Mobil 15-50 ??

[Bigdreams65]

Mobil ! 15W-50 ??

HAs anyone used the Mobil one 15/50 weight oil? :confused

I need to change the oil in the car and since it's my firdt time doing this in the Vette I am looking for the best weight to use. I only drive the car in nice weather and it wont be run in the winter much if at all.

Thanks

 

[Hib Halverson]

10w30

 

[Vettelt193]

The factory calls for Mobil 1 5W-30. Since you do live up north, and have potential to drive the car on nice, but cool days, you may want to stick with that.

Many owners switch to the heavier mobil 1, but the ones that do usually race, or live where it is really hot.

Even down here in Florida, I stick with the 5W-30. Mobil 1 is a great oil, and even the thinner oils offer great protection.

 

[chevyaddict]

This is where I am really old fashion. Yes - live in the desert but just can't imagine ever using 30w oil. In the middle of summer I use the 20W-50 racing (valvoline) and then back it off to 10W-40 in the winter. Any comments?

 

[Bigdreams65]

Thanks all.. Now for the next dumb question... How often do you change the oil. My plan is every 3000 miles.. Is this good enough..

Thanks again and I think I'm going with the 10/30....

 

[Remo]

Summer in the Desert

This is where I am really old fashion. Yes - live in the desert but just can't imagine ever using 30w oil. In the middle of summer I use the 20W-50 racing (valvoline) and then back it off to 10W-40 in the winter. Any comments?

Dawn,

It sounds like you're doing the right thing given the years of your Corvettes and in particular the area of the country where you live. I spent three years in Sierra Vista (Ft. Huachuca) and it definetly gets "hot". On the other hand, the C5 Corvette engines have such close tolerences that I believe the factory recommends Mobil 1 (5W-30W) even in those severe temperatures. Do you know what the C5 folks use during the summers in your area?

Remo:cool

 

[Wegone]

I use 10w30 in all my vettes

 

[Hib Halverson]

If you use Mobil 1, regardless of viscosity, use the oil life monitor as your indcation of oil change, but change the filter at 50% life remaining. It is possible that a 96 is like other C4s with the OLM in that the life remining is not displayed. If that's the case, I'd change the filter at half the oil change interval, which would be 3000-4000 miles.

 

[Moonunit 451]

If you use Mobil 1, regardless of viscosity, use the oil life monitor as your indcation of oil change, but change the filter at 50% life remaining. It is possible that a 96 is like other C4s with the OLM in that the life remining is not displayed. If that's the case, I'd change the filter at half the oil change interval, which would be 3000-4000 miles.

Wait a second. Hib, are you saying that Mobil1 oil lif is 6-8,000 mi :confused

 

[FX GS]

I use the Mobil 1 15w50 exclusively as this what Callaway recommends using with the SuperNatural engine

 

[vader86]

I have used all of the above, 5w, 10w and 15w50. I'm using the 15w now, since its so ridiculously hot down here, it wont hurt anything and I like the high pressures.

If I lived in PA, id use 10w or 5w depending on how much its driven in winter.

 

[OLDCHEV]

Have a 1990 convertable here in Phoenix. Normally use 5-30 Mobil 1 and their filter. Tried 15-50 this summer. I always prefill the filter for no dry starts. Upon startup with the 15-50 the oil pressure gauge was pegged at an idle and the SES light came on and the oil pressure warning light came on. I dumped the 50 weight, drained the filter. Refilled with 5-30 and everything returned to normal. Must have an extremely tight engine/oil pump at 85,000 miles!

Just my two cents.

 

[OLDCHEV]

I forgot to address the question of oil change frequency. I have the luxury of an oil analysis service. I change the filters (Mobil 1) every 3,000 miles, at which time I sample the oil. If the lab shows low silica (dust/dirt) and no tin/copper (bearing material) or iron (crankshaft) I keep going with the original oil. Must keep on top of the air filter also. I have gone as far as 9,000 miles with Mobil 1 and the reports still looked good (I chickened out). Was afraid of losing the benefits of the additives to the oil. The oil never wears out, it gets contaminated with wear causing materials and you lose the additives over time.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Wait a second. Hib, are you saying that Mobil1 oil lif is 6-8,000 mi :confused

Yeah. Kinda-sorta.

As for the comment by OLDCHEV about going 9000 miles with Mobil...I consistently run Red Line 10W30 to 18,000 mile drain intervals with filters every 3000-4000 mi. For about a decade, I've used this drain interval on cars which see more than 10,000 mi. annually. This interval is backed-up by an oil analysis program that's also been underway that long. For cars I drive less than 10,000 mi annually, I change at 10,000 or two years whichever comes first.

Most synthetics can be used to extended drain intervals, however, the synthesized hydrobarbon products can't go as long as the ester-based products.

 

[Edmond]

I thought Mobil discontinued our M1-202 filter? Last I looked, they had a replacement but the filter was significantly shorter than it's predecessor so I went with K&N instead.

The K&N is nice because it has a 1" hex on the bottom, no more oil filter wrench is needed!

You can get Mobil 1 synthetic in the 5 quart containers at Wal Mart for $20.00, it's hard to beat that price!

 

[Moonunit 451]

Yeah. Kinda-sorta.

As for the comment by OLDCHEV about going 9000 miles with Mobil...I consistently run Red Line 10W30 to 18,000 mile drain intervals with filters every 3000-4000 mi. For about a decade, I've used this drain interval on cars which see more than 10,000 mi. annually. This interval is backed-up by an oil analysis program that's also been underway that long. For cars I drive less than 10,000 mi annually, I change at 10,000 or two years whichever comes first.

Most synthetics can be used to extended drain intervals, however, the synthesized hydrobarbon products can't go as long as the ester-based products.

WOW, this is all news to me. Must have been sleeping. My oill pressures have been dropping some with high heat. I guess I'll think about this when I change to the 10-30 this week after 3,000 on the 5-30. I'm using the Napa Gold filter.

 

[taegdh]

I've used Mobil 15W45 whe I was in Italy and the Philippines, but I was driving a Diesel back then, and that was the recommended oil for its soot suspension qualities. I also changed oil and filter every 2000 to 3000 miles, as the manufacturer's recommended then. Now with the excellent oils, filtration systems and better machineing on the engines, I'll let it go to 5000 but never
beyond 6000.

I could see using oil of similar viscosities in gas engines for HOT weather and high performance / heavy duty applications, where a 5 base weight might break down due to heat. A 10 or 20 base will stay in the bearings races under higher pressures. But surely not in places like northern Maine or Alaska.