1985.04 944 N.A Engine Oil

[MonarchB]

Hi everyone, Im new to the forum. I've heard a lot of opinions about what weight oil should go in the 944 engine. Can anyone clarify please, and thank you. For clarification, summer this year got to 40c (104F) and winters usually are -5c (23F)

[wwdwgs]

20w-50

[Monkey Wrench]

fuuny 20W-50 isnt in the list, I usually gravitate to 10W 30 for all my older cars. It just seems pretty standard, to me.

in that literature it says that both are the same when cold, so I guess the 10W40 is a bit thicker when warm, maybe youd want that ( 40) more is a fairly well broken in engine?

some swear by synthetic, Id just change it more, and since all meet ISO standards, i dont give a hoot which brand, I dont even track mileage I just change it when it looks dark enough and if I can do it after a long run , Il pull the plug and do the actual change the next morning with a cold engine. .
Id rather change it then while the bottom of the pan is clean as it will ever be.

If its a old tired and poorly maintained engine Il put a bottle of sea foam in and change it after a day or two, this helps clean out some of the dark crud. If you change regularily, I think you can skip the sea foam. I wont use fram oil filters, I try to pick Mann or Bosche or something familiar.
if you look at brand comparison cutaways, the filters do differ in quality number of pleats etc.

a magnetic drain plug is worth having. it catches stuff and its a good indication of things wrong if the accumulation seems excessive.

I like to scratch the date on the filter just a note to myself, when it was last changed.

in some cars the filter has to be turned about to get it out then Ill run the engine gently with no oil for about 10 seconds and then shut it off, if the oil light comes on , key off immediately. then the filter is partly empty. less to spill. obviuosly if the crank and bearings run dry its bad so not very long and no revving it up. my own therory is this does no damage and prevents spilled oil.

[djnolan]

Mobile 1 15w50 has higher zinc formulation and you can find it at Walmart.

[Monkey Wrench]

interesting Djnolan !

I wonderd about the zink additive it seems that our older vehicles arent; very dependant upon the catalitic converter, in newer cars they seem to be monitoring the efficiency of how well it works and if not then perhaps reporting errors

in our cars I guess once the gasses have passed the O2 sensor, there is no input, and if removed , if present, maybe no bad results. So perhaps the point is that older engines benefit from a bit more zink and phosporous.?



here are some pertinant notes that I found.
source:
https://www.autozone.com/diy/motor-oil/zinc-additives-in-motor-oil-and-how-they-help





Zinc and phosphorus often work together in motor oil, with phosphorus helping to further reduce wear. However, some modern motor oils reduce phosphorus levels due to concerns over its impact on catalytic converters. In these cases, other compounds, like detergents and friction modifiers, may be used to fill the gap.

Zinc remains one of the best options for high-pressure protection, especially in older engines that rely on these additives to maintain longevity.

Zinc and phosphorus often work together in motor oil, with phosphorus helping to further reduce wear. However, some modern motor oils reduce phosphorus levels due to concerns over its impact on catalytic converters.

Zinc is less common in modern oils designed for vehicles with catalytic converters, but it’s still essential for older and high-performance engines.

Check the oil label for ZDDP or zinc, or choose oils specifically formulated for high-performance or classic cars.

[djnolan]

I think that mobile 1 15w50 is designed for European cars of the 80's and 90's needing higher zinc or ZDDP levels for the flat valve tappets lifters.

Other oil manufacturers offer something similar (Valvoline, Castrol, etc)


There are many discussions about Porsche motor oils. Here is one of them https://forums.tipec.net/viewtopic.php?t=13839

[Monkey Wrench]

had a look locally , on amazon its showing 76 bucks for 5 quarts, canadian tire in quarts, Mobil 1™15W50 Synthetic Engine/Motor Oil, 1-L 16.99 a litre.
Canadian pricing..

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mobil-1tm15w50-synthetic-engine-motor-oil-1-l-0289423p.html

[djnolan]

Unbelievable - in stock at walmart for $24.97

[Monkey Wrench]

US wallmart 24.97 for 5 litres.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-Advanced-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-15W-50-5-Quart/20713647?classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1300

canadian wallmart 6 quarts for 118.39

Mobil 1 122377 15W-50 Synthetic Motor Oil - 1 qt. - Case of 6
$118.39

I wonder if there is a payment plan? ;-)

[djnolan]

Wow, make a run for the border...

[walfreyydo]

20W-50 Valvoline VR1

If running in the winter you would want something thinner, 10W-30 or similar since 20W-50 is really only good to 15F according to the owners manual.

[Monkey Wrench]

I sometimes order things like many buckets or drums of hydraulic oil. Ill get that from the bulk plant, each oil company has a bulk plant for industrial oils, its not sent to wallmart.

Normally they want to set up a business account, not always. It might be cheaper in 20 litre buckets than in 1 liter bottles. those bulk plants usualy have good staff employed by oil companies. Ill sometimes consult with them when a machine requires an older type of oil or grease no longer found, they will recommend an equivalent. Those staff employed by the oil companies will generally know a lot more about oil types , than the staff at box stores or auto parts stores.

there is a lot of bad data out there put out by sellers of products, of course each making clains that their oil is better in some way as this is a means of marketing.

I do believe the additives may be designed to not wreck catalitic converters and that there might be some market shift becuase of that , this may be a valid point. if the cat isn;t monitored by a sensor after the cat, such as in a 944, then I don't see much point in that determining the oil additives.
new cars might generate codes if they can detect a failing catalitic convertor by way of a sensor after the cat.

I just bought a secomd volvo 122 from 1966, im happy Ill never see a code and the fusebox has 4 fuses, one is a spare ;-) Brilliant ! 65K miles, it has sat a long time, barely 1000 KM per year average but she aint so pretty, nothing shiny , its a time capsule. .. interior is nice. 4 door auto trans , auto was a rare option, might be a fine in the city.. Ill see ;-) Ok im way off topic lol..