armstrong Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 hello I just bought a 2000 Eldorado ETC with 47000 miles. I want to do an oil change and would like some advice on what oil to use. Is synthetic ok to use or should I use petroleum based oil? rt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 This will be an interesting thread Welcome aboard You have roller CAMs beginning in 2000 My inclination would be to use what your owners manual states and make sure you meet or exceed that spec Do you have the owners manual? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrong Posted September 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 This will be an interesting thread Welcome aboard You have roller CAMs beginning in 2000 My inclination would be to use what your owners manual states and make sure you meet or exceed that spec Do you have the owners manual? Thanks for the welcome I don't want to start an oil thread. I would like to use the synthetic and didn't see in the manual if it would be ok for the seals and things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 This will be an interesting thread Welcome aboard You have roller CAMs beginning in 2000 My inclination would be to use what your owners manual states and make sure you meet or exceed that spec Do you have the owners manual? Thanks for the welcome I don't want to start an oil thread. I would like to use the synthetic and didn't see in the manual if it would be ok for the seals and things. Oh sorry, I am not saying you want to start an oil thread I edited your title to draw some attention from our oil people, I am surprised the manual does not address.... By the way, I am a Three Stooges fan, and got their autographs when I was a kid! Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrong Posted September 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 When my kids were little I turned them on to the stooges, they had eighteen hours of them on vhs and all three of them still love them to this day. My father hated them so I had to sneek watch them on sat. mornings. Moe was my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Use whatever floats your boat. Synthetic is fine , but not necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddypete Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Why spend more money than needed. Synthetics are a better oil. Petro oil has come along way and that is what your car has run fine on for 10 years why experiment now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Synthetic oil is not necessary in your engine. I wouldn't waste the money on synthetic if it were my car. If I bought an XLR or a Corvette that came from the factory with synthetic oil, then I would use it but your came from the factory with conventional oil. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrong Posted September 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 thank you every one for your input rt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 A few years ago, I would have written here that you should stay with what the manual says, and lacking that, I also would have said use conventional oil in order to keep your "cost per mile" low. This advice would not have come from personal experience, but instead from a Caddy engineer....and it would have been great advice. Which, by the way, is EXACTLY what you got from this group, great advice. In the last several years of Northstar ownership, and time spent learning about the subject, I have realized that this question is very complicated, and it depends on exactly what you expect synthetic oil will do for you. In other words, if you are having leaks, synthetic oil won't change them in any way. If you are having oil usage issues, it won't fix them either, in fact oil usage may increase slightly. Finally, most synthetic oils are blends or modified slightly in a way that qualifies them to be called synthetic, but they really aren't. Given all of that, I would use a TRUE synthetic. Mobil1 would be my first choice in the weight range specified in your manual, and Castrol "Made in Germany" would be my second choice. My third choice would be Pennzoil Platinum, for the low cost option. I have decided that if stuck rings are going to happen in a Northstar, they will more likely happen with a conventional oil, and not so likely with synthetic. Further, if you are ever going to UNSTICK rings that were caused by too much gentle driving, you will MOST LIKELY unstick them using synthetic oil. That is the SOLE basis for my recommendation. To advise you even further, NEVER run a Northstar with the oil at the FULL mark on the dipstick. Just put in 7.5, or an even 7, and make your own mark on the stick......this is where you will fill the engine to when you add oil. Always remember, if the oil level gets too low, the car will tell you before it does any damage! Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadeInAmerica Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Hi Artee. I'll try to help you out with your question. I feel I might have some experience in answering your question as I have been in the synthetic oil industry for the past almost 25 years as an AMSOIL synthetic lubricants dealer and also am professionally employed in the automotive repair industry for 25 years as well. Your question is very common and is deserving of a good answer. You can use either a petroleum oil in the car or the better synthetic oil with no problems. Either way, the engine wont fail, it wont blow up and your car wont begin to show signs of possession like in the movie, "Christine", etc. A good synthetic oil offers many benefits that a lower performing petroleum oil, (or many lower performing "synthetic", oils), can possibly deliver. Better synthetic oils can deliver improved fuel economy, easier winter starts, reduced emissions, an internally cleaner engine/less sludge build up, superior high temperature protection, reduced wear and can save substantial amounts of money in lower maintenance costs. With my own 1999 Eldorado ETC, I am at almost 35,000 miles using AMSOIL synthetic 0W-30 motor oil with no oil change and just recently sent in an oil sample to an oil analysis laboratory with the results being, "Suitable for continued use". Not having to change my oil for almost 35,000 miles now has saved me considerable money. AMSOIL 0W-30 has a recommended and warranted drain interval of up to 35,000 miles, so if I had been using a lower performing 3,000 mile standard drain oil instead, that would equal 11 oil changes. Even at only say $20 per oil change X 11 changes that's $220. Using AMSOIL over the same period of time only cost me about $85. The fuel economy increase is saving me about $150 in costs too. Combined, I'm saving close to $200 a year. AMSOIL synthetic motor oil was the first 100% synthetic API rated motor oil on the market way back in 1972, but there are other extended drain synthetic oils on the market now too. The below link will take you to an excellent article on synthetic oils and why they are such a great idea to use. Enjoy. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/tech/syntheticoil/ hello I just bought a 2000 Eldorado ETC with 47000 miles. I want to do an oil change and would like some advice on what oil to use. Is synthetic ok to use or should I use petroleum based oil? rt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I would revise the above by saying that no one does the OLD SCHOOL 3000 mile oil changes anymore. The GM oil life monitor determines when the oil should be changed based on driving habits, oil temp, revolutions, ambient temp, trip length, etc. It is not uncommon for a 2000+ Cadillac to get 10,000-12000 on an oil change which would mean that you would go through only 3 oil changes not 11 I would have a problem running oil for 35000 miles without changing the filter Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I would revise the above by saying that no one does the OLD SCHOOL 3000 mile oil changes anymore. The GM oil life monitor determines when the oil should be changed based on driving habits, oil temp, revolutions, ambient temp, trip length, etc. It is not uncommon for a 2000+ Cadillac to get 10,000-12000 on an oil change which would mean that you would go through only 3 oil changes not 11 I would have a problem running oil for 35000 miles without changing the filter I would NEVER run oil for 35,000 miles...Not in "MY" car. I don't care WHAT it is made out of. But... thats just me...other people can do what they want to with their cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 The antiwear additive that is in ALL oil is ZDP - it depletes at the SAME rate - regardless if the oil is synthetic od conventional oil. No way would I run 35,000 miles between oil changes. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 35k without an oil change is abuse, not to mention foolhardy. Not on my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 35k without an oil change is abuse, not to mention foolhardy. Not on my car. I agree, the only problem is that he sent his oil in for analysis and it tested good. Kevin mentioned ZDP, that it is depleted over time, we have had many discussions in the past about that, with the guru. Does anyone know if synthetic relies upon ZDP as an anti wear compound? What allows synthetic to last so long IF ZDP is being depleted at the same rate as dino oil? If in fact synthetic oil is still good at 35K, which to me is hard to believe, what consideration do they give to changing the filter during that long interval? I would like to see the independent testing results I cant see how synthetic oil survives short drives where moisture and impurities are NOT burned out of it, as that is part of the equation that is not mentioned above Long trips is one thing, short trips is another Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 35k without an oil change is abuse, not to mention foolhardy. Not on my car. I agree, the only problem is that he sent his oil in for analysis and it tested good. Kevin mentioned ZDP, that it is depleted over time, we have had many discussions in the past about that, with the guru. Does anyone know if synthetic relies upon ZDP as an anti wear compound? What allows synthetic to last so long IF ZDP is being depleted at the same rate as dino oil? If in fact synthetic oil is still good at 35K, which to me is hard to believe, what consideration do they give to changing the filter during that long interval? I would like to see the independent testing results I cant see how synthetic oil survives short drives where moisture and impurities are NOT burned out of it, as that is part of the equation that is not mentioned above Long trips is one thing, short trips is another "IF" I was going to go 35,000 miles without changing the oil..(which I would not do)...I would be changing the filter AT LEAST every 5000 miles, and adding enough oil to fill it back up. That way I would be adding a little ZDP back in it every 5,000 miles. Just me...but I would rather spend a few dollars and change the oil more often. I don't need to save $100 bucks "THAT" bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navion Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 35,000 miles without changing the oil? When he trades it in, I wonder if he will tell who he sells the car to that little tidbit of information? As BBF says, synthetic won't get rid of moisture, contaminates and acids just because it is synthetic. I doubt that any synthetic oil manufacturer would recommend or condone running their oils that long, no matter what the circumstances are. Mobil 1 Aviation Oil was removed from the market due to the fact that it couldn't handle moisture & developed serious sludge problems, mostly to to incompatability with the lead in aviation fuel. While I'm not trying to say that automotive & aviation oils are directly comperable, the fact exists that even Mobil's engineers didn't forsee the problems that cropped up with synthetic oils. Britt Britt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Jim you are a long trip driver. Do you follow the oil life monitor? If you do, how long is the interval between changes? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Jim you are a long trip driver. Do you follow the oil life monitor? If you do, how long is the interval between changes? No...I do not follow the oil life monitor, I usually change it at around 50% or so. That is usually around 5,000 to 6,000 miles. I know that is probably way too often, but "I" know how I drive. Sometimes...depending on the road and traffic conditions...it will be around 100 mph for hours and hours. Sometimes...(when I am "NOT" on a trip)...it is just driven here in town, but it is mostly freeway driving. But even that..(freeway driving) has a lot of going slow...with the AC on interspersed with WOT's. I just can't force myself to wait as long as the Ooi Life Monitor says to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Hours and Hours OMG Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Does anyone know if synthetic relies upon ZDDP as an anti wear compound? I don't know and do not recall what the Guru said about that. Jim you are a long trip driver. Do you follow the oil life monitor? If you do, how long is the interval between changes? Most of my driving is highway. I change my oil at 10K (just to make it easy). I usually still have about 20% left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Hours and Hours OMG Whats wrong? Is there a problem? I thought NorthStars were "MADE TO RUN" and I hate taking two forevers to get someplace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsjoe Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Hours and Hours? I'm movin to Texas I used conventional and went by the OLM (about 7500 maybe 8000) and never had any problems but it's all about peace of mind. Oh and welcome to the board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Hours and Hours? I'm movin to Texas I used conventional and went by the OLM (about 7500 maybe 8000) and never had any problems but it's all about peace of mind. Oh and welcome to the board! 313,000 miles...Thats very impressive. I too use conventional oil. Thats what mine came with from the factory. In 2007 Cadillac went to synthetic oil in the DTS. I should have clarified the HOURS AND HOURS statement.... Probably should have said... "Between 80 and 100 for hours and hours."...and that is (of course) dependent on road and traffic conditions. That would be a more accurate statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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