheapest conventional oil in it I could find. I've also run regular old synthetic... nothing special. Runs like the day I bought it, doesn't burn any oil either.

My other car is a VW Passat with 173k miles on it. Runs great, burns no oil. Off the shelf oil.

Any life you gain, is all at the end of the cars life... hardly worth the added expense to me. At that point, everything else is shot, too.

Comparing McDonalds and prime rib? That's a pretty big stretch, unless you are talking price point.

Why is this thread in the performance discussion, it should be in the BND section....