Oil Change Special @ Advance
 

just an FYI for castrol syntec fans, advance auto parts is doing an oil change special with castrol syntec as the oil.

i had to call to get the "special" price since they don't have an oil filter for the boxster in the brand that is part of the special. so instead they discounted the filter for the boxster.

before discount, price was 105.90, after discount it was $59.96 + tax

first 5 qts were $4.49/ea, qts 6-9 were 6.74/ea. filter was $10.59

Thanks for the tip. I need to get some for my next oil change.

The Advance store near my house had the same deal earlier this year. A free oil filter for every 5 qts of Castrol. They gave me two Purolator L25316 filters for free. What's odd is I went to another Advance store prior to that and they had a Mobil1 special going on but didn't have 10 quarts in stock so went to the 2nd store and they had a Castrol deal going on.

Not bad, I get Castol or Mobil 1 for about $5.20 a qt at walmart. Hengst filters I get online at $13.

Tony,

Which Castrol do you use?
I have never used the Castrol before but I want to try.

Thanks in advance.

the formerly known as "castrol syntec", now known as "castrol edge with syntec power technology"

usually 5w40. trying 5w50 this time.

i've used royal purple, mobil 1 and castrol and the castrol seems to do a little better on start up with the clatter.

Tony,

Thanks for the prompt reply.
However, you must have some regional special deal.
I am in NJ and I can't replicate the prices you mentioned.

you have to call their customer service since the special is 5 qts + a bosch filter, and there's no boxster filter that's part of the deal.

if you have another car and want to use their filter, just add the oil, then get the bosch distance plus filter for your other car.

the cart will then update with the discounts. the filter goes from $13.49 down to $8.57. the 9 qts of oil go down from $80.91 to $51.39 ($5.71/qt)

i tried it with a local newark, nj store and it still works.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1345165984.jpg

Tony, You ought to read this when you have a minute.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-109/

hah, a minute. bob's site takes way more than a minute. makes my head spin and i feel dumber after reading.

anyway, i think the point you're trying to make is that at start up, a lower weight oil will flow better and provide more lubrication. point taken, but not in my experience. 0w are meant for cold ambient temps and i don't drive the car when it's under 50º. if the point is that it will be harder for the 50 weight to flow at operating temp than the 40, point taken and i'm aware of that. that's why this change is a "try".

if i missed the point, please feel free to make it. i can be thick (pun intended) sometimes.

:cheers:

I think you sort of got the point. I do not know the specific mileage of your car so you may be right on the money... However, the point I was trying to make is that the high number in a multiweight oil effect how it flows at any temp below operating temp.

Taken from Bob's graph (numbers are not exact)

Oil type_____________Thickness at 75df
0W-20_________________40
0W-30_________________50
0W-40_________________60

A thickness of 40 is still less than ideal for startup, but it's far better than 60. I think the point that Bob was making is that there is no utility in running a heavier weight (for the high number) multigrade oil unless your engine is not reaching ideal oil pressure (10lbs per 1000rpm). If pressures are are higer than that, you're not really doing yourself any favors and could be getting less flow even with the higher pressure in some cases.

You mentioned that your experience with higher weight oils is different. Could you elaborate?

anecdotal evidence, and a single point on a graph do not make for good statistics, but i've found, for my engine / car, that the 0w40 (admittedly only used M1 in that weight) produces more chain noise at start up than when i move to 10w (even when it was M1).

also, just checked the old bottles and i've been running 10w, not the 5w so we'll see if that does anything.

and the mileage is at 102k

Hello Tony,

Thank you.
I picked up 4 sets (20 qts and 4 filters!) for 32.98 each before tax.
I don't know if I can return the filters but if not, I can use them on my Outback and Sienna.

Now the bad news.
On the way home, the battery light came on.
The alternator is not charging.
I know you replaced yours. How was that like? There seems to be an option to replace the voltage regulator(!?) was that an option for you?

Hi Guys,

Bad news for us in Texas, correct me if I'm wrong, but this "deal" with Castrol thru Advance Auto, is NOT available here….and they don't ship at this price.

BTW the price here at Walmart is closer to $8 a qt.

So the Castrol deal would be great IF we were there. Anybody coming to Dallas? Can you pick up some oil on the way? he-he

My god man, stop buying oil by the qt... Both of theses are available at the Walmart on Redbud Blvd in your town. Would you like me to pick it up for you too??? ;):p

Mobil 1 - 5qt for $26.48 = $5.30 per qt
Mobil 1 5W-30, 5qt: Automotive : Walmart.com

Castrol Edge 5qt for $26.00 = $5.20 per qt
Castrol Edge with Syntec Power Technology 5W30 Motor Oil, 5 qt: Automotive : Walmart.com

don't get either of those... xW30 is not a good idea. they do generally keep the 10w40 M1 in the 5qt jugs though.

i was driving on I30 from Dallas to Texarkana, on my way home to MD when the battery light came on. closest town (Commerce, coincidentally where I went to college) was 15-20 miles away and i got the car there. stopped at O'Reilly and they confirmed alternator was not working. my options were to mail-order the regulator, and spend a few extra nights there and hope that was truely the issue, or buy an alternator from OR which would arrive the next morning. short story i spent the morning in the texas sun in a hotel parking lot switching the alternator i purchased from OR. thankfully i got a few necessary tools from walmart next door. not something i want to do again in the same situation. if i were at home, i probably would have ordered the regulator and tried that first. the actual labor was't too bad, just not fun when it's so hot outside. the bolts were pretty tight, and the alternator was a pretty tight fit. either way, the alternator must come out, if i remember correctly, since the VR is on the backside.

Why is that? What is it about thicker oil that you find so appealing? Is it the higher pressure? To each his own, I want as much flow as possible as soon as possible. I could care less if the lifters and tensioners take a split second longer to pressurize (which I've not found to be the case). I want 10lbs of pressure per 1000rpm no more, no less...

if the ambient temp is under 50, and you're not putting the engine through much i could almost get behind a 30 weight oil. but still, it's going to break down too quickly under the heat and pressure once the engine is up to temp.

not to mention porsche's recommended oil weights are 0w-40, 5w-40 and 5w-50

Shadrach, One quart of oil, or only one 5 qt. for that matter, would not do much good on an oil change…it was merely an attempt at comparison shopping. I'm not very good at it, would prefer to get the oil my girl needs regardless of cost, but I am cheap at heart so I compensate by buying well in advance!

I DID go by WalMart yesterday, ironically the same one you suggested-how did you know-hmm-good guess! Unfortunately, Wally did NOT have but one CASTROL EDGE 5 Qt. in 10w-30 in stock - which is not what I would run here in TX anyway. They did not have enough of ANY REAL viscosity choice IN-STOCK for Box owners. I quoted the price for a SINGLE Quart from Wally Online - InStore it was slightly cheaper. High temps, over 100 F for the last few months means the "30" number is too low here. IMHO

No, I was joking for someone to "pick up" some oil for me from Advance Auto. However, the point is:

ADVANCE AUTO DOES NOT SHIP this deal! Only in-store purchases!

Tony, if you or your car 'decide' to visit again - let me know IF you have a problem - we can offer an air-conditioned garage with carpeting, and could "lend a hand spinning tools." Glad to hear you got her going again!

thanks homeboy. i drive to dallas a few times a year. it seems every long distance trip ends up with something taking a crap away from home - alternator, motor mount, water pump, etc.

maybe just a general dallas meetup would be fun. someone - timothy? i cant remember - said there was one that occurs at the fuddruckers on 75 on one of my trips. haven't had a chance to stop at one yet.

btw, i'll check before my next trip and see if anything's on sale. i usually have the rear trunk empty. :)