How to tell what type of oil I have
#1
How to tell what type of oil I have
I'm going to be changing my oil for the first time since I bought my camaro. It's 91 z28 5.7 with 124k miles. Is there any easy way to tell whether it's been using regular oil or synthetic oil?
If I find that it is using regular oil, what would be the advantages of switching to synthetic and what extra steps would I have to take to make the switch.
If it is using synthetic, are there any certain types or brands I should be using? Do I have to worry about matching the type/brand that is already in there?
If I find that it is using regular oil, what would be the advantages of switching to synthetic and what extra steps would I have to take to make the switch.
If it is using synthetic, are there any certain types or brands I should be using? Do I have to worry about matching the type/brand that is already in there?
Last edited by Whitchman; 08-08-2007 at 01:37 PM.
#2
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Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
No way to tell, no need to match it.
Just pick a nice synthetic and pour it in. Mobil 1 is popular on here.
Just pick a nice synthetic and pour it in. Mobil 1 is popular on here.
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Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
Somebody told me that walmart synth is actually made by mobil. Is that true?
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Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
I disagree here, Valvoline Synpower synthetic is a great oil. At the last shop I worked for, we used it exclusively in a commercial accounts work trucks. By work trucks we were talking 2002-2004 GM 2500/3500 HD with the 6.0 and 8.1 that were gettign 150,000 miles a year pulling 8K lbs behind them. The engines would get so hot the dipstick would be completely coated in charcoal for about 7" around the exhaust manifold. The trucks would run somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 miles between services. Oil would always come out a little dark, but all in all not that bad. MANY trucks had over 450K miles on them and were still running.
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Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
Whitchman, I have heard that there are labs that will "diagnose" a small sample of oil for you for not much money, search the net if you want. Recently on this site, people have posted about engine problems, mainly smoking, after switching to synthetic oil after using conventional oil. You may want to do a search on this site for that info. It was posted in the last week or so. If you want to avoid problems, have your oil checked.
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Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
I disagree here, Valvoline Synpower synthetic is a great oil. At the last shop I worked for, we used it exclusively in a commercial accounts work trucks. By work trucks we were talking 2002-2004 GM 2500/3500 HD with the 6.0 and 8.1 that were gettign 150,000 miles a year pulling 8K lbs behind them. The engines would get so hot the dipstick would be completely coated in charcoal for about 7" around the exhaust manifold. The trucks would run somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 miles between services. Oil would always come out a little dark, but all in all not that bad. MANY trucks had over 450K miles on them and were still running.
#10
Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
So if I have conventional oil, can I just drain it and throw in synthetic as if It were any other normal oil change?
I've read that some people have problems with leaking after making the switch due to the smaller molecules in synthetic oil. Should I be worried about this? Could I cause permanent damage to the engine?
As I understand it, one of the advantages of synthetic oil is the mileage between changes. How often should I change a typical synthetic oil?
I've read that some people have problems with leaking after making the switch due to the smaller molecules in synthetic oil. Should I be worried about this? Could I cause permanent damage to the engine?
As I understand it, one of the advantages of synthetic oil is the mileage between changes. How often should I change a typical synthetic oil?
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Re: How to tell what type of oil I have
One method of cleaning the engine is to use conventional petroleum-based oil with one quart of synthetic for one oil change (i.e., 4 qts of regular, 1 qt synthetic), then 2 quarts of synthetic the next oil change (with 3 qts of regular), etc., until you're up to a full fill of synthetic (changing the filter each time, of course).
Again, only true with good PAO synthetics. Mobil 1 used to say 25k or 1 year, now they say per manufacturer's recommendation through the warranty period. AMSOIL says 7500-35k or 6 mo-1 year, depending upon the particular product and vehicle condition/use. Red Line says 7500 miles (up to 15000-18000 with mostly highway). Penzoil, Valvoline, Quaker State, Castrol, don't recommend extended drain from what I've seen or heard.
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