2006 Silverado Oil Conversion To Mobile One

[lryfer]

Hello all, i am torn between keeping conventional oil in my 2006 Silverado with the 5.3 and 82K miles on it. Or would it be best to change to mobile one full synthetic. I need some help here to do the right thing.

 

What say the pro group here?  What is best for the truck.

 

Thanks in advance for your valued input. Changing oil Thursday or Friday after work for the  first time myself. Dealer has changed it since i have had the truck and used conventional but are now trying to get all to go to full synthetic. Why besides making more coin. Is it better for the engine and seals?

[Grumpy Bear]

5 hours ago, lryfer said:

Hello all, i am torn between keeping conventional oil in my 2006 Silverado with the 5.3 and 82K miles on it.

 

Is it better for the engine and seals?

1.) It's been a long time since anyone had to worry about ruining a seal by switching to a synthetic oil. No oil readily available is a straight Di-ester anymore.

 

2.) Mobil 1 is no longer a PAO fluid. 

 

3.) The powers that bee have decided the word "synthetic" can mean just 'highly processed' which includes Group III and even some Group II mineral oils. Mobil 1 has been in this class for some time now. 

 

4.) AC-Delco is supplied by Mobil/Exxon

 

5.) There are few, if any, Group I conventional oils around.

 

You see where this is going, right? 

 

Still a Group III "synthetic" is still a light year jump above a Group II conventional.  

 

The only possible problem would be from solvency. That is, if the motor your converting has had routinely poor oil maintenance OR a history of heavier use than it's design such as constant high temperature / high load building a lot of sludge. The solvency of a synthetic may clean it out well enough to find a gasket leak or two. Only you can answer that. 

[diyer2]

Mobile 1 should be named Mobile 2,3.

There are better of the shelf oils out there than Mobile 1 IMO.

I would switch to full synthetic and not look back.

[KARNUT]

We’ve been running Amsoil in everything since the late 80s. Never a problem, never. Diesels too.


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[Black02Silverado]

It will not be long I feel and you will not find any oils that are considered conventional.  Manufacturers are pushing the use of synthetic and for good reason. 

 

As stated above you can find various oils at any auto parts store, Valvoline, Pennzoil, Castrol and so on and if you are doing 3 to 5k oil changes they will serve you well. 

 

Switching over to a quality synthetic like AMSOIL is never a bad thing.  Running cooler, cleaner and holding up longer are all benefits.  As is a possible mpg increase.  Yes, very unlikely but I have had a few customers that changed over and noticed a 1 to 2 mpg increase after coming from a conventional use vehicle most of it's life.  The possibility is there but you will never know unless you try. 

 

So no worries switching over.  If you are interested in AMSOIL, send me a pm with your address and I can get you a quote delivered to your door for an oil change.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Black02Silverado

[MaverickZ71]

Your dealer (and others) are doing that to simplify their inventory.  Conversely, some of them have been known to secretly pump one brand/one viscosity out of a barrel in the back for 50+ years now.  

 

Other than Corvettes and HiPo Camaros, GM switched to the Dexos oil spec for all other models in 2010, which at first mandated a synthetic-blend oil and now mandates a "full-synthetic" oil.  They had to do this to mitigate warranty problems with the then-new VVT and AFM systems.  As has already been said here, there are endless arguments over what constitutes a "full synthetic" motor oil.  Basically, the oil companies can use whatever creative marketing they wish on their bottles/jugs/barrels.  

 

Synthetic oil should be fine for your 2006 Silverado.  The only thing is, if you have an oil leak or seep or sweat or questionable oil gasket anywhere, you can count on it to get worse with the synthetic oil.  I speak with personal experience with GMs on this over the last 25 years.  A spot that 'sweats' with conventional motor oil will drip with synthetic, no matter what secret squirrel additive they are now putting in the synthetic mix.  I have the driveway drips to prove that.  Oh well, seals the blacktop, I suppose.  

 

Mobil1 was the hot thing in synthetic oil 20 years ago when there were not many options.  Now regular Mobil1 is average, and there are several better rated synthetic oils out there.  But you will get what your dealer stocks unless you do it yourself.  Myself, at this point, I'd rather duct tape porkchops to my legs and run through a pack of coyotes nekkid than have a dealer do anything that I can do on my own.

Edited September 2, 2020 by MaverickZ71

[Grumpy Bear]

2 hours ago, MaverickZ71 said:

  Myself, at this point, I'd rather duct tape porkchops to my legs and run through a pack of coyotes nekkid than have a dealer do anything that I can do on my own.

 

Quit!! I'm going to hurt a rib.

 

Thanks for the giggle Maverick.

[KARNUT]

My Acura type R has been going to the same dealer for 20 years, my wife’s Genesis has been going to the same dealer for 10 years, my last 10 GM trucks have been going to the same dealer for last 30 years. When should I start worrying? There were some Fords before that. I found them not trustworthy so that’s why I changed. The common thing they all have is you can watch, which I do. My last GM oil change for synthetic oil and filter with their check list was 53$. I’m not that cynical and untrusting. I’ll eat my pork chops.


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[chem_man]

As Maverick Z71 said, unless there is a mechanical issue with a gasket or seal, you'll be fine.  You might initially see some oil consumption with the first couple of oil changes using synthetic, but that can happen also by changing brands among conventional oils as well. 

[lryfer]

15 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

1.) It's been a long time since anyone had to worry about ruining a seal by switching to a synthetic oil. No oil readily available is a straight Di-ester anymore.

 

2.) Mobil 1 is no longer a PAO fluid. 

 

3.) The powers that bee have decided the word "synthetic" can mean just 'highly processed' which includes Group III and even some Group II mineral oils. Mobil 1 has been in this class for some time now. 

 

4.) AC-Delco is supplied by Mobil/Exxon

 

5.) There are few, if any, Group I conventional oils around.

 

You see where this is going, right? 

 

Still a Group III "synthetic" is still a light year jump above a Group II conventional.  

 

The only possible problem would be from solvency. That is, if the motor your converting has had routinely poor oil maintenance OR a history of heavier use than it's design such as constant high temperature / high load building a lot of sludge. The solvency of a synthetic may clean it out well enough to find a gasket leak or two. Only you can answer that. 

Have had my truck since 31K miles - not towing just for comfort of getting in and out of something taller than a car due to medical ailments. Consistent oil changes at dealer at 25% or more on the DIC at dealer. No leaks that i can see except a little starting on the oil cooler tranny lines. Drive mostly to work 3 miles away, then on highway for fishing and back. so not a hard ridden truck. So with this said the truck is well taken care of. So Mobile 1 or other since so many is the hardest question for me as i have been a conventional guy my whole life.

[MaverickZ71]

20 hours ago, KARNUT said:

My Acura type R has been going to the same dealer for 20 years, my wife’s Genesis has been going to the same dealer for 10 years, my last 10 GM trucks have been going to the same dealer for last 30 years. When should I start worrying? There were some Fords before that. I found them not trustworthy so that’s why I changed. The common thing they all have is you can watch, which I do. My last GM oil change for synthetic oil and filter with their check list was 53$. I’m not that cynical and untrusting. I’ll eat my pork chops.


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You’re very lucky if you can watch.  After the bankruptcy, when they force-remodeled the remaining GM dealers, at my 2 dealers, they put a solid wall between the service writers and the bays where the work is done. With absolutely no customer admittance to the service bays due to “insurance” concerns.   You leave the vehicle outside and you pick it up outside. The cashier is inside in a separate hallway near the parts dept—after all, they don’t want their $ to get wet or blow away.  

Edited September 3, 2020 by MaverickZ71

[MaverickZ71]

8 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

Quit!! I'm going to hurt a rib.

 

Thanks for the giggle Maverick.

Always happy to oblige, Grump.