Hmm... I noticed that Mobil 1 comes in a 0-40W grade . I may stick with it after all ??

I had switched to Castrol Synthetic from Mobil one when they lost their ratings about five years ago but they have been re-rated so I have switched back to Mobile one 5W-40 but I would also use 0W-40 in cold winter weather.

Here is the most definitive discussion of oil I have read. Check it out

i've recently been researching this also. ln engineering have a good article on their site here:

Oils: What motor oil should I use? Which oil is best for my Porsche or aircooled engine?

where they suggest 5w40 is best. mobil 1 have two formulation that i can find; one for turbo diesels and one for mercedes. according to mobil the turbo diesel formula is also good for high performance gas engines, and has the SL/Cl-4 rating preferred by lne. researching that oil specifically i've found that lots of folks use it (or it's precursor delvac) and lne recommends it.

otherwise, i've read that the mobil 1 0w40 we get here is a different oil than what mobil sells in europe (different additive package).

I've read that article several times in past. And, based on what I can glean from it, the lower the viscosity rating is on start-up the better it is for initial lubrication (i.e. 0 vs. 5 or 10). Thus my decision to use a synthetic that has a rating of 0-40w . Does this make sense ?

I was just re-reading it myself and it is very clear that 0W grade is better than 5W and better than 10W due to less thickening when the oil cools off.

I am sold, I am going to M1 0W-40 next oil change.

If you can spare the money, I love Red Line. Full ester synthetic, one of the few on the market.

I'd like to try it but at over $10 per quart that hurts at my house where I use 30 quarts of synthetic per oil change cycle.

That's what I run.
Autoengineering guys recommend it as well.

I just changed my oil yesterday after finding a Walmart with Mobil 1 0w-40 in stock for $6.47 per quart. Too bad they didn't have the 5 qt. jug anywhere locally. I'll add a post after some colder weather if I notice a significant change in the start up noise in cold weather.

Serendipity stikes twice . I was in Walmart yesterday and discovered that they had Mobil 1 in 0-40W weight ! :)

JD,

Some Walmarts have it and some don't -- I guess it depends on demand (and whether the store has auto service). I usually buy a few cases of it for my wife's MB E320 at the Salem NH store when she wants to go to Rockingham Mall to spend my hard-earned money -- I wish Macy's had an automotive dept.

If you decide to go with M1 0W-40, then buy a bunch of it because the price is constantly increasing. Most of the "better" synthetic oils at my local AutoZone are rapidly approaching $9/qt.

Regards,
paul...

S&B,

Do you bring your 986 to them for service? I was just curious as I've heard a couple of negative things about them from people I work with (who don't know anything about cars), so I'd like an opinion from someone who is a real "car-person". Thx.

Regards,
paul...

I saw the price on the walmart synthetic oil change deal and allowed them to change the oil on my 2003 Range Rover. Everything was fine until the next morning there was a puddle of oil under my car. I crawled underneath and the oil plug was dripping precipitously. I immediately called the store and the shop manager came to my house. He was very polite (almost grovelling). I was worried that some big galute had overtorqued my plug and crapped the threads but it turned out that the crush washer was simply left off. He replaced it, offered me a host of free services and generally did everything he could have done to make it right.

Now every time I go to Walmart I get a big hello from the manager and I have since taken my Boxster to them to patch a nail in one tire which they did to my exact instructions.

I dont know if every Walmart has as dedicated hard working management as this one and I have certainly heard my share of horror stories. I have not yet considered taking a Porsche there for an oil change but they did make it all right on the Rover. I just dont want to be in a situation where they have to make it right on my Porsche if that makes sense.

Yes, you make perfect sense. For me, I get enough aggravation in my life and I don't need more.


Regards,
paul...

I wonder if Walmart could do an IMS and RMS retro-fit ??

As I always say regarding anything Wal-Mart (with a slight variation thanks to the above posts)...with the exception of purchasing Mobil 1, you get what you pay for.

I think if you give Wal-Mart your Boxster, IMSR, and RMS, you'll have a Fiero by the time it comes off the lift.

The mere thought of letting Walmart's trained monkeys actually take a wrench to my car sends cold chills down my spine. Does anyone really believe that those flat-rate hacks would even check the torque spec for a drain plug, never mind actually apply it? Would you really want some ham-fisted lout tightening your plastic filter housing? I feel faint... I need to lie down for a while...

I would have thought the same thing but after my discussions with the local manager of the auto department I see a different picture. They look up and torque to spec absolutely everything. They are doing more CYA stuff than any of our regular mechanics I can assure you because Walmart is a big juicy target for lots of claims (both deserved and undeserved).

If anything I would say that they are too "by the book" and not allowed to make decisions that would create different outcomes... no judgement allowed by the employees because they are too big. Follow the manual and let corporate deal with it is the mentality and in that environment you tend to run off the good people that use their brains.

So the end result may be the same but they are using torque wrenches more than you and I are. They are trying to do work that is good work as well as fending off potential liability at the same time and that is not conducive to the best results.

I will let them patch my Boxster's tire because the do an excellent job at that and it was only $10 and it was a Sunday. Anything else...I don't think so.

What if they had a direct line into Jake Raby while they were doing it ? Hey, this has the makings of a TV reality show !! What would it be called ?

The price for the supplies is why I pay for my work. At $9 per quart, that's $81 plus tax for oil alone. Add in the filter and your 80% to a professional oil change. It's not worth my time as I can make money while they work on my car. That's not even including the proper disposal of the used oil.