Mobil 1 - MPG Improvements

I was at the local Honda Dealer yesterday. They had a sign posted that they were running a special oil change deal for Mobil 1 full synthetic for $59.95. The advertisment said Mobil 1 will give you 1.5% to 3% improvement in fuel economy, and that Mobil 1 was recognized by American Honda as an acceptable use.

Anyone care to comment? I know i saw about a 1mpg improvement in my Subaru forester when i put in Mobil 1.

If you got a 3% improvement and went from 17 MPG to 17.5 MPG over a 5000mile oil change interval, that would save you about 8.5 gallons of gas. At $3.40/gallon, that is about a $29 savings. Seems like a wash to me unless you change your own oil.

Still, less use of/reliance on dino oil is a good thing, regardless...

Still, less use of/reliance on dino oil is a good thing, regardless...

Agreed...I would think there are other benefits as well. I know you can buy a gallon from walmart for $22.

My local Honda dealer does not carry Mobil 1, has Castrol instead. I go to Walmart and buy a jug to take with me to the dealer when I have my truck serviced.

As for the improved mileage. Who knows? Probably only the technicians could prove it and even then I'm sure there are some "fuzzy math" calculations involved that could be skewed in favor of Mobil 1.

I was at the local Honda Dealer yesterday. They had a sign posted that they were running a special oil change deal for Mobil 1 full synthetic for $59.95.

:eek: That's a special?:eek: I switched from M1 to RP after Katrina and a change still ain't $50.

:eek: That's a special?:eek: I switched from M1 to RP after Katrina and a change still ain't $50.

I didn't want to say that, but that is what I was thinking...

I go to Walmart and buy a jug to take with me to the dealer when I have my truck serviced.


I'm looking at my lastest dealer maintenance oil change Invoice now.

Although it was in conjuction with my first rear differential service/fluid change the dealer charged me a toal of $12.00 labor to change my engine oil.

I brought my own 5qt jug of Mobil 1 syn oil from Walmart, like you, and a Purolator PureONE oil filter.
I don't recall what I paid total for my BYO parts but those and the $12.00 labor didn't come near $59.95

Negotiate with your dealer

There was some discussion on Bobistheoilguy.com regarding M1 no longer being a 100% full synthetic. If you want a FULL syn you might check other sources. You might also log into bitog.COM to monitor their discussions on oil. Interesting if you're into that stuff. For those of you who bring your M1 into the dealer and pay them labor to change your oil are you sure they are putting in YOUR oil? How do you know? Oil changes are an easy DIY job and you are ALWAYS sure of what you put in. JMHO

Trust me, I will not be paying $59.95 to the dealer. I go to Wally world and get the gallon-o-mobil1 for $22 and do it myself. Always have and always will.

Just don't go to jiffy lube. One of the guys here at work went there for a tranny flush on his toyota truck, and they refilled it with GEAR OIL!!:eek:

Just don't go to jiffy lube. One of the guys here at work went there for a tranny flush on his toyota truck, and they refilled it with GEAR OIL!!:eek:

Good advice on not going to Jiffy Lube. A friend of mine had her oil changed there, and they didn't put the drain plug back in right. All her oil leaked out....engine toasted. :eek: No refund on a new engine from Jiffy Lube....as you would guess.
Tom

Jiffy Lube (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI)...

Sorry that I cant recall the specific details, but the most recent Costco coupon book for the CA, Bay Area that comes in the mail has a coupon for I think $8 off per case, max 2 cases of MB1 starting 1st week of April. The coupon is there, just cant recall the exact specifics.

My Honda service rep said NO synthetic oil until at least 12,000 miles in order to give the engine a chance to break in properly. I thought that was just for older cars. Yes, No, Maybe???? Coming up on my second oil change at around 6,000 before my drive out to Dayton next week. Suggestions.:confused:

My first change was dino, my second was synthetic. That's pretty much standard practice unless your vehicle came new with synthetic, i.e. Porsche, Mercedes.

For gosh sakes, don't waste money "having" your oil changed, unless you just don't like to get your hands dirty. And if you insist on taking it to a dealer, DON'T take them the oil. I had a friend who worked at a GM dealership many years ago and he claimed any oil brought to the shop was taken home by the mechanics and dealership oil was used. It comes out of a 55 gallon drum and supposedly no-one was the wiser!!!!!:rolleyes:

Ask for your marked container back.

How much does royal purple cost per quart?

I would assume that using synthetic oil would throw the MM off due to the extended oil change intervals. Right?

Why? I change it according to the MM.

How much does royal purple cost per quart?

Slightly more than M1. Same change price at WM and you can request a Supertech filter.

Agreed...I would think there are other benefits as well. I know you can buy a gallon from walmart for $22.

I have used Mobil 1 in the big walmart bottle since inception. I have averaged 18.9 MPG over 106,000 miles.

Ins't Supertech Walmart's generic brand filter? Are they something special?

I would assume that using synthetic oil would throw the MM off due to the extended oil change intervals. Right?

I guess I'm a little slow here. I was under the impression that Synthetic oils were no better than a high quality regular motor oil ( Castrol GTX as an example) and that the only benefit was longer intervals between changes. If you're changing out your Synthetic at the normal intervals aren't you just wasting money due to the higher cost per quart over regular oil ?

I guess I'm a little slow here. I was under the impression that Synthetic oils were no better than a high quality regular motor oil ( Castrol GTX as an example) and that the only benefit was longer intervals between changes. If you're changing out your Synthetic at the normal intervals aren't you just wasting money due to the higher cost per quart over regular oil ?

Got something against conserving non-renewable resources? :confused: I used GTX 20w50 for years but not in the 21st century.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shamrockshooter
Just don't go to jiffy lube. One of the guys here at work went there for a tranny flush on his toyota truck, and they refilled it with GEAR OIL!!

Good advice on not going to Jiffy Lube. A friend of mine had her oil changed there, and they didn't put the drain plug back in right. All her oil leaked out....engine toasted. No refund on a new engine from Jiffy Lube....as you would guess.
Tom

Hehe, used to own an Auto Repair Shop and one of my best customers was JiffyLube. Even replaced a $19,000 Lexus engine for them...sigh, the good ol days...;)

Got something against conserving non-renewable resources? :confused: I used GTX 20w50 for years but not in the 21st century.

My present most important "non-renewable resource" right now is the money it takes to get through each month, but if there is a major concern regarding our natural "non-renewable resources" I guess driving something that gets more than 17-18 MPG's would help.

My present most important "non-renewable resource" right now is the money it takes to get through each month, but if there is a major concern regarding our natural "non-renewable resources" I guess driving something that gets more than 17-18 MPG's would help.

That's the philosophy that will turn this thing around. Criticize strangers trying to mend their ways. Thanks for your support. How often do you change that dino?

Sorry that I cant recall the specific details, but the most recent Costco coupon book for the CA, Bay Area that comes in the mail has a coupon for I think $8 off per case, max 2 cases of MB1 starting 1st week of April. The coupon is there, just cant recall the exact specifics.

Thanks for the - heads up.

I received that Costco coupon book in the mail Tuesday, scanned through it and didn't notice the Mobil 1 coupon until your post and looked again.

I might take them up on that if Costco's end price ends up cheaper than Walmart's 5qt jug.

BTW, the coupon is for 6qts per case and is for 5w30 or 10w30 M1 synthetic.

I know, Honda calls for 5w20 and that's what I have used after waiting for my 3rd oil change BUT I think it has been discussed to death in other threads that 5w30 would not be a big deal in hotter climates.
I know, gas mileage too!!!! :p

Maybe this is a dumb questions but where do you guys take your used oil and rear differential fluid when you change it yourself? Anywhere to dispose of it for free?

THe local oil change place takes my oil and doesn't charge me for dumping it into their catch tank.

Why? I change it according to the MM.

Your memory minder has no clue you are running synthetic oil, unless you are driving most of the time in extreme conditions like super hot environments or towing and then it may detect a slight decrease in engine temperature (one of the parameters captured in the MM algorythm) versus what might be perceived with a high quality dino oil. IMHO, if you are runniing synthetic, like I am, it should be for the peace of mind of knowing you can easily run tio the end of the MM cycle and even a bit beyond and never come close to reaching the end of effectiveness of the synthetic you are using as opposed to very possibly reaching that end of life with standard dino. Other MM parameters such as RPMs accumulated over time and distances traveled are not going to be affected by the type of oil you are using and this makes the MM a useful tool for synthetic oil users, but it is only a tool and it is up to you to use that tool properly and effectively to get your money's worth out of it.

THe local oil change place takes my oil and doesn't charge me for dumping it into their catch tank.

SHAMEN, good question.

Look here also: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=waste+engine+oil+disposal&btnG=Google+Search

My local Pep Boys, a mile from my house, and others take my used oil free of charge.

Maybe this is a dumb questions but where do you guys take your used oil and rear differential fluid when you change it yourself? Anywhere to dispose of it for free?

Wal-Mart less than a mile away. Having said that, I just returned from WM where they still had the 3 quarts RP they had a week ago and no more!

We use our used motor oil for bar oil in our chanisaws, or as a fuel when we start brush fires or burn garbage down at our hunting camp. Under law thought, most places that service cars or sell oil have to accept the recycle free of charge.

I guess I'm a little slow here. I was under the impression that Synthetic oils were no better than a high quality regular motor oil ( Castrol GTX as an example) and that the only benefit was longer intervals between changes. If you're changing out your Synthetic at the normal intervals aren't you just wasting money due to the higher cost per quart over regular oil ?

Synthetic oil is superior to traditional motor oil in nearly every respect. This doesn't mean that you will ever need the superior performance in normal driving conditions, but that's a different story.

Synthetic oil should never be used to extend normal drain intervals in passenger motor vehicles.

I like the added protection that synthetic oil provides in the event of unusual operating conditions. I may never need it, but I like knowing it's there.

Regarding fuel mileage... to improve fuel mileage via motor oil you would need to reduce friction significantly. The words to explain this easily escape me, but if we were to increase friction inside the engine by an amount needed to reduce fuel mileage by any significant amount I think you would have so much heat that the motor oil would degrade rapidly. You might be able to measure differences in a few tenths of a MPG, but I can't imagine more than that.

THe local oil change place takes my oil and doesn't charge me for dumping it into their catch tank.
Our garbage company picks it up at curbside if properly labeled and in a clear plastic container at no extra charge.

Ins't Supertech Walmart's generic brand filter? Are they something special?

Yes... It's manufactured by the same company as the Mobil 1 filter.

great filter for a cheaper price. whoda thunk it.

thxs

I've been using them exclusively since the first change. 56K and no issues.

What about the Supertech synthetic oil? is that the same as Mobil1?

What about the Supertech synthetic oil? is that the same as Mobil1?

Supertech synthetic oil is made by Warren Performance Products for most of the USA. In some places it's Pennzoil. You can look at the bottom of the container and if it says "WPP" then it's from Warren. Supertech is a completely different product than Mobil 1.

Back in 2005, I bought an Rav 4, ran dino juice until 10K and switched to mobile 1 extended life. The mpg improved after 5-10K mi of normal break-in, but I also noticed 1-2 mpg after going to synthetic. So I started at about 22 city/hwy and now get about 25-27 depending...

So I did my first oil change with dino juice on my 08 RTX and will do it once more before I change to synthetic at 10K. I'm getting 17-18 now, so I'm hoping for a solid 20 after break-in and switch to syntheic.

Better oil should reduce friction on the main bearings and the rings, which means more power to the wheels!

Is mobile 1 "extended" any different than regular Mobil 1 synthetic? Or is it just different packaging and an excuse to charge you more money?

Is mobile 1 "extended" any different than regular Mobil 1 synthetic? Or is it just different packaging and an excuse to charge you more money?


Different additives package is used for Mobile 1 Extended Milage than for regular Mobile 1.

Extended doesn't come in 5-20.

S2000 filter and washer at the dealer.... $11 tops
5qt Mobile1 5w-20 jug at Walmart... $24



save yourself the extra $30 and do it at home... my dealership has done maybe 2 oilchanges on my truck in 3 years

Although it is rather lengthly (13 pages), a fantastic article about oil can be found at www.boss302.com/oil.htm. Actually just reading through page 7 will give most people more than enough information. The article is written by a guy that has been in the oil business for around 20 years, and he really knows his stuff. Enjoy! :)

Jim aka weatherman

There was some discussion on Bobistheoilguy.com regarding M1 no longer being a 100% full synthetic. If you want a FULL syn you might check other sources. You might also log into bitog.COM to monitor their discussions on oil. Interesting if you're into that stuff. For those of you who bring your M1 into the dealer and pay them labor to change your oil are you sure they are putting in YOUR oil? How do you know? Oil changes are an easy DIY job and you are ALWAYS sure of what you put in. JMHO

For gosh sakes, don't waste money "having" your oil changed, unless you just don't like to get your hands dirty. And if you insist on taking it to a dealer, DON'T take them the oil. I had a friend who worked at a GM dealership many years ago and he claimed any oil brought to the shop was taken home by the mechanics and dealership oil was used. It comes out of a 55 gallon drum and supposedly no-one was the wiser!!!!!:rolleyes:

Your caution is well taken and should be of concern.

I usually do my own oil changes but this time I was preparing for a long vacation trip and ran out of time and didn't want to mess with the Rear/Diff oil change.

I left my RL at the dealer, which I usually never do, and got a ride home with the dealers shuttle service.

As soon as I got home I wondered and worried about the same thing after I left my RL at the dealer with my BYO supplies.
Would my expensive oil end up in MY RL or go home with a tech?

It would be easy to tell if they installed my supplied oil filter.

I picked up my RL and later, that day, I found a balck plastic trash bag on the floor in the rear.

Inside the bag was my original 5qt jug of Mobil 1 5w20 oil with black oily hand prints all over it and a 1/2 to 3/4 qt of oil left in it.
I checked my oil level and it was full.
I put the remainder of oil in a old qt container and took it with me on vacation.
I eneded up using most of it about 3,000 miles later.

I think the Honda tech was very thorough and conscientious in returning my oil container and it sure put my worries at ease.

I have always trusted this particular Honda dealer (Honda Cars of Corona) and this reinforced by trust.