I'm up in Binghamton, NY right now and saw that the local WalMart has Rotella synthetic oil for $18.88 a gallon. What do you think? I don't want this to turn into a synthetic vs. dino debate, so for all you Rotella Synthetic users, should I spend the extra money? Worth the price? Have you all had good luck? I'll be up here for another half day so if you give me the go ahead, I'll go pick some up. Thanks a million!

Alex

__________________
1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

Man, I love that stuff. Used it in both MB's this winter and its still in there. Have noticed no more oil usage compared to dino. Cold starts are awesome as it spins quicker!

I plan to use it from Dec-Feb each year.

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

I use Rotella, but it is dino oil, not synthetic. I pay about $5.00 for a 3 quart container. If you change it hot and change it often, you will be ok with dino oil. OOPS!! I know with that last remark I am going to start the never ending debate of synthetic VS. dino!!!

I guess I can leave you with the famous words of one of our members, "change it hot and change it often!!!"

If I am out tomorrow I will see if I can get you a price for what Rotella synthetic sells for in Baltimore Maryland.

Have fun!!!

Well, I am in test mode now with the Synthetic Rotella. I have logged 165,000 miles on Rotella 15W-40 and just switched to the synthetic last oil change. So far looking much better on oil consumption. Over 2000 miles on it and not a quart low yet. On the regular Rotella did good to get 1200-1500 before adding quart. Does anyone out there know why oil consumption would go down with a synthetic? I always heard it could go up.

__________________
1995 S-350
370K + SOLD
1952 220B Cabriolet
39K kilometers + SOLD
1998 E300D
310K +
2012 E350 BlueTec
120K

The Rotella T 15W-40 has a flash point of 415 deg F (very low) and the Synthetic Rotella 5W-40 has a flash point of 475 deg F (much more stable at high temp).

However, being a synthetic, the Rotella 5W-40 low tem performance is poor as it has a pour point of only -22 deg F. The Chevron Delo 5W40 has a pour point of -45 deg F and the Mobile Delvac 1 5W-40 has a pour point of -65 deg F.

Tried the rotella 5-40syn. for the last 10K and had to add a quart every 3K. Changed back to mobil1 10-30 syn. and it uses less. Go figure?

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Ricali

03 C240 4matic wagon
95 300E 234,000
7 prior 240;s 5 still going
81 300sd gone
65 230sl gone
49 Studebaker Champion
90BMW convert.167,000
60 Dodge D-100

I'm using about a quart every 1000 miles, judging from my dipstick reading yesterday. I never noticed any oil consumption before. I'm not sure whether it's dripping out or being burned. At this rate I will have to add some before my 3000 mile oil change interval is reached. Still, my fuel economy in purely city driving has improved by 1-2 mpg, probably because the oil is so much thinner at colder temperatures. Even using 10W30 dino oil I never noticed much of a difference in fuel economy. I notice a big difference in warmup time, and I have more power right after a cold start.

I've read that some engines will burn off the top quart or so and then stabilize at that level; either that or it's clearing out so much gunk and sludge that it's burning it... who knows? I may switch to 15W50 Mobil 1 for spring, summer and fall and only use the Rotella during the coldest months.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Robert E Roe

I saw a Robert Roe on CNN news the other day on duty at Salt Lake with the military. Are you one and the same?

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Ricali

03 C240 4matic wagon
95 300E 234,000
7 prior 240;s 5 still going
81 300sd gone
65 230sl gone
49 Studebaker Champion
90BMW convert.167,000
60 Dodge D-100

Nope, I'm in Pennsylvania, drawing CADD maps and doing RF design for a cable TV system in the Lehigh Valley PA. Haven't served the military for 22 years since I was an Air Force ROTC cadet at Lehigh University (class of 1980). Sorry.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Rotella synthetic isnt a true synthetic. This goes back to the castrol syntec lawsuit where they decided any groupIII hydrocracked conventional oil could be called synthetic. The product is a good produce, but for $18.00/gallon, I can run Amsoil true full synthetic 15w-40, or for $20/gallon Mobil Delvac-1, all far superior products. I'll never spend $18.88 for a gallon of hydrotreated dino oil. If thats what you want, go to a chevron distributor and find the Delo 400 5w-40 synthetic for around $14/gallon.

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Matt
2003 Jetta Wagon TDI 145,000MI
1999.5 Jetta TDI 287,000MI
2001 Suzuki SV650S 26,000MI
2008 Yamaha Vino 125 11,000MI
http://www.crazymatt.org

Shell says that the new Rotella is a FULLY SYNTHETIC oil. Where are you getting your information?

__________________
1995 S-350
370K + SOLD
1952 220B Cabriolet
39K kilometers + SOLD
1998 E300D
310K +
2012 E350 BlueTec
120K

The definition of "synthetic" has changed.

Now purer petroleum oil as the result of complicated process (hydrocracking) can be called synthetic.

The Rotellat T 5W-40 synthetic oil is a super refined petroleum based oil. That information is right up there on the MSDS of the Rotella Website at

http://rotella.com/products.php3#synthetic

Here is the relavent information:

SECTION 2 PRODUCT/INGREDIENTS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAS# CONCENTRATION INGREDIENTS
Mixture 100 %volume Synthetic Motor Oil
92062-09-4 65 - 74.99 %volume Hydrotreated Petroleum Slack Wax
64742-54-7 10 - 19.99 %volume Hydrotreated heavy paraffinic distillate
Mixture 3 - 8.99 %volume Hydrocraked, hydroisomerized HVI paraffinic oil
Proprietary 3 - 8.99 %volume Proprietary additives
64742-65-0 1 - 2.99 %volume Solvent dewaxed heavy paraffinic distillate

Nowadays, very few "synthetic" oils are the synthetic oils we know of in the old days. These PAO based oils are rare now.

Bo

I brought up the mobil V. Castrol lawsuit because it was determined in this lawsuit that a GroupIII hydrotreated dino oil could be called a "full synthetic" due to the fact that it closely resembled a synthetic. Castrol Syntec (and shell rotellaT synthetic), clearly being advertised as a full synthetic, so it must be synthetic right? Nope. Truth is, it was born from a dino oil, and contains ZERO true synthetic polyalphaolefins (PAO) or esters. Look for yourself. Here is the list of ingredients

CAS# CONCENTRATION INGREDIENTS
Mixture 100 %volume Synthetic Motor Oil
92062-09-4 65 - 74.99 %volume Hydrotreated Petroleum Slack Wax
64742-54-7 10 - 19.99 %volume Hydrotreated heavy paraffinic
distillate
Mixture 3 - 8.99 %volume Hydrocraked, hydroisomerized HVI
paraffinic oil
Proprietary 3 - 8.99 %volume Proprietary additives
64742-65-0 1 - 2.99 %volume Solvent dewaxed heavy paraffinic
distillate


This is from shells website.
http://www.equivashellmsds.com/rd/getsinglemsds.asp?ID=196724

Look like a synthetic? I dont see any polyalphaolefins (PAO) or esters.

Now does it really matter if you use a groupIII hydrotreated oil or a group V/IV true synthetic (such as mobil-1, delvac-1, amsoil, redline)? Probably not, but when you can get a true synthetic like amsoil 15w-40 synthetic diesel oil for LESS than the rotella, or mobil delvac-1 for 1-2 dollars more per gallon, why in the world would you want anything less?

__________________
Matt
2003 Jetta Wagon TDI 145,000MI
1999.5 Jetta TDI 287,000MI
2001 Suzuki SV650S 26,000MI
2008 Yamaha Vino 125 11,000MI
http://www.crazymatt.org

I give Shell a lot of credit for disclosing the details of the base oils used in their 5W-40 synethiec oil.

Mobile 1 won't disclose what is in their Tri-synthetic on the MSDS. I cannot even find any info on Castrol oils.

In the Mobile 1 Tri-Synthetic MSDS, it says:

CHEMICAL NAMES AND SYNONYMS: SYN. HYDROCARBONS AND ADDITIVES GLOBALLY REPORTABLE MSDS INGREDIENTS: None.

Matt: About Mobile 1, only one of the three components in its tri-synthetic is PAO base stocks now.

Wow, you learn something every day huh. Thought I was buying a fully true synthetic oil that was easy to buy (wall-mart) but I am getting screwed. I will take all that junk back and find where I can buy the Mobil Delvac. That is a TRUE FULLY SYNTHETIC oil, is it not? I know they have been making it for a long time. Seems like companies just sit around trying to think up ways to screw people now days. My wife gave me a Hershey's Kiss for Valentines Day and come to find out is was made in Mexico. Dang we can't even make chocolate in this country any more.

__________________
1995 S-350
370K + SOLD
1952 220B Cabriolet
39K kilometers + SOLD
1998 E300D
310K +
2012 E350 BlueTec
120K