Quote:
Originally Posted by dadio
Let's say your post promoted further discussion not an argument. I'm not sure if I was incorrect or just not as complete in my response but in either case your points add more information for the OP to ponder. As for Mobil 1's specs, the following is directly from their website.
"Does Mobil 1 Extended Performance meet GF-5 specifications?
All viscosities of Mobil 1 Extended Performance meet GF-5. Additionally, they meet or exceed the requirements of various ACEA (European) specifications."
I can't say whether they are misrepresenting their product or not but it is what it is and as such I can only assume their oil meets the standards you note in your post although the phrase ".... of various ACEA specifications." might suggest they don't meet all of them.
Some of what I have read about engine oil for water cooled Porsche's and their effect on IMS life suggests that change interval is as important as choice of oil when responding to concerns about IMS lubrication and it's effect on the life of my engine. But I will admit, the more I read about oil the more skeptical I am that I'll ever find the perfect oil.
|
To the credit of Exxon Mobil, they are upfront and honest on ACEA ratings; when they have them, they list them. But sometimes the ratings change and the ACEA ratings change or totally disappear; and when this happens, no notice is given, it is up to the consumer to spot it. At this time, wouldn’t label them as deceptive, particularly when there are other more blatantly deceptive advertising used by other oil “blenders”.
To put Mobil 1’s marketing dialog in perspective, their 15W-50 oil, long a mainstay with the air-cooled Porsche crowd, lost all ACEA ratings around 2005-2006, and only recently regained them. At the time, they switched the color of the cap on the bottles so they could be recognized on the shelf, which tipped off astute consumers that something had changed. I still have a couple bottles of this product, and it clearly lacked any ACEA ratings on the packaging, as did the tech sheets. They lost them due to reformulation away from Group IV (PaO base rather than esters) blending stock base to a Group III base, and eventually regained them after another reformulation to Group III+ base stocks. When they reformulated the “old” 0W-40 Mobil 1 away from Group IV stocks, rumor has it that it took several reformulations and retesting before the new product made ACEA A3, B3, B4; and then only just.
My problem with Mobil 1 is that post Exxon’s acquisition; nearly all of their products have been lowered in performance capabilities, but not in price. There was a time when their 0W-40 was a long lived oil that stayed in grade for many miles under high temp/high shear usage; perfect for a water cooled Porsche. What you currently can buy is a faint shadow of the old Group IV oil, and shears down way too quickly to be used in an M96/97 engine. If you want to really get into “What happened to Mobil 1”, jump onto the BITOG website for hours and hours of technical reviews of what the line used to be, and what it is now.