hey, i was just woundering what everyone on here was using in their cars for engine oil, oil filters, and trans oil. i was also woundering how your cars have been running.

Brandon Payne
03 cavalier 2.2 eco
98k when i bought the car 155k now
change oil every 3-5k
use pensoil platinum 5w-30
purolator filter
havent changed my trans oil yet but i need too. thinking of using dextron 4
my car runs just as good or even better than the day i bought it

00' 2.4 LD9 DOHC

-90k when acquired, 116k now

-Change oil, grease chasis, and add injector cleaner every 3k

-I use what ever brand name oil is on sale at Canadian Tire (I roughly converted my #s to miles for Americans)

- K&N oil filter (One place I never cheap out) Not to mention the superior filter media and design, the thicker cylinder walls give me peace of mind and a nut on the end makes for effortless removal.

-I also have not changed my trans oil, I plan on it in the spring. GM having it all sealed up and not serviceable has me worried. Without even a dipstick to check level/appearance/smell it could be bone dry and me not even know it, of course it shifts well so all must be well.

- Engine runs great, eats a tiny bit of oil but it is a chevy...other than that its flawless, and has never even hinted at letting me down. Only CEL Ive gotten was from a loose gas cap.

up untill 8 or so monts ago, i was rocking pennzoil conventional and a pureONE filter. now, its syntec ans a pureONE filter. the filtration rate/flow rate of the pureONE to the K&N/MOBIL1 (i write it like this as it's the same exact filter, but k&n charges extra for the nut on the end) are very close, yet its about 1/2 the price.

fitlers to avoid: fram and any made by honeywell inc.





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03 cav 2.2 ecotec, cars been on quaker-state full synthetic since its first oil change. not sure what kind of filter, as i havent had to change it yet. when it comes out of winter storage the first thing its getting is an oil change, k&n oil filter, and tranny fluid flush

Josh Cunningham wrote:03 cav 2.2 ecotec, cars been on quaker-state full synthetic since its first oil change. not sure what kind of filter, as i havent had to change it yet. when it comes out of winter storage the first thing its getting is an oil change, k&n oil filter, and tranny fluid flush

please explain? every time you change oil, you change filter. simple as that.



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Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:

Josh Cunningham wrote:03 cav 2.2 ecotec, cars been on quaker-state full synthetic since its first oil change. not sure what kind of filter, as i havent had to change it yet. when it comes out of winter storage the first thing its getting is an oil change, k&n oil filter, and tranny fluid flush

please explain? every time you change oil, you change filter. simple as that.

Agree 100% ^^ Change oil, change filter. There are some who run their oil for an extended time period (10,000 - 15,000) (for the $$'s involved, I'm not sure why??) but they will replace the oil filter at mid span, say 5000 or 6000 miles.
But NEVER change oil without changing the filter, this is the single most important service item on the car.

I use Dino oil, a major name brand, no store brands, whatever is on sale at the time, most often Vavoline or similar, 5/30w and a Pure One oil filter. It doesn't get many miles, sits a lot in the garage, (convertible, extra summer "fun" car) so I change it at 3000 miles or so. More for the condensation buildup removal than loss of lubrication properties of the oil.

Dave

thanks guys for your input and i would like to see more peoples input. and if there is anything else maintenance related that would would like to add, go for it.

I use Mobile 1 synthetic. I would recommend using synthetics and not whats on sale at the time. I pay about 6 bucks a quart and change oil twice a year usually in the spring and fall unless I drove more than usual. I always change oil before a long trip as well. I am a mechanic by profession and have seen the effects of not changing oil enough. Its amazing how clean an engine is inside if the oil has been tended to like it should. You can extend the life of your engine two fold by doing this simple thing.

Roadking wrote:I use Mobile 1 synthetic. I would recommend using synthetics and not whats on sale at the time. I pay about 6 bucks a quart and change oil twice a year usually in the spring and fall unless I drove more than usual. I always change oil before a long trip as well. I am a mechanic by profession and have seen the effects of not changing oil enough. Its amazing how clean an engine is inside if the oil has been tended to like it should. You can extend the life of your engine two fold by doing this simple thing.

Very good points. If I were to use synthetics in my car, Mobil 1 would be my first choice. The reason I use "whats on sale at the time" is because I am currently running conventional Dinosaur oil, and at Crappy tire, Castrol GTX, Pennzoil, or Quaker State is always on sale as cheap or cheaper than house oil, about $12 for 4.4L. Which is almost exactly what my car takes. I drive a lot, so I'm changing the oil and filter about every 2-2.5 months...seems to keep it on the road.

Now if my engine had a few less kms and didnt let a little past the rings than yeah, synthetics would be the way to go, maybe ill try it one change, I imagine my $ will just end up out my tail pipe though.