Get Your Oil Cheap

If you change your own oil, you probably do so to save money. Even though changing your own oil can save you money, if you do not buy motor oil in bulk, you are not saving as much as you could be.

Purchasing motor oil is no different than purchasing any other product. Generally, the more you buy at once, the more you save. Many times, you can save up to 25% buying oil by the case, and, if you buy a premium motor oil or synthetic oil via mail order, buying in bulk will save on shipping as well. So, if you have a vehicle that takes four quarts of oil, instead of buying four quarts every time you change your oil, you might consider buying the whole case to save some money.

Another reason to buy oil in bulk is that you always have a quart of it in your car. If you notice that your oil is getting low, it will be much cheaper to use the oil you bought at a discount, than it will be to stop at the gas station and pick a quart. Oil at a gas station or convenience store is going to cost you much more than it would had you bought it in bulk. These places know that the reason you are buying oil there is due to an emergency, and you have little choice but to buy it. In other words, they can charge you whatever they want.

If You Buy Motor Oil in Bulk: A Word of Caution

It is important to note that, if you buy motor oil in bulk, proper storage is a necessity.  You see, even sitting on the shelf, oil can degrade within the bottle.  Without proper storage, I would not recommend storing oil for more than a year or so before placing it into service.

Excessive heat or cold, significant temperature swings, high humidity and direct sunlight can all degrade stored motor oil more quickly, so, if you can find a storage location that minimizes these issues or eliminates them altogether, you'll be able to store your oil for longer before it "goes bad", so to speak.  In other words, your decision regarding how much oil to purchase at a time should be dictated by your decision regarding where it will be stored.

Changing your own oil is a good place to start saving money, and you can maximize your savings if you buy motor oil in bulk. It can save you money when you buy it, and even more should an emergency arise when you are on the road. Just remember not to store the oil for too long, or you will not be getting the performance and protection you expect.
The Motor Oil Guy

Get the Info You Need Before You Switch Oil

While most motor oils are similar, some do have differences that can help increase the efficiency of your vehicle.  When you are thinking about switching the oil you use, it would serve you well to go online and look at some motor oil reviews. 

While most oils offer you many of the same benefits, the oil you choose should depend on the previous maintenance of your vehicle.  Seeking out reviews will help you decide on the oil that is right for your engine.  Mechanics can be a good source of information, but like everyone else in business, they are going to suggest the most expensive oil.  By seeking out reviews, you can get recommendations from people that have nothing to gain by promoting a certain type of oil.  In addition to being able to read the reviews you can often ask for recommendations from other users based on your engine, the age of the engine, the type of oil you have previously used, among a variety of other factors. 

A great place to get professional reviews of different kinds of oil is at the Motor Oil Bible website.  We offer professional reviews, as well as a strong community of users always willing to give suggestions and share experiences with different types of oils.  If you are thinking about changing the type of oil you currently use stop by our site and have a look at some of the motor oil reviews available to you.  It should make your decision more informed and less of a guessing game.


The Motor Oil Guy

Get Rid Of Your Oil the Right Way

If you change your own oil, you likely do so for one of two reasons.  Either you enjoy it, or you are trying to save money.  No matter why you change your own oil, many people are left wondering what they should do with their old oil.  Most of us know that it is not a good idea to dump motor oils in the backyard or down a drain.  After all, doing either of those things will put it right into our drinking water.  So how do you get rid of it?

The easiest way to dispose of your used oil is to put it in a container and take it somewhere that accepts used oil.  Finding something to put your used oil in is simple.  Personally, I use an old milk jug or two.  Instead of throwing them out when the milk is gone, I always make sure to have a couple stored out in the garage for the oil I drain from my car.  If you do not have milk jugs readily available, any type of container that can be sealed will do the trick.

Now that the oil is in a container, where do you take it?  Many auto repair shops will accept used oil at no cost to you.  In fact, many encourage the practice.  They already have a process in place to dispose of oil, and are usually more than willing to take yours off your hands as well.  If your local repair shop does not provide that service, you can try gas stations or car dealerships.  It is unlikely that someone in your area will not have a program in place to dispose of used motor oils.



The Motor Oil Guy

Do You Still Change Your Oil Every 3,000 Miles?

You have probably heard that you need to change your motor oil every 3,000 miles. In fact, your mechanic has probably told you so, and it may even say so in your car owner's manual (depending upon your vehicle's age), but do you really need to change your oil that often?  Over the last decade or so, many people have begun to wonder if this recommendation is nothing more than certain industries trying to bilk you out of more money. So, let's explore the question a bit.

There is no doubt that changing your oil regularly is important to the continued maintenance of your vehicle. However, with the today's automotive and motor oil technology, there may no longer be a need to change it as often as in the past.

One of the main reasons that it was originally recommended to change your oil so frequently was because of the dirt and grime that your engine oil accumulated. Once "gunk" starts to build up in the oil, it makes it less effective as a lubricant, as well as reducing its ability to move throughout the engine with ease. However, the combination of greater automotive engine efficiency and cleaner running and more robust oils has lead to the possibility of steadily increasing oil drain intervals (even if many oil companies and quick lubes don't wish to acknowledge that fact).

"The Motor Oil Bible" offers a MUCH more thorough discussion of this question, giving you a much more informed position from which to evaluate your own situation and the oil drain intervals you SHOULD be using or might LIKE to use, if you chose a better oil and/or filter.

If you are still using the guideline of changing your oil every 3,000 miles, you may want to reconsider that strategy. Under OPTIMAL conditions, newer vehicles could possibly travel up to 10,000 miles without an oil change, even without a premium oil. Technology has brought us a long way, and by taking advantage of it, you can save money and time on your oil changes.



The Motor Oil Guy

Buying Oil Shouldn’t Be This Hard

The next time you go to the store for car motor oils, take a step back, and stop pulling out your hair. There are literally hundreds of different motor oils available for purchase, and it can sometimes be confusing deciding which one is right for your vehicle. In general terms, if you simply choose an oil that meets the viscosity and API requirements listed in your owner's manual, you will likely have no major problems with your engine.

But, for those who would like to carry the discussion a little further and are not just looking for adequate (for instance, if they are looking for better performance from their engine or are specifically intending to get the most life possible from their engine), knowing a little more about oils and how their quality specifications can be compared can go a long way toward helping you find the RIGHT oil for your application.

Obviously, viscosity is one of the first issues to consider, and, although it isn't quite as critical as many people think, tweaking your viscosity a bit CAN yield big returns if you're a high mileage driver or if you work your vehicle really hard.  Knowing how and when to tweak manufacturer recommendations is important here, because moving outside of OEM recommendations (although NOT grounds to void your warranty) could cause problems in certain situations.

Viscosity is actually a VERY complicated question once you consider venturing outside of OEM recommendations, so, if you are considering that possibility, "The Motor Oil Bible" would be a good place to start learning more about viscosity, so that you can make an educated decision regarding this issue.

Obviously, make sure that the oil you are using meets the API requirement listed in your owners manual.  If the vehicle calls for an API SL rated motor oil, make sure that the oil you're planning on using is rated API SL, SM or later (API specs are backward compatible and the higher the 'second letter', the better the oil generally is - in other words sM is better than sL).

If you're driving a diesel you'll see API specs like CG, CH, CI, CJ.  The C refers to a DIESEL and the second letter establishes how new the spec is.  Again, the higher the second letter, generally, the better the quality of the oil.  Here too, specs are backward compatible, so a CJ oil can be used for an application calling for a CI oil, although this may not ALWAYS be the best option.

Beyond that, you'll want to decide whether you want synthetic or petroleum or a blend.  Typically, I'd recommend steering clear of blends.  Not worth the money.  SOME synthetics will be worth it, but, be cautious about switching an older vehicle to synthetic.  In certain situations, even though a synthetic oil will generally be of higher overall quality, a petroleum car oil might STILL be a better option for you.

The truth is, although choosing car motor oils SHOULDN'T be that hard, in some case it can be, especially if you don't at least know the basics.  That is precisely why "The Motor Oil Bible" was written.  To help people understand the basics so that they can make an informed decision instead of simply relying on clever marketing and slick sales copy.

The Motor Oil Guy

Where Can I Compare Different Kinds of Motor Oil?

With all of the hype surrounding the various brands of motor oil, it can often be difficult to choose the one that is right for your vehicle.  Manufacturers tell us all kinds of things in the commercials.  The question is, how do we separate the truth from the fiction?  One of the few objective ways to differentiate between different oils is via technical specification motor oil comparisons.

With so many marketing ploys in effect, how are you to know which oil you should be buying for you specific engine? Most consumers would love to have access to an accurate and unbiased motor oil comparison.  A detailed comparison will make it easier for you to select the brand of oil, and the specific blend, that will work best with your car, but this can be tough to come by.

In fact, honestly, it doesn't really exist.  Even though you may find an isolated comparison here or there on the net, generally speaking, these comparisons are done by individuals who cannot possibly account for all of the different variables and variations that will occur from one "test" to another.  So, what do you do?  How do you know what oil to purchase, which oil is best?

Do your own motor oil comparisons.  Get a copy of "The Motor Oil Bible" which will help you understand the various differences between motor oils and will educate you regarding the various technical specifications you'll need to investigate in order to objectively compare various motor oils and their relative ability to protect your expensive vehicles and equipment.

The truth is, you really shouldn't fully trust ANY of the propaganda that the various motor oil manufacturers' publish ...

... until you are able to take an objective and EDUCATED look at the technical specifications for their oils and judge for yourself whether what they SAY about their oils is accurate and justified, you will never find an unbiased and objective motor oil comparison.  The Motor Oil Bible will help you understand those technical specifications - what they mean, how the tests are run, which specifications will be most important to YOU and your situation, etc.

The next time you buy oil, make sure you are armed with the information you need to get the most out of your engine.  Don't rely on the unlikely possibility that you'll find unbiased comparisons to help you make your decision.  Learn what you need to know so that you can easily do the comparisons yourself and KNOW that you've found the right oil.

The Motor Oil Guy

What is The Deal with Performance Motor Oil?

You have probably seen all of the commercials for performance motor oil  on television.  Oil makers claim that the oil they produce can extend the life of your engine, increase fuel efficiency, and allow you to go longer in between oil changes.  The question is do any of them live up to their claims, or is it all just marketing hype?

The truth is that many of the high performance oils DO offer some benefits over lesser quality oils, but the claims they make can often be exaggerated.  Most oils will do an adequate job of protecting your engine, and, if you're looking for adequate, then you've got plenty of oils to choose from.

What you want to know is, when should you choose a performance motor oil, and how do you know if the claims made by the manufacturer are accurate?  Again, I reference a common theme and that is, don't rely on someone else to tell you if an oil is good or not.  Learn the basics so that you can make that determination for yourself.  There ARE better oils out there, but, don't let the manufacturers con you with their clever advertisements.  Do your research and PROVE or DISprove their claims for yourself.

One of the advantages that high performance oils (generally synthetic) MAY offer is that they can remain cleaner, longer than conventional motor oils (for a number of reasons that are all outlined in great detail within "The Motor Oil Bible").  The longer an oil stays clean, the better your car will perform, and the better protection it will receive - that is a fact.  However, don't assume that, just because an oil carries a premium price tag or alit of glitzy advertising and sponsors, that it's necessarily a PREMIUM oil.

One selling point used to promote some high performance motor oil is that you can go longer between oil changes.  If you are used to using the standard recommendations of changing your oil every 3,000 miles, you will see a significant increase in the lifespan of your oil.  Of course, many newer vehicles are already calling for longer oil drains of 5, 7, even 10,000 miles or more, even with petroleum oil.  So, is there really a significant benefit to moving to a premium oil?

The answer to that question depends  upon how you drive, what you drive, where you drive, how long you wish to own your vehicle AND which premium oil you may be considering.  The truth is, there are those that MAY be worth he premium, depending upon your situation.  But, the only way you're going to know is by understanding how oils work, what the differences are between oils and how to objectively compare those high performance motor oils for yourself. 

"The Motor Oil Bible" is the only viable resource out there that will answer all of these sorts of questions (as well as many more) in a way that just about any vehicle owner can easily understand.


The Motor Oil Guy

The Dirty Little Secret Oil Companies Don’t Want You to Know

 The Dirty Little Secret Oil Companies Don’t Want You to Know

Did you know that the people making car motor oil have been keeping a dirty little secret from you?  That’s right, for years now they have kept all of us trapped into believing that if we fail to change our oil every 3,000 miles, our engines will seize up, smoke will start bellowing out of our engine compartment, and our vehicles will be nothing more than scrap on wheels.  Well, they lied.

Of course, I would never say that you should not change your car motor oil at all.  At SOME point you will have to change it.  In fact, I know of individuals who never changed their oil, and the effects CAN be catastrophic to an engine.  Even if the engine doesn't seize up entirely, severe wear can be caused by excessively long oil drains - and, when I say "excessive", I'm specifically referring to oil changes which are pushed well beyond the limits of the oil and/or filter.

I make this distinction because it IS possible to extend oil drains to 15, 25, 100, even 200,000 miles or more WITH the right filtration and the right oil, and that has been proven by thousands of individual motorists AND commercial fleets in various vehicles ranging from compact cars to over-the-road 18 wheelers.  Oil analysis doesn't lie, and if the analysis comes back indicating that the oil is good for continued use, then it's good, no matter how many miles are on the oil.

Now, in the vast majority of cases, even with the best filtration and the best oil, an oil change will eventually be necessary, but, not every 3,000 (and possibly not even every 30,000) miles.  Even with some pretty bargain basement API SM oil, most drivers could go at least 4-5,000 miles without a change in most modern vehicles.  Move to a higher quality oil with better NOACK and HT/HS scores and fewer saturates in the basestock and you might increase that by 50% - 100%.

I guess the point is, in this back and forth "discussion" between auto manufacturers (who continue to recommend longer and longer drains) and oil manufacturers (most of whom continue to recommend 3,000 mile changes) it's tough for a motorist to know for sure just HOW frequently their car motor oil should be changed.  The age of your car, how you drive and the quality of your oil and filter can DRASTICALLY affect the answer to that question.

Consider reading "The Motor Oil Bible" in order to fully understand the intricacies related to this question.  I guarantee that you'll have alit less anxiety over this issue, once you have the facts and understand the factors that are most likely to affect your car motor oil drains.




The Motor Oil Guy