Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:02:45 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Motor Oil (Synthetic)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed; delsp=no
You are definitely right about the behavior of 20W50 at 0 F, Craig. I
use it here in Central Oklahoma, where 0 F might be the absolute lowest
for an entire winter, with 20 F being a much more common daily low.
We've had several periods of five or six days continuously below
freezing this winter, and folks are going nuts (they forget other cold
winters that have occurred). Since my camper is strictly for camping, I
don't have to drive it when it is that cold. I did try to get a 15W50
oil, but distributors here only have synthetics in that grade, except
for a Citgo brand (forget the name of the oil, but it is from Citgo). I
don't see the point in paying for synthetic oil when I am going to
change it at 3000 miles, anyway. Should I? My experience says not.
David
On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 8:13 PM, craig cowan wrote:
> My comment regarding cold temperatures dealt specifically with an
> occurance
> last year when the temperatures in my region were consistantly below
> zero
> for over a week. On the coldest morning of the lot, early, I tried to
> start
> my bus to no avail. My battery and all systems were in great shape,
> but the
> motor oil had turned so thick that the engine would BARELY turn. The
> solution involved draining the motor oil and replacing it for the
> remainder
> of that winter with a thinner oil.
> 20W50 is quite thick at or below 0*F.
> Put a bit of it in the freezer sometime (even at 32*F) and watch just
> how
> smoothly it pours.
>
> -Craig
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 8:34 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>
>> My comment concerning warranty was meant to convey the maker's
>> attitude,
>> not to suggest that we are trying to maintain the long expired
>> warranty on
>> our VWs. I change oil myself, have been doing so for a series of
>> vehicles
>> for about 50 years, and have managed to drive all of them for around
>> 200k or
>> more miles. My change interval seems economic to me. Oil is cheap.
>> Engines
>> are expensive.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 6:02 PM, Allan Streib wrote:
>>
>> Synthetic will flow better than conventional when cold.
>>>
>>> None of our Vanagons are under warranty anymore. Oil analysis can
>>> be
>>> used to determine if your oil is still "good" and over time you can
>>> establish a reasonable, economic change interval.
>>>
>>> Allan
>>>
>>> Dave Mcneely writes:
>>>
>>>
>>> I use Castrol 20W50, petroleum based (nonsynthetic). I change the
>>> oil
>>>> every 3000 miles, just as I always have for all my vehicles. I
>>>> can't
>>>> imagine how synthetic could improve on that. I notice that most
>>>> manufacturers specify that oil should be changed at the recommended
>>>> interval, and that less often than that voids the warranty, whether
>>>> the oil used is synthetic or not. David McNeely
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 1:46 PM, Stephen Cebula wrote:
>>>>
>>>> What motor oils you you all use out there? A friend of mine keeps
>>>>> pushing synthetic oil. He's a Ford man, and not familiar with
>>>>> Vanagons. What's the rap on that?
>>>>> Steve
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> --
>>> 1991 Vanagon GL
>>>
>>
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