PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

thanks for the info, nxt change i will try the pennzoil platinum, that is synthetic right?

Correct, full synthetic.

Until ILSAC GF-4 takes precedence (should be in the next year or two), ANY oil that meets GM requirement 6094M (Conventional)/4718M (Synthetic) and has the starburst (API) symbol on the container will work. Doesn't matter if it's dino or synthetic. If it has GF-3 rating, that doesn't meet GM's spec for "pumpability" at cold temps.

GM 6094M has cold pumpability requirements of;
-40* C / 0W oils = 30,000 cP
-35* C / 5W oils = 40,000 cP
-30* C / 10W oils = 50,000 cP

Conversly, the industry standard GF-3 has the requirement that the oil meet 60,000 cP for all three measures.

As to what to use in YOUR engine. That is a never ending arguement. Ultimately it is YOUR wallet, and YOUR car. Most people here will NEVER push an engine beyond the means of protection of even your average dino based oil such as Valvoline, Pennzoil, QS, etc. Much less push it beyond anything synthetic.

With that said, if you run your engine at WOT, hours on end, in 100*+ temps, around a race track at 150mph, then I would probably stick with a synthetic. If you like to go longer between change intervals, I would stick with synthetic. However, if you're like most people who use their car(s) as a daily driver, subjected to normal mixed driving conditions, temps, you like to play a little, and change the oil rather frequently (meaning every 3K - 4k plus/minus), there is nothing wrong with a conventional (dino) oil as long as it meets GM 6094M/4718M and has the API starburst symbol.

I used to pour M1 down my Northstar's crankcase. I haven't in several oil changes now, and have gone back to regular old Valvoline 5W-30. Why? Because I change my oil (as well as filter) religously every 2,500 miles. Essentially, I realized that for 7.5 quarts of oil, I was throwing $32 per oil change down the tubes for something I never pushed to it's limits. How do I know this. I do an oil analysis on my used oil every 10k. One of their measures, other than what was in the oil itself (water, fuel, metals, etc), is whether or not the oil is within it's spec, for the mileage on the car, and never once have I had one come back (dino or synthetic), with less than 75% of the oils' useful life left. Most of what breaks down on an oil isn't even the base oilstock itself. It's all the additives that are added like detergents, anti-foaming agents, etc, which are added to both conventional and synthetics anyway.

As to filters, another pandora's box to open. Believe it or not, I use factory specific AC Delco filters. Even on the GTO!

Once again, as long as the oil meets GM 6094M/4718M, conventional or synthetic, you're fine. Chose what you put in with your wallet and what allows you to sleep better at night.

Valvoline Conventional;
http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/All-Climate.pdf

Valvoline Synthetic;
http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/SynPower.pdf

I have used M1 full synthetic since about 50k and never use anything but AC Delco filters. I push the OLM to about 30% which converts to about 7500 miles.

AC PF61. Or a PF61E. Or a Napa Gold (Wix).

Wal-Mart brand 5W30.

$17 for a 5 qt. jug.

What about the other three quarts?

K&N, Mobil 1 and Purolator PureOne Filters are also good.

For people that would like synthetic, but don't want to pay insane amounts for it, I can get it for cost. $3.19/qt. It's relabeled Valvoline SynPower, whereas Walmart's is Warren. It's cheaper than walmart, and better. Plus...a NAPA Gold oil filter is among the better ones available (WIX). However...with the release of Pennzoil Ultra...it's now in the truck and my girlfriend's car after hearing such great things about it.

I've noticed that in my girlfriend's honda (2002 2.3L 4cyl Accord - 35,000 miles) after 1000 miles on the oil, it's already quite dark, and the top end of the engine under the oil cap is looking quite a bit cleaner...this is an engine that's had religious conventional oil changes at 3,000 miles, and as mentioned, only has 35k. This new stuff really does have some amazing cleaning abilities.

As for the Avalanche, when we got it with 31k, it had run nothing but conventional. It was switched to Pennzoil Platinum then, and was run to the OLM's specs, next two changes were to OLM and were 0W-30 M1 Advanced Fuel Economy. This is now about 20k on "Full Synthetic" Next was Amsoil SSO 0W-30 which was run for 17,500 miles. I sent that in for analysis to Blackstone Labs, got an excellent report back, but didn't have the funds to run Amsoil again, so in went another run of Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 to OLM (7500 miles), and now Pennzoil Ultimate 5W-30. Filters have been, chronologically, Purolator PureOne x3 (PP, M1AFE x2), Amsoil EaO (Ams SSO), Mobil1 (Penn Plat), NAPA Gold (Penn Ultra)

Sebring has had a combo of Mobil1 and Pennzoil Platinum since I started servicing it with 15k, running on 5k intervals.

93 Bonneville was Conventional (that I know of), up to 92k when I got it. It was switched to Mobil1 then, and just recently got switched to Pennzoil Platinum at 112k.

98 Bonneville was Conventional (that I know of), up to 74k when I got it. It was switched to Pennzoil Platinum then, with a Mobil1 filter, and was changed in March with Pennzoil Platinum with a NAPA Gold filter.

Oh, and the Briggs and Stratton push mower also uses 10W-30 Pennzoil Platinum.

wjcollier07 wrote:Oh, and the Briggs and Stratton push mower also uses 10W-30 Pennzoil Platinum.

Our AMT 626 (John Deere Gator predecessor) and our Vanguard powered lawnmower both have Amsoil 5W-30 in them, lol.