So....been reading alot of forums lately, and alot of STI and EVO and big turbo neon guys are using diesel oil and things of the such. I notice that my oil, although still looking good color wise gets really thin really fast. after 1500 miles or so, the oil pressure will drop 1 or 2 points week or so until i change it. Should I think about running a thicker oil, or a different kind of oil? i run Pennzoil 5w30 right now. would switching to high milage (im at 120K) help?
Thats your issue...Penzoil ==Crap!
Maybe its not but I have never had good luck with it personally. I always use mobil 1.
There is reasons why not to use desiel oil in a gas engine.....I cant remember why though.
Yeah its penzoil. Thats the issue. Rotella T is a popular oil with some guys and cars, I thought it was, ok on par with mobile 1. The issue I had with both of those is that they oil just disappears. The eneos oil I run now has been the best I've run across, I go through hardly any oil now, not a noticeable amount, unlike the quart + an oil change with mobile 1.
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
Kronos Performance
WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
ive used pennzoil since the day i did my first oil change...years and years...this is the first oil issue i have ever had...
I've always used Pennzoil synthetic, n/a and boosted, no issues. However with my next oil change I will be switching to Amsoil's premium synthetic.
Where do you buy eneos oil? I changed the oil in my wifes car, and the fliter use gunked up. when i looked in at the head it also was gunked up. So I guess I should change oil brands.
kronos performance
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
Kronos Performance
WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
Your just an sc sunfire, use mobil 1 full synthetic
Spook 427 wrote:Where do you buy eneos oil? I changed the oil in my wifes car, and the fliter use gunked up. when i looked in at the head it also was gunked up. So I guess I should change oil brands.
No....you should just change your oil more often...
Run some seafoam through the oil change it and continue changing your oil at the proper intervals.......
I understand changing my oil more often, but I was going by the change oil light. And I figured it was synthetic and there wouldn't be any issues. Plus I went through the whole process of changing oil and filter at 3000 miles the first few times to clean all the crap out that regular oil leaves. So I figured that it wouldn't come back.
Its Royal Purple and supposely it can last 12000-14000 miles, so it should gunk up like dino oil.
back from the dead! what are you guys using? i went with 10w30 and its not as bad, but still pretty noticable. once warmed up, my oil pressure gauge drops to 7-10psi now. my dad said a switch to 10w40 or 10w50 wouldnt be a bad idea. what do you guys think?
I use 10w40 in my turbo eco
*****BLAME IT ON THE ALCOHOL*****
it almost sounds like bearings might be going out.you can check this by getting an oil sample kit.usually sold in big truck parts or oil supply companies. take a sample and send it in. 48hrs or so if something is bad they'll notify you.if you do this and you don't understand the results pm me, i do it on my semi motor.
Well my next change will be something other then pennzoil. I sure hope its not bearing failuer. only 130k miles. very well maintained car. what makes you think low oil pressure is bearing related? i have never heard that before.
I ran Royal Purple 20w50 for a while... when the car runs again someday I plan to step down to something a bit thinner like 10w40.
-Chris-
-Sweetness-
-Turbocharged-
Slowly but surely may some day win this race...
SweetnessGT wrote:I ran Royal Purple 20w50 for a while... when the car runs again someday I plan to step down to something a bit thinner like 10w40.
-Chris-
I strayed away from royal purple... couldnt take the heat of the turbo, overall way more expensive. It just couldnt keep up.
I too have strayed from RP... I lost more oil somehow with it. I've seen that same complaint on many platforms... I do like their Transmission fluids though.
-Chris-
-Sweetness-
-Turbocharged-
Slowly but surely may some day win this race...
I use Rotella T6 (synthetic) 5w40... 18psi idle hot, 50psi cold Love the stuff, holds up to the heat really well.
Used to use Valvoline diesel blend 5w40
In addition to being designed for high heat turbocharger conditions, diesel oils are high in zinc, which is good for additional protection in case of detonation and high horsepower situations that can beat up connecting rod bearings.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
Surprisingly nobody has asked where you are taking these oil pressure readings from and what type of gauge setup is giving you this reading........ So lets start there. I have all the galley points pretty well mapped out under all conditions and temperatures.
Mobil 1 is my personal favorite but the debate as to which is better pretty much spans the timeline from when oil was first discovered so good luck there.
If I were to switch it would likely be to Eneos as well. Can be purchased through any NAPA.
ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician
Alan, i am using a digital gauge with and electronic sender and the port on the driver side of the head. all oil look fine colorwise, doesnt look burnt but thins out really fast!
Mine sits in that range once warmed up in the heat out here too. It's dramatically altered by the ambient temps here from that particular port. Could it be that the pressure drops you have been seeing are coinciding with the increases in ambient temps we have been seeing here? The high pressure areas of the block do not vary as wildly with ambient temps as do the head pressures on the exhaust cam port.
ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician
why yes alan they have been changing as the temp rises. do you think a change in oil would help? or maybe a change in location of the gauge, or should i just get used to it being so low?
If you are just reading oil pressure for the sake of your engine I would recommend sampling it from the center oil galley on the left side on the block (facing the front of the vehicle) directly under the intake manifold (Just below the left balance shaft). Depending on what gauge you are using and the sender associated with it you may have difficulty fitting the sender under the SCer intake manifold for a direct galley sample. You may need to do a remote hookup but again I have no idea what gauge setup you are using as some of the digital ones have small senders (AEM for example). Another thing to keep in mind is that your average 2 1/16" oil pressure gauge is usually limited to 100 psi and you will see as high as 125 on that port when cold. There are several gauge companies out there that have oil gauges and senders that will go over 125psi.
Me personally I take readings from that port and the head port simultaneously but I monitor the head port in order to keep an eye on when the pressures drop to a level I feel comfortable with for turbo safety
I would continue running the same 5w30 as you have been except perhaps dump the Penzoil. I have never been a fan of how liquidy it is right out of the bottle but again that's another debate that will likely never come to any real resolution.
ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician
I've run mobil 1 for years with no issues, only pressure drop I'll see if is if I hot lap the car 4-5 times at the track, then I lose about 5-8 psi at idle.
Mind you hot lapping a car 4-5 times isn't exactly easy on it.
I take my pressure reading from the oil filter housing, so my oil pressure is off the charts, it buries my 100psi gauge at anything over 4000rpm when hot.
I really should move it to after the oil filter, but I just have been to lazy, if the oil pump goes at least I will know right away!
