OT: Cheap Synthetic Motor Oil and Gas

[Coronita]

I found out that synthetic motor oil is pretty cheap these days. What use to be $8/quart, is more like $3-4/quart these days….

Mobil 1 0w40 and Castrol 0w40 are around $22/gallon on amazon prime and Walmart.

Shell Rotella T-6 is now $16/gallon with amazon prime subscribe and save. Shell is also throwing in a $5 rebate per gallon, so it’s like $11/gallon… Perfect for my autocross miata that needs to be changed after 4 events. (some tell me after 1-2 event, but I think I can manage 3-4 without an an oil change).

Things use to be around $40/gallon…

Also, Costco Gas in Carlsbad almost has no lines these days. They finished reconstruction and there’s like 15-20 gas pumps now. Lol… $2.76/gallon for 91.

[an]

flu, I don’t know where you got your $8/quarter from, but I’ve been getting my Mobil1 Synthetic from Walmart for ages now and they range between $23-26 for a 5-quart jug. $22 for a 5-quart jug is definitely a new low though.

[Coronita]

[quote=AN]flu, I don’t know where you got your $8/quarter from, but I’ve been getting my Mobil1 Synthetic from Walmart for ages now and they range between $23-26 for a 5-quart jug. $22 for a 5-quart jug is definitely a new low though.[/quote]

Well, I think paid $8/quart one time, but most of the time with a sale it was closer to $6-7… There’s different types of Mobil 1… The Ow-40 is a european only spec’d blend..which for the longest time was like $35/gallon on sale….The 5w30 and 5w20 was always in the mid-20ies, but technically not speced for European cars…(I’m sure it doesn’t really matter)….But then castrol came up with a competing 0w40 european speced oil at $24-5/gallon and Mobil 1 had drop their prices.

Here’s a rundown on the cheapest prices I can find… God I love being cheap some times..

$23 Mobil 1 Euro 0w40

$23 Castrol Euro 0w40

$16 Shell Rotella 5w40 + $5 rebate (up to 4 gallons per year)
(non european speced. But who cares for older cars)

I run the Mobil 1 in my Mercedes and my Audi with the Castrol as a backup in case Mobil 1 is unavailable.

I run the Shell Rotella in my supercharged miata, just in case. At $11/gallon, it’s not really more than conventional oil.

The Bimmers both use OEM oil, though I’m considering switching to Motul
Those take 7 and 9 quarts respectively, ouch…Fortunately, only every year. http://www.ebay.com/itm/151624286907

[an]

Ah, ic. I never had European, so I don’t know the history of their Euro blend. I used 0w20, 5w20, 5w30, and 10w30 and they all were in the mid $20s. But they were all for Japanese cars. I didn’t know European version were $10 more. Good to know that it’s now at the same price as the non-Euro blend.

BTW, I’m assuming you’re talking about the 5-quarter jug, right? 5-quart = 1.25 gallon.

[Coronita]

[quote=AN]Ah, ic. I never had European, so I don’t know the history of their Euro blend. I used 0w20, 5w20, 5w30, and 10w30 and they all were in the mid $20s. But they were all for Japanese cars. I didn’t know European version were $10 more. Good to know that it’s now at the same price as the non-Euro blend.

BTW, I’m assuming you’re talking about the 5-quarter jug, right? 5-quart = 1.25 gallon.[/quote]

My bad….I knew that. Rotella is in a the 1 gallon jug…. Mobil1/Castrol is the 5 quart.. Since I was talking about both, I forgot to make a distinction.

Note: technically BMW can use the 0w40 Mobil 1 and Castrol, but BMW’s recommended oil list was cut down to just the OEM oil. I guess they did this is that most people were just grabbing any sort of synthetic and sticking it in their cars, and it was causing problems….Most BMW’s can take any BMW-LL01 oil…But the only ones found in the US that is common are the 0w40 Mobil 1 and Castrol… Some people have complained that 0w40 results in noisy lifters, so I stuck with the OEM oil.

Castrol use to make the BMW oem oil. I’m told it’s made by Shell now…

[TeCKis300]

Personally, I’d say to not get caught up in the uber oil chase as it’s throwing money out the window. Practically any oil available today (in the correct viscosity), is of more than sufficient quality.

I’d focus on regular oil change more than whatever uber oil at $$$$ / quart (i.e. Motul). And no need to over-change Oil change with every 4 Autox events??? AutoX events are IMO, pretty mild on motors. Very little relative full throttle compared just about every other venue, including commuting and fwy on-ramps 🙂

As for:
[quote]I guess they did this is that most people were just grabbing any sort of synthetic and sticking it in their cars, and it was causing problems[/quote]
Don’t give BMW too much credit, it likely was all money driven.

That said, Mobil 1 is no longer fully synthetic unless you get into their Delvac lines. No issue for autox as again, there’s not real heat with short bursts of accel.

T6 Rotella are fully synthetic so this is likely a nice price point for good stuff.

One of my cars specs 12qts of molasses grade 15W-50. Trying to find a good value for that oil change is futile.

[Coronita]

[quote=TeCKis300]Personally, I’d say to not get caught up in the uber oil chase as it’s throwing money out the window. Practically any oil available today (in the correct viscosity), is of more than sufficient quality.

I’d focus on regular oil change more than whatever uber oil at $$$$ / quart (i.e. Motul). And no need to over-change Oil change with every 4 Autox events??? AutoX events are IMO, pretty mild on motors. Very little relative full throttle compared just about every other venue, including commuting and fwy on-ramps 🙂

As for:
[quote]I guess they did this is that most people were just grabbing any sort of synthetic and sticking it in their cars, and it was causing problems[/quote]
Don’t give BMW too much credit, it likely was all money driven.

That said, Mobil 1 is no longer fully synthetic unless you get into their Delvac lines. No issue for autox as again, there’s not real heat with short bursts of accel.

T6 Rotella are fully synthetic so this is likely a nice price point for good stuff.

One of my cars specs 12qts of molasses grade 15W-50. Trying to find a good value for that oil change is futile.[/quote]

My throttle is pretty much all the way to the floor at autocrosses. I don’t have the luxury of a 400+HP BMW thst sits at maybe 2.5k rpm. I think I am closer to the redline most of the time… its a slow miata remember. Well less slow now 🙁

[moneymaker]

I use to change oil based on manual, now I change gassers at 5,000 and my diesel at 10,000 mile intervals, no problems so far doing that. I do have problems sometimes finding good diesel oil, as it has to be the good stuff. I used at least 3 different brands due to availability issues. Walmart does usually have the best price.

[TeCKis300]

[quote=flu]My throttle is pretty much all the way to the floor at autocrosses. I don’t have the luxury of a 400+HP BMW thst sits at maybe 2.5k rpm. I think I am closer to the redline most of the time… its a slow miata remember. Well less slow now :([/quote]

I don’t doubt you drive her hard, trying to put your foot through the floor! I do wish I had a miata to beat on for autox.

I still contend that there’s relatively little continuous on throttle time, and low load being in gears 1-3. A single back straight on a road coarse or long fwy onramp/hill is likely more abuse. But I digress, you’re doing her good by keeping her fluids in tip top shape.

I need a fun car to get out there with you sometime. Miss my autox days.

[Author]

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