mobil 1 oil (started oil leak?)

[brody2be]

Has anyone ever had this happen to them before i had just started using mobil 1 for the first time after 130,000 miles on the car and all of the sudden bam oil all over the under carriage leaking, has anyone have any suggestions to stop using this oil and go back to conventional oil? or to just put in lucus oil stabilizer. 1997 aurora

[Deleted]

Any synthetic oil has a higher level of detergents. You probably had an oil leak and it plugged itself with sludge, when you added the synthetic the detergents cleaned the sludge up and the oil leak resumed. The only oil I have ever used that has reduced oil leaks/consumption was valvoline Maxlife synthetic BLEND. I used M1 in my Grand Am and had no problems, but I love valvoline. It would be worth a shot.

[sall]

100% agree with Zach.

Any of you who are considering a switch to synthetic oils probably know by now that petroleum oils do not necessarily keep your engine squeaky clean. Well, if you own an older vehicle (late 80's to very early 90's) it's possible that you have leaks in your engine already. Now, before you all string me up by my toe nails telling me there's never been a drop of oil that leaked from your engine, let me explain myself.

On older vehicles which have been lubricated with petroleum oils, seals and gaskets can begin to dry and crack. The reason you don't actually see leaks is because petroleum oils tend to burn off and leave sludge, grime and varnish on the inside of your engine. That's simply the nature of a petroleum oil's make-up. Now, conventional petroleum oils are not very discriminatory about where they leave those deposits. Therefore, some of the deposits end up around your seals and gaskets which actually plugs up the gaps which would have resulted in oil leaks.

"Well," you say, "I guess all of those synthetic oil nay-sayers were right. If petroleum oils keep my engine from leaking and synthetic oils might actually make it leak, I guess petroleum is the better oil."

Not even close. The fact is, it's a result of using petroleum oil instead of a high quality synthetic that resulted in dry and cracking seals & gaskets in the first place. As I mentioned earlier, synthetic oils now contain special additives which maintain proper seal swell and keep them flexible so that seals and gaskets don't dry and crack in the first place. So, for those people who use synthetic oils from the start (after a 3,000 to 5,000 mile break-in period), the problem never becomes an issue.

Of course, the next obvious question is, "If synthetics have those special additives, why might they cause leaks in an older engine? Why don't they correct the problem?"

Believe it or not, I've got an answer for that too. The "problem" is that there are also other additives that give a synthetic oil its detergency properties. In other words, there's other stuff in high quality synthetic oil which tends to clean out the sludge and deposits left behind by petroleum oils. Once these deposits are gone, the gaps around seals and gaskets become exposed and the oil might begin to leak in these areas.

However, there is good news. It's likely that the additives we discussed earlier will begin to lubricate the seals causing them to become more flexible and leading to seal swell which may plug those gaps over time. The only drawback is that there's no way of knowing how long it may take for this to occur or if the seals are already too far gone to be salvaged. If the problem doesn't correct itself, it is likely that the seals and gaskets would have to be replaced to prevent further oil leakage.

So, to wrap up. Petroleum oils can screw up your seals and gaskets and then fill the holes with gunk and deposits to cover their tracks. Synthetic oils come in and begin to clean up the place. Once it's clean, the holes might be exposed (if there were any) and the oil begins to leak. After a while (no way to know how long) the synthetic may be able to help the seals and gaskets regain their composure and stop the leaks

One very important point to keep in mind is that if 100 cars were put in front of you (all older vehicles lubricated with petroleum oil), the switch to synthetic would probably cause less than five or 10 of them to leak. The odds are definitely in your favor.

As is the case with most things, you tend to hear much more about the horror stories than you do about the success stories. I have spoken with numerous people who have made the switch successfully without ever having a leak. In fact, I personally have converted two older vehicles without even a hint of a problem.

Unfortunately, those who have had problems start screaming and yelling to everyone they know (with the best intentions) that synthetics will screw up your engine. Just take it with a grain of salt and you and your car will be fine.

Good Read: bestsyntheticoil.com/info/seals.shtml

[aldrichd]

I've already bought Mobile 1 to put in my truck when it hits 1,000 miles. I believe it's better to start an engine off fresh with synthetic oil than when it's got 100K or more.

But then Mobil 1 does make a high mileage formula and one with a blend of synthetic/conventional oil that might be OK to use in a higher mileage car.

[Rocinante]

Mar 18, 2010 18:25:50 GMT -6 aldrichd said:

But then Mobil 1 does make a high mileage formula and one with a blend of synthetic/conventional oil that might be OK to use in a higher mileage car.

That's the one I use. Mobil 1 Super 2000 (high mileage semi-synthetic).

[lanceslambos]

i agree with aura1 and Sall. i thought this thread was going to be about the new Mobil 1 oil i saw advertised. i don't recall what they said about it but it sure seemed like the oil to buy when i saw the commercial. i used Castrol GTX for years and years and think its pretty good oil but then i found out that Lamborghini only uses Valvoline oil and that you will actually void the factory warranty if you use anything else, that was enough for me and now i'm sold on Valvoline. oddly my dad who rebuilt engines for over 30 years swears that Valvoline is about the worst oil you can use. he says nearly every motor he's torn down that used it had a lot of sludge around the lifters. maybe he was talking about Havoline though.

[Rocinante]

Mar 17, 2010 13:10:54 GMT -6 sall said:

100% agree with Zach.

Any of you who are considering a switch to synthetic oils probably know by now that petroleum oils do not necessarily keep your engine squeaky clean. Well, if you own an older vehicle (late 80's to very early 90's) it's possible that you have leaks in your engine already. Now, before you all string me up by my toe nails telling me there's never been a drop of oil that leaked from your engine, let me explain myself.

On older vehicles which have been lubricated with petroleum oils, seals and gaskets can begin to dry and crack. The reason you don't actually see leaks is because petroleum oils tend to burn off and leave sludge, grime and varnish on the inside of your engine. That's simply the nature of a petroleum oil's make-up. Now, conventional petroleum oils are not very discriminatory about where they leave those deposits. Therefore, some of the deposits end up around your seals and gaskets which actually plugs up the gaps which would have resulted in oil leaks.

"Well," you say, "I guess all of those synthetic oil nay-sayers were right. If petroleum oils keep my engine from leaking and synthetic oils might actually make it leak, I guess petroleum is the better oil."

Not even close. The fact is, it's a result of using petroleum oil instead of a high quality synthetic that resulted in dry and cracking seals & gaskets in the first place. As I mentioned earlier, synthetic oils now contain special additives which maintain proper seal swell and keep them flexible so that seals and gaskets don't dry and crack in the first place. So, for those people who use synthetic oils from the start (after a 3,000 to 5,000 mile break-in period), the problem never becomes an issue.

Of course, the next obvious question is, "If synthetics have those special additives, why might they cause leaks in an older engine? Why don't they correct the problem?"

Believe it or not, I've got an answer for that too. The "problem" is that there are also other additives that give a synthetic oil its detergency properties. In other words, there's other stuff in high quality synthetic oil which tends to clean out the sludge and deposits left behind by petroleum oils. Once these deposits are gone, the gaps around seals and gaskets become exposed and the oil might begin to leak in these areas.

However, there is good news. It's likely that the additives we discussed earlier will begin to lubricate the seals causing them to become more flexible and leading to seal swell which may plug those gaps over time. The only drawback is that there's no way of knowing how long it may take for this to occur or if the seals are already too far gone to be salvaged. If the problem doesn't correct itself, it is likely that the seals and gaskets would have to be replaced to prevent further oil leakage.

So, to wrap up. Petroleum oils can screw up your seals and gaskets and then fill the holes with gunk and deposits to cover their tracks. Synthetic oils come in and begin to clean up the place. Once it's clean, the holes might be exposed (if there were any) and the oil begins to leak. After a while (no way to know how long) the synthetic may be able to help the seals and gaskets regain their composure and stop the leaks

One very important point to keep in mind is that if 100 cars were put in front of you (all older vehicles lubricated with petroleum oil), the switch to synthetic would probably cause less than five or 10 of them to leak. The odds are definitely in your favor.

As is the case with most things, you tend to hear much more about the horror stories than you do about the success stories. I have spoken with numerous people who have made the switch successfully without ever having a leak. In fact, I personally have converted two older vehicles without even a hint of a problem.

Unfortunately, those who have had problems start screaming and yelling to everyone they know (with the best intentions) that synthetics will screw up your engine. Just take it with a grain of salt and you and your car will be fine.

Good Read: bestsyntheticoil.com/info/seals.shtml

Sall, thank you for posting this excerpt from an Amsoil website. I know that this topic tends to be an endless debate on this board (similar to the premium fuel debate).


I thought it might be interesting to post something I found on Michael Kaufman's Oil Bible e-book below. It's not meant to be a counterpoint - just simply another way of approaching this topic.


"The age of your engine should also be a consideration. A vehicle that has over 8 or 9 years on it might not be a good candidate for moving to synthetic oil. If you've been using synthetic oil with success then stick with it, but if you've been using petroleum oil, now might not be the time to switch to synthetics.

Here's the deal. Although it is highly unlikely that the issue will come up, the following scenario is a possibility and has happened in a small percentage of older vehicles. A vehicle with significant age which has been maintained with petroleum oil may have seals and gaskets which are dried and cracked. However, in some cases, petroleum oil burn-off has left behind enough deposits around these seals and gaskets that leaks have been plugged.

When such an engine is switched over to a premium synthetic oil with a high quality detergency package, these deposits are cleaned out, thereby exposing those weak seals and gaskets. At that point leaks could occur. Of course, when using a synthetic oil, leaks can be very costly. In some cases, the seal swell properties of the synthetic oil will seal up the leaks, but in other cases it will not.

You have to decide whether you are willing to take the chance. If you're engine runs fairly well and has been adequately maintained, a good synthetic oil could do wonders for performance and fuel mileage in such a vehicle, but the potential leaks must not be overlooked. Just something to think about."


In the end, do what you like (I did). ;D

[nyst8ofmind]

I switched to Mobil 1 shortly after getting the Aurora at 65,000 miles and I didn't see any leaks and would lose about a 1/4 qt. between changes (I go about 5,000 miles). On my last change I was heading out of town and couldn't get Mobil 1 at Wal-Mart so I went with Castrol Syntec because it was on sale and I trusted the brand. I'm seeing floor spotting now and I've put a whole qt. in between changes. So now I'm going with Mobil 1 High Mileage now that she just broke 80,000. I contemplated going with a blend until I saw Mobil 1 has a High Mileage formula now.

[tpunk]

Mar 19, 2010 8:31:30 GMT -6 Rocinante said:

Mar 17, 2010 13:10:54 GMT -6 sall said:

100% agree with Zach.

Any of you who are considering a switch to synthetic oils probably know by now that petroleum oils do not necessarily keep your engine squeaky clean. Well, if you own an older vehicle (late 80's to very early 90's) it's possible that you have leaks in your engine already. Now, before you all string me up by my toe nails telling me there's never been a drop of oil that leaked from your engine, let me explain myself.

On older vehicles which have been lubricated with petroleum oils, seals and gaskets can begin to dry and crack. The reason you don't actually see leaks is because petroleum oils tend to burn off and leave sludge, grime and varnish on the inside of your engine. That's simply the nature of a petroleum oil's make-up. Now, conventional petroleum oils are not very discriminatory about where they leave those deposits. Therefore, some of the deposits end up around your seals and gaskets which actually plugs up the gaps which would have resulted in oil leaks.

"Well," you say, "I guess all of those synthetic oil nay-sayers were right. If petroleum oils keep my engine from leaking and synthetic oils might actually make it leak, I guess petroleum is the better oil."

Not even close. The fact is, it's a result of using petroleum oil instead of a high quality synthetic that resulted in dry and cracking seals & gaskets in the first place. As I mentioned earlier, synthetic oils now contain special additives which maintain proper seal swell and keep them flexible so that seals and gaskets don't dry and crack in the first place. So, for those people who use synthetic oils from the start (after a 3,000 to 5,000 mile break-in period), the problem never becomes an issue.

Of course, the next obvious question is, "If synthetics have those special additives, why might they cause leaks in an older engine? Why don't they correct the problem?"

Believe it or not, I've got an answer for that too. The "problem" is that there are also other additives that give a synthetic oil its detergency properties. In other words, there's other stuff in high quality synthetic oil which tends to clean out the sludge and deposits left behind by petroleum oils. Once these deposits are gone, the gaps around seals and gaskets become exposed and the oil might begin to leak in these areas.

However, there is good news. It's likely that the additives we discussed earlier will begin to lubricate the seals causing them to become more flexible and leading to seal swell which may plug those gaps over time. The only drawback is that there's no way of knowing how long it may take for this to occur or if the seals are already too far gone to be salvaged. If the problem doesn't correct itself, it is likely that the seals and gaskets would have to be replaced to prevent further oil leakage.

So, to wrap up. Petroleum oils can screw up your seals and gaskets and then fill the holes with gunk and deposits to cover their tracks. Synthetic oils come in and begin to clean up the place. Once it's clean, the holes might be exposed (if there were any) and the oil begins to leak. After a while (no way to know how long) the synthetic may be able to help the seals and gaskets regain their composure and stop the leaks

One very important point to keep in mind is that if 100 cars were put in front of you (all older vehicles lubricated with petroleum oil), the switch to synthetic would probably cause less than five or 10 of them to leak. The odds are definitely in your favor.

As is the case with most things, you tend to hear much more about the horror stories than you do about the success stories. I have spoken with numerous people who have made the switch successfully without ever having a leak. In fact, I personally have converted two older vehicles without even a hint of a problem.

Unfortunately, those who have had problems start screaming and yelling to everyone they know (with the best intentions) that synthetics will screw up your engine. Just take it with a grain of salt and you and your car will be fine.

Good Read: bestsyntheticoil.com/info/seals.shtml

Sall, thank you for posting this excerpt from an Amsoil website. I know that this topic tends to be an endless debate on this board (similar to the premium fuel debate).


I thought it might be interesting to post something I found on Michael Kaufman's Oil Bible e-book below. It's not meant to be a counterpoint - just simply another way of approaching this topic.


"The age of your engine should also be a consideration. A vehicle that has over 8 or 9 years on it might not be a good candidate for moving to synthetic oil. If you've been using synthetic oil with success then stick with it, but if you've been using petroleum oil, now might not be the time to switch to synthetics.

Here's the deal. Although it is highly unlikely that the issue will come up, the following scenario is a possibility and has happened in a small percentage of older vehicles. A vehicle with significant age which has been maintained with petroleum oil may have seals and gaskets which are dried and cracked. However, in some cases, petroleum oil burn-off has left behind enough deposits around these seals and gaskets that leaks have been plugged.

When such an engine is switched over to a premium synthetic oil with a high quality detergency package, these deposits are cleaned out, thereby exposing those weak seals and gaskets. At that point leaks could occur. Of course, when using a synthetic oil, leaks can be very costly. In some cases, the seal swell properties of the synthetic oil will seal up the leaks, but in other cases it will not.

You have to decide whether you are willing to take the chance. If you're engine runs fairly well and has been adequately maintained, a good synthetic oil could do wonders for performance and fuel mileage in such a vehicle, but the potential leaks must not be overlooked. Just something to think about."


In the end, do what you like (I did). ;D

You realize you're stating the exact same thing that he already said right?

I think it's pretty obvious that it's probably better for an older car, which has been run on conventional all of it's life, to stick with a synthetic-blend. This way you get some of the advantages of running synthetic without as much risk of springing open some of those leaks caused by the use of conventional.

On the other hand, if you have a young engine: start it on synthetic early and stick with it.