Questions and Answers

Lube, Oil And Filter

Q. I am a somewhat weekend mechanic. I own a 1996 Silverado 4x4 Z71 with 57,000 miles on it and a 1992 Saturn SL1 with 108,000 miles on it. When changing the oil on them or any vehicle, should you use the same brand of oil all the time, as well as the same filter?

Also, lubricating the chassis on my truck is easy however on my Saturn I have no Zerk fittings to grease. A technician told me that you have to get the grease adapter that is a large needle and poke it through the rubber boots and then grease. This would seem to do more harm than good, as you would be tearing a hole where there should be none. I now take my car in and have it done just to be sure that it gets lubed properly. Then again you never know what kind of service you may get. Any pointers or suggestions on what brand of filter or oil to use? As of now I have been using Fram filters and Valvoline Durablend. What do you think of Valvoline's MAXLIFE?

Thanks again,
Mario

A. Most major brands of oil filters are made by one company, so the outside may be a different color, but the insides are basically the same. You would do as well choosing the filter you use by color as by brand name.

As for using the same brand of oil all the time, that's not really necessary. My Father was as tight as the skin on a sausage and he bought whatever oil was on sale and he drove his cars for well over 100,000 miles. Most people swear by a particular brand of oil, basically, all oils are the same. They all meet the same standards. I used to ask people why they use a particular brand of oil and I would hear things like: "It's what my Father used for years" or "My brother in law knows all about cars and he says I should use it." Synthetic oils and blends of synthetic and natural oils are another thing. While they do last longer, up to 30,000 miles between changes, do you really want to leave any oil in your engine that long? In my opinion, oil gets dirty and the longer you leave it in, the greater the chances the oil filter will clog up with that "dirt" and plug up. Know what happens when an oil filter gets clogged? The oil bypasses the filter completely and just goes straight into the engine.

My recommendation is to use a good oil like Valvoline, Kendall or Quaker State and change it, with the filter, every 3000 miles and you car will last for a good long time. Using Fram filters and Valvoline DuraBlend is fine.

The rule for front end parts without zerk (grease) fittings: don't grease them. They are sealed and do not require greasing. Putting a hole in the boot and injecting grease will do no good and, like you said, will allow dirt and water to get in and wear out the component even faster.

Additional Information provided courtesy of AllDATA