Getting ready to change the oil again on my two xfires. I use Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0W-40 and just ordered another 16 qts (three 5qt and a 1qt). Unfortunately "Euro" does not come in the "Ultra Platinum". Does anyone know of a better engine oil for xfires, or is this still the best (IMHO)?

 

Factory says Mobil 1,,, 0-40 and 99.9 % of the people on the forum use mobil 1 0-40

 

I guess I'm in that .1%. Reason I ask is that things change, and oil has changed and improved since the last xfire was built. Pennzoil Platinum's base oil is made from natural gas, virtually impurity/sulfur/nitrogen free, unlike Mobil 1 who's base oil is made from crude. Newer technology. I used to use Mobil 1 but my xfires seem to run a little better/smoother with the Pennzoil, and at oil changes the Pennzoil comes out looking virtually like it did when it went in. I was wondering if there are any new thoughts on the issue, or is everyone pretty much baked into "that's the way it's always been done" mindset? Most of the tests and opinions I've seen/read give the edge to Pennzoil. As to viscosity, I've read that in hotter year round climates it's best to use 5W-40 and in climates that get cooler (such as here in North Carolina and north) 0W-40 is best in xfires, and is what I use. Thoughts?

 

It's your Crossfires put in them what you want ... Pennzoil or Mobil 1 ... sounds like you already ordered the oil you want

 

MB recommended 0W40 up until 2011.
Since then, MB recommends 5W40 and by default, dealers will provide 5W40.

The list of approved oils include 0W30, 0W40, 5W40 and 5W50 and at least one 10W40.

Based on interactions with others, I'd say most of us have moved to 5W40. Iv'e not been able to source Mobile 1 5W40 since moving to Texas, I've not used any Mobile 1 product since moving here OTHER than in the manual transmission and differential.


Details about just what oils are recommended and why can be found by an internet search for "MB 229.3" and "MB 229.5".

 

Thanks Pizzaguy. Your reply is closer to what I was looking for. A discussion of current thoughts on the subject. I guess I'll stick with the Pennzoil Platinum Euro. I like the idea of its cleaner base oil coming from natural gas rather than crude oil. Newer technology, better protection, AND approved for MB, BMW, etc. In the future I might change to 5W-40 however. Thanks for your insight.

 

They sell it at Walmart in stock at the store in Texas! 5 quart jugs

 

I use Mobil1 0-40w plus a Mann filter every 7Kmi. The key to engine life is to regularly change the oil and filter. This is especially important if you are the type who likes to occassionaly run your engine for 5 or 10 minutes during storage months.

 

Thanks Jack. I think I'm going to stick with the Pennzoil Platinum Euro. Its base oil is made from cleaner natural gas rather than Mobil 1's base oil which is made from crude oil. Crude oil would obviously not be as clean. It's also approved for MB (226.5, 229.3 and 229.5), Audi (VW 502 00/505 00), and BMW, et al. I used to use Mobil 1 in everything and did for decades, but my crossfires seem to run smoother with the Pennzoil Platinum Euro. I guess I'd recommend it over Mobil 1 now. Pizzaguy says most here in the forum have gone to a 5W-40 viscosity as is the current MB recommendation, so maybe at my next oil change I'll try that rather than the 0W-40 in the Pennzoil Platinum Euro. Also, I can get that for as little as $29 for a 5 qt jug online with free shipping. My original post was asking if anyone could argue for a better oil than the Pennzoil, and the answer seems to be 'no'.

 

I don't know if you have read through540 Rat's blog but the guy who writes it is a: I’m a working Professional Degreed Mechanical Engineer, and Mechanical Design Engineering is what I do for a living. A Mechanical Engineer is clearly the most qualified Engineer to test motor oil that was formulated by Chemical Engineers, for wear protection capability between mechanical components under load. He has lots of info on all the different kinds of oil and what he recommends. Here is the link it is a very long read and when he gets time he updates the info. His oil of choice is Quaker State and Quaker State® Euro Full Synthetic motor oil is Mercedes-Benz approved:229.3 229.5.
Here is the link: https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/
Here is the ranking for Quaker State and Pennzoil Platinum:1. 5W30 Quaker State “Full Synthetic” (abbreviated QSFS), dexos 1 Gen “2”, ILSAC GF-6A, API SP = 152,674 psi

NOTE: THIS MOTOR OIL HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED, AND WAS REPLACED BY A NEWER VERSION WITH GM dexos 1, Gen “3” certification. SEE BELOW FOR THE NEW OIL’S RANKING POSITION.

And that psi value sets a WHOPPING NEW ALL-TIME RECORD for motor oils that I have put through my Engineering Torture Test on motor oil. It was tested in Spring 2021.
This new 5W30 Quaker State “Full Synthetic” motor oil replaces the previous 5W30 Quaker State “Ultimate Durability” (abbreviated QSUD) synthetic.
zinc = 905
phos = 764
moly = 176
The psi value of this new oil, which came from testing it at the normal operating test temperature of 230*F, put it in the SPECTACULAR Wear Protection Category. However, I went on to also test this oil at a much higher temperature of 275*F. At that elevated temperature, most hotter and thinner oils typically experience a drop in Wear Protection Capability. But, even at that elevated temperature, this oil produced an extremely impressive 148,133 psi, which was only a small 3% drop in capability. And that value put this much hotter and thinner oil in the AMAZING Wear Protection Category.

I also tested this oil to find out its onset of thermal breakdown, which was 290*F.

This new oil was purchased at Walmart. And its truly amazing performance is further proof that Walmart is selling legitimate motor oil, even though their prices are extremely low compared to typical Auto Parts Stores.

Many of us who have been devoted users of the previous Quaker State “Ultimate Durability” motor oil, were concerned that Quaker State’s Corporate bean counters might get their hands on this new Quaker State “Full Synthetic” oil and cut costs that would ruin the oil. Fortunately, as it turned out, that did not happen. And in fact, now this latest new 5W30 Quaker State “Full Synthetic” motor oil, is BY FAR, the BEST PERFORMING motor oil that I have ever tested. This is absolute proof that Quaker State knows how to formulate motor oil.

This new “Full Synthetic” motor oil has set the bar so high, that it is the oil I will be using in my vehicles from stock to High Performance, from now on. And it is the motor oil that I will recommend to my Blog readers for most water-cooled, gasoline-powered engines, that can use 5W30. This is especially THE “go to” motor oil for traditional flat tappet engines to provide the utmost in protection against wiped cam lobes.

Never say never, but it is hard to imagine another motor oil ever producing numbers this amazing.

Here is a back-to-back comparison of the new 5W30 Quaker State “Full Synthetic” and the old 5W30 Quaker State “Ultimate Durability”.

NOTE: The Higher the psi value, the Better the wear protection capability. The Higher the onset of the thermal breakdown value, the Higher the oil temperature can reach before the oil begins to deteriorate due to heat.

QSFS at 230*F = 152,674 psi
QSFS at 275*F = 148,133 psi
QSFS onset of thermal breakdown = 290*F

*****
QSUD at 230*F = 133,125 psi
QSUD at 275*F = 115,764 psi
QSUD onset of thermal breakdown = 275*F

The only possible concern about this amazing new 5W30 Quaker State Full Synthetic motor oil, was that it might be “too good” for use in wet clutch motorcycles. But, motorcycle Owner feedback in July 2021, proved that this amazing new motor oil works just fine in wet clutch motorcycles, meaning there was no clutch slipping at all. Of course that applies to wet clutch motorcycles with clutches that are in good condition.

141. 0W20 Pennzoil Platinum, Pure Plus Technology, made from Natural Gas, API SN, synthetic (silver bottle with blue vertical stripe on the label) = 92,504 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
This oil was tested in Spring 2016.

 

Just so you know, and 540 Rat obviously didn't explain, Quaker State and Pennzoil are both the same company (Pennzoil-Quaker State), and are owned by Shell. All of their top oils are essentially the same and made from natural gas. I just happen to have chosen Pennzoil. They all are approved for MB 226.5, 229.3, and 229.5.

 

Is Quaker State Oil the same as Pennzoil?

• Two prominent choices in the market, Pennzoil and Quaker State, both come from the same brand, Shell. However, they offer distinct formulations tailored to different engine types and requirements. Pennzoil utilizes natural gas as its primary base oil source, contributing to engine cleanliness and longevity.

https://mroilguy.com/pennzoil-vs-quaker-state/
They may be owned by Shell company but they are not the same product. Like many large companies, they merge for back-office savings and other tax-related items.

 

I'm not going to argue, but all three, Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Shell Helix Ultra, have top shelf oils with a base oil made from natural gas with, yes, slightly different additives depending on application, such as "Euro". In my previous reply I said their "top oils" and "essentially the same". Cleaner than those, such as mobile 1, which have base oils made from crude as are lower grade Pennzoil, Quaker State and Shell oils which are petroleum based. All three natural gas derived oils are good oils, and my preference, as stated already, is Pennzoil Platinum Euro which has a 15 year, 500,000 mile, whichever comes first guarantee. I prefer to use the Pennzoil Platinum Euro additives for a European engine such as a MB Crossfire engine as opposed to Pennzoil Platinum Ultra which is also a fine oil but without the Euro designation. The Euro additives are made to protect for longer intervals between oil changes, and European engines are made for longer intervals (7,000 miles vs 5,000 miles). That means American engine oil formulations have additives that likely wear out sooner since they're not made to last as long. I prefer that my additives last, even if I change sooner than the 7,000 mile European standard. As I also already stated, all three meet MB 226.5, 229.3, and 229.5 standards. You use whatever you like, which you stated was Quaker State Euro, a fine oil. Ok? Ok.

The oils are essentially the same except for POUR POINT, which likely are the same all else considered.

 

I had run Mobile oil 0w-40 for a decade, switched over to the Shell Helix for awhile, but that got hard to acquire so went with the Penzoil Platinum 5w-40 for awhile. ( Croosfire Limited and SRT6, and a CLK 500) I like the idea of natural gas clean base, but have found it burns off as you drive. After 6,000 miles you will be 0.5 to 1.0 qrts lower than where you started. I have switched to 5w-40 AMSOIL, but will look into the Quaker State oil mentioned above.

 

I'm surprised to hear this. I have 2 xfires and haven't noticed any oil loss whatsoever with Pennzoil Platinum Euro. I just changed their oil today and neither seemed to lose even a drop. Also, although the book says xfires take 8.5 qts, in reality they take 8 and will be overfilled with 8.5, but I assume you already know this. I change the oil through the dip stick tube with an electric oil pump which makes it very easy. What miniscule amount of oil remains, and it must be very little because I remove 8qts which is what I put in, doesn't really matter since, as said, I put in 8qts of fresh oil. Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0w-40 is harder to find, but the 5W-40 and 5W-30 are easier to find and a little less expensive. The Quaker State versions are more common and are essentially the same oil and a bit less expensive than the Pennzoil. I just paid $120 for three 5qt jugs of the Pennzoil Platinum Euro through Amazon, and it can also be found occassionally on Ebay for less, though sometimes sold by some individual overseas who apparently just takes your order and then reorders it from someone else which ends up being out of stock and then requires a refund.
Here is the link for the oil pump I use: Here is the jug I use for the removed old oil: The local auto parts store (O'Reilly's) has a free used oil dump.