Can you mix same motor oil, different brand?

FWIW, I've mixed brands and viscosities in several vehicles (other than the Ferrari.....simply by chance =) without much ado.

Oil...all oil, is a lubricant. Different grades are simply rated for different temp ranges. The most important fact about oil is that you change it regularly. It does it's job correctly for a while and you change it. IMO, that is the most important point.

Say you buy a car and as the new owner you change from Shell (PO) to Penzoil. There will be a certain amount of Shell oil left over and mixed with the new Penzoil during the 1st change and remnanets of the hybrid mix will be around for several changes to come....so what??

Who dosen't buy gas from different vendors....??? Does the fact that I mix BP gas with Quicktrip gas affect my carand potentially its resale value? Even if you strickly/religiously buy gas from one station, does a person know for certaint that that the one station contiunally gets it's gas from a constant and reliable source...how would a person know?

Back to oil.

As far as I'm concerend, the fact that you are on top of your oil level is more important than your alliagence to one brand.

All 10-40's, 20-50's, 0-40's, etc must meet their particular standard...correct? Some have brand addatives, marketing gimiks & propritary trademark blends, but overall any and all 10-40's (take your pick) must meet a specified standard for the grade.

As a carpenter/builder, when I buy a 10P nail, it should perform the same way as any other 10p nail I buy. Wether it comes from Menards, Home Depot, Lowes or Ace hardware... It's a 10P nail and it will do the job of a 10P nail. All those "know it all" oil guruswho haven't given a second thought as to wether their home was built exclusively with "X" brand 10P nails, are adamant about such minor things as the date code on their oil.....????

Sorry for the semi rant.

I'm a builder/carpenter/cabinetmaker/DIY'er/holder of comon sense/manual skills and overall normal person....as such this has been the opinion of "said" person and there are no waranties expressed or implied....

That is my logic....right or wrong.

Enjoy your car!

 

Short answer : Yes.

 

Missed that...=)

 

+1 on yes... but wouldn't do it in a Ferrari just out of paranoia

 

I didn't mean this to be personal in anyway.

I was a little chatty last night and was trying to be witty and funny. Hope it wasn't taken as a rant againt the poster. Sorry.

 

I would not worry about it.

 

I'd verify it in the owners manual if I were you. My V-12 manual ('84---# 46009) specificallly states:

"Precautions to be taken when using oil other than that recommended. Should for any reason other brands of oil be used the following procedure is recommended.
1.) Thoroughly drain the oil from the sump when hot.
2.) Fill th engine with 3.3 imperial gallons of the brand of oil to be used and warm at 2500 R.P.M. for approximately ten minutes, redrain and change the filters.

Of course, install new filters and 4.07 imp.gal . of new brand of oil. Ferrari is figuring that you're keeping in the same viscosity range, just changing brands. These are race proven engines, they're not holding you to the 'Agip' brand, so the service or marketing reason can't be used here. Interior seals maybe??

 

Hey, I see you got things worked out----great!

 

That was in the owner's manuals through the 1980's...not sure if it is in the current car manuals. He is not changing oils, just using some to top up. I really don't see a problem.

 

Doesn't he have a '89 328? Was not being critical, only adding info to the mix. Isn't Agip $20./qt, its a big switch to Valvoline, I'd top off with the big V. I'm curious as to when this changeover practise stopped.

 

Wow, never knew these cars require.......15-16 qts of oil?! Thats like a tub worth! Guess, so, if yous say so. My 4 cyl alfa takes 7 qts......

 

Every oil I have seen states on the can that it is compatible with other oils. Note that this does not mean that they can be mixed and then work properly. For example there is at least one oil - I cannot think of which one it is right now - that has no zinc in it at all. Whatever they use in place of it would be diluted by half if you mixed another oil with zinc. Also the oil with the zinc would be diluted in half resulting in half the zinc content. This assumes a 50-50 mix.

If the oils had no common additive packages then it is possible that a 50-50 mix would result in an oil with exactly half the concentration of all the additives. This may not work out well for your car.

Being compatible just means they do not result in a precipitate or something as that. It does not mean they will perform the appropriate lubrication functions.

Mixing 1 can of an odd oil with 12 cans of another oil would not have a bad effect though. Just the same, when changing brands or type of oil I always empty out each oil line throughout the engine. In one case I was not able to do this and I changed the oil twice. After a 10 minute run of the first “flush” of the new oil, I changed it again.

aehaas

 

There used to be problems mixing different oil, back in the 50's and early 60's, something to do with paraffin based oils, they actually
caused engine failures. The government and automakers got together created standards.

Pennzoil Platinum says that you can even mix conventional oil and synthetic.

stephen

 

Actually, 19.5 qts!

 

Mixing makes of oils doesn't matter. You should however use the same weight as you are using and the API grade Recommended in the owners manual. The most important thing is to use a high quality oil. If you buy cheap oil and don't look at the API grade, you could be using the same motor oil your great grandfather used in his Model A, or you could be using an oil with an additive that will destroy your catalytic convertor.

 

Do you think there is currently an oil on the market in the US that would destroy a Catalytic Converter?

 

Yes, look for oils containing high consentrations of Zink Dialkyldithiophosphate which can kill Oxegen sensors and Cats. It is also known to attack internal aluminum. These oils are for older high mile flat tappet engines.

 

ok, here is a two parter for you when I ran into this problem on the road a few months back:

1. far from home, down about 2 qts, scouted every crummy gas station, car house [kragen etc.] I could, and could not find the oil mix I wanted: the 456 was a 0-40 [ya', I know, now since changed to higher number low range] and could only find 5 for the closets first number in a synth. Do you have a recommendation: I mixed in a quart and hoped for no problem...BTW always keep about six quarts in each boot.

2. General question: Since I'm no wiz on this, is there any problem with oil seperation when they are at rest? He is what I mean. Like mixing oil and water, or oils of different visc. would they seperate in the holding tank or would they just mix it up completely and stay that way?

rik

 

There should be no separation issues and mixing a quart or two into your large tank will not have too much of an effect. Do not worry. I may change the oil a little sooner than you would have otherwise.

You should read this too:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item#faq_haas_articles

aehaas

 

WOW

Thanks a lot, that helps a lot. Should be required reading for all paid subscribers.

 

Catalytic converters have been on cars for over 30 years now and the earlier oil formulations that had higher levels of ZDDP didn't kill Cats. The reductions in ZDDP are because the automakers are forced to warranty emmission controls for 100k miles. This change by the API is based on weasel wording and butt covering.

BTW, for everyones edification, it is not the zinc in ZDDP that protects the valvtrain but the the phosophorus delivered via the zinc. There are no ppm limitations to zinc in the oil. The API SM spec requires phosphorous be between .065%-.085%

 

I don't understand how to rectify these two sentences...?