[rohrt]

I switched to Rotella T 10W-30 in my classics several years ago. The price was right so I have been using it for all my cars.

The kid behind the parts counter has been giving me a hard time about using a diesel oil in my cars, so I decided I should look up why I started using it in the first place and either prove him wrong or find out why I shouldn't use it.

So digging into the reading this morning I found this info from a Shell rep.

"Passenger car motor oils had approximately 1200 ppm zinc prior to 2001. In 2001 the zinc was reduced to 1000 ppm and in 2005 reduced again to the current 800 ppm.
Thus, the new Rotella T with triple protection 15w-40 CJ-4 has the same zinc content that passenger car motor oils had in 2000 before the current problems with flat tappets began.
However, zinc compounds are not the only additives that can reduce wear. We were able to reduce wear approximately 50% with the new Rotella T with triple protection 15w-40 CJ-4 formulation."

So this is why I was using. Now as to why not to use in my daily driver. These are reasons I found.

* high levels of detergent (sulfated ash)
* increased zinc was causing failures to the exhaust valves
* reported excess oil consumption
* damaging emissions parts for making hazardous compound to spew into the air. Thus ruining the catalytic converter

I have not noticed any problems with any of my vehicles but this info does have considering changing oil.

[The Champ]

For daily drivers, I use a full synthetic Dexos certified 5W30 oil.

I work for an ACDelco warehouse distributor that is also a member of the Pronto buying group. Pronto has their own private labeled oil - which is what I am using in our daily drivers.

My daily drivers are all GM vehicles. The '06 Torrent doesn't require Dexos, but for what I pay for the full synthetic (under $2.50 per quart), it's hard to justify buying conventional motor oil.

[David Jones]

Mobil 1 Extended Performance in both of ours.

0w20 in the 2012 Highlander and 5w20 in the 2012 F150 5.0. Baldwin filters. 10,000 mile change cycles in both.

[77 Canamman]

The only oil I have used in my 2013 GMC Sierra since brand new is Pennzoil Platinum Ultra 5W30, and the NON E-Core Delco filter. I change at 5k mile intervals.

[geeteeohguy]

Rotella 15/40 diesel spec in my 5-day-a-week, 270,000 mile 1983 Toyota 4x4. Uses no oil between changes every 4-5k miles. Never been apart. Been using it as a DD since 1993.

[tigergto]

Dexos 5/30 full synthetic in my Caddie and my wifes Mini. This will be my first oil change in my Tundra that is not covered under the 2 yr free change and I will be going with the Mobil 1 0/20. Also I also use a top of the line filter.

[george kujanski]

Mobil 1 in every vehicle I have. 240K miles in my Eldo, 150k in my wife's Eldo, GTO, Allante, Boat, Jeep GC, motorcycle, snowblower.

Been using it since the early 80's when we had a week of -25F temps.

George

[craigs69]

I run Partsmaster 5W-30 from the local Auto Value store in my '06 Silverado and '04 Tahoe daily drivers and change the oil when the computer tells me to. The guys at the parts counter tell me it's Valvoline that is private labeled for them at a much lower cost. Both guys are 30 year veterans at this store, so it's not a 17 year old kid telling me this. I use their 10W-40 in my 469 too with 1/2 oz cam shield per quart. For filters, I use nothing but Wix.

[limejudge69]

Mobil 1 in my '13 Hemi Charger and regular Mobil in the wife's Caravan and daughter's Hyundai. My 67 Firebird gets Lucas Hot Rod oil with some EOS added to it

[TheSilverBuick]

My Skylark with a Buick 455 get's standard Valvoline 10w-30 for most the year and a mix of 10w-30 and 15w-50 VR1 for Drag Week. But it's got a roller cam and roller rockers.

My Firebird on the other hand has a standard cam and cam followers (the OHC L6 engine) and I run a mix of 10w-30 and 20w-50 NAPA brand oil in it to achieve the oil pressures I'm happy with, a bottle of Lucas to hopefully be sticking to the cam and followers and then a blue STP oil treatment bottle. If I'm driving it enough to consume/leak 2 quarts of oil I'll add another blue STP oil treatment bottle with the next top off. The bores on this engine are in pretty rough shape and ring seal is less than ideal.

My '72 Centurion and '67 Thunderbird both just get NAPA 20w-50, maybe a Lucas additive, but the valve spring pressures are so low I don't generally worry about cam wear. The Thunderbird see's valve float at 4,000rpm...

My 2014 Silverado get's what ever the dealer is putting in it, which the sticker says 0w-20.

[poncho-mike]

In my newer cars, I run either Mobil 1 EP or Castrol Titanium synthetics.

I don't have a car on the road right now with a flat tappet cam, but if I did I would run Rotella T 15W-40.

When I was growing up, my dad ran nothing but diesel oil in his cars. He worked as a maintenance mechanic and maintained their 3/4 and one ton diesel powered trucks. He became a believer in running diesel oil in automotive engines, and I continued the practice with my trucks and daily drivers. I started running diesel in the mid-70s.

The only time I ever had a cam failure was in my 74 Trans Am. The engine was fresh and I had about 15K miles on it when it ate a camshaft back around 2006. I ran Castrol 10W-30 in cooler months (I live in NC) and Castrol HD30 in summer. A the time I had been using the T/A as a daily driver when the weather was nice, averaging about 7 - 8K miles per year. It wasn't long after my cam failed that numerous articles came out lamenting the demise of high levels of ZDDP.

As for my other vehicles, my 78 GMC Suburban 454 (3/4 ton) had about 325K miles on it when the rear end went out. I bought it with under 100K and drove it for about twenty years. I exclusively ran diesel oil in it. My mechanic put a rear main seal in it at 220K miles and couldn't believe how clean it was. The original nylon timing chain lasted until 180K miles.

I had a couple of Firebird Formulas with 400s and 6X heads that I ran for 150K+ miles (they were used to begin with) and used diesel oil with no problems. Diesel does a very good job of keeping the internals clean.

Mike

[flyingn]

Valvoline ultra 5-20 is three of our drivers. Great oil..

[Txbobcat]

Castoroil 10/30. Its the only oil I have ever used since I started it with motorcycles back in the 70's.

[ta6point6]

Walmart 10w-30 or whatever special the Autoparts store has for my daily driver 2000 Sonoma and wifes GMC Jimmy. I bought truck in 2004 and the only problem I had was the stupid dex cool ruined intake gaskets. I run whatever special 10w-30 in the Trans Am with a ZDDP additive. In the 79 Chevy truck 350 and 83 Chevy van 305 I run whatever is on special at the Autoparts store, no additive. In general I run Delco oil filters and use to change oil every 6 months but lately let cars go for about a year before I change oil. The Trans Am does not have to pass emmisions with 10year plates but the Sonoma, Jimmy, Big10 Chevy truck and Van all pass emissions with flying colors.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Mobil 1 5W-30 in the Camaro and the Rodeo, 5W-30 Amsoil in my '03 Silverado. Wix oil filters on all of them.

[mechanickeith]

Both of my daily drivers are over 50 years old & have many miles. Both run 15-40 & NAPA 1049 filters

[yumpy]

Pretty much have used Castrol since the 70's,and now use the High Mileage in all my cars. Once in a while will use Valvoline when it's on sale. I commute 500 miles a week and change the oil every 5000 miles. My 92 civic just flipped 198,000. Did a valve adjustment last week and it was clean as a whistle. Never have to add oil between oil changes. The 96 Taurus has about 125,000 miles.Uses more oil between changes,but that car has used oil like a two-stroke since the day my Dad bought it new. Just the nature of the Vulcan V-6.
The 79 T/A gets High Mileage 10/30 with a zinc additive.Someday i will own something newer and run Amsoil synthetic, as i know a local dealer.

[GT182]

I only use Valvoline and have for years and years because of the following. It's the only oil where the inside of an engine I'd seen was as clean as the day it came off the dealer's lot. No sludge or gunk in it at all. The Chevy p/u had 100,000+ miles on it and the oil was faithfully changed every 3,000 miles. If I had seen it I wouldn't have believed it.

My 79 Formula spun a bearing in the engine and I believe it was from using Rotella 15-40 diesel oil. Never again in a gas engine.

Edit:
I forgot to add that in my 66 GTO I only run Valvoline VR-1 20w-50 Racing Oil.

[nashcar]

Brad Penn High Performance in my 69 400, 69 Z28, and 67 Nova 327. Mobil I in my 02 SS, 11 SRX, and 13 2500 HD. Valvoline 10w30 in my S10, 4.3. All Wix or Napa gold filters. Seldom have any oil usage in anything.

[yumpy]

Pretty much have used Castrol since the 70's,and now use the High Mileage in all my cars. Once in a while will use Valvoline when it's on sale. I commute 500 miles a week and change the oil every 5000 miles. My 92 civic just flipped 198,000. Did a valve adjustment last week and it was clean as a whistle. Never have to add oil between oil changes. The 96 Taurus has about 125,000 miles.Uses more oil between changes,but that car has used oil like a two-stroke since the day my Dad bought it new. Just the nature of the Vulcan V-6.
The 79 T/A gets High Mileage 10/30 with a zinc additive.Someday i will own something newer and run Amsoil synthetic, as i know a local dealer.