ADias

It's clear that you argue for a thicker multigrade, say 5W40 or higher, but you also say that one should use 'better' oils, I guess, implying, that you would prefer another brand other than Mobil 1. Is that your position? and what brands do you recommend?

Minok

Yup. Americans get screwed by their own stupid citizens and the government that then demands we protect everyone from their own stupidity, even if the stupid are only a tiny subset of the population. We have child interlocks on everything from lighters, to 100K+ sports cars it seems.

So the solution, it would seem, is a clean and proper way to disable that stupid interlock so we an drive like adults again.

(and yes, I've been known to try and start my VW Golf with it in gear.. and turn red in the face every time it lurches .. lucky for me its only happened 3 times in 10 years, and the car never went anywhere ... because my foot is on the brake by default, when starting a car)

1999Porsche911

Some Mobil synthetics are fine, such as their 15W50 Extended Perfromance which still has the proper level of cleaners in it. I also use Pennzoil and Syntec.

Minok

I've been running Mobil 1 (admittedly 10w40 for most of the 14 years) in my VW Golf for 140,000 miles, after the first oil change at 5000 miles. No problems what-so-ever. I do know there are issues if switching to Mobil 1 from an engine that has had non-synthetic as the standard oil for some time, as the Mobile 1 will flush the dinojuice out of the various gaskets and seals which can then start to leak. But nothing has started to leak with just the Mobil 1... but I've only been on 0w40 since moving up to Seattle from Baton Rouge, 3 years ago.