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Thread: Oil for a mirage

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    Senior Member MacClyver's Avatar
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    Oil for a mirage

    Now within a month of driving my Mirage home. Realized that despite due to the low miles it has 3 year old oil in it.

    I'm quite a fan of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. But the 0w20 is almost double the price of 5w30 (46.44 vs 24.97).

    Would the 0w20 net me 3+ mpg to have gas savings offset the higher cost of oil? Would this thick an oil be bad to run? Though note PUP 5w30 is possibly the thinnest 5w30 around.




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    Senior Member Alex1a1f's Avatar
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    Many here use 5.20 and 5.30 and that's what's recommended in other countries. Your mpg won't be affected that much by it.
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    I run 0w-30 year around mobil one. 22-24.00 at Wally world

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    Senior Member Alex1a1f's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    I run 0w-30 year around mobil one. 22-24.00 at Wally world
    me too for now, bought a bunch when K-mart closed, but Supertech after that.
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacClyver View Post
    Now within a month of driving my Mirage home. Realized that despite due to the low miles it has 3 year old oil in it.
    If you live in Wisconsin, I would get that 3 year old oil changed. It's been exposed to years of extremely cold temperatures (especially this past winter). I wouldn't want to store a jug of new oil in my cold garage for three years let alone inside my car's engine?

    Since Steve (fellow forum member) has 245,000+ trouble-free miles on his Mirage, I've taken an interest in what he's been doing. Steve's been doing 5W-30 conventional oil/filter changes done every 5,000 miles. His practices are somewhat dictated by lifetime free oil changes (49 of them so far) done by his dealership.

    Since Steve's car has had zero engine issues (no leaks, no burning oil), I would feel somewhat confident using 5W-30 oil. Pryme's suggestion of 0W-30 synthetic used year round is not a bad one. I say that because Steve lives in a southern climate, and Pryme lives in Minnesota. When it's -20F, a 0W oil does flow better!

    I am not a brand loyalty type of guy. I've been using Mobil 1 0W-20 synthetic, because I used the same oil in my 2011 Subaru Forester. I am switching to Walmart's Super Tech full synthetic in the future for both of my vehicles (Mirage & Forester). If they ever make a Super Tech 0W-30 full synthetic, I am will start using that. I would have gone to Super Tech already, but I didn't realize Super Tech 0W-20 existed until a few months ago. I still don't see it in my local Walmart, but it can be ordered on line.

    My logic is governed somewhat by this - If Steve's car is doing so well on conventional oil changed every 5,000 miles, using a synthetic oil changed every 5,000 miles should be just as good or better. Since I don't have the benefit of free oil changes like Steve, I could do conventional oil, too. That's where the Super Tech full synthetic oil comes in, because it's cheaper than most brand name conventional oils. Keep in mind the Mirage only takes 3 quarts of oil, too.

    Super Tech 0W-20 full synthetic oil is currently $15.98 for 5 quarts @ Walmart. You would be hard pressed to find conventional oil from Castrol, Mobil 1, Pennzoil, or Valvoline for under that price? Walmart sells a Shell conventional oil that's cheap, but most brand name conventional oils are more expensive than the Super Tech full synthetic.

    I've been doing 5,000 mile oil changes with Mobil 1 0W20, but I am switching to Super Tech full synthetic in the future. I am not convinced that one brand of synthetic oil is better than another.

    If I were you, I would change my oil/filter every year regardless of the mileage. I would do it in the spring (after the cold winter months). If I am only changing my oil once a year, I would stick with a synthetic oil. I really don't think the brand matters these days. I do think sticking to one type of oil (rather than switching brands all the time) is better. I plan to switch to Super Tech & sticking with it in the future. I've done that in the past with older vehicles and Super Tech conventional oils, & I am going back to that with their synthetic oils. I am not knocking brand name oils. I'm just not loyal to one.
    Last edited by Mark; 04-17-2019 at 05:47 AM.

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    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Keep in mind that you only need a shade over 3 quarts with these cars, not five. So two 5 gallon jugs will mean three oil changes with a little left over. If you look at it that way then the cost of the 0w-20 isn't so bad. Personally, I don't cheap out on oil or use what isn't recommended since these cars require so very little in terms of maintenance.

    Saving a couple bucks running the wrong oil just isn't worth it to me, but others who have used oil of other weights and compositions have reported no problems.

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    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacClyver View Post
    Now within a month of driving my Mirage home. Realized that despite due to the low miles it has 3 year old oil in it.

    I'm quite a fan of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. But the 0w20 is almost double the price of 5w30 (46.44 vs 24.97).

    Would the 0w20 net me 3+ mpg to have gas savings offset the higher cost of oil? Would this thick an oil be bad to run? Though note PUP 5w30 is possibly the thinnest 5w30 around.
    I've heard good things about Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. The BITOG forum is fond of it too. I'm a little surprised at the price you quoted - it seems pretty high.

    Mitsubishi's Owner's Manual for the Mirage states to use motor oil that has the ILSAC certification 'starburst' symbol, or an API classification SN or higher oil. The manual also states to use engine oil with the proper thickness for the outdoor temperatures where you will be driving.

    Quote Originally Posted by 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage Owner's Manual
    Mitsubishi Motors Genuine 0W-20 Synthetic Engine Oil is recommended for optimum fuel economy and cold weather starting. If Mitsubishi Motors Genuine 0W-20 Synthetic Engine Oil is not available, 5W-20 grade oils displaying the ILSAC certification can be used. However, Mitsubishi Motors Genuine 0W-20 Synthetic Engine Oil should be used at the next oil change to maintain optimum fuel economy and cold weather starting.
    I'm running 5W-20 this past year based on what others have said about it here on the forum - that it makes startup noise quieter. I find that's not the case for me, and I'll be going back to 0W-20 at my next oil change. For cold starts, 5W just doesn't flow as easily as 0W.




    Conventional or synthetic, any brand has to meet the specifications claimed on the bottle label. If you are worried about one brand or another, look them up at the Petroleum Quality Institute of America's website. If an oil doesn't meet their claimed specifications, PQIA will find them out. This article is an example of what they have found:

    PQIA Issues Two More Consumer Alerts on Motor Oil and Transmission Fluid on Retail Shelves in Ohio

    Quote Originally Posted by PQIA December 17, 2018
    The PQIA finds more motor oil and transmission fluid on retail store shelves in the state of Ohio that can cause harm to nearly all cars currently on the road, and catastrophic destruction of some turbo charged and/or gasoline direct-injection (T/GDI) engines. The products, Q Motor Oil and ATF, do not meet any known specifications, lack any meaningful level of additives necessary to protect an engine, and the manufacturer fails to comply with labeling regulations.
    In the end, I'm sure that whatever you choose will be fine, as long as it meets Mitsubishi's specifications, either ILSAC or API SN or higher, and change it out according to the mileage (7,500 miles) & time (6 months) schedules. I wouldn't run anything thicker than 5W in a Wisconsin winter.

    Let us know what you do and how it goes.

    And please consider making a Garage entry.
    Garage empty: add car

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member MacClyver's Avatar
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    Alex, good to know it's recommended abroad. Physics don't change because of politics after all!

    Pryme, I won't be driving it sub-freezing and 0w30 and 5w30 are both 30 when warm.

    Mark, the car has been in Ohio, not that it is that much warmer there. Yes I intend to change it right away that's why I asked this . Right by Lake Michigan getting below -10 is a rarity, this winter we did see two days of -25. Although that doesn't matter as I intend to continue to never let it see salt. PUP has a reliably available $10 per 5 quart rebate making each purchase go down to 14.97, best oil best price.

    Cobrajet, I'll watch the price for a few weeks and see if the 0W20 pricing is volatile and this is just an upswing. But, if someone has used conventional 5w30 for 245K no issues that would back up the international spec not being wrong, even if it's not top recommendation here.

    Eggman, I will look into 0w20s more before making a purchase. Admittedly considering 5w30 was in part so I could just stock up on one oil for both cars. I'll give you an update once I change it.

    Also I added its garage entry to my signature


  11. #9
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    I personally believe that we here in the US got the 0W-20 oil recommendation and 7,500 mile OCI because we also got the 100k powertrain warranty. Most engine wear occurs at startup, and since a 0W-20 oil flows better when cold it minimizes this wear. The OCI here in the States is half of what it is elsewhere, and again I think this is due to the warranty Mitsubishi offers here. There is no such thing as a fully conventional 0W-20 oil, either...they are all synthetic (with the rare blend). So this requirement keeps people away from dino-oil which might cause issues later in high-mileage cars.

    Mitsubishi isn't saying thicker oils can't be used...they are just recommending that thinner oil should be used (to keep their own warranty claims low).

    The 3A92 is a tough little motor. Keep the oil clean and I am sure you will be fine with the higher viscosity.

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    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    I personally believe that we here in the US got the 0W-20 oil recommendation and 7,500 mile OCI because we also got the 100k powertrain warranty.
    My theory is a bit different. Lower viscosity oils such as 0w20 are more efficient than thicker oils such as 5w30. The thinner the oil, the less work the engine has to do to turn. This results in a very minor increase in fuel mileage. The increase in fuel mileage is insignificant to a person like me who drives 50k miles a year, but for a manufacturer that sells millions of vehicles, this insignificant number adds up to a lot in volume.

    Basically it all comes down to the going green movement. By using a thinner oil, manufacturers can claim their cars are creating less carbon emissions than vehicles a decade ago.

    Of course, the thinner the oil, the less engine protection you have, but its all a numbers game. Mitsubishi gets to sell more cars, and at the same time they get to sit in meetings with the EPA and brag about reduced carbon emissions.

    This whole environmental thing really has gotten out of hand. A friend of mine drives a pickup truck with a big V8 engine. Guess what weight oil the book says to use. The answer is the same as our little 3 cylinder cars. 0W20 in a V8!



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