Motor Oil Brand vs Consumption?

[2006Tahoe2WD]

I'm also trying the Kirkland oil after the Project Farm report. At ~180,000 miles I use about 1 quart for every 5k miles. So I usually don't add any oil, I sample it and then change the oil and filter.

 

[swathdiver]

Guys, so AcDelco is not a manufacturer. for example, in Acdelco cans there was Belgian Wolf oil, which is cheaper, has a Dexos approval, In USA it Exxon Mobil.

5W30 ACDelco oil is made for them, to their specifications, by Phillips 66.

My 2021 used regular oil for the first 36,000 miles and I changed it every 5k.

Never used a drop.

Once my warranty ended I switched to Mobil 1 full synthetic. 5k later my oil was barely on the dipstick.

Took the vehicle to GMC dealer concerned about oil consumption.

They drained the oil and put in a Delco Blend and started my 1,000 mile consumption test.

Now a 1,000 miles later my dipstick still is full.

I will note that it appeared overfilled when I started the test and I’ve had stupid back and forth with the SA about how to “properly check the oil, cause you can’t just check it bone cold in the morning. You gotta run it for 2-3 minutes, then let it sit for a minute”.

I’m calling BS on how to check the oil & will dig deeper with the SA about that cause it makes no sense.

If the oil is overfilled then the only way they can measure consumption is by draining and weighing the oil and my SA won’t confirm how the actually measure (via dipstick or by drained weight).

This was my experience with regular 5W30 Mobil One oil for years. Quit using it in 2018 and barely any oil consumption, can't remember the last time I had to add oil between changes.

 

[EddieC]

Any thoughts on Pennzoil Platinum Euro L Full Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil for LS engines?
It appears to meet Dexos 2 requirements.

 

[swathdiver]

I put the 6.2 Sierras on Quaker State full synthetic. After the 3rd oil change a sample will be sent to Blackstone for analysis. So far the oil has been great, no consumption between changes, motor does not rattle on start up.

 

[EddieC]

I put the 6.2 Sierras on Quaker State full synthetic. After the 3rd oil change a sample will be sent to Blackstone for analysis. So far the oil has been great, no consumption between changes, motor does not rattle on start up.

I recently tried one change using Shell Rotella Gas Truck 5w30. I used about a quart in 4000 miles. A good point is that the oil on the dipstick looks like new. I have enough of the oil to give it another change but haven't ruled out trying another oil looking forward because finding the Gas Truck is harder than the last time, not to mention that it appears to have been hoarded after the closeout so the current price is out of line with most other choices.

In another thread there are recommendations to get the updated driver side valve cover and other potential measures.

 

[swathdiver]

I recently tried one change using Shell Rotella Gas Truck 5w30. I used about a quart in 4000 miles. A good point is that the oil on the dipstick looks like new. I have enough of the oil to give it another change but haven't ruled out trying another oil looking forward because finding the Gas Truck is harder than the last time, not to mention that it appears to have been hoarded after the closeout so the current price is out of line with most other choices.

In another thread there are recommendations to get the updated driver side valve cover and other potential measures.

That Shell oil was next on my list until they discontinued it. Next on the list was the Quaker State and so far so good.

 

[EddieC]

That Shell oil was next on my list until they discontinued it. Next on the list was the Quaker State and so far so good.

I only find the Shell at NAPA now and they have to search the area and ship a bottle from here and another from there and so on. I presume the the end is coming.

Another alternative that popped up recently is Phillips 66 Shield Valor. I wonder if that is related to AC Delco Dexos oil as I read that Phillips might make it.

Is the QS that you use their standard synthetic or "Ultimate Durability" variant?

 

[swathdiver]

Is the QS that you use their standard synthetic or "Ultimate Durability" variant?

Standard full synthetic on the shelves at Walmart. Yes, the ACDelco oil I use is made by Phillips 66.

 

[EddieC]

View attachment 396414View attachment 396415

The above was taken from: https://pqia.org/kirkland-signature-full-synthetic-sae-5w-30-motor-oil/

I know the numbers don't seem far off and I am far from a trained expert but my motor does not rattle like it used to with the ACDelco oil versus the plain Mobil One. We were going to try Quaker State next. Too bad Shell discontinued Gas Truck.

More importantly, how does your engine perform on it Tom? Oil consumption and cold start noise?

I thought you might find the specs for the current Quaker State Ultimate Protection (not "Durability") 5 w30 interesting.
I wonder if it's a renamed Shell Gas Truck based on comparing to your table of properties.

https://www.shell-livedocs.com/data/published/en/d3a5f5df-85c5-4d48-b076-bca08bbfaec6.pdf

I have found a source and have tried the Shell Gas Truck but the price, compared to the QS from WM is approaching double so I am giving the QS a try directly after two change cycles of the Gas Truck.

 

[swathdiver]

We should be coming up on the end of the 3rd oil change on Quaker State Full Synthetic soon and will send off a sample to BlackStone Labs for comparison.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Mobil 1 5W30 makes the engine run noticeably noisier overall (incl. about 1sec. cold start chatter) compared to a different brand 5W30.

This is precisely the question that would be best answered by a brand new motor oil analysis (as opposed to used oil analysis).

What works well for me is using the ACDelco PF48E filter and any full synthetic 5W30 with dexos1 or dexos2 specification.

Anything against an ACDelco PF48 without the 'E'? What about an ACDelco UPF48?
Any thoughts about ACDelco PF63?

We all know Group4 synthetic 5W30 is the answer ...

 

[j91z28d1]

I thought I saw a cut open filter video showing the E acdelcos had more plastic stuff inside them instead of metal. but every part number filter in the same brand seems to be made different. and the media probably matters more than anything.

just buy amsoil filter for a few $ more? in the end, every rabbit hole leads to them lol.


I'm going to be towing a car on a trailer here in a few weeks. about 2k miles including mountains. I have 5w30 R&P in it now, 2nd batch and it's getting past 3k miles, so going to change before I go. normally I'd just pick up some M1 10w40 since my truck doesn't have an oil cooler and these run higher rpm then a 6 speed. it's version of OD is closer to a 4l60 4th gear. I've run M1 in basic everything I put synthetic in since the 90s with out any thought but you guys have me wondering if I shouldn't just stick with a Valvoline 10w40 at this point instead of my normal go to M1 extended performance.

I ran 2 changes of the Pennzoil Platinum or whatever the high end stuff people like is called and wasn't very impressed with it. it was free so I ran it, but seemed less smooth and got dirty really quick in an engine I consider very clean. (no oil sample though) even the R&P comes out decent looking after 4500 miles.

I've never even held a bottle of quaker state in my hand outside of a store, never seen anyone else use it. till this thread, I forgot it existed haha.

 

[2006Tahoe2WD]

Getting dirty could be a sign of cleaning happening.
I have about 800 more miles until 5000 and will send a sample to Blackstone.
The last 5 or so changes I've sent samples to Blackstone, this time I'm running the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum per Oil Geek - Lake Speed. He explains what you get with the "Ultra". Oil is a controversial topic.

 

[j91z28d1]

Getting dirty could be a sign of cleaning happening.
I have about 800 more miles until 5000 and will send a sample to Blackstone.
The last 5 or so changes I've sent samples to Blackstone, this time I'm running the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum per Oil Geek - Lake Speed. He explains what you get with the "Ultra". Oil is a controversial topic.

yeah, I just would have expected the restore and protect to get really dark if the pennsoil was cleaning something up. but I don't see that.

I watch his stuff, I get he says it's great oil. that's why I was like eh, it was delivered to the wrong shop and no one wants it back. after a month on the shelf I was like ill try it. my truck being a hybrid without a stater, it spins the engine over very quietly and very high rpm before starting. it definitely had more valve train noise with it than the m1 I was using consistently at the time. if that would make any difference in a sample, I have no idea. probably not

this r&p is said to have a pretty cheap base oil and shouldn't be run a long time. but it seems very quiet to me. they don't make it in thicker than 5w30 or I'd just run that for the trip.

 

[rdezs]

In both my LS engines... One an aluminum block L94, AFM deleted and turned into an L92, about 180,000 mi this month.... As well as a 2003 iron block LQ4..... Sitting in about 114,000 miles.... Both still have the original pistons and rings.... Neither has ever shown a drop of oil consumption between changes at 4,500 miles..... And I probably ran every brand of 5W-30 synthetic through them.

This would suggest to me that any oil consumption isn't really relative to the brand, but rather in issue inside the engine. Perhaps with one broken piston ring, one brand being slightly thicker than the other might have an effect.... But my experience on LS engines has been consistently zero consumption. (I think I've had about nine of them over the years) The only real issues GM had with consumption were the original PCV valve in the driver side valve cover, corrected with an updated valve covered. And then the pre 2011 AFM engines experienced oil spray from the relief valve in the oil pan shooting up underneath the piston, solved with a deflector. (Maybe that was pre 2010?)

I would chalk up any oil consumption to an issue with piston rings/bore or worn valve guides/seals. (Both of which happen earlier than expected if you only change your oil when it tells you to.... Instead of before you hit 5,000 miles.)

That's my two cents on the subject

 

[swathdiver]

Posted elsewhere but this is where I said we'd test the oil after changing brands.

First is the Yukon XL and oldest two samples were on regular Mobile One and all the others are ACDelco oil"




This is the sample from the 2013 GMC Sierra. Oldest sample was taken after 3 oil changes with ACDelco oil and the latest after 3 oil changes with Quaker State Full Synthetic:

 

[Marky Dissod]

This would suggest to me that any oil consumption isn't really relative to the brand, but rather an issue inside the engine.

When was the last time Project Farm tested any motor oils for evaporative performance?

Obviously PCV system maintenance is important too - most people don't think of popping off the valvecovers for an annual cleaning ...

 

[rdezs]

I was just thinking, compared to the motor oil available when I started changing my own oil 45 years ago..... I suspect that all full synthetic motor oils available today exceed by leaps and bounds, the conventional oil we used to rely upon. (Which makes me wonder if even today's conventional oil has been improved over what we used to have.)

My experience has been that all of the brands have worked equally well, as far as none causing any oil consumption issues for me. What would be of interest to me, is if anyone brand has been established as creating less engine wear over say 100,000 miles? Has nobody ran an independent test to this effect? Or has GM determined this with their ACDelco oil, which is rebranded Phillips 66? Maybe based on such tests? It would seem if such data was actually published, we would all definitely be using the same oil..... Instead of relying on oil samples from individuals, which each have different parameters for the engine they're testing regarding mileage, age, oil change interval, etc.

Or .... Is it possible they're all damn good oils, the minor differences in specs are irrelevant? Is less engine wear the priority, or is low oil consumption the priority? Not only are those two different things, in many cases one might work counter to the other. (In a 300,000 mile engine using a quart every 2,000 miles, wouldn't you rather keep adding the quart if you knew for sure the oil you're using will preserve the engine longer, then switching to an oil that stops the consumption but may in fact accelerate the wear? (Like running a 50 weight to slow down consumption, which might help with loose rings but negatively affect bearings)

All things to ponder I suppose... And I wonder if the real answer is simply changing the oil every 4500 miles with whatever full synthetic do you believe in

 

[swathdiver]

When was the last time Project Farm tested any motor oils for evaporative performance?

Obviously PCV system maintenance is important too - most people don't think of popping off the valvecovers for an annual cleaning ...

I thought he did this with every test, using coffee pots.

 

[swathdiver]

I was just thinking, compared to the motor oil available when I started changing my own oil 45 years ago..... I suspect that all full synthetic motor oils available today exceed by leaps and bounds, the conventional oil we used to rely upon. (Which makes me wonder if even today's conventional oil has been improved over what we used to have.)

My experience has been that all of the brands have worked equally well, as far as none causing any oil consumption issues for me. What would be of interest to me, is if anyone brand has been established as creating less engine wear over say 100,000 miles? Has nobody ran an independent test to this effect? Or has GM determined this with their ACDelco oil, which is rebranded Phillips 66? Maybe based on such tests? It would seem if such data was actually published, we would all definitely be using the same oil..... Instead of relying on oil samples from individuals, which each have different parameters for the engine they're testing regarding mileage, age, oil change interval, etc.

Or .... Is it possible they're all damn good oils, the minor differences in specs are irrelevant? Is less engine wear the priority, or is low oil consumption the priority? Not only are those two different things, in many cases one might work counter to the other. (In a 300,000 mile engine using a quart every 2,000 miles, wouldn't you rather keep adding the quart if you knew for sure the oil you're using will preserve the engine longer, then switching to an oil that stops the consumption but may in fact accelerate the wear? (Like running a 50 weight to slow down consumption, which might help with loose rings but negatively affect bearings)

All things to ponder I suppose... And I wonder if the real answer is simply changing the oil every 4500 miles with whatever full synthetic do you believe in

There is a difference between oils, regular Mobil One is clearly inferior to Quaker State and ACDelco according to my oil samples and how my engines used to drink M1 and rattle.

I would not say ACDelco oil is re-branded Phillips 66, but rather, Phillips 66 makes oil for ACDelco to their specifications.

This is like saying all batteries are the same because they're all made in two factories. That's not true either as that manufacturer makes the batteries to the specifications of their customers.