Oil question?

Question

I went to advanced auto and got 10w-40 oil to do my oil change in and my car is a chevy cobalt 2006 i used mobile 1 high mileage fully synthetic and it didn't say how long it lasted i bought 4 small bottles and put it in for about 6$ a pop. That was all i could find in mobile 1 asked a guy he said it was ok to use 10w-40 but the issue is my car uses 5w-30. I couldn't find 5w-30 in fully synthetic high milage mobile 1 is that ok? Lastly a woman said she changes her's every 7,500 miles on the type i use and to not guess and change it 3,000 miles. Is she right she also said she changes her filter every 2,500 please answer back especially if you are a mechanic or if you know about cars. Do not just guess cuz i like to take care of my car it's my baby.

Answer 1

Ya know, you've got a great question here. I've been using Castrol Syntec 5w30 for yrs., now and have not seen anything concret on the change intervols. I've herd alot from different guys on their apporch to changes of the syntheic oil. But since, I haven't seen anything in writin on the time/mileage the syntheic oil is good for. I still use the 3000 mile mark for changes.

Answer 2

Its good to take proper care of your car, thats very important as much as we all rely on our vehicles these days. You have got a lot of advice, some good and some bad. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using Synthetic oil. It does cost more but you can run longer between changes. 7,500 to 10,000 miles between changes is not out of line when using Mobil 1 full synthetic. I have used it for many years, its been on the market for a long time and it has proven reliability. It is perhaps the best oil on the market. I change mine every six months, regardless of how many miles I have traveled, whether six or ten thousand and have never had any problems. I only change the filter when I change the oil. Just use a good quality filter. Mobil 1 should be readily available in several weights most anywhere in the US.

I would avoid the heavier weights of oil, and stick with 10W30 or 5W30. You will get better fuel economy with these oils and they will not cause your car to prematurely wear out. That is pure baloney. American engines are built better than they were even 10 years ago, and tolerances are closer. I see cars everyday that have used 5 or 10W30 oils since they were new that have 150,000 to over 300,000 miles.

So your choice is really whether you want to pay $6 a quart for Mobil 1 synthetic and go longer between changes or pay a little less and use a good quality non synthetic oil. The choice is yours to make, depending on how deep your pockets are.

Answer 3

Personally all the hype about synthetic oil is bull crap. Buy whatever oil is the cheapest that is recommended for your vehicle and use it. Do not wait until your car tells you its time to change your oil, change your oil every 3,000 miles. I would never pay $6 for a quart of oil.

That synthetic oil hasn't been on the market long enough for people to find out if it really does lengthen the life of their engines, which I doubt that it will. What lengthens the life of your engine is regular oil/filter changes. Change the air filter every other oil change, keep the vehicle tuned up, and when something breaks, or goes wrong get it fixed immediately or don't drive the vehicle until it gets fixed as if you continually drive the vehicle one bad part will eventually lead to a more serious problem.

If you really want to take care of your so called baby use the right oil in the vehicle it states 5-30 so why would you use 10-40? If one auto store don't have what you need go to a different store. Sure the people that work at the store are going to tell you its ok to use other oil they want your money. Next time you change oil use the right weight. Temporarily its not going to harm your engine, but in the winter when its colder that oil will be thicker and will take longer to lubricate your engine properly.

Answer 4

Like the first guy said 5w-30 is designed for fuel economy, thats it. In saying that I've never had a problem with it but running a 10w-30 or10w-40 oil will be fine.
Most late model vehicles only require oil changes every 6000 miles but always change the filter at the same time, there it no point in changing one without the other.
The exception to this is turbocharged or diesel vehicles which should have oil changed more often, every 3000 miles but again change the filter at the same time.
If in doubt consult the dealer to see when the recommended change intervals are

Answer 5

The only reason manufactures state you use 5w/30 wt oil is you get better gas mileage. At higher temperature ranges your engine will suffer premature wear because of this but then again that's part of the plan.

Nothing wrong with using 10w/40 oil unless you get below 20 degrees. If the majority of your driving is on the highway you can extend time between oil changes. Problem is when most of your driving involves lots of short trips, heat cycling cuts down on the life of your oil.

Don't let anyone tell you modern engines have closer tolerances then those built 20 years ago, there's not that much difference... but modern engines run a lot hotter so they need more protection. I would never run that light of an oil in my car.

Answer 6

Your oil situation is not something to worry about, refer to your owner's manual for general guidance. In a mild climate the oils you mention are not a problem at all. You can mix modern motor oils with little difference but try to keep all oil the same next time.
For best fuel economy I recommend the synthetic oil if purchased at a sale price, check out Walmart near you, the oil change schedule depends on your driving conditions and engine health. The advantage of Synthetic oil is that it is able to stand high operating temp and not break down.

Answer 7

use what ever your owners manual says
if it says 5w30 use 5w30 the thicker the oil the harder it is on your car.
its like $20 for an oil change
just use reg oil and change it and the filter every 3 mos 3k miles

Answer 8

really that is fine the only difference between the two oils is ones a thicker identity than the other it will not harm youre car one bit