Information on Mobil 1 from a former ExxonMobil staff member – I'm bias because I know what went into the development of Mobil synthetic lubricants and over my 35 years working for the company, I got to see what goes on behind the scene to make sure this brand is genuinely No 1. There isn't a gasoline engine on the market in any country that won't benefit from Mobil 1 and that's only one reason why top… Read more
brands like Porsche and Bentley restrict their service requirements to Mobil 1.
Without getting bogged down in what oil should go into a particular car, I've got a story to tell readers, but before I get into that, remember this - Viscosity is not an indication of quality. It indicates the temperature range that the oil is intended for. In saying this, most car engines built after (say) 2000 were designed for fuel efficiency, hence the reason manufacturers specify low viscosity oils EG: 0W-40 in Porsche while most other manufacturers want 5W-30 used throughout Australia. That said, anyone living at Broken Hill should use 5W-50 viscosity in any gasoline engine simply because of extreme summer temperatures.
With regards to how long an oil should be left in an engine, consider this: Mobil 1 is designed for longer service intervals and will manage high temperature extremely well. Today, it is perfectly safe and sensible to change engine oil once each year, regardless of mileage traveled. If in doubt follow the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer in the owner's handbook.
Back to the story I mentioned previously.
Most readers will know that Peter Brock was an avid Mobil 1 advocate and he had good reason for that. During the early 1990's, Brock operated the "Mobil 1 Racing Team" and Larry Perkins was the team No 2 driver. Larry is a qualified automotive technician and he knew auto mechanics inside out. He wanted to use Castrol products in the race cars.
To decide which oil would be best, Brock decided to run a test on a Dynamometer to find out which brand gave the highest power output at the back wheels. This was a tedious, time-consuming process conducted at team HQ in Melbourne. The end result was Mobil 1 15W-50 (used at the time) in the engine and Mobil SHC synthetic gear oil in differential and gearbox produced the highest brake horse power at the back wheels on the test car.
Needless to say, Larry was convinced by the results and Mobil products were used. Now, I can say this today - there were a number of other race teams visiting our team track-side with other branded containers that were filled with Mobil oils for their teams to install in their cars.
Summed up, there isn't a better engine lubricant on the market. Some manufacturers don't tell the complete truth about the contents of their products in an attempt to make their oil seem unique. Synthetic is used in instances where it isn't entirely true, so if you read comments like this, you will be aware of what you are NOT buying. "This oil has an enhanced additive packaged that provides Synthetic like performance". NOTE: The additive package has zip to do with the base oil in the product which makes up around 60% of what is in the container. Therefore, the quality and characteristics of the base oil is critical to performance.
FOOTNOTE: My comments apply to all viscosity options of Mobil 1.
"Simply the best" – I have now been using Mobil 1 for 20 years and never had any problems. I first used it in a XE Falcon with a rebuilt motor, after 330,000 km the motor was still ran like new and consumed little oil, the car was written off but the mechanic I sold the engine to pulled it down, found it still clean inside and with little wear. The next car is a… Read more
2003 Subaru Forester, started using Mobil 1 from the first oil change, it has now gone 480,000 km and still good, burns about 1 litre oil 1000 km, no engine noises or rattles. Third vehicle is a 2007 SY Ford Territory with 320,000 km on the clock, engine still runs like new, and has never been opened, it uses about 1 litre of Mobil 1 between 15,000 km services. The exhaust system and catalytic converter is still the original, only one oxygen sensor has been replaced. The spark plugs only need changing every 150,000 km. I am using Mobil 1 on my FGX which has done only 40,000 km, barely run in, no noticeable oil consumption at all between changes.
Another good reason for using Mobil 1 is that where I live the temperature can fall to as low as -8 in winter, Mobil 1 synthetic oils do not thicken like conventional oils which allows the engine to start faster, the oil starts circulating more quickly, and warms up more quickly. I would recommend it to anybody.
My go to oil! Outstanding engine protection – I first chose to use Mobil 1 back in 2004 in my old Toyota Hilux 2.7L 4cyl ute, after hearing the story of my friend tell me how Mobil 1 increased the reliability of his sprint car during the racing season. As a privateer speedway racer, engine protection was paramount to prevent engine damage to his sprint car, as a good quality synthetic engine… Read more
oil is much cheaper than a new 600HP sprint car engine!.
So after hearing his very interesting story, I thought I would give it a go. Firstly, before I go on, this oil is expensive, and is the only negative to this story, but I consider it an important investment, as you only get what you pay for, right? (A good tip, I buy Mobil 1 in a 20L drum from a Exxon Mobil wholesaler - more cost effective that way, and decant into 5L Mobil 1 containers when servicing our cars.) In my humble opinion, using a good quality synthetic engine oil in your vehicle/s is paramount to good car engine reliability. But I digress ... Back to the ute:
After the first oil change with Mobil 1, (my ute already had 70,000 km on the clock at this stage), I was truly amazed how quieter the engine sounded, and how smooth it felt in all aspects of operation, from idling to gentle acceleration, under normal operation and during wide open throttle (WOT). During my ownership of the hilux ute, I had zero engine issues. I chose to keep using Mobil 1 in the ute for piece of mind, until it made way for the new arrival of child number 2.
The wife and I currently own a 2009 Toyota RAV4 and a 2011 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, and we bought them both new. I chose from the very start to use Mobil 1 5W-30 in both of our Toyota's since their first oil changes, and continue to do so for piece of mind, despite the cost. Both our Toyota's engines run like new. The engines feel and perform exactly the same as the day we bought them brand new. They get serviced every 10,000 km, and apart from a couple of minor wear and tear items on the RAV4, (Alternator failure and leaking water pump), they have been very reliable vehicles. Only the RAV4 uses a little engine oil. At about 7,000 km after every service I have to top up the oil - around 100 - 300 mL of oil into the engine, well within spec of oil usage rates for the 2AZ-FE engine. Apparently the 2AZ-FE engines are known to use a bit of oil. Ours is not too bad.
I can't fault Mobil 1 at all. It keeps our engines clean and does a good job of lubricating them as well. I'm even using it in the Honda lawnmower! I am surprised by so many consumers going for much cheaper oil, by either lack of knowledge or for sheer neglect for their automobiles. You can look down the oil filler caps of both of our Toyota's into the rocker cover and the cams look beautifully clean, a testament to the very high quality of Mobil 1 fully synthetic engine oil.
Do I recommend this oil? You betcha! I wouldn't use any other oil in a million years.
*Edit 23Nov19
I recently replaced the valve cover gasket on our RAV4 due to a very minor oil leak. Odometer was 144500 and RAV4 is now 10 years old. Just required the gasket to be replaced. Thought Id share how clean it is inside the top of engine head. No Engine flush. Just regular oil changes with Mobil 1 5W-30. Very happy customer indeed.
*Edit 15Mar21
In jan 2020, we traded our RAV4 for a new Subaru Forester 2.5 i-S. In Nov 2020, the Subie had its first oil change with 12000km on the clock. I supplied our Subaru dealer with Mobil 1 0W-20, and our Forester still feels like new, and I reckon she feels a little smoother in operation since changing from the factory Subaru oil to Mobil 1. Fuel consumption is outstanding on the highway, and if I'm driving (not the bride - she has a slightly heavy right foot), pretty good in urban areas too. Zero oil consumption in both my vehicles.
As stated previously, I have used Mobil 1 5W-30 in my Corolla since new. About a year ago, I changed the oil to Mobil 1 0W-20 in the Corolla. It ran absolutely beautifully, and I reckon I gained about 0.6 - 0.8 l/100km in fuel economy on regular commutes to work and back. Also, the engine warmed up a little quicker I found as well. Both grades of oil are excellent, and the detergents that Mobil 1 use in their oils keep my engines super clean and running like brand new. The Corolla runs just as well as she did when I bought her brand new in Jan 2012. A testament tp both Mobil 1 and Toyota for their superb products.
Excellent, stopped noisy camshaft tappets – Found this oil on heavy discount at Supercheap. Said they were not restocking Mobil because it was too expensive and didn't move. My dads Honda CR-V had a noisy top end. After flush, filter and new Mobil 1 the noise had gone. Not sure if I would pay the premium price next time around, but the CR-V sure does run well now. Show details
BRILLIANT!! – This oil is very good for my engine, no dramas with it, this is the same exact oil that my local ford dealership uses in services, this oil is well recommended for anyone wanting some awesome performance, Mobil 1 is the best and even better than Castrol oils all the way Show details
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