1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Taking the SAAB manufacturers recommendation, I drove a SAAB to 263,000 on its odometer. The engine never used/consumed a quart of oil in 3,500 miles when I sold it ,and the next owner ran it to near 400,000 miles--and it still never used oil.
No synthetics here. Just plain old mineral 10W-30 SF/SG oil.
Oh, by the way, it was a 1983 SAAB.
That's how good the quality of information in the SAAB owners manual is--and WAS over 20 years ago.
I think that ACEA and API have their respective strengths and weaknesses. I agree the car is assembled in Sweden, but millions of development dollars are spent here on the present SAABS. ( Milford, Mi., and Phoenix, Az., GM proving grounds). I not taking sides on your citizenship sentence, but it is interesting to watch Europeans like Americans purchasing oil at their local gas stations. ACEA nor API for that matter are not the highest priorities at 6 pm on a Friday night in Europe (or USA) for most owners needing oil.
I have a bottle of synthetic oil from Sweden on the desk---guess what's on the label ? API SJ ACEA A1/B1 5W-30 synthetic. Go figure !
ACEA is the former CCMC, that use to be on your oil labels in the 80's-- and (no disrespect intended to any reader) nobody gave a rip as to what it meant back then.
It's worth saying again that in my '02 the BASIC RECOMMENDATION was SEMI SYNTHETIC 5W-30 when we began our BB dialogue. Using FULL synthetic 5W-30 Mobil 1 can easily get you to 200,000 miles. Since you like old TSB/technical info--Remember the Mobil 1 5W-30 advertisement of the 1980's that showed the BMW at over 200,000 miles using that 5W-30 viscosity ? Now cars are built better 25+ years later, and certainly the lubrication is WAY better today's Mobil 1 5W-30.
Now 0W-30 full synthetic is the newest fashion for 2003. Why ? CAFE of course. But, the lawyers, (and goodness know there are way more of those involved in every word, period, comma, and sentence in EVERYTHING that leaves in a SAAB)have blessed the fact that this car is warrantable for 4x50,000 using this as it's lubrication.
Now I know you say "these cars cost more than your first house" as expression of money. But GM's risk is WAY more that your's. They are putting their "money where their mouth is" with their basic recommendation and willingness to warranty the product with that. And their exposure to loss is 10's of millions $$$....if it wasn't solid advice.
3 yr old TSB's have their place--in the proper CONTEXT that they are indeed 3 years old, and that more recent information probably superceeds it and should be looked for. (This one was never released for the USA market, and should always be disclosed up front in that light like you did.)
Boy, this is neat stuff !!!
TG
posted by 66.227.17...
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