Is an oil change really noticible?

I just got my third oil change on my 02 Camaro SS. I swear, every time I get it changed, I notice a big difference in how well it runs, how quiet it runs, and even performance.

Is this... imaginary? Kinda like louder exhaust can make you think you're so much faster, when really the difference can be moot?

Or are there actual performance gains... of getting it changed?

Just checkin to see how crazy I am =) :confused:

it really isnt related.. but your goin to get a bunch of people saying the same thing..

your car will make more power with more miles tho, nad you will pick up a few hp with synthetic. You shouldnt notice that tho, but it may rev faster. this is ofcourse only true if your goin from regular to syn.

At best your car will be a little quieter with clean oil. Or if you go do a different weight.

I have a dyno session scheduled for next thursday to find out for sure that very thing.. Only I am doing the whole car.. Motor, tranny and rear..

I will say that it did seem smoother when I did my first oil change.. I have gone about 4000 miles between oil changes though.. So this next one will be my 2nd change..

So far, its all good.. The car dynos the same or near to the same everytime..

In one week I will finally have the answers to a few questions I have always had.. hehe

Hello - i'm new to this board. This probably isn't a good topic for my first post because i know i'll catch flak for this but - i have a 98 z with 70k and m6. i have run mobil 1 since new and have never noticed any difference in performance from oil change to oil change. about a month ago i decided try quaker state syn for the heck of it. after the change i drove it and noticed a change (increase) in performance. i coudn't believe it as i'm sure nobody else will either. I had about 7k on the mobil 1. could that be it? i don't think so as that is about standard for me. it was 10-30 to 10-30 so that shouldn't be a factor. i don't know how to explain it. it's not like i'm breaking in a new motor.

i'm going to try it in my 300zx tt see if i notice something similar.

i do see when i change oil that it runs quiter....but as far as performance i think u guys are high ore somethin;)


jk


u dont add hp with an oil change sorry to break it to u:D

Well since your car was brand new. Every time you change your oil your engine is breaking in alittle more. When you hit 10 to 15k it'll no longer break in and will hit a plateu of what it has for power. From brand new to 15k you will gain close to or more than 20 hp at the crank.

I have NEVER noticed a change in performance from an oil change.

Originally posted by chuck
I have NEVER noticed a change in performance from an oil change.
i don't think it is the oil just his engine breaking in and just that feeling you get after you do something to your car like it helped so much more lol.

Originally posted by My84Z
i don't think it is the oil just his engine breaking in and just that feeling you get after you do something to your car like it helped so much more lol.

ya like those people sayin that got soooooooooo much hp from cuttin the bottom of their airbox..... free ram air mod...ya right

Ya, oil changes don't do crap to performance, only reliability. Synthetic oil simply is smoother and breaks down slower then regular oil.

What really gets me is the people who don't think oil changes are necessary! While back one of my friend's got a '01 Firebird V6. Her dad wouldn't let her take it in to change the oil, as he believed oil changes were a waste of money, lol. Stupid moron. Coincidentally her dad owns a '88 (I think) Firebird, which is currently garaged cuz it's not working :D Eventually when she wa slike 1500 miles overdue I finally talked her into (she's scared her dad will find out) coming over to my house and I changed it for her.

Dunno wtf that had to do w/ the original post, but it just came to mind :D

Originally posted by GrdLockV6
Ya, oil changes don't do crap to performance, only reliability. Synthetic oil simply is smoother and breaks down slower then regular oil.

What really gets me is the people who don't think oil changes are necessary! While back one of my friend's got a '01 Firebird V6. Her dad wouldn't let her take it in to change the oil, as he believed oil changes were a waste of money, lol. Stupid moron. Coincidentally her dad owns a '88 (I think) Firebird, which is currently garaged cuz it's not working :D Eventually when she wa slike 1500 miles overdue I finally talked her into (she's scared her dad will find out) coming over to my house and I changed it for her.

Dunno wtf that had to do w/ the original post, but it just came to mind :D


at least it delt with oil:D

I went from regular to syn (mobile 1) and now I hear my lifters when I get the rpms up high. That's weird. I was thinking maybe the weight was to light, but I only have 66000 miles so I shouldn't need a heavier weight. Going to try it anyway to see if the light noise I hear is gone.

the general rule is that if you jsut change your motor oil you will not gain HP... but if you change all of your cars fluids then you may see some gains..
MAY...

My 2001 Z28, has always been noisey at start up, and when cold with Mobil1, I recently changed to Royal Purple (same weight), and the engine is ALOT quieter.

SteveC :)

I changed my car from regualar to sythentic and picked up almost a mph in the eigth. Could have been alot of factors that affected this though. But I thought synthetic oil produced less friction between the moving parts thus freeing up horsepower, even if it is a very little increase. That is the whole deal with changing all the fluids, less friction = more power. So a change from regular to synthetic would result in less friction in the internal moving parts. I also run a half quarte of oil low on raceday(I usually change the oil the day before I go to the track) so that there is less friction their to,<---- I need to save for a windage trey.