I seriously doubt that Mobil 1 is engaged in a deceptive practice like this.

Not knocking the Motorcraft Oil but I have several friends that are Ford engineers who recommend Mobil 1.

 

I was talking to a local auto parts store owner about Mobil 1 and he says they just rebranded Mobil 1 0W-20 to Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy and it's the same oil as before the "Advanced Fuel Economy" was added to the name. He said how it's supposed to help on fuel economy is the beginning number "0" is the cold/start up weight. A lower weight lets things flow more freely until engines warm up. Especially on cold winter mornings. I've used Motorcraft and Mobil 1 without any real differences in fuel economy. My next change will be with the Mobil 1 0W-20 as I have not tried that one yet. I don't expect much difference but any improvement in fuel economy is good.

 

I asked the Ford Engineers at the Dearborn MI Hybrid "experience" in 2005 about the use of 0w-20 in place of 5w20.

All agreed it was not only "ok" but recommended for those drivers who have cold starts of 0'F or below. I never thought to ask about Florida drivers.

 

Question... I thought the first number (0w) referred to the viscosity when the oil is cold... It used to mean winter cold but cold none the less cold oil. So a 0W oil means you are pumping an oil that has an SAE of 0 when its cold.... When it reaches 100C the oil acts like an SAE 20 weight, the second number...

So... replacing a 5w-20 oil with a 0w-20 oil wouldn't seem to help much for mileage... sure for a few minutes when the oil is cold its easier to move around, but once it heats up, They are both SAE20.... The same viscosity.

Any advantage would seem to go away pretty quickly, won't it?

It makes sense in cold weather because you don't like thick oil when its cold out because of engine wear, but putting it in to raise MPG... is it going to do much?

 

Any help in fuel economy is good. In the summer it takes about 5 minutes for my Mustang to warm up. Usually about 5 miles. It's not very long but every morning my digital MPG gauge goes down a few tenths of a mile. In the winter it could take 10 minutes to warm up. If 0W-20 can prevent or minimize this then it has done it's job. If you go to Mobil 1's website you'll see the projected fuel savings are not big. Just subtle improvements. I am going to try this oil my next oil change. If I don't see a 1 mpg improvement, I will go back to Motorcraft 5W-20 because that oil is about $6 a quart and Motorcraft is $2.70 at my local Wal Mart. My car uses 6 quarts so, if the change didn't save me $15-$20 in gas I haven't saved any money. Then, the only reason to use the Mobil would be if I think it's helping my engine during the warm up time. And it might very well do that.

 

My Walmart has the 5 quart bottles of Motorcraft 5w20 for $2.25 a quart.

People often think that oil thins when it gets hot. It would be more correct to think that oil thickens when it cools to room temperature and THIS is the problem.

A main advantage that the synthetic has over the mineral based oil is the ability to lubricate at startup. Both types of oil may have the same specifications at 104 F, 212 F and 302 F. It is the startup viscosity characteristics that separate these oils. Synthetic oils do not thicken as much on cooling. They have better fluidity as the temperature drops. Motorcraft combines the characteristics of both conventional oils and synthetic oils - very good performance at a reasonable price.

Many people equate higher oil pressure with more lubrication. High flow actually provides better lubrication but it does more than lubricate. It is one of the things used to cool the hottest parts of your engine, the pistons, valve areas and bearings. This cooling effect can be as important as lubrication in your engine. Don't let someone talk you into 5w30 because we are in a "Hot Climate". 5w30 is too thick at 212 degrees for our engines.

 

I agree it's the startup/warmup time that is the thickening of the oil time. It may only be 5 minutes but, it's still important and the thinner it can be at startup/warmup, the better. I don't know the answer to oil pressure. I've always looked at good oil pressure as how tightly the engine is sealed up with gaskets and how tight the pistons fit in the block.

It seems to be ok to make the first number in the oil thinner. Keeping the second number at 20 is the most important though. I wouldn't think of changing the second number to a thicker higher number.

 

There are many opinions on oil and I have my opinion based on MPG averages. There is no question in my mind that DINO oil will give me the best MPG possible, but it is very short lasted. I use Pennzoil 5W-20 in my '02 Explorer with a V8 here in Florida. I need to change every 3,000 miles with this oil. Not so with blends, but I still get worst mileage from day one IMO.

Using Mobil 1 5W-20 last longer with acceptable mileage, so I use this oil in Florida to go for a 10,000 mile oil changes in my FEH's.

If I wanted to break world records in MPG, I would use Dino oil and Pennzoil as a first choice. No need to get that serious yet, but that's my opinion.

GaryG

 

Really? Do you actually get a mile or two per gallon better with traditional Pennzoil than synthetics? If so, do you think that's with FEH or any vehicle.

 

I've only used the approved Motorcraft blend and the approved Mobil 1 5W-20 in my '05 FEH. I didn't see an increase or decrease in mileage with either of these oils.

I did see a ~1/2 to 1 1/2mpg tank average increase in mileage between the approved motorcraft blend 5W-20 and approved dino Pennzoil 5W-20 in my '02 Explorer and '02 V6 Ranger. The mileage drops off to about the same as the Motorcraft blend at around 3,000 miles.

The only reason I made the change was Walmart stopped selling the Motorcraft 5W-20 Synthetic Blend for a period of time, so I was forced to buy the Pennzoil which meets or excceeds the Motorcraft Blend specs at that time. When the Motorcraft specs changed for the '05 FEH, I swithed back to the new spec Motorcraft Blend to see if there was an improvement in my '02 Explorer's mileage and there was no change over the old Motorcraft Blend.

Walmart started selling the new Motorcraft Blend and also started selling 5W-20 Mobil 1. Since I change my oil in the Explorer every 3,000 miles, and the cost of the Blend and Pennzoil are about the same, I use Pennzoil for better mileage. I switched to Mobil 1 5W-20 in my '05 FEH, but found no change in mileage over the Motorcraft 5W-20 Blend. There seems to be no change in mileage after 10,000 miles with Mobil 1 in my '05 FEH, so I continue to use it. I don't use the Pennzoil in my FEH because I know it will not last over 3,000 miles or the time it takes me to put 10,000 miles on my FEH.

My personal opinion is that the straight dino Pennzoil 5W-20 will increase my mileage in my '05 FEH for a short time over both the Motorcraft Blend and Mobil 1 5W-20 oil based on my experience with my '02 Explorer and '02 Ranger.

I will change the oil in my '09 FEHL for the first time at around ~5,000 miles and plan to use Mobil 1 5W-20 for 10,000 mile oil changes there after. If I wanted a slight advantage at say the MPG Challenge, I would consider using dino Pennzoil during that competition.

GaryG