oil for a 1997 Boxster

[clickman]

Changing oil type question

[Frank M]

I wouldn't be concerned with having synthetic oil going 10,000 miles before changing it.
Since new, I currently have a VW diesel with 273,000 miles and the engine has never been apart, it burns no oil between 10,000 mile changes (per VW recommendation) with 5w-40 Mobil synthetic.

However it is imperative that synthetic be changed yearly or at the specified interval.

It has been posted on other forums that changing the oil to frequently is not good. Some say the oil takes 3-5000 miles to reach it full potential. Seems to make sense.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Frank M

I wouldn't be concerned with having synthetic oil going 10,000 miles before changing it.

You should be...................

[JTP]

Originally Posted by Frank M

I wouldn't be concerned with having synthetic oil going 10,000 miles before changing it.
Since new, I currently have a VW diesel with 273,000 miles and the engine has never been apart, it burns no oil between 10,000 mile changes (per VW recommendation) with 5w-40 Mobil synthetic.

However it is imperative that synthetic be changed yearly or at the specified interval.

It has been posted on other forums that changing the oil to frequently is not good. Some say the oil takes 3-5000 miles to reach it full potential. Seems to make sense.

I have to disagree here. Following the manufacturer's (Porsche) change interval here is a very bad idea and 10,000 miles is twice the recommended mileage for Boxsters. Also your VW TDI is a very different machine than the M96. You can't compare them at all.
And wouldn't the oil have its full potential when it's new, not when t has 5000 miles?

[clickman]

Originally Posted by Frank M

It has been posted on other forums that changing the oil too frequently is not good. Some say the oil takes 3-5000 miles to reach it full potential. Seems to make sense.

Methinks we have a new troll in our midst. At least my little pea brain sure can't see how that makes any sense at all.

[jmatta]

I wouldn't listen to Porsche's recommendation on oil type and change interval...they, after all, are the ones that have looked the other way when it comes to the M96 engine issues. Jake Raby, Charles Navarro and JFP see these cars everyday and their troubles; best to listen to their recommendation.

FWIW, I change my oil annually (2500-3000 miles) and have been using Castrol Syntec 10W40. No clatter on start-up and filter/sump have been clean.

[danyl55]

Originally Posted by clickman

Methinks we have a new troll in our midst. At least my little pea brain sure can't see how that makes any sense at all.

personally I wouldn't go over 5000 mi. w/out an oil change but that wasn't the question anyway. Why would anyone believe that oil gets better after it has been used for 5 to 10000 miles?

[Adam]

Actually there might be some merit to it. I remember reading a couple different places that an oils lubrication properties actually improve after it's been used for awhile.

[Frank M]

Originally Posted by clickman

Methinks we have a new troll in our midst. At least my little pea brain sure can't see how that makes any sense at all.

I have to agree with you.

here is a quick search I did on mobil1 .com. I tend to stick with what engineers say.
I got 2 answers:

Question:
How to Handle 20,000-Mile Motor Oil Drain Intervals When a Car is Driven Infrequently
Porsche recommends an extremely long drain interval of 20,000 miles for Mobil 1--which is great but since my 2006 911 is a "weekend car" it only gets 5-6,000 miles per year. Should I wait to change the oil at 20,000 miles or should I change it when 2 or 3 years are up?
-- Roy James, Phoenix, AZ

Answer:
We recommend following the drain intervals listed in your owner's manual. Mobil 1 would satisfy those longer drain intervals as long as the manufacturer makes that suggestion.

To achieve the best peace of mind related to engine protection, many vehicle owners change their engine oils every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. Is this practice rendered meaningless with the advent of the Mobil high-endurance oils?

Consumers should follow the maintenance practice that is best for them, and that meets their car manufacturers’ warranty. They can have peace of mind knowing the guaranteed performance and protection intervals of the Mobil line of high-endurance oils. Mobil Clean 5000, Mobil Clean High Mileage, Mobil Clean 7500, and Mobil 1 Extended Performance protect critical engine parts from lubricant-related failure for 5,000/7,500/15,000 miles -- guaranteed. (Updated March 2006)

[dirkdiggler]

a manual for 2000 Boxster states that you can use Regular mineral oil OR Synthetic oil in the boxster.

anyone ever run regular oil in theres??

[JoeFromPA]

Some individuals feel that changing the oil too frequently is a bad thing, as it increases the likelihood of something going wrong (oil filter housing coming loose, contamination at top of engine).

The other reason is that oil has the most volatile compounds when new, which breakdown in the first few hundred/thousand miles. After that, it tends to be in quite good shape for a long time in terms of stability.

Neither of those reasons really apply, in my opinion, to oil changes that are at least 1000 miles apart.

On the flip side, there is no reason why high-end oils (such as M1 0w40) should be replaced at 5k miles in the m96 (unless it's been well over a year, or it was 5k of the most brutal miles). The m96 is not that brutal of an engine by any standard, and it has a massive sump size full of high-end oil....

Sump size matters alot in these things.

[Lobo1186]

to put into perspective the size of the sump in the m96, it takes about 9qt of oil. ranging from 2.5-3-4L for motor size.

the dodge viper has TEN cylinders ranges from 8-8.4 liters and at least in the 2002, it takes 10qt.

[clickman]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

there is no reason why high-end oils (such as M1 0w40) should be replaced at 5k miles in the m96 (unless it's been well over a year, or it was 5k of the most brutal miles).

Experts doing used oil analysis will tell you otherwise...