Date:         Wed, 08 Jan 1997 09:32:06 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         RGOLEN@umassd.edu
Subject:      Re: Another Mobil 1 anecdote....


I've been using Mobil1 in my cars since the late 70s. I used it on my 86 GTI 
and it now has 215k miles on it. When the GTI had about 150k miles on it, I 
decided to pop the head...actually I had a cracked exhaust manifold and 
wanted to put a set of headers on it, so removing the head was only an extra 
hour or so of work (then I decided to put on a new timing belt, 
etc...etc...)

I would change the oil/filter in the GTI about every 6k miles. At 6k miles, 
I would be down (even at the 150k mark) only about a pint. When I pulled the 
head and examined the cylinder bores, there was hardly any ridge wear (the 
top part of the cylinder where the rings don't make contact). I could only 
detect a minimum ridge when I ran my fingernails up and down the side of the 
bore. The top part of the cylinder head was CLEAN, the cam had no 
perceptible wear.

My son now has the GTI as his first car.....he has been instructed to check 
the oil and fluids EVERY week...which he does religiously. The other day 
when I asked him if he checked the oil, he said: "whats the use....it always 
stays at the same level". I checked it....sure as hell, with about 2.5k 
miles since the last oil change....the oil level is right up to the mark.


The EV also has been "raised" on Mobil1 eversince the first oil change. It 
too gets its oil and filter changed every 6k miles. And at 53k miles, it 
burns less than a pint in 6k miles. Knowing what I know about AUDI and VW 
watercooled engines, I expect this engine to last at least 200k miles.

Of course I could go on about the same observations with the engines from 
other cars I owned and used Mobil1 
Mercedes Diesel (250k miles when sold), Porsche 911sc (150k) or my BMW 2002ti
(120k miles on engine I rebuilt myself)....but what's the point, 
same result.

Ric