Sythetic Oil

[Klip]

i12drivemyMP5,
I noticed the same thing with my switch to Mobil1 Super Syn, it gets blacker/dirtier much more quickly than any other oil I have ever used in any car. After the first oil change at 1500 miles for my MS6, within the next 500 miles (1500 to 2000) the Mobil 1 is already looking very dirty (blacker). Does this simply mean its doing its job? or am I reading too much into this?
Previous oil's used in some of my other vechicles include Castrol Syntec and Valvoline Ext. mileage in a Nissan 4cyl and the wife's 98' 626. Both of these oils seem to stay cleaner (clearer/amber in color) than the Mobil 1 I am using in my MS6.
comments?

PS: I don't mean to drive this discussion into the ground, just looking for some simple explainations of these differences I've noticed from personal experience.

 

[zoomin MP3]

subbin

 

[Sveivo]

i12drivemyMP5,
I noticed the same thing with my switch to Mobil1 Super Syn, it gets blacker/dirtier much more quickly than any other oil I have ever used in any car. After the first oil change at 1500 miles for my MS6, within the next 500 miles (1500 to 2000) the Mobil 1 is already looking very dirty (blacker). Does this simply mean its doing its job? or am I reading too much into this?
Previous oil's used in some of my other vechicles include Castrol Syntec and Valvoline Ext. mileage in a Nissan 4cyl and the wife's 98' 626. Both of these oils seem to stay cleaner (clearer/amber in color) than the Mobil 1 I am using in my MS6.
comments?

PS: I don't mean to drive this discussion into the ground, just looking for some simple explainations of these differences I've noticed from personal experience.

Do you have an intake on your car? I noticed that my oil started to get dirty quicker when I removed the intake silencers. My understanding is that more dirt is now getting through the intake.

Actually dark oil does not necessarily mean bad oil. I read this in a research paper. The dark stuff is often too fine to undermine the properties of oil. That's just one point of view though.

 

[Bala]

I've been using Mobil 1 for years with good results. I have a friend that spends an unnatural amount of time here: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ and he recently sent me this email ...

"So, I know you are a Mobil1 fan so I thought I would tell you this little tidbit of information. But before I do, I should explain a few things:

-Most people would consider Synthetic to be Group IV or GroupV basestocks. Meaning, that it is truly synthesized PAO or Polyl Ester (there are other variants).
-Group III oil is hydrocracked Group II oil that is basically conventional oil but it is further processed.

Some time ago, Castrol considered their group III oil as being synthetic because there was processing done to the base oil. Long story short, someone (I am pretty sure it was Mobil) sued Castrol over this. Castrol won the lawsuit. Castrol Syntec is 100% synthetic, but is a group III oil.

Mobil stuck with Group IV PAO basestock until just recently. It was discovered by the oil geeks over at BITOG through a gas spectrograph to be (gasp) mostly group III. There is very good evidence that Mobil has changed formulations to maximize profits. The oil world is now on its end over at BITOG:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=749606&page=0&fpart=9&vc=1

and Mobil is not specifically denying they are now Group III, but they are using tricky wording to make you think it is still a PAO Group IV:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB1&Number=752599&Searchpage=1&Main=752599&Words=&topic=1&Search=true#Post752599


It doesnt mean that Mobil1 is crap. Not by a long shot. In fact, the Group III versus Group IV debate has been going on over at BITOG for years. And, I have come to the following conclusions (but reserve the right to change my mind later):

1)Conventional, Group III and Group IV can produce very good results in used oil analysis.
2)Formulation of additive package is more important than basestock when it comes to protecting against engine wear (at least that is what Used Oil Analysis seems to conclude)
3)PAO oils (group IV) tend to keep the engine cleaner and last longer under severe conditions. They also have better cold pumping characteristics.

One thing that Used Oil Analysis does not show is sludge, and there is some theory that specific conventional oil/engine combinations that tend to produce sludge produce artificially low wear numbers on lab tests because the metals accumulate and get trapped in the sludge inside the engine. There are repeated incidents of sludged up motors that show low wear in the lab report.

So, if you want 100% pure synthetic that is Group IV now you have to go with someone like Redline or Amsoil (with the exception of the XL line Amsoil makes which is a Group III). I have a PAO oil in the Tundra (0W30) and a group III in the Honda (5W20). If Mobil1 drops in price than everything is okay in my book, but Ill place money that it wont go down in price. I am not a Mobil1 basher at all, but I am a little disheartened that they would pull this crap."

** Edit** Looks like I hit some topics that have already been discussed in this thread (RTM) ...