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From: osmigo@ut-ngp.UUCP (osmigo)
Newsgroups: net.auto.tech
Subject: Re: What motor oil should I use?
Message-ID: <2604@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Nov-85 01:03:32 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2604
Posted: Thu Nov 14 01:03:32 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Nov-85 08:17:19 EST
References: <561@ihwpt.UUCP>
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Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
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The type of oil to use is one area where I WOULD follow the owner's manual
to the letter. Read it. 10-40 may or may not be all-season, depending on what
part of the country you live in, how cold it gets, etc. If it is indeed going
to be "phased out" in a couple of years, you still have around 10 oil changes
left (assuming you change your oil every 3000 or so miles, which I hope you 
do) before it happens. That's certainly no reason to avoid using it. 10-30
simply works within a considerably narrower temperature range than 10-40,
that's all. 

The fact that you drive on the highway a lot isn't all that important. 99% o 
of your total lifetime engine wear occurs during the first 0 to 10 seconds of
operation, when the oil is drained off the parts and you have pretty much raw
metal rubbing against raw metal. As a general rule of thumb, you can say that
each time you start your car, it produces the wear-equivalent of about 500
miles of driving. Engine wear on the highway (i.e., at normal operating temps)
is, for all practical purposes, zero. That's why you see these traveling 
salesmen with 400K miles on their cars. As long as you change your oil
regularly (AND the filter, for heaven's sakes) and use the correct oil,
you're ok on the road.

Regarding oil "grades," oils are rated from SA to SF as sort of a measure of
general quality. SA to SD was used in older cars (your dad probably used it
in his '54 chevy), and SD is still found in the form of cheap, non-detergent
oils for things like lawn mowers. SF is the highest grade, for modern cars,
and any oil labeled SF or SE/SF may be considered SF. The "CC" refers to the
type of "duty" for which the oil was designed. CC oils are designed for normal
use in gasoline-engine passenger cars and are usually OK for light diesel
engines. "CD" is for heavy-duty diesel use, and is good for cars that seldom
reach normal operating temperature, like police cars, taxicabs, or even your
own car, if you seldom drive more than 5 miles after starting it. Some oils
are rated "CC/CD," which is pretty darn tough oil. I would especially recco-
mmend it if you're pulling a trailer. 

I know nothing about aluminum engines.

In summary, why take a chance? Buy the best, most expensive oil you can find,
and be sure you can find "SF" and "CD" somewhere on the can. Change the filter
every time you change your oil. And CHECK THAT OWNER'S MANUAL!

The above information is derived from a superb book on long-term car care
entitled "Drive It Forever." I forget the author's name, but he is a former
president of the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).

Hope this is of some help.

...Ron Morgan
ut-ngp.UTEXAS(osmigo)
!stty kill 8
ut-ngp.UTEXAS(osmigo)

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