What motor oil do you use in your 97 or newer...

[cb3]

What motor oil do you use in your 97 or newer Park Ave?

I have a 97 (base model) Park Ave with 105K miles. I've been using Valvoline 5w30 Maxlife HM Synthetic. I have a slight oil drip coming from somewhere. So next time I'm going to try Maxlife HM Blend, or perhaps a conventional HM oil. What do you guys recommend? I live in a moderate climate.

My car is in good condition and averages 33 mpg at 70 mph on highway trips. I love my car and need it to last another 15+ years because I'm handicapped and rely on it, and it's interior is customized to accomodate my special needs.

 

[ohioriver]

Oil threads are crazy debating topics... .but I see no reason not to continue what your are currently using... -There will be a debate, but myself I change oils at every 5000 miles on cars. That makes it easy to keep track off.

 

[Rich B.]

5-30 full synthetic is my favorite also, lawn mower-snow blower and generator. Other car suppose to use 9 quarts 5-50 wt. full synthetic, not putting that in just for driving on paved roads doing speed limits. Would not drive this car at sustained high RPM with 5-30 wt. though. Have seen recommendations for 5-20 wt. (V-8’s) and then wonder where engine ticking develops from…

What ever happened to the 5 qts. of Quaker State high detergent oil days period?? Understand oil self-changes viscosity with churning and cycling/using, temperatures to begin with? Probably new theories there also these days.

Used to have STP on the market, Andy Granatelli enterprise. Found out with enough of that added to crankcase actually lowered oil temperature. Stuff was worse than molasses pouring in engine,

 

[DrivenDaily]

What motor oil do you use in your 97 or newer Park Ave?

I have a 97 (base model) Park Ave with 105K miles. I've been using Valvoline 5w30 Maxlife HM Synthetic. I have a slight oil drip coming from somewhere. So next time I'm going to try Maxlife HM Blend, or perhaps a conventional HM oil. What do you guys recommend? I live in a moderate climate.

My car is in good condition and averages 33 mpg at 70 mph on highway trips. I love my car and need it to last another 15+ years because I'm handicapped and rely on it, and it's interior is customized to accomodate my special needs.

Since you already use Valvoline, they have 2 oils that may be of interest. I have not used either one, but they sound good and I am considering one of them on my next OC.

1. Extended Protection (both Synthetic and HM Synthetic)
2. Restore and Protect

Motor Oil - Synthetic, Conventional Blend & More - Valvoline™ Global

Get the protection that today’s advanced motor engines require, with Valvoline's conventional, high-mileage, and full synthetic motor oil to suit your needs.

www.valvolineglobal.com

(No, I am not a shill or sponsored or anything. They seem interesting to me and I'm sharing my thoughts. That's all.)

 

[cb3]

I was using Valvoline Maxlife High Mileage Full Synthetic 5w30. It was fine, except I have a minor oil drip/leak. So I was thinking of switching to a synthetic blend or conventional high mileage oil to try to stop the leak.

I just paid Walmart $19.97 for a 5 quart jug of Valvoline Maxlife High Mileage Synthetic Blend 5w30. I was also tempted by Oreilly High Mileage Conventional 5w30 because conventional would (theoretically) be least likely to leak.

 

[HotZ28]

My question is, where is the leak coming from? With 105K on the engine/car anything is possible. I don't think the oil you are using has anything to do with the leak!

 

[cb3]

My question is, where is the leak coming from? With 105K on the engine/car anything is possible. I don't think the oil you are using has anything to do with the leak!

The leak started after I switched from conventional to synthetic. So synthetic oil might be a contributing factor. This is why I want to go back to conventional or blend.

 

[HotZ28]

My question was, where is the leak coming from? Do whatever you want to do on an oil change, but I don't think that will stop the leak.

 

[cb3]

My question was, where is the leak coming from? Do whatever you want to do on an oil change, but I don't think that will stop the leak.

You might be right. I'll see what happens after oil change.

 

[DrivenDaily]

I would tend to think that your oil leak is similar to what happened to me years ago (more than once!).

I was 700 miles out of town visiting family. While there, my radiator hose burst, so like any good DIYer I replaced both rad hoses and both heater hoses. This was on a 1964 Mercury Park Lane 390 CID V8. I also took the opportunity "while I was there" to do a chemical flush before filling it with antifreeze.

Short version: some days later, at just about the half-way mark on the way home (350 miles-ish), the water pump gave out. It has a 4-blade stamped steel fan, and it was wobbling so badly that I could not even drive the car. It was around 2:00 AM on a Sunday, too! Tow truck arrived with room for only 2 other people in his cab, but 6 of us in the car. He towed us backwards to a shop. In the morning when the shop opened (on a Sunday no less!) I asked if I could work on my car in front of their place, then went next door to get a new water pump.

What seemed to happen that time (and once more some years later) was that all of the crud that had collected around the water pump bearing seal had been flushed clean, leading to the eventual failure.

Synthetic oil is fantastic at keeping the oil gallery clean, and even helps clean it if there is crud in there from previous oils. It sounds like the synthetic did its thing and now the hidden leak has resurfaced.

If possible, what I would hope you can do, and what @HotZ28 seems to be alluding to, is to fix the leak and not worry about the type of oil. I'd recommend keeping the synthetic since it has many other benefits over conventional oil, but that's all your call.

 

[Rich B.]

This gets interesting, but isn’t synthetic oil actually more slippery subject to seal, gasket leakage? Yup, use it too.

Water pump bad makes me think of the viscous drive fans. Would only run when engine was overheating and free wheeled all other times. Wonder if post ^^^ and fan blades themself was removed… wobbly water pump would have made it to repair area?

 

[cb3]

My question was, where is the leak coming from? Do whatever you want to do on an oil change, but I don't think that will stop the leak.

I am going to have my mechanic investigate source of leak. I suspect valve covers or dipstick. I can't personally look/investigate because I'm handicapped.

 

[cb3]

Update and Solution:

It was a leaking valve cover gasket and a leaking transmission seal. I had both replaced. No more leaks now.

 

[cb3]

I was using Valvoline Maxlife High Mileage Full Synthetic 5w30. It was fine, except I have a minor oil drip/leak. So I was thinking of switching to a synthetic blend or conventional high mileage oil to try to stop the leak.

I just paid Walmart $19.97 for a 5 quart jug of Valvoline Maxlife High Mileage Synthetic Blend 5w30. I was also tempted by Oreilly High Mileage Conventional 5w30 because conventional would (theoretically) be least likely to leak.

Maxlife Synthetic Blend 5w30 leaked less than Maxlife Full Synthetic 5w30. However, the leak still annoyed me.

So I brought it to my local mechanic who determined that I had a leaky valve cover gasket and a leaky transmission output shaft seal. He replaced those things. No more leaks.

At next oil change I'll switch to 5w30 Valvoline Extended Protection Full Synthetic High Mileage because it's Valvoline's best high mileage oil and its price (at Walmart) was recently lowered to $26 for 5 quarts (which is same cost as Maxlife Full Synthetic). Also because V EP FS HM has more moly and higher viscosity than Maxlife FS HM does.