# Are all oil brands the same? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 2, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947 "2023-12-02T14:07:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/61 "2023-12-03T21:39:51Z")
What did they say over at agcauto? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/62 "2023-12-03T21:42:08Z")
> [@bing](#): > > drained [oil] is dark even after 100 miles, but on the dipstick it will not be dark I think that’s just b/c you are looking through more of it sitting in a drain pan than on the dipstick. Every mm absorbs a little more light. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/63 "2023-12-03T21:44:03Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > What did they say over at agcauto? Didn’t find anything, did you? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/64 "2023-12-03T21:50:54Z")
Yes, think I simply searched on the phrase “changing oil” ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/65 "2023-12-03T22:00:46Z")
Here’s what I found there, more of the same: “Different brands of oil, whether conventional or synthetic, use different additive packages. For this reason, I feel it is better to stay with a single brand of oil. As long as the additive packages are compatible, mixing conventional and synthetic oils should cause no damage.” Nothing more than ‘I feel…’. If mixing conventional and synthetic is ok, mixing brands of one or the other would be no problem it would seem. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/66 "2023-12-04T01:49:37Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Everybody raise your hand that knows their api spec without looking in the manual. The API spec for my Odyssey is SP. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/67 "2023-12-04T02:33:46Z")
Its no different than the questioners we not infrequently get that buy an expensive new high-performance car and write in asking if they **really** need to use premium fuel. ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/68 "2023-12-04T02:33:56Z")
> [@LoudThunder](#): > > Would you consider Mobile an expert when it comes to mixing Synthetic and Regular oil, they say… They also say “_In general, oils should be compatible with each other. It is not likely that you would form gel by mixing the two oils_” And then there’s this "_You would be better to run all Mobil 1 synthetic motor and run it longer than mixing it with “regular oil._” Suppose, you’re adding a quart or two because you’re low on oil. Is this “expert” suggesting that, you just run your engine a quart or two low until you can find some Mobil 1 to top it off with? Context matters in situations like this. > [@LoudThunder](#): > > Would you consider United Chevrolet Buick GMC an expert when it comes to mixing different brands of synthetic oils, they say… Don’t know that I would put a great deal of faith into what a single dealership’s service dept posts on the internet. These are the same people who send out emails like [this](https://community.cartalk.com/t/email-service-promo-from-the-dealership/102677). Anyway there’s a lot of “nothing bad will happen but we don’t recommend it” going on. > [@LoudThunder](#): > > And would you consider AMSOIL Distributers an expert when it comes to mixing different brands of synthetic oils, they say… No really, seeing that all it takes to be an Amsoil distributer is a credit card. Literally anyone can be an Amsoil distributer it’s MLM outfit basically. Also for the longest time Amsoil’s oils didn’t carry any kind API certifications. It was always basically, “Just trust me bro”. I think these days most of their line up does carry API certifications. And yes, I know their oil is supposedly quite good and they’ve been around for quite a while now, and they have their fans. I’m aware of how oil is formulated and whatnot, I’ve lurked over at Bob’s The Oil Guy for years now. Here’s the thing though. If _both_ oils you’re mixing _both_ meet the standards for your particular car, and you’re changing it on time; you’re almost certainly going to be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/69 "2023-12-04T03:10:15Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Single viscosity oils perform slightly better, are more forgiving of neglected oil changes, and handle over heating better. You keep repeating this nonsense with no proof whatsoever. No links, no data, nothing to confirm this assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/70 "2023-12-04T03:18:03Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Making cars expensive to repair after a minor accident is commonly done. And you know this how? Have you ever worked IN the industry? Automakers want their cars to be insurable as well as easy to assemble and to protect their passengers in a crash because all of these things affect sales. And the engineers that do this design have the beancounters looking over their shoulders at the same time. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > They’re not going to put expensive sythetic oil in at the factory so the first owner can drive the car 30,000 miles And yet, they DO put synthetic oil in some models as they roll off the line. You have no clue how automakers design and build cars. ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 3:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/71 "2023-12-04T03:24:35Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > You keep repeating this nonsense with no proof whatsoever. No links, no data, nothing to confirm this assertion. That’s THE SNOMAN all NONSENSE and no FACT’S. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/72 "2023-12-04T03:37:39Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > And you know this how? Based on how the cars perform in the real world, and how the damage aspect has gotten worse. It’s based on the presumption that a company wants to make money and please their share holders first. > [@Mustangman](#): > > Have you ever worked IN the industry? No. Even if I did it wouldn’t matter unless I was at an upper management level. The excuse for these designs at the engineering level is probably to cut costs. > [@Mustangman](#): > > Automakers want their cars to be insurable Insurance can raise the premiums. We are now a car dependant nation. As long as it stays below the point where people stop driving because they can’t afford it, they can get away with it. I think insurance actually promotes this type of thing (letting car makers make cars that are expensive to repair) since the actual cost of the repair is shielded from the customer. > [@Mustangman](#): > > easy to assemble That part is true. > [@Mustangman](#): > > protect their passengers in a crash What they want first of all is to protect the insurance from huge settlements from life long injuries. That’s why there is so much focus on preventing minor injuries but they’ve actually changed the airbags and seatbelts so you’re actually more likely to die in a severe crash. A car that is damaged easily isn’t more or less safe. Those are two different things. > [@Mustangman](#): > > And the engineers that do this design have the beancounters looking over their shoulders at the same time. That’s the stated reason, but I think an alterior motive is to keep the longevity below a certain amount to ensure cars are replaced regularly and new car sales are steady. It’s a win win. > [@Mustangman](#): > > And yet, they DO put synthetic oil in some models as they roll off the line. Because the car specifies sythetic oil. > [@Mustangman](#): > > You have no clue how automakers design and build cars. It’s the 21st century and Ford doesn’t know how to put paint on a truck frame that lasts more than 6 years? But Toyota in the 90s could put paint on a car subframe that is just starting to fail after 20 years, which is 3 times as long. No way are you going to get me to believe that they’re putting the customer first or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/73 "2023-12-04T12:04:06Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > I think insurance actually promotes this type of thing (letting car makers make cars that are expensive to repair) since the actual cost of the repair is shielded from the customer. Nonsense, I have been hit a few times, **always** got an itemized list of parts and labor from the body shop. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > But Toyota in the 90s could put paint on a car subframe that is just starting to fail after 20 years Hmm, Toyota could paint their frames, but their clear coat would fail many years earlier? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/74 "2023-12-04T12:32:44Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Based on how the cars perform in the real world, and how the damage aspect has gotten worse Which has been debunked by others on this forum. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > The excuse for these designs at the engineering level is probably to cut costs Soooo… Speculation on your part not supported by actual knowledge. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Insurance can raise the premiums Only if the state they do business in allows them. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > That’s why there is so much focus on preventing minor injuries but they’ve actually changed the airbags and seatbelts so you’re actually more likely to die in a severe crash. Again debunked by others on this forum. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > That’s the stated reason, but I think an alterior motive is to keep the longevity below a certain amount to ensure cars are replaced regularly and new car sales are steady Again debunked by others. The average age of cars on the road is higher than it has ever been. Actual data which you seem to stubbornly continue to ignore. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Because the car specifies sythetic oil Circular argument. Carmakers install synthetic oil because the carmakers specify synthetic oil? Well why do they DO that? Have you another great conspiracy to explain that? > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > It’s the 21st century and Ford doesn’t know how to put paint on a truck frame that lasts more than 6 years? But Toyota in the 90s could put paint on a car subframe that is just starting to fail after 20 years You mean like Toyota clearcoat failures? Or Tacoma frame failures? Ford truck frames show rust in 6 years? Gee, are you shocked when a dog bites man, too? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/75 "2023-12-04T15:11:15Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Only if the state they do business in allows them. Agree 100%. Insurance is REGULATED by the state. I drive 1 mile to MA to live and my auto insurance premiums raise anywhere from 30%-50%. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > That’s the stated reason, but I think an alterior motive is to keep the longevity below a certain amount to ensure cars are replaced regularly and new car sales are steady. It’s a win win. If that was the case, then vehicles wouldn’t have improved drastically over the past 40 years. Cars/trucks today last considerably longer than ones built in the 80’s. > [@Mustangman](#): > > Or Tacoma frame failures? There’s a Toyota dealership near me that still has a stockpile of new Tacoma frames. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/76 "2023-12-04T16:04:12Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Ford truck frames show rust in 6 years? If a buyer of a new Ford truck was offered the option to upgrade the frame paint from a 6 year paint to a 20 year paint for $200 extra, I think just about everybody living in a road salt state would do it. A lot of 2005 F150s didn’t make it past 2019 due to the bottom of the frame falling out. Looks like Toyota played this game too with the Tacoma frames, but maybe they failed a bit sooner than they thought. They offered a free interior coating to protect them if it wasn’t already too rusted. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/77 "2023-12-04T16:06:21Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > A lot of 2005 F150s didn’t make it past 2019 due to the bottom of the frame falling out. Show me the data to back that up. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/78 "2023-12-04T16:09:24Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Show me the data to back that up. What sources do you accept? Will you say that it is not a credible source since it is some posting on a discussion forum with pictures? Will you try to say that pictures of rusted out F150s at a junk yard are fakes? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/79 "2023-12-04T16:21:14Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > What sources do you accept? Will you say that it is not a credible source since it is some posting on a discussion forum with pictures? Will you try to say that pictures of rusted out F150s at a junk yard are fakes? Said the person with no facts… I bet there are 2005 F150s with rust…as there is with pretty much any make/model. Looking on carcomplaints, I saw that 2004/2005 F150s do have lots of complaints…unrelated to frame corrosion. If frames were a problem, it would show up there. Edit - I clicked on the NHTSA complaints, turns out there are a number for frame corrosion: [49 Complaints: 2005 Ford F-150 Structure: Body Problems (carcomplaints.com)](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/F-150/2005/body_paint/structure-body.shtml) [57 Complaints: 2004 Ford F-150 Structure: Body Problems (carcomplaints.com)](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/F-150/2004/body_paint/structure-body.shtml) @TheWonderful90s - why do I have to do your research? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947/80 "2023-12-04T16:23:36Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Will you say that it is not a credible source since it is some posting on a discussion forum with pictures? Will you try to say that pictures of rusted out F150s at a junk yard are fakes? Both examples are anecdotal and not statistically valid. Ford sells nearly a million F150s every year. 5 accounts on a forum or 5 pictures from the scrapyard with no history are statistical gopher dust. Show me the NHSTA complaints, recalls or websites that track incidents or complaints. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947.md?page=3) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-all-oil-brands-the-same/193947.md?page=5)