Hi all,

The Alaska winter is around the corner. I was out this weekend for an event put on by the Anchorage Land Rover dealership (some pictures are up if you want to check out my albums). While there I asked one of the garage guys about recommended oil. His answer surprised me.

I just bought a 2001 Discover SE with 39K. I am interested in keeping it purring like a kitten. I don't use it to commute; it is for my free-time and weekends and something to keep mom and baby a little safer in any potential moose vs. car encounters.

I thought synthetics are supposed to be the end-all be-all of engine lubrication. The Land Rover shop guy told me to forget all about that and stick with a good quality organic that was pretty light for winter driving and maybe something a little heavier for summer driving.

We are talking tempertures regularly -10 to -30 with even colder stuff every once in a while. I will be adding a block heater to ease the morning starts.

So, the question: synthetic or organic? Which one?

Thanks all!

 

I don't know about the extreme cold of alaska but for extreme high temperatures synthetic oil can't be beat. The Germans proved that 70 years ago when they developed synthetic oil for the deserts of north africa.

BTW say hello to Sarah for me

 

Stay with a synthetic, like a 5W/30 or a 0W/30 or 40 and a good oil filter like a Mobil 1-301 or a K&N 3001 and you will be in good shape.

 

Synthetic all the way. Choose one weight and stick with it. No need to change weights with synthetic.

I do understand the extreme cold of Alaska after growing up in Fairbanks.

 

In Alaska I would use Rottela 5w-40 year round and use an oil heater in the winters. I assume you guys use some sort of heaters up there?

 

Yep, I would use the 5w40.

 

Dinosaur oils perform just fine and your engine will last just as long, assuming regular oil changes. However, the esters in synthetic oils are more uniform in size and shape and so they have superior temparature stability- particularly in places like Alaska. Thus, cold starts are one area where synthetics outperform dino oils. Synthetics also leave few if any deposits inside the engine when changed every 5K miles. I've run my Rodeo on Mobil 1 since new and after 165K miles I could practically eat off the inside of the valve covers. Go synthetic in the Rover.

Dave

 

http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oil....html#champion