Oil, Why only Mobil 1?

I know the manual says Mobil 1 , 0 - 40. Why? Why only Mobil 1? Why 20K miles between service (no need to get into a discussion on "I changed mine at 3K" ... I'm talking about what Porsche recommends. Anybody? Is Mobil 1 truly synthetic or not anymore?

Debated awhile ago. Utlimately Porsche has to choose which engine oil works best for them and they consider a number of issues including warranty, their own internal tests, engine life, the Porsche engines complicated engine oil structure as well as supplier relationships ($?). Mobile 1 is a true synthetic. This is the other tread: http://www.planet-9.com/showthread.php?t=2279&highlight=mobile+one

Hopefully, this will answer some of your questions: 1. Porsche has an exclusive deal w/ Mobil 1 . I don't know the exact details, but I'm pretty sure it involves promoting only Mobil 1 in exchange for deep discounts. 2. This is under "ideal" conditions -- highway driving at reasonable speeds, using high-quality gas, no dusty roads or conditions, etc. Part of it is the large volume of oil in the engine (nearly twice what a small-block Chevy would take), and part of it is just how much better and more durable the synthetic is vs ordinary dino-juice. 3. As far as I know, Mobil 1 is still fully synthetic. From personal experience, I can tell you that Mobil 1 is good stuff. Several years ago, I pulled the engine from my old Typhoon at 46K miles to upgrade it. When I removed the heads, I was amazed to see how good the cylinder bores looked -- they looked almost brand new, with virtually all the factory cross-hatching still visible. However, from what I've read, and from talking with very knowledgeable folks, Red Line and Amsoil synthetic oils are just as good as, if not better than, Mobil 1 . I've used Red Line tranny and gear fluids (which are great), but haven't bothered to try their, or Amsoil 's, motor oils only because Mobil 1 is much easier to get around here.

Chows - Not only is Mobil 1 good stuff and a real synthetic, you should only use the recommended weight of 0-40w. While not a true dry-sump oil system which uses a separate tank, the oil system on the Cayman does have many of the direct oil-delivery features of a dry sump system. One of those that is critical is the lifters, which actually "inflate" with oil from the system. The holes that allow oil into the lifters are quite small, and the 0-40w allows the maximum amount of oil to be pumped into the lifters, even when the oil is cold and thick. The 20K between service is something PAG engineers have come up with as probably the best compromise between keeping the car in good shape and not whacking the owner's wallets too hard in the process. To be fair, the service intervals on Porsches have lengthened over the years. One of the things on the old motors that needed servicing more often than present day was the mechanical lifters needed adjusting at least once a year or 10k miles or so. Not true with the lifter system now in use. brad

The only reason Porsche singles out Mobil 1 to rec by name is money. Mobil pays for that marketing advantage. There are other "Porsche approved" oils listed periodically in Porsche's bulletins. AFAIK, the most recent listing for late model Porsche's is: Castrol Syntec 5-50 Mobil1 0-40 Mobil1 5-40 Havoline F3 Synthetic 5-40 Valvoline Syn Power 0-40 Valvoline Syn Power 5-40 I use M1, but would not be afraid to use any of the others. As said above, there are several excellent quality non-approved oils distributed by smaller companies. BTW, Porsche hasn't used mechanical lifters for more than 10 years (964).

I know Mobil 1 is an excellent synthetic and assume Porsche recommends it because of quality and some contractual relationship. I assume Castrol , BMW (I have no idea who makes it for them) or any other quality synthetic would work just as well. Metallurgy and production methods have improved quite a bit since the 1960s when we used to change oil every 3,000 miles. Once again I assume Porsche knows what it is doing and doesn't want its engines self-destructing at 75,000miles. I feel pretty comfortable with the longer service intervals of modern engines and generally follow the manufacturer's recommendations. I haven't had an engine problem yet in any of my cars. Alan

Just visit the oil forum at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ . Spend some time there and I am sure you will be believer in Mobil 1. Every car I had gets only Mobil 1 or Royal Purple synth. A lot of performance vehicle have M1 oil prescribed to them by factory. Also, I may be wrong on this, but the last time I read, Mobil 1 and Royal Purple are the only two true synthetic oils sold in US. Castrol and others take dino oil, modify it, and than call it synthetic. Again, don't have a link to that, but I believe Mobil complained to FTC and caused a lawsuit for other manufacturers (like Castrol) that merely modified dino, instead of doing full synth. Again, spend some time at the site I linked. I have been sent there every time I had oil questions in other forums. They also have very good oil filter review.

Santa Fe, that thread does not answer my two questions Thank you all for answers I CAN believe Porsche cut a deal As to 20K miles ... that about the most extreme I've seen. like many, no way is it going 20K. As to synthetic ... I asked because there are some reports that Mobil 1 is no longer truly synthetics. In fact, if you go to their website and read whats in different versions, some do use dino oil (not the extended life version). Something about a lawsuit Mobil 1 lost against Amsoil?

I believe you are wrong on this. Amsoil, Pennzoil, Castrol, and many other brands manufacture and sell true full synthetic oil and is labeled as such.

Hey Chow not suggesting the other thread had the answers just thought the conversation would be interesting re other choices. Here is what Mobil say about the oil that Chow references " Is Mobil 1 with SuperSyn Technology a fully synthetic motor oil? Yes, it is. To meet the demanding requirements of today's specifications (and our customers' expectations), Mobil 1 with SuperSyn uses high-performance fluids, including polyalphaolefins (PAOs), along with a proprietary system of additives. Each Mobil 1 with SuperSyn viscosity grade uses a unique combination of synthetic fluids and selected additives in order to tailor the viscosity grade to its specific application." And their marketing "Mobil 1 with SuperSyn Technology exceeds the latest industry and OEM requirements. It is designed for vehicles under warranty and will provide protection for the maximum oil change interval recommended in your owner's manual or by your oil life sensor." I do have some long related experience in this area. Mobil 1 is excellent. I hate to admit it since the company I spent so much time with didn't have quite the same results with its regular oil.

Thanks Santa Fe, I read that at their FAQ ... Here is the reference http://kozmik.guelph.on.ca/gtdproject/fluids/nadcastrol.htm and another http://www.searchforparts.com/important_articles/castrol_mobil_pao.php It appears Mobil complained to some board about Castrol not have pure synthetic but advertisign as such. Mobil lost. The issue is their "tri-synthetic" oil was group III because they figured ... why not? Castrol got away with it. However, the current oils are group 4 and 5, pure synthetics. Thanks!

Don't forget the "synthetic blend" nonsense that some companies make and sell, which is mostly dino oil with a little synthetic mixed in it. I'm not sure what the benefit of this stuff is - why not just use pure dino or pure synthetic?

Thats the point ... your right on. If it says "blend" stay away, stay far away That is exactly what Castrol did with 70% dino, 30% synthetic but they are allowed to market it as synthetic oil

My company develops and manufactures products that incorporate electric motors capable of rotating 80,000 to 100,000 rpm (for hours at a time, sometimes as many as 24 to 36 hours: imaging doing that with your car). We make these motors and only one other company in the world has the capability to do it. These are used for biomedical research. For years, the only lubricant that would handle the job was Mobil 1 . We bought it in 55 gallon drums and repackaged it so our customers didn't know what it was, since we didn't think they would believe it was as high tech as it is. Today, I believe we use more sophisticated lubricants, very expensive because we only use a few hundred mL rather than quarts and quarts and we only have to change it once a year or two. Still, our experience made me a firm believer in Mobil 1 . Oh, by the way, these motors, lubricated this way, last for decades.

Naybor, you sort of picqued my interest with your interesting experience. Do you mind sharing what those electric motors are used for? I know you mentioned biomedical research but just wondering. TIA.

TCinOC, Ultracentrifuges. Biological samples are put in 40 pound chunks of titanium, machined to complex and exacting designs and rotated at these extreme speeds to produce up to 1 million times the force of gravity. Yes, one million. Something that weighs one gram would now weigh one million grams. The samples are fairly small and the rotors are designed to handle these forces. This force differentially separates the components in the biological sample so the researcher can isolate the specific component of interest, whether it is a strand of DNA or a particular protein. The linear velocity of the edge of the rotor (the chunk of titanium) is so great (I would have to calculate it again to refresh my memory but I think it is around 5000 mph) that the chamber in the instrument is a vacuum. Not just a reduced atmosphere, but a high vacuum assisted with the use of a high efficiency diffusion pump so virtually all gas molecules are eliminated to ensure no friction on the rotor. A vacuum failure would result in a rotor reaching extremely high temperatures from the friction with the air. http://www.beckman.com/products/instrument/centrifuges/ultracentrifuges/optima100k_inst_dcr.asp

oil Here's what I know about the Hx of Mobil synthetic. During WW11, Germany was without a constant support of oil. They began to research synthetics as a solution to this shortage.. This study was substantly resumed by Mobil in reponse to the extreme conditions in building the Alaska oil pipeline(frozen oils, huge expensive engine wear, etc)prompted much further study. I believe the product is Mobil I. It is a good, constantly improving lubricant. I suggest you stick with it! Irish

I'd feel guilty about putting anything other than Mobil 1 in my car. When you flip the cover down over the oil fill cap there is a big reminder that Porsche recommends it. Great advertising.

I'm a Motul oil user in pretty much everything I own (cars, bikes) and have never had a problem. They make so many oils and for so many different applications it would make your head spin. I use this: http://www.motul.fr/uk/produits/index.html The rest of the lineup: http://www.motul.fr/uk/produits/index.html

Wow, that sounds very cool. Thanks for sharing.

The increasingly large oil drain intervals (20k) are primarily being driven by EU environmental laws which govern oil consumption, storage, and disposal. Just like the EPA has been driving the push for increased MPG and decreased emissions, the EU has been adding to this with oil consumption changes and recycling mandates. In the US where the oil companies have a lot more political power they have been able to more sucessfully promote the 3k mile, 3 month standard that has been around since we all used single weight oils in iron block v8s. Advances in tribology and chemistry have made this an obsolete concept scientifically. This is why we pay so much to have high silicone content alumimum alloy cylinder walls in our engineering marvels...embrace it and don't fear engine failure due to longer drain intervals.

More on Mobil 1 ................I recently topped off my oil as the display showed down about "two clicks". It only took about a cup to bring it up to full. I'm glad I didn't add a quart! I used left over Mobil 1 stashed from my 01 Boxter S days and realized AFTER I topped it off that it was Mobil 1 10-30! This AM the dealership said no error, no foul and relieved my concern that I may have fouled up the brew. I promise to use 0-40 from now on! John

I only use Mobil 1 as my engine oil and it hasn't caused me any problems - Porsche or not. But I also use Redline products. I use this for the trans, diff, transfer case. Redline products are great. My first experience with Redline: I had a 1995 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo AWD. When I purchased this car, it was in "average" condition. Mechanically, a couple things needed to be replaced and the car ran fine at normal, but rough when pushed. First thing I did was replace all of the fluids. Since I bought the car for $5000 and intended to use it as a track car I decided to put in the Manufacturer's recommended fluids in all but the engine. The roughness in the engine smoothed out a little, but the tranny issues remained and the car felt sluggish. (It was rough, grinded when going into some gears, sometimes refused to go in gear and just felt sloppy.) I figured now was a good time to try Redline before I pull the tranny and start replacing. So then I went back in and replaced the driveline fluids with Redline. It was all fixed. The car ran very smooth. The shifter was precise, no grinding, no roughness. It felt like a whole new car! I was amazed at how $90 in fluids saved me from spending $2K on a tranny. I've since used redline for all my driveline fluids, but I still use Mobil 1 for my engine oil since I've never had a reason to switch to Redline for that. Two years later I sold the stealth. The buyer drove the car for 2 miles and immediately commented on how much smoother my car was compared to others. Although I did do some other changes, he commented specifically on the shifting of the car, and I never once touched the transmission/driveline besides that change. He paid me $12K, exactly what I asked without negotiating. Again, it's not a Porsche and not an engine oil. But they have some good products. I don't have numbers and fact sheets, just a story

While harder to come by, Motul and Elf also make high quality full synthetics. Mobil 1 was NOT approved for use in my RS6, but Motul was. Go figure. I've been a Mobil 1 user for decades. By the way - the US was testing synthetic oils in bombers (B-17s) during WW II - Mobil made the stuff my dad tested.

When I get my Cayman S , I wouldn't mind putting Amsoil in it. I've had great results in my current daily driver using this since 3,000 miles. I'm at about 118,000 miles and haven't skipped a beat. Change intervals varied from 5,000 miles to 10,000 miles depending on use.

AMSOIL is a well-established, if not the longest established, producer of lubricants for commercial vehicles and vessels. I use AMSOIL 5-30 synthetic on my 38 hp diesel auxiliary for my sail boat. It has exteneded my oil use more than double. They also make a range of high filtration quality filters, which I also use. I'd think about using their stuff in my CS, but don't feel qualified to make a choice due to unfamiliarity with gasoline engines.

I can't imagine all the other manufacturers making much inferior oil than Mobil 1 . This (producing mobile oil) is not rocket science first of all. And all the manufacturers need to stay in business with fairly decent quality products.

I changed the oil and filter in both my Cayman S and Cayenne S at 3k miles, with Mobil 1 . I agree with the other post - cheap insurance. And as it turns out the tech found a couple loose nuts on my headers that he fixed.

What oil I just uploaded the list of Porsche approved oils (from the Tech Service Bulletin) into the files section. See: Porsche Approved Oils Note, Mobil 1 is listed under ExxonMobil

With the high capacity oil volume of the Cayman 20,000 mile oil changes are reasonable based on the laboratory analysis I have read. Stick to one brand of synthetic oil and you shouldn't have a problem. Mobil 1 is a good oil for extended drains because it stays thin and doesn't thicken impairing your gas mileage like other oils do.

Re: What oil OK, Mobil 1 is the best oil ever made and marries with the Boxster engine like no other, but... since it is impossible to find 0w-40 or 5w-50, what to do? Closest I could find locally, Eastern Washington State, was the last two gallons of Rotella T6, 5w-40 my local Walmart had; a full synthetic for $21/gal. My other choice is Mobil 1, 10w-30. So... viscosity or brand?

Re: What oil Order oil on the internet. That's the only way I can find Redline 0W40. Not as cheap as Walmart for Mobil-1, but then you get what's best for the car.