Specifically, synthetic 5w-30? The engine in question is just about to turn 100k. What’s the real-world difference between a product labeled high mileage and the same brand not labeled high mileage? Price difference is a non issue as it’s about a buck.

Better to go with the high mileage version?

quote:

Better to go with the high mileage version?

IMO, yes. It includes an additive package. Someone will be able to better describe...

From Castrol:

High Mileage motor oils have been marketed in the US since the late 1990’s. This segment has grown significantly since its introduction in alignment with the increased age of the vehicle population which is an average of approximately 12 years. In fact, most of the vehicles on the road today actually fit the high mileage profile.

The commonly adopted industry definition of “high mileage” is an engine that has more than 75,000 miles on the odometer. A high mileage motor oil provides benefits focused specifically on conditions that an aging engine can experience. These specialized lubricants contain customized additives designed to take care of aging engines while also being completely suitable for newer engines as they meet all of the latest industry standards. These products deliver improved oil burn- off performance which can provide additional protection in an engine where oil consumption has increased over time. High Mileage oils will also contain higher levels of detergents and seal conditioners to help to protect aging seals and gaskets from becoming brittle which will help prevent against leaks providing enhanced protection for the specialized needs of older engines

https://www.castrol.com/en_us/...ls/high-mileage.html

I believe higher mileage oil has more additives to help condition the aging seals, motor bearings, etc. God Bless !!!

Thinking it is mostly Zinc that is added to the mix. It helps with the valvetrain, rings, etc.

4MUL8R would know for sure. Check back to see if he posts and just go with that.

Formulating engine oil for a variety of needs or applications is demanding and complex. Our formulators work every day finding the interactions of engine oil components in these varied situations. The process involves compound creation (synthesis), formulation of the package, selection of the viscosity modifier(s), choice of the base oil(s), and an entire suite of engine tests. After the license is granted, for a given formulation, proving its worth in real world tests follows. For high mileage engines, it is known that the engine condition has changed to where some aspects of protection are simpler, and some are more challenging.

When you purchase a high mileage engine oil, you can believe that a number of talented individuals took great care in understanding the needs of those engines, and optimized the formulation. It is literally years of effort, balancing many factors, and hopefully leading to a delighted owner of a high mileage vehicle.

I use such products in my old vehicles. All two of my vehicles are well over 100K miles.

quote:

When you purchase a high mileage engine oil, you can believe that a number of talented individuals took great care in understanding the needs of those engines, and optimized the formulation. It is literally years of effort, balancing many factors, and hopefully leading to a delighted owner of a high mileage vehicle.

So what's in it?

This short video may interest you:
PatGossGarage

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:

I use such products in my old vehicles. All two of my vehicles are well over 100K miles.

That's enough for me.

Thanks.

Project Farm tested this a few months ago.

Is there a downside to using high mileage oil in a low mileage vehicle?

quote:

Originally posted by RobLew:
Is there a downside to using high mileage oil in a low mileage vehicle?

More $$$$

I'm one of the earlier members of BITOG and the question of using HM v. regular oil comes up from time to time and the quick answer is that it depends to some degree but not really.

To answer Rob's question - you can use a HM oil in a low mileage vehicle. There is no need to switch to a HM mileage oil when your car hits 75k miles. Mobil 1 also says there's no need to switch unless your car is burning oil.

HM oils tend to be a bit thicker because clearances between bearings tends to increase with time however unless you're burning oil there's no need to switch. Also, HM oils tend to have a bit more seal conditioners in them to keep seals pliable but even that is iffy. All oils have conditioners and with regular changes there's new conditioner being introduced but no oil will repair a torn seal.

Think of HM oils as adding a bit of benefit but unless you have leaks or are burning oil they aren't needed or even recommended. There's no harm in using them.

Keep in mind that if you look at the approvals for an oil, for example M1 5w-30 you will see a ton of them but on the HM 5w-30 you will see only very few and most of those will be API SP or related. Don't think that the HM oils are inferior because that isn't the case. Oil companies have to pay big bucks to have their oils tested to gain the approvals and it's not worth it for a HM oil which far less is sold. HM oils meet the requirements for usable and suitable oil.

Does your engine have oil leaks / use an excessive amount of oil between oil changes? If I owned such a vehicle, I would try HM oil. Otherwise, no.

To footnote onto the final comments by the guy on the Project Farm video, an older gentleman who built race motors here locally once told me using the right weight of motor oil and changing it and the oil filter religiously on a set schedule was more important than spending more money on a particular name brand oil and extending the change interval. As with most things, if you take good care of your engine, it will last a very long time.

I'm sure that high mileage oil helps but I'm impressed with Ford's newer oil change system. Basically, it tells you when to change the oil. it takes into consideration your driving habits and the engine load and may direct you to change oil at 4,000 miles or 10,000 miles.

I had the oil changed at the dealership in June when I left Oregon. After driving all the way to Florida and being here for 3 months, it finally notified me that it was time to change the oil. That was over 9,600 miles on a 2018 F-150 with a 2.7L EB motor getting around 21 MPG.

Tony.