Good point. A couple of years back I sold my 1990 VW Golf to my wife's uncle with 190k miles on it. I had purchased it with 80k on the clock and used Mobile-1 from then on...engine burned NO oil and was still very strong when sold and last I heard it had 250k on it and was still going strong (but I don't know what oil he was using).

The question I have is why has the cost of Mobil-1 gone up in the last year by like $1 a quart? First person that says because the price of a barrel of oil is up gets smacked in the head.

 

Sorry, but the production processes that create Mobil 1 start with oil. 1st they use oil and a process called "steam cracking" to create ethylene. Then ethylene is used to create a substance called polyalphaolefins which Mobil uses as the base of it's lubrication product along with proprietary products.

So, when oil prices go up, so does Mobil 1 prices.

Research links:
http://www.autobarn.net/mobil1store.html
http://www.cpchem.com/enu/pao.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene

 

See you learn something every day...thanks for the education, I (wrongly) assumed that synthetic oil meant no dino.

 

Everytime I get a new car I consider synthetic, and then I usually never get around to doing anything about it. I'm not really for or against it myself, it sounds like it might add some time at the end of a car's life, but for me I'm not sure I care what's going to happen to my car when it's 15 yrs old as I probably won't have it. Even some of the replies here in the "For" category refer to those lucky people that now own the car are able to run it into the ground. Obviously did good for the people that drive 15 yr old cars with 250,000 miles on the odo, but did it do any good for the original buyer that shoved the extra money down the filler pipe? The minor fuel savings won't pay the cost difference. I suppose if you run your new cars into the ground, that's not me...

The only real experience I had with Mobil 1, my Dad used it in his truck. All I remember is it made the engine sound noisier and he got rid of it after 5 or 6 yrs anyway. Didn't seem much point...

 

Synthetics flow so much better at cold temperatures that I'm willing to believe in them.

I'm guessing the TCH recommended 0W20 (who ever even knew this existed?, sounds like Wesson Oil) flows pretty easy even with a cold engine.

My point concerning milage (for others _ you're already convinced and tthat's OK) is not with longivity but with frequency. If the regular oil does not break down then the difference in protection between Mobil 1 and normal oil is zero if you're changing it frequently. Gettin 200,000 miles on your car with regular oil changes should not be an issue as concerned to oils. Mobil 1 provides additional confidence (not necessaryly any additional protection) for extended periods between changes. Basically it does not break down and if you can keep it filtered clean it's probably good for as long as you want to run it.

Mobil 1 at 5000 mile intervals seems like about as much waste as premium gas when it's not needed. Unfortunately I don't want to void my warranty by changing my oil at 15,000 miles so I don't see the need in Mobile 1. I also don't see the need in changing the oil at 3000 miles which a lot of dealers are telling folks, especially since the TCH 4c is not a high reving , high performance ICE.

 

Call me clueless, but I've heard about smaller engines building up sludge (most notably in Suburu's and Toyota's ?) and synthethics don't break down and cause such a problem. Something I read while waiting for a haircut, or stitches, or the dentist.

 

Valid point indeed. Modern oils are a world apart from oils sold 15/20 years ago.

I've driven 2 Honda Accords to 200,000 miles on regular oil (Castrol) and a Ford Explorer to 210,000 as well. Only the first Accord engine died (at 199K it dropped an intake valve on the way to work - drove it 10 miles on 3 cylinders smoking like a fog machine), the others ran fine when sold.

Only the F150 had Mobil One, mostly due to the extreme heat (100+ summers) and mountain driving while towing. It was running fine at 250K when sold. Did Mobile 1 help? I think so - but who knows. I do know two other folks who had to rebuild their Ford trucks before 150K, so I think it helped.