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Re: High mileage and what oil weight do you all use? Posted by Peter [Email]  (#2804)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Peter) on Sun, 6 Feb 2005 11:25:20
In Reply to: High milage and what oil weight do you all use?, Czar, Sat, 5 Feb 2005 19:52:28 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Any reason for the 20/50? (just curious)
The theory behind "high-mileage" oil as given out by the oil manufacturers is in the additives and not the viscosity.
The practical consideration in using higher viscosity (thicker) oil in older engines used to be it prevented ever accelerating wear in parts that were out of tolerance. Making the engine run quietly was incidental. That was when 8-tracks were luxury items, and surround sound was what you got in traffic when you rolled down both windows... gluing the equivalent of a panty-liner under your hood was, to say the least, not common practice.
ALL of the NG900 and 9-3 cars have oil related problems. Only SOME have serious damage as a result. 8-10 years is a lot of daily driving on this engine. High mileage is a secondary consideration. If Saab is to be believed, then engines with more miles can actually be in better shape if they were driven longer distances on the highway at steady speeds.
The oil hit the fan when euro providers of after-market coverage balked at paying for broken 9-3 engines. Saab had to pick up the bill, but that may not be the end of the story.
Only a small number of cars end up with failed engines or turbochargers for no obvious reason, so professionals often conclude the car had to be abused in some way, overheated, oil changes were neglected, etc. Since most cars are resold by the time it happens, there is usually nobody to argue the point.
Taking the time to look inside the oil pan, inspecting the oil pickup screen, the tubine seal, the oil cooler, oil cooler thermostat etc. is just too expensive for most people.
Too many short trips in heat or cold seem to be bad for these engines. Saab has changed oil recommendations twice since my car was made. An interim fix involving crank case ventillation (9-3 again) has now been shown to be ineffective, and Saab suspended it. That would make you believe they are trying whatever remedy they can think of and have not found the answer yet.
For those reasons, I would not go a year on any oil. Old engine deposits and other wear particles still accumulate in the oil at the same rate, even if the oil does not deteriorate. Oil changes are cheap - less than the price of one tank of gas.
It is no reflection on the oil (note added with a smile in Dick's direction). I MIGHT go 6 months on synth oil, but only after I paid someone cut at least one filter apart so see what was in it.
If you want extended oil changes, pay 20 bucks for an oil analysis after the oil has been in the engine for 3-5,000 miles, the price of one oil change. Then decide. That is what they do on the big enginesm they don't just run them 25k and top the oil and coolant off.
posted by 68.248.226...
, Sun, 6 Feb 2005 11:25:20 <-- Viewing This Message
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