Oil change dilemma

[Bill K]

My dilemma is that I'm not sure if synthetic is the way to go for me. I've only put on 4000 miles in the last 11 months since I bought the car, so I'm not sure if a once a year synthetic oil/filter changes is better than twice a year (2000-2500 mile) conventional oil/filter changes. The idea of filter changes every 2000 miles makes me wonder if this is the way to go.
I had them use dealer synthetic with my first oil change, but changing synthetic every 2000 miles seems rather silly.
If I stay with synthetic oil, I'll probably have them use my own Mobil 1 oil. That brings me to another question.....Mobil 1 comes in many different types. One of them is their standard "Full Synthetic" in different viscosities. They also make a "Extended Performance" oil for 15,000 mile change intervals.
The one I was looking at was the "Advanced Full Synthetic" with European Car Formula, for turbo, and direct injection engines.
Would this last version of Mobil 1 be the way to go, if I stay with synthetic????

Walmart seems to have the best price.

 

[kn5owa]

I have used the "plain vanilla" Mobil 1 synthetic since its introduction around 1975. I got to know the engineers who developed the stuff - it was developed to save energy and minimize engine wear. You do remember the gas lines of the '70's?

I Currently change the oil/filter once a year - the genny is only a trip car - so not that many miles on it.

I usually buy the stuff at WallyWorld - The choice of oils is a no-brainer since dino oil (conventional - as some prefer) is getting pretty pricy. Even if the synthetic yielded only a small increase in mileage, it would pay for itself.

 

[Mark_888]

My dilemma is that I'm not sure if synthetic is the way to go for me. I've only put on 4000 miles in the last 11 months since I bought the car, so I'm not sure if a once a year synthetic oil/filter changes is better than twice a year (2000-2500 mile) conventional oil/filter changes. The idea of filter changes every 2000 miles makes me wonder if this is the way to go.
I had them use dealer synthetic with my first oil change, but changing synthetic every 2000 miles seems rather silly.
If I stay with synthetic oil, I'll probably have them use my own Mobil 1 oil. That brings me to another question.....Mobil 1 comes in many different types. One of them is their standard "Full Synthetic" in different viscosities. They also make a "Extended Performance" oil for 15,000 mile change intervals.
The one I was looking at was the "Advanced Full Synthetic" with European Car Formula, for turbo, and direct injection engines.
Would this last version of Mobil 1 be the way to go, if I stay with synthetic????

Walmart seems to have the best price.

I also don't drive much anymore, so I change my oil once per year, which is about 5000 miles or maybe less, using Mobil 1. Given the price of Mobil 1 in 5-quart jugs at Walmart, it is hard to beat.

DO NOT use a European Car Formula oil in an Asian or American car. It has different amounts of phosphorus and zinc due to European pollution laws, but does not work well in Asian or American engines. A European Formula oil will state on the label if sold in the US.

Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil has slightly higher quality synthetic components than most other synthetics. Even if you only drive 5000 miles and change your oil, Mobil 1 EP will have some benefits over most other synthetics. It is not a large advantage, but it only costs $2 more per 5-quart jug at Walmart.

In addition to regular Mobil 1, there is Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy, which is also a very good oil.

After trying just about every version of Mobil 1, I would recommend one of the following in a Hyundai Genesis:

• Mobil 1 EP 5W-30
• Mobil 1 AFE 0W-30 (might be better if you live in a very cold climate)

After doing a lot of research, I have reached the conclusion that manufacturers recommend 5W-20 oil instead of 5W-30 oil in order to increase fuel economy, and not to increase engine longevity.

 

[FastDEW1]

The 5W-30 oil is not better for the engine than a 5W-20. The majority of the engine wear occurs at start. There is virtually no difference between the oils at start. The 5W-20 will protect the engine perfectly and it is worth using the recommended oil. The fuel economy will/might be better. The engine wear will not be increased.

 

[2011 Genesis 4.6]

Also remember this, ( I have read if anyone knows differently please correct me) conventional oil does not just break down by miles but just time, so if the car has low miles but sits for long periods of time the oil is still breaking down.
Synthetic does not. So once a year changes are cheaper then multiple changes with conventional.

 

[Mark_888]

The 5W-30 oil is not better for the engine than a 5W-20. The majority of the engine wear occurs at start. There is virtually no difference between the oils at start. The 5W-20 will protect the engine perfectly and it is worth using the recommended oil. The fuel economy will/might be better. The engine wear will not be increased.

I guess you will have to explain why Hyundai now specifies 5W-30 for the 2015 V6. It's not recommended over 5W-20, it is specified.

I will stand by my belief that the only reason why 5W-20 is specified over 5W-30 is gas mileage at the expense of engine longevity.

I was reading an article about NASCAR and they use specially formulated synthetic motor oils, mostly from Mobil 1, partly because of sponsorship, and also because Exxon Mobil makes custom oils for them. They typically use 0W-5 viscosity (not a misprint), since the engine only has to last 500 miles. The special oil also lacks the anti-corrosion additives and detergents that oil in a street cars needs.

In any case, in the past I used a blend of 5W-20 and 5W-30 when I couldn't decide which to use. As I mentioned, I pretty much Mobil 1 5W-30 EP, but if I lived in a cold climate I might go back to the blend of 5W-20 and 5W-30.

 

[Bill K]

The only reason that I was thinking about twice a year conventional oil changes is
1) My synthetic oil looks dirty after 1000 miles.
2) twice a year oil filter changes would remove more gunk from the engine.

I plan to keep this baby 10-15 years. (if I don't wreck it) After 15 years, I may have 75,000-80,000 miles on it.

It's good to know that the Mobil 1 Advanced European Car Formula is not for me. The mention of Direct Injection caught my attention.

 

[PMCErnie]

Twice a year conventional oil changes is good thinking, based on your mileage experience. Besides, why pay more for oil when you have a 10 year/100,000 mile engine warranty? As a matter of fact, my Genesis has a 12 year/120,000 mile warranty on the drivetrain, if you include my extended warranty

 

[Mark_888]

Twice a year conventional oil changes is good thinking, based on your mileage experience. Besides, why pay more for oil when you have a 10 year/100,000 mile engine warranty? As a matter of fact, my Genesis has a 12 year/120,000 mile warranty on the drivetrain, if you include my extended warranty

If I were really concerned about the price of the oil when changing it myself, I would get Walmart house brand synthetic Tech 2000, which is the same price as name brand conventional oil. Then it can be changed twice a year, every 2,000 - 3,000 miles.

But Mobil 1 is only about $10 more per 5-quart jug, so that is what I use, because I am wild and crazy guy.

 

[GJEMD]

The only reason that I was thinking about twice a year conventional oil changes is
1) My synthetic oil looks dirty after 1000 miles.
2) twice a year oil filter changes would remove more gunk from the engine.

I plan to keep this baby 10-15 years. (if I don't wreck it) After 15 years, I may have 75,000-80,000 miles on it.

It's good to know that the Mobil 1 Advanced European Car Formula is not for me. The mention of Direct Injection caught my attention.

The oil is not dirty, but has soot from the Direct Injection. M1 keeps this in suspension that prevents issues. Honestly drive train issues are not an issue
with 15 yr operation. Modern vehicles develope electrical gremlins over time much more than drive train issues

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[ASHDUMP]

In my 2009 4.6 I used to use 0W20 and had good success. I honestly think I could notice better gas mileage. I put 110K flawless miles on her before I traded it in.

The Equus recommends 5W-20 for getter gas mileage. But also shows a chart stating you can use 10W-30 too.

 

[PMCErnie]

If I were really concerned about the price of the oil when changing it myself, I would get Walmart house brand synthetic Tech 2000, which is the same price as name brand conventional oil. Then it can be changed twice a year, every 2,000 - 3,000 miles.

But Mobil 1 is only about $10 more per 5-quart jug, so that is what I use, because I am wild and crazy guy.

I wouldn't call you a wild guy.

But seriously, how bad can regular oil get if you change it every 2,500 miles? Also, if regular oil is so bad, why do most manufacturers put it in their cars in the first place, especially if they want to achieve the highest mpg possible AND prevent engine failures/warranty costs?

No, unless I'm racing at LeMans, I'll stick to oil from deep in the earth and 5,000 mile changes.

 

[2011 Genesis 4.6]

I wouldn't call you a wild guy.

But seriously, how bad can regular oil get if you change it every 2,500 miles? Also, if regular oil is so bad, why do most manufacturers put it in their cars in the first place, especially if they want to achieve the highest mpg possible AND prevent engine failures/warranty costs?

No, unless I'm racing at LeMans, I'll stick to oil from deep in the earth and 5,000 mile changes.

There are 2 good reasons I see for this, First initial break in, synthetic has much less friction and so the engine does not break in as easily.

And 2 price conventional is still cheaper so oem cuts costs.

 

[Mark_888]

I wouldn't call you a wild guy.

But seriously, how bad can regular oil get if you change it every 2,500 miles? Also, if regular oil is so bad, why do most manufacturers put it in their cars in the first place, especially if they want to achieve the highest mpg possible AND prevent engine failures/warranty costs?

No, unless I'm racing at LeMans, I'll stick to oil from deep in the earth and 5,000 mile changes.

It's not how bad conventional oil can get, its how much better synthetic oil is in lubricating engine parts. As I mentioned, Walmart house brand synthetic (Tech 2000) is about the same price as conventional oil, but the Walmart synthetic is a superior product than any conventional oil.

The reason why manufacturers do not specify synthetic oil is cost of ownership. They are in competition with each other, and most of them want a lower cost of ownership than the competition (or at least they don't want to have a higher cost of ownership than the competition).

You will notice that virtually all luxury cars specify synthetic oil because the cost of ownership is not really a big factor buyers of those vehicles. But just in the last few years both Toyota and Honda are now specifying synthetic oil in almost all their engines. But they do it in a semi-tricky way so as to not alarm potential buyers about the added cost of oil changes. Toyota and Honda now specify 0W-20 motor oil, which is a viscosity range that (at least so far) can only be achieved with a synthetic product.

Hyundai will probably be last to make the change, because they have historically appealed to price conscious buyers who are more concerned about the cost of oil changes.

 

[lash4.6]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/oil-change-truths/

 

[PMCErnie]

There are 2 good reasons I see for this, First initial break in, synthetic has much less friction and so the engine does not break in as easily.

And 2 price conventional is still cheaper so oem cuts costs.

I'm sure Hyundai could by plenty of synthetic oil economically in bulk, especially if it improved mpg for the Moroney window sticker.

 

[427435]

There are 2 good reasons I see for this, First initial break in, synthetic has much less friction and so the engine does not break in as easily.

Another myth-----------cast iron rings are a thing long gone.

There are a lot of cars with synthetic oil as factory fill. Those engines break in just fine.

 

[427435]

To the OP-------------------just use a good synthetic and change after a year. Take a sample when you change and send it to Blackstone labs for an analysis. You will likely be told it could have been left in a lot longer. Follow their advice.

 

[RSPEC429]

Is the low mileage because you do a lot of city driving? Or do you simply not drive it much?

If you do a lot of city driving, I would be doing oil changes every 3,000-5,000 miles or every 3-5 months using whatever synthetic is cheapest or makes you feel good/comfortable. If you're going to do the traditional 3,000/3 month interval, you could get away with a conventional/semi-synthetic as well.

If you're just not using the vehicle much, you could probably get away with yearly oil changes. If you're not comfortable with that, two times a year will work just fine. Use any synthetic that meets Hyundai specs (API Service SM/ILSAC GF-4 or above).

As far as M1 0W40, it will be perfectly fine if ran in the Gennie. It meets some of the most stringent oil specs in the industry from both manufacturers, API and ACEA and it will most definitely NOT hurt your engine. With that said, there are other oils better suited for your engine and it isn't because of the phosphorus or zinc levels. It is because its HTHS viscosity of 3.8 is much too thick for your engine which calls for something closer to 2.7-3.0 like what the M1 0W20 and 0W30 offers, respectively.

 

[RSPEC429]

To the OP-------------------just use a good synthetic and change after a year. Take a sample when you change and send it to Blackstone labs for an analysis. You will likely be told it could have been left in a lot longer. Follow their advice.

Yes. Op, if you really want some definitive answers, get a Blackstone report after running it for a year.

Do share with us your driving habits though. Not allowing the oil to properly heat up and reach temp is a one way ticket to having lots of moisture/condensation build up as well as fuel dilution.