I am a new owner to an 08 MR and I want to keep the warranty intact (has 13k miles) and dont want to give mitsubishi any chance to screw me over.

My question would be about the maintenance intervals and OEM engine oil. I am going to have very low miles on the car for a while(less than 5K a year). I assume I have to stick to the months/miles rule whatever comes first? So I will have to change my engine oil every 3 months even if its not even close to needing it changed?

I also want to run something different than the 5w30 that’s called for. In my research it seems mobil 1 0w-40 European is a much better choice for any turbo car, due to shearing. I am also considering something like a Redline 5-30w.

I just dont want to have an engine or even a tc-sst failure and have them try to blame it on that.

 

Just stick to the recommended maintenance intervals and keep records of everything. Mitsu calls for a 5W-30, but any brand of synthetic will be fine. My dealership actually uses 10W-30 in X's so I doubt they'll care if you chance viscosity. For interval, Mitsu recommends 5 months or 5k miles, whichever comes first.

 

Follow the interval shown on the Info Center in your car and you should be good. The milage count down will not likely be 1 for 1 since the car is somehow taking into account driving pattern or some form of oil sensor input [shrug]. But of course the time count down is linear and you can certianly hit that first.

 

0w-30, 5w-30, 10w-30 -- "W" referrers to the winter weight. Do not change the hot (SAE) weight (in this case 30). Factory
intervals are listed in the owners manual as well as oil specifications for that motor.



And you cannot void warranty unless justified. I.e. your custom drive shaft sheered off and blew the rear diff - thats not going to be covered. But having a K/N panel filter is for say a split axle seal - that is going to be covered.

 

The reason I want to change the hot weight is becase the oil analysis on this motor is showing that the 30 is shearing down to a 20 and losing viscosity.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...1612673&page=1

It is most likely the cause of the TSB that said to lower the interval to 3k miles.

 

I'm always amused by this topic. Is there anyone here who thinks auto engineers don't know that oil degrades? That we are somehow actually better informed (note I didn't say smarter, as some of you may actually be)?

I mean look, if you are using your car in scenarios that are beyond the typical usage (ultra hot, ultra cold, endurance racing, etc) then of course consider using an oil best suited to that condition. But beyond that, it is a fair assumption that the gentlemen that determined what weight of oil to run in our cars did it with the full knowledge that the oil will break down. Or to put it another way, the engine may be able to operate forever with a mythical 20wt oil that never degrades. But since they know actual oil starts down hill from day one they don't start with a 20wt, they start with 30wt and allow it to degrade from there.

All that being said, if you are worried about viscosity breakdown your best bet is NOT to use a heavier weight oil which risks blowing seals due to high pressure, and under lubricating areas due to poor flow. No, your best bet is to simply change the oil more often. Much as you eluded to in your TSB reference.

As to that TSB: there are other reasons for changing more oil frequently beyond viscosity breakdown, like moisture, soot, or particulate accumulation, pH and anti-wear additive consumption, as well as gasoline dilution.

 

oddly enough, I just got off the phone today with Mitsu corp about a clutch issue I'm having and I brought up the question of "if I change it with a non-Mitsu part, do I void the warranty." Their response was "No but if a warranty claim is made later on and it is determined that your change affected the part in question, the repair wouldn't be covered." Obviously, you don't know me, don't know my situation, and have no reason to believe me over Joe-shmo but that's what I've been told.

Re: your situation, I'd follow what it says in the Maintenance Manual and, like "the Kracka" (sry) said, KEEP RECORDS! Oil purchases, oil analysis', other shop's work, etc all needs to be documented to SHOW Mitsu that the car has been properly maintained. It'll be a fight because (in MY opinion and experiences) even without having done anything to the car and not causing excess wear, Mitsu will try and wrap you into "every" other Evo driver (iow street racing, clutch dropping, lead footed, use & abusive driver) and not stand behind their warranty.

I also agree with JumperAlex's comments fully. Stick with what they suggest (esp if you're trying to keep your warranty) as they ARE smarter than I (in this case ).

As for timing, if I read your post correctly, you're getting analysis' done so they'll tell you if you need to step up (or can scale back) your changes. If you aren't, then stick with the 5m/5k.

 

Let me tell you about an evil kind of engineer... the "value" engineer.

Everything about a car (or anything, for that matter) is a compromise between best, cheapest, and most expedient. Thus, every recommendation may have primary allegience to one, but will pay tribute to the other two. So even the recommendation for the "best" oil is under the caveat that it needs to be reasonably priced and available. Synthetic 5W-30 is recommended because natural whale pubic hair oil is just too hard to get and expensive.

No, really. Final editing authority for the manufacturers' recommendations does not come from the engineering department. That was my point.

 

that's some funny shiz!

 

Oh yes I know about the value engineers ... I've had to deal with military aerospace contractors. Still, it isn't like automative lubrication tech is new and expensive requiring massive amounts of new R&D. It doesn't cost anything to recommend 40wt oil over 30wt or alternatively to design the engine lube system to work with 30wt (the one that is so easy to get) knowing that degrades.

My opinion, and that is what it is like everyone elses here, is that if you are operating your engine w/in normal operating conditions, then I'm pretty sure the engineers designed the engine and choose the oil, or choose the oil and designed the engine, with the full understanding of the wear properties of the oil.

I'm also doubley amused by the oil analysis thread posted above. The submitter is one of our very own. Read the actual analysis though, you know from the lab that performed it and is ostensibly the authority on the topic (though I have no proof of the labratory's credentials). Then read what the arm-chair experts say in the forum. Notice a disconnect? I'd quote a few lines from the lab anlysis but my work firewall is blocking it.

Again, in my opinion, what I read in that analysis tells me there is no reason to switch to 40wt. That is to say: no where in that analysis does it make that recommendation and iirc the only recommendation is to change oil at 6500 miles.

As to natural whale public hair oil ... I know a guy, you want me to hook you up >;-)

 

Not to thread jack, but while were on the topic of maintenance reminders, my Honda takes into account how hard you push the car, to determine how frequent you need to change oil and things of that nature, does the X maintenance reminder take things like that into account? Didn't recall seeing it in the manual anywhere.

 

My experience:
5w 30 goes burn sooner than 10w30 and 10w40
i tried all oils at this point in my evo 10 2008, royal purple, mobil one, castrol, etc.
from all the best: castrol full syntetic 10w30. $8.75 /Q at pepboys
and remember, if you track her, change your oil after the events.

 

thats because you are most likey using an oil that naturally does this, either the new Mobil one formula or non sysntehtics oil's you may be using.

however any oil will eventually shear down, but the trick lays in how well will it still lubricate when it shear down, get an oil with a high TBN and plenty detergent additives and you will be ok, Group 4 oils will normally give you the best attributes

 

i dont think it could be explainned any better.

 

yessir!