Synthetic blend oil is a mix of two types of oil: synthetic and regular oil. The label doesn’t tell you the exact mix, so it might be mostly regular oil or mostly synthetic depending on the brand.
API SQ is a label that tells you the oil meets certain engine-protection standards set by the API. Oils with this approval have been tested to help prevent engine wear and buildup.
They’re talking about a cutoff date when new motor oil sold in the U.S. has to meet the newest standards. After that date, the oils available should be built to those updated requirements.
“0W20” is the label on engine oil that tells you how it behaves in cold weather and when the engine is warmed up. The lower the first number, the easier it flows on a cold start.
Engine oil is what keeps moving engine parts from grinding against each other. Using the right type helps it flow where it’s needed and still protect the engine.
“5W20” is another type of engine oil with a different cold-weather flow rating than “0W20.” Whether it’s okay depends on what your car’s manual calls for.
Engine clearances are the tiny gaps between moving parts inside the engine. When those gaps get smaller, the oil has to be able to slip into the tight spaces to keep everything lubricated.
Engine oil doesn’t just lubricate—it also forms a thin protective layer between moving parts. If that layer is thick enough and stays in place, the engine parts are less likely to rub directly against each other, which reduces wear.
Normally, oil keeps engine parts from touching. Boundary friction is what happens when the oil layer is too thin, so parts can start rubbing against each other more directly, which can cause extra wear.
Term
0W
“0W” is the part of the oil label that tells you how well it flows when it’s very cold. A smaller number like 0W usually means the oil gets moving faster on a cold morning.
Term
5W
“5W” is the cold-weather part of the oil grade. It tells you how easily the oil moves when it’s cold—so it affects how quickly lubrication starts on a chilly morning.
Viscosity is how thick the oil is. Thicker oil protects differently than thinner oil, and viscosity also affects how fast the oil can flow to lubricate the engine.
Shear is when the oil gets “worked” inside the engine and can thin out over time. If it thins too much, it may not protect the engine as well as it should.
Term
industry test
An industry test is a standardized laboratory procedure used to evaluate oil properties like viscosity stability. The hosts point out that these tests don’t always match real-world driving and engine conditions, so performance can differ in practice.
Term
multi-way oil
“Multi-way oil” means the oil is made to work in different temperatures. It tries to stay protective both when the engine is cold and when it’s hot.
If you’re low on oil (for example, down a quart), there’s less oil to lubricate and cool the engine. That can make the engine run hotter and increase wear.
The oil pan is where most of the engine’s oil sits at the bottom of the engine. If the oil level is low, the engine has less oil available to do its job.
Contamination means the oil picks up unwanted stuff over time. When that happens, the oil doesn’t protect the engine as well.
Term
residual oil
Residual oil is the remaining oil that’s still in the system after some has been used or displaced. The segment implies that when oil is low and conditions are harsh, the remaining oil is more heavily affected by breakdown and contaminants.
Volkswagen has its own checklist for what oil should do in their engines. Using an oil that meets the VW spec helps make sure it’s the right type for that engine.
API is a set of rules for engine oil performance in the U.S. If an oil meets an API spec, it means it’s designed to work with engines that require that level of protection.
OEM specs are the manufacturer’s instructions for what oil should meet for that specific engine. Following them helps the oil protect the engine the way the maker intended.
Eurospec is a way of labeling oil standards that are meant for European cars. European cars may need different oil approvals than cars sold in the U.S.
10W-30 is a different grade of engine oil than 0W-20. It may work temporarily if you can’t find the exact oil your car calls for, but you should switch to the correct grade when you can.
The oil filter cleans the oil as it moves through the engine. If you change the oil but keep the old filter, you can reduce how well the new oil can protect the engine.
A turbocharger is a part that helps a smaller engine make more power. It uses the engine’s exhaust to spin very fast, and that heat and speed can be hard on the oil, so the oil has to handle it.
A turbocharged engine uses a turbo to squeeze more air into the engine for more power. Since the turbo gets very hot and spins fast, the engine oil has to work harder.
A supercharger also boosts power by forcing more air into the engine. The key difference is it’s powered directly by the engine, not by exhaust gases like a turbo.
Synthetic oil is a higher-tech type of engine oil designed to work better in hot and cold conditions. Since turbos run very hot, synthetic oil can help protect the engine and turbo better.
Seal swelling (or shrinkage) refers to how rubber seals can change size after exposure to certain fluids over time. The speaker suggests that in very old engines with original seals, switching oil types could theoretically cause seal material to swell or shrink.
Conventional oil is the older, standard type of engine oil. The point here is that switching between synthetic and conventional isn’t automatically harmful.
Additives are the “extra ingredients” in engine oil that help protect the engine. Over many years, those ingredients can wear out even if the bottle is still sealed.
Shelf life means how long the oil can sit in the bottle before it stops working as well. The host’s advice is that very old oil shouldn’t go back into an engine.
Half life is a way to describe how something fades over time. The host is saying oil additives lose their strength gradually, not all at once.
Term
APS specification
Oil has to meet certain standards so it’s safe for your engine. The host is saying that many oils on the shelf qualify because they meet those standards and the car maker’s requirements.
Term
GS7 specification
This is a named standard for engine oil quality. The host’s message is that if an oil meets the standard your car calls for, it’s generally acceptable.
Term
high performance oil
High performance oil is just engine oil that’s made to protect your engine better, especially when the car is working hard or gets very hot. The goal is to keep the engine lubricated and healthy for longer.
Engine oil is made from a main ingredient called the base oil. Picking the right base oil helps the final product protect your engine better, especially in heat and under stress.
A taxi fleet is lots of cars driven every day for work. That kind of use is tough on oil, so it’s a practical way to see how well the oil survives real driving.
Term
oil is the lifeblood of your engine
Engine oil keeps the engine’s moving parts from grinding against each other. It also helps cool the engine and helps keep dirt from building up.
Term
check the oil often
Checking your oil regularly helps you notice if the level is getting low. If oil gets too low, the engine can wear out faster, so it’s better to catch it early.
They’re talking about a 1963 Ford Falcon that has a 260-cubic-inch V8 engine installed. Even after rebuilding the engine, it still leaks oil, which is why they’re considering an additive.
An oil leak is when engine oil is leaking out of the car instead of staying inside the engine. If the oil level drops too low, the engine can wear out faster or even get damaged.
Lucas Oil Stop Leak is an additive you pour into the engine oil that’s meant to reduce leaking. It usually works by making the oil a bit thicker, which can help slow down small leaks.
Term
016
“016” is shorthand for a specific type of engine oil thickness (an oil grade). The newer Subaru is designed to use that exact oil grade, so using the wrong one can change how the oil lubricates the engine.
Term
020
“020” is shorthand for a specific oil thickness grade (0W-20). The host is saying the newer Subaru wants a different oil grade, so using 0W-20 instead of 0W-16 may not be ideal.
“Rear main” usually means the seal at the back of the engine where the crankshaft goes through. If oil shows up near the clutch area, it can be a sign that this rear seal is leaking.
Term
sink in it
The speaker mentions something done during the rebuild (“sink in it”), but it’s not clear what exact repair they mean. It sounds like a special step needed for an older engine, but the details aren’t stated.
High mileage oil is made for older engines. It usually includes extra ingredients meant to help reduce leaks and keep engine seals from getting dried out.
A zinc supplement adds zinc-based anti-wear chemistry to the oil. The host mentions “dumping bottles of zinc” as a way to increase protection, implying concern about anti-wear performance for the engine’s needs.
Lucas is an aftermarket brand that sells oil additives and other vehicle-treatment products. The host says they like some Lucas products but have had issues with others, implying results can vary depending on the specific product and situation.
STP is an aftermarket additive brand that’s commonly associated with oil and fuel treatments. In the story, the host describes a driver repeatedly adding STP at every oil change and believing it helped protect the engine during a later oil-pump failure.
The oil pump is the component that pressurizes and circulates engine oil to lubricate bearings and other moving parts. The host’s anecdote says the oil pump failed, which explains why the oil light triggered despite the earlier assumption that it was just a sensor issue.
The oil light is a dashboard warning that indicates low oil pressure or an oil system problem. In the story, the oil light comes on and the host describes checking the hood—highlighting that the light can be an early warning of serious lubrication issues.
An oil sender (often called an oil pressure sensor/sender) sends information to the dashboard oil warning system. The host initially assumes the oil light could be caused by a bad sender, but the story concludes the oil pump was actually the problem.
An electric motor uses electricity from the battery to turn the wheels. In a plug-in hybrid, it can help you move using electricity, especially at lower speeds.
0-60 time is a common performance metric that measures how many seconds it takes a car to accelerate from 0 mph to 60 mph. It’s used as a quick, comparable way to describe real-world acceleration feel, though it depends on traction, temperature, and vehicle setup.
The Dodge Charger is a car that comes in different versions, including some that can be plugged in. If it’s a plug-in hybrid, you can charge it at home using an outlet, and it can still drive normally like a hybrid when the battery runs low.
120 volts is the standard type of power you might have in a typical home outlet. Charging at 120 volts is usually slower than charging at higher-voltage outlets.
The Toyota Prius is a hybrid car, which means it uses an electric motor and a gas engine together. It can recharge its battery while you drive, especially when you slow down, so you don’t always have to plug it in.
Range anxiety is the fear you’ll run out of battery before you can reach a charger. With a plug-in hybrid, the car can switch to gas, so you’re not stuck if the battery runs low.
Adaptive suspension is a system that adjusts how the car’s shocks behave while you drive. It tries to keep the ride smooth without making the car feel loose or floaty.
A collapsible spare is a small, temporary spare tire meant to get you moving until you can fix the flat. It’s not meant for long-distance or high-speed driving.
Instead of a spare, some cars use a kit with an air pump and a sealant. It can plug some punctures, but if you really wreck the tire from hitting something, the kit may not be enough.
AAA is a company that helps drivers when their car breaks down. The host is saying that a spare tire can get you back on the road faster than calling for a tow.
BMW iDrive is BMW’s dashboard screen-and-knob system for things like music, navigation, and settings. The host prefers physical buttons and knobs because they’re easier to use without looking away from the road.
“Big tires” usually means larger-diameter wheels and/or wider tires, which can change ride quality. Larger tires can make the suspension feel firmer because there’s less sidewall “cushion” to absorb bumps, especially on rough roads.
A constant variable transmission (CVT) is a type of automatic that doesn’t use fixed gears. Instead, it can smoothly change the “gear ratio” as you drive, which is why people talk about belts or other parts inside it.
A CVT changes the “gear ratio” by adjusting pulleys. By changing how the belt rides on the pulleys, it can smoothly mimic different gears without shifting like a traditional transmission.
A CVT is a type of automatic transmission that doesn’t use fixed gears. It uses a belt and pulleys to keep the engine operating in a good range, which can feel smooth—but it can also affect how long the transmission lasts depending on the design and maintenance.
Concept
belt and suspenders
“Belt and suspenders” means using two safety measures instead of just one. The speaker is saying Toyota probably has a backup plan if the new tech doesn’t go perfectly.
The Toyota Crown is a higher-tier Toyota than the Camry. Here, the speaker’s main point is that the Crown is paired with a CVT, and that affects how they feel about the car.
The Toyota Camry is Toyota’s popular mid-size car. Here, the speaker compares it to the Crown to explain why the Crown can feel more substantial even when the price difference isn’t huge.
The Toyota Celica is a sporty Toyota car, usually a coupe, that was made in earlier years. In the podcast, it’s mentioned as a car someone bought even though others didn’t think it was a good choice. Today, it’s remembered as a classic sporty model.
Starting fluid is a spray that helps an engine catch fire and start, especially when it’s cold. It’s very flammable, so using it the wrong way can be dangerous and can hurt the engine.
K&N makes reusable air filters you can wash and re-oil. Spraying starting fluid on that kind of filter can be a bad idea because the filter can soak up the spray, and the spray is very flammable.
Brake clean is an aerosol solvent used to remove brake dust, grease, and grime from brake components. Many modern versions are non-chlorinated, but the aerosol and solvent vapors are still flammable, so it can ignite if there’s a spark or hot surface nearby.
Phosgene gas is a very poisonous gas that can be produced when some older chlorinated cleaners burn. It’s dangerous to breathe, and repeated exposure can be especially risky.
ABS is the system that helps your brakes not lock up. The ABS module is the computer that controls how the brakes are applied so the wheels keep turning.
“Full field” means the alternator is being forced to produce electrical output at its maximum. That can cause the car’s voltage to jump too high, which is risky for electronics.
A trickle charger is a gentle, low-power charger that keeps the battery topped up. It can help keep the car’s electronics from losing settings while you swap the battery.
A 12-volt source is just power for the car’s electrical system. The idea is to keep the car’s computers powered while you work, so they don’t reset.
LIVE
W-A-T-D presents John Paul, the car doctor, All Things Automotive.
Have questions?
Call or text 7-8-1-837-4900.
Now, here's John Paul, the car doctor.
Good Sunday morning everyone and welcome to another edition of the car doctor program
on 95-9-W-A-T-D.
I was all confused by the weather.
I'm like, is that Florida weather they're talking about?
No, it's south shore weather.
It's hot out here.
It's hot. apparently hot.
And it's a classic Bermuda high, whatever that means.
I'm not sure.
Yeah, I avoided the obvious jokes with the Bermuda high there, but yeah.
Yeah, it's classic. You know, everyone knows.
It's classic. Yeah, absolutely.
You know, speaking of classics, whether you own a classic car, you own a new car,
it is important to take care of it.
And the oil is the lifeblood of your car.
And with us on the phone is Sean Nguyen,
he's an automotive technical specialist with Quaker State.
Sean, good morning and thank you for joining us on the car doctor program.
Good morning, John. Thanks for being back with you again.
Yeah, it's great.
You guys are enjoying good weather.
Yeah, well, I'll tell you a little secret.
Actually, Jesse is in Massachusetts.
I'm actually in Florida this week.
So, but interestingly, the weather there is warmer than it is here.
So, you know, who knows who knows how it's all going to shake out at the end.
But but do you agree that is oil the lifeblood of the engine?
Absolutely.
It is.
And in a sense, it circulates through this engine and our engine is the pump.
It's the motor is the pump that drives our car.
Right.
Without the motor, we're back to Fred Flintstone, my friend.
Yeah, there we go.
So for people who want to keep their vehicles running strong and longer,
what's the best thing they should know about choosing the right motor oil?
I think that and your listeners have heard it over and over again,
getting the right viscosity.
That's the first and foremost getting the right viscosity recommended by your car to
maintain it, change it regularly.
Clockwork is the easiest thing and the cheapest way to maintain engine life.
And three, use a premium high brand synthetic product.
I think like our quicker state full synthetic product.
Hmm.
Yeah, it's interesting.
And we've discussed this before.
You know, a lot of times you hear about synthetic blends and and you said,
well, one of the issues with synthetic blends is you don't know how much
synthetic is in that blend, right?
True.
And that's a concern personally for me because the consumer is the the
I guess you walk in unaware of how much synthetic is in it.
It could be one percent.
It could be 99% depending on the manufacturer and the quality that they put into it.
So, you know, most of us think, OK, synthetic blend, it should be a 50 50,
right?
But unfortunately it's not.
But you know, the nice thing is that with the performance requirements by API and
the industry, it is required to the product has to have really good performance,
right?
With the new GF7 specifications, API SQ specifications.
Some oil manufacturers have to really use decent quality base oils to get the performance
that they need to meet those specs.
So that's a good thing for the consumer.
Well, you mentioned the new GF7.
What I mean, that's the that's the newest grade out there these days, right?
Correct.
That was introduced at the end of March or April 1 of 2025.
And officially now any manager and manufacturer that sells motor oil in the U.S. is required
as of this year, April 1 of this year to be approved for API SQ or GF7.
Yes.
I got a question the other day from a from a reader and I don't remember the exact making
model car, but they went in and I'm kind of making up the numbers a little bit.
They went in and in their car said, you know, in their owner's manual says use 0W20 oil.
When they got to the dealership and they had the oil changed, they put 5W20 oil in and
it was a synthetic blend and the dealership said, well, that's what we always use.
And the person took out the owner's manual and said, well, in the owner's manual says
use this, use 020.
And I did a little bit of research and what I found was in the U.S. and Canada, 0W20 was
the recommended oil, but in the rest of the world with whatever car this was, and I think
it was a Mazda, but I'm not sure.
It was 5W20, 10W30, there was a variety of oils you could use.
And is that all because of emissions and fuel economy reasons?
I think that is a small component of it, the emissions and fuel economy.
I think the 5W20 is based on engine design.
If you notice in your conversation, the number 20 is prevalent.
And so for this vehicle, the number 20 or the second number on a viscosity is crucial
because engine size and engine clearances has changed dramatically in the last 20 years,
where the clearances aren't allowed or is a lot tighter nowadays.
And when you have tighter clearances, it needs a little bit thinner oil to flow through those
tight crevices and the tight rings and the liners and so forth.
The requirement then is that the oil still has to protect because a lot of us mentally
when we think of oil, we think thicker is better.
But that just forces the oil pump to work harder and trying to get oil to flow through these tight areas
a little bit harder.
And it is crucial that we deliver oil to the critical components, right?
Where the heaviest load area, especially early morning starts, we try to get oil to the upper
cylinders, the upper heads as fast as possible and still have a good enough oil film thickness
to prevent what we call boundary friction or wear metal to metal contact at a depth, right?
You mentioned zero weight, zero W versus 5W.
And in Canada, well, you're in Florida, I am in Texas.
We will hardly ever see subzero temperature.
And especially recently with the winter just passing, a winter operating conditions of zero W product
will allow the oil to flow a lot better at those negative temperatures, right?
And so some manufacturers may have two oil recommendations like a zero W20 in the winter and a 5W20 in the summer
because now the weather report just before this show started says it's 85 degrees.
And so we're not concerned about subzero temperature as the summer and the spring summer and fall weather comes around.
And so the 5W will allow flowability and not be concerned with the cold temperature issues that we may have at those early morning starts.
Although it's Massachusetts.
It could be 30 degrees on Friday, you never know.
So it's one of those things.
But it's interesting too.
We had one of our regular callers call in last week and they had a question.
And they wanted to know whether if you will use 5W30 as an example for oil.
You know, as it's in your car for 12000 miles, does it stay 5W30 viscosity through the entire time?
Or do you start to lose some of the viscosity due to, I think the term is shear?
Correct.
And mechanical shearing is a big concern.
And most oils have to pass what we call shear retention requirements, right?
Where it has to hold its viscosity over a certain amount of time.
But that doesn't guarantee that it will because in the industry test, it's not always actual real life conditions, right?
And so those are concerns that we have.
Thus quality of base oils will give you that because even base oil will shear thin over time, especially in severe stresses, high RPM, high heat.
Those things break down the motor oil, pairing the motor oil part.
The second component that shears, that's been dialed or break apart is the viscosity modifier.
They are there to help to make our multi-way oil.
They're the thickener that helps to thicken and bring that oil up to that 30 that we want when the engine is hot.
And they help to stabilize the viscosity over the entire temperature regime from when it's cold to when it's running hot in the middle of traffic.
The problem is there's quality of those products too.
The ingredients of those viscosity modifier have different qualities.
And so a premium brand product should have a more premium viscosity modifier that is more stable over the life of the oil.
And you just sort of, I think, explain something that a lot of people want to know.
And you said how the viscosity can shear with heat and friction and all of that.
And if you have a car that uses some oil in between oil changes and all of a sudden you're down a quart and half,
and the oil is starting to age a bit and it's a little bit low and it's starting to run a little bit hot,
all of a sudden you're using oil a little bit quicker because you're losing some of the viscosity, right?
True.
You know, when you have a car and certain cars are designed to use a little bit of oil,
all cars are designed to use a tiny bit, some more than others.
And it's crucial that we maintain the oil level up to the level regular because when you're down a quart, you could be 20% less.
And now you're fighting with basically one arm behind your back.
That oil does not have time to come and rest in the oil pan for a couple seconds to the air rate.
You have less oil to fight the heat, you have less oil to fight the contamination, you have less oil to lubricate,
and you have more issues of further entrainment of foreign materials from air to fuels, water, exhaust byproducts.
Those things basically heavily overdose the residual oil that we have.
And so maintaining good oil level and checking your oil level regularly, I recommend doing that at least once a month
to give your car a complete fighting chance with a full reserve of oil that it needs to run efficiently.
And speaking of, you know, checking oil regularly, we have two cars in our household right now
and one of them says change your oil at 7,500 miles and we have a Volkswagen that says change your oil at 10,000 miles.
The 7,500 is 7,500 is six months, the other one's 10,000 miles or a year.
For people who don't check their oil every month or so, are those realistic numbers or is it too long?
They are because you and I have been around engines long enough and you know certain engines are a little bit more,
let's say dirtier than other engines, they create more byproducts.
And in the example of your Volkswagen, their design would probably a little bit more oil reserve, their design is a burnt cleaner.
The oil quality and standard is a lot more robust because it requires that VW specification, which is a little bit harsher
than the American API specification, some of the specific OEM specifications tends to be a little bit more stringent in performance
for the American consumer, maybe Dexo or Ford specifications or Stelar specifications.
So they will have that. At the same time, engines are getting better at running cleaner as well as the oil.
The oil and the quality of the oil that I mentioned earlier in the show has gotten better in performance, higher performance
and longer life based on the availability of new additives as well as better base oil quality in the marketplace nowadays too.
So it's good for the consumer as a whole.
Speaking of the marketplace and you mentioned the Eurospec Volkswagen Audi oil, you go to the auto parts store, you go to the big box store, whatever.
And there is a dizzying array of brands and types of oil you mentioned, Dexos and then there's a Eurospec and all of those.
It's important to use the right oil for the right engine, right?
Yes. I mentioned the right viscosity, that's primary, but then making sure that your vehicle meets the oil that you buy off the shelf meets the spec.
And I get confused sometime at the shelf.
And so I have to flip to the back of the bottle to make sure that my specification is listed on the back of the bottle to make sure that that oil meets the approval.
The nice thing is that in the industry, if it's a European car, typically the manufacturers would say European vehicle, motor oil or something like that, right?
We have our Quaker State Euro Formulation product for those applications.
And the American cars and our Japanese cars typically follow the API specifications or the specific OEM specifications.
And that's available in the back of the bottle to give the consumer enough information to pick the right oil for their vehicle.
You're on a road trip and the low oil light comes on and you pull into whatever is available, the racetrack, the Wawa, the Bucky's, the 7-Eleven, whatever it is.
And you see one quart of oil on the shelf and you're like, I don't know if that's the right oil for my car, but you know you're down a quart or maybe even more.
Any oil is better than no oil, right?
Absolutely. I'd rather be oil-full than oil-starved any day.
So in a tight spot, having a thin oil or thick oil is not going to be major detriment for that single application.
And as soon as you get home, then make sure you correct it either by changing the oil or making sure that the oil is of the right type.
If you're running, like you mentioned, your car that requires a 0W20 or one of the callers call and all they had at the store was a 1030, I would say throw that 1030.
It's better than running that car as you're at because there will be a capacity.
A lot of people do their own oil changes on one of them.
What are some of the mistakes that people do when they're doing their own oil change maintenance at home?
I think back to it again, viscosity, making sure we got it because I've been prone to grab the wrong weight also.
Making sure you also change the filter in conjunction with the oil.
Don't try to skip out on a $10, $15, $20 filter because you're trying to extend the life of that.
And changing my clockwork.
Oh, be safe.
Make sure you're in an environment that is safe.
That's a mistake.
I had an incident just last week and it was about changing tires.
So I had a flat on the road and making sure that you're safe so that you're working in an environment because you're dealing with hot oil and making sure that it's of the right temperature and not get yourself hurt.
And of course, dispose of the oil properly.
We don't want you to pour it out in the backyard or anything like that.
That is uncalled for and should not be done.
Recycle it at your nearest parts stores or a auto parts store.
They gladly take your used oil.
Yeah, I know.
I just recently changed the oil in my car.
I brought the old bottle of oil back to the place I bought it from.
I said, here you go.
I signed my name in a book and off I went.
Same thing when I'm back up north exactly the same thing happens nice and easy.
Easy thing to do.
And yeah, the old days of I remember seeing an old popular mechanics how to page and it was how to build your own oil disposal.
Sump in your backyard and dig a hole and fill a full rocks and no we don't we don't do that anymore.
Maybe that was in the 40s and 50s and 60s, but not anymore.
We want to dispose of it properly and make sure make sure that we do that.
Nearly not nearly, but a lot of cars today.
And of the two cars we have one of them has a turbocharger, but you look around and you know Ford has eco boost and almost anything.
Hyundai has 1.6 liter engine turbos in them.
Kia has the same thing.
We're seeing turbocharged engines and Hondas.
Do we need to be more concerned as we're seeing turbocharged engines more horsepower at a smaller displacement?
Personally, I wouldn't be really concerned about it as much as making sure you use a premium quality motor.
So those products, especially turbos, are rated to handle or they generate a lot of heat because they get their power from the exhaust gas.
Unless you have a supercharger, that's a completely different thing.
But most turbos are runoff of exhaust gas and so they get most of the heat and the clearances and the speed that these turbos run in the tens of thousands of rpm.
Put a lot of stress on the oil.
So using a good quality, good brand synthetic product like our Quaker State brand would help to guarantee the performance that you demand of that.
It is a smaller engine, but it still has a lot of amps because the manufacturer has designed the engine smaller capacity, less volume, but with more horsepower just because of incorporating the turbo.
So using a good quality product, using the right viscosity, changing it regularly, your turbo should perform and your vehicle should perform the way it's designed for a long time.
Is there any time, and you said use a high quality synthetic oil, which I use synthetic oil and everything I think I have, maybe even the lawnmower.
But is there any time that you wouldn't use a synthetic oil?
At this stage of the industry and development of the engines and even with classic engines, I don't see any issues with not using synthetic unless it's an older vehicle that has never touched a rebuilt shop.
And the seals have never been replaced and so forth. Some of these synthetics may affect seal swelling or seal shrinkage if it is 20, 30 years old and you've never seen a replacement part in its life.
But anything in the last 20 years, I have no concern going to synthetic and the consumer may have fears of going to synthetic.
But if they choose, they can go back and forth. There is no detriment other than a better base oil to handle the heat and the performance needed by the vehicle and the demand that the consumer put into it and also give it a little bit better durability at the same time with a premium synthetic product.
I think we discussed once before that, you know, some people like, well, synthetic oils will cause my engine to leak oil. And I think as we discussed, it may find a leak, but it won't cause a leak.
You already have something that's leaking there and the synthetic oil may find that leak because of how it works, but it's not going to cause it.
And if you decide that, and like, you know, another myth that always comes up, once you've gone to synthetic oil, you can't switch back. And if you want to switch back to conventional oil, it's perfectly acceptable.
Perfectly acceptable. And I even dare to say it's pretty darn hard to find conventional model nowadays.
Even in some of the thicker weight, because the performance requirements have changed that over the year.
Yeah, I know one of our conventional oil.
One of our folks that listens to the show and been a guest on the show, Junior Damato, he owns Junior's Automotive, and he did away with conventional oil in his shop and he either uses a synthetic blend or full synthetic oil for all his oil changes now,
because he said it didn't make sense carrying conventional oil on his shelf and taking up room in his parts department.
True, true. And that's the way, you know, within the last 20 years, you've seen this shift from synthetic blend to full synthetic of the vehicles that come off the assembly line.
And that's the trend. So for a shop to do that, that is, I guess, a strategic as well as a financial decision that they have to make at their local shops and the dealerships.
A question I seem to get every month or so, somebody's going through their garage and they bought a case of oil for a car they owned 10 years ago, and they're like, well, it's 1030 and my car says it can use 1030.
Two questions. Does unopened motor oil ever go bad? And secondly, should you use that 10 year old brand new in the bottle oil in a newer car?
I would not recommend it. Because like the additive, the oil is perfectly fine. The added is in it, even though unopened may have degraded over time. Added is you, you and I have talked about my suit analysis, how motor oil is kind of like suit.
And those ingredients do have a shelf life. They do degrade to have what we call half life. And after 10 years, I would only use it maybe to hinge, to lubricate door hinge or wheel or something like that.
I would not recommend it in your car. If you love your car as much as you and I do.
Yeah, really good point. And, and every once in a while, I get somebody who still stumbles across an actual can of oil, and I tell them to go put it on a shelf somewhere, sell it to a collector. But don't put that in your car.
Absolutely. Let me know. Send it down to me. I'll put it on my shelf too.
There you go. One last question for you. What's what's the biggest misconception drivers still have about motor oil and engine maintenance? What is it that they think oil is oil? Do they think what's the biggest misconception you think?
I think you hit the nail on the head, right? Everybody said that motor oil is just that brown stuff, everything on the shelf, they're all good.
And in some sense, yes, they're all good to a point because they meet the basic APS specification. They meet the GS7 specification, they meet the manufacturer specification.
But like back to my super analogy, one soup, okay, we're talking about Massachusetts, right? So I'm going to use clam chowder as an example.
Every clam chowder does not taste the same. Is it canned? Is it from this specific restaurant? Where did you choose? Why did you choose to go to this perfect place?
Because it's your favorite flavor, tastes good, your engine sees the same thing. So a high performance oil from a good brand product, like our Quaker State product, would give you the performance that you need for the value that you're asking for it.
And over a hundred years, Quaker State has been around for over a hundred years and, gladly, I'm one of the guys who helped to formulate the product, have really put really good effort in the base oil selection, in the raw ingredients and the performance and tested them in our taxi fleet.
So make sure you are knowledgeable when you make that selection of buying that perfect oil, the same way you choose when you choose that perfect soup for yourself.
You sound good for somebody that's a hundred years old.
Thank you very much.
It's going to be New England clam chowder.
Sean, it's always a pleasure.
We always learn something when you join us on the program.
Again, oil is the lifeblood of your engine.
Make sure you take care of your car.
Check the oil often.
Like you said, check it every month.
If your car uses a little bit of oil, check it a little bit more often.
Take care of your car and your car will take care of you, right?
Absolutely.
Yes, I agree.
All right, Sean, thanks.
Thanks so much and thanks for taking a little time out of your Sunday morning and joining us on the car doctor program.
Thanks for having us.
Looking forward to talking to you again next time, Sean.
Absolutely.
We need to take a break and pay some bills.
You're listening to the car doctor program on 959WATD.
We'll be right back.
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He's John Paul, the car doctor on 959-WATD.
And welcome back to the Car Doctor Program on 959-WATD.
If you would like to join us, our phone number is 781837-4900.
Before we get to our car review of the day, let's talk to Dickey and Plymouth.
Dickey, good morning.
Dickey, there we go.
Are you there?
I am.
All right, I get a hoarse voice.
I can hardly talk.
All right, I get two questions.
I have a 63 Falcon with a 260 in it.
I've had it for 10 years.
I had the engine rebuilt.
I still have a small oil leak.
I was thinking of putting a can of Lucas oil stop leak in it.
What do you think about that?
That's one question.
The second question, I got a brand new Subaru.
My old one used to take 020, and this one wants 016.
I have some 020, but it'd be all right to put a little 20 in instead of the 16.
I would say the new Subaru engine is really fussy.
It's like the Toyota's got some engines, and they're all used in 016.
I would stay with the 016 because that's what they're looking for.
Subaru's made some efforts, I guess, to make oil do a whole lot of work by going through tiny, tiny passages.
Now, on the Falcon with the 260 in it, Lucas oil supplement is basically a viscosity enhancer.
It just thickens up the oil a little bit.
I remember talking to one of the Lucas's, I guess, and they were telling me about how their viscosity enhancer helps.
It might stop a little bit of your oil leaks.
They claim it does a lot of that, so maybe it will.
Do you know where the oil is leaking from?
It's leaking now by the clutch, so I assume it's a rear main.
When I had it rebuilt, because it's an old engine, I had to have a sink in it.
So I used 15-4, and the shell will fill up, so you can't get any higher viscosity than that.
The other thing you might want to find, if you can find it, is if you can find the same grade of oil in a high mileage oil,
that already has additives in it that help swell up seals a little bit,
and that might actually do a little bit of good, and that might work to swell up the seals and get a little bit more out of your oil because of that.
So maybe try that before you go to the additive.
So maybe do that in the next oil change and see if that does anything at all, and it might slow things down just a little bit.
Yeah, the only trouble with the high mileage oil, now I'm going to have to start dumping bottles of zinc in it, too.
I mean, it isn't that bad.
I probably chuck it, wow, every time I go out, and probably every four or five times out for a ride, like today I went to the cashier on Plymouth,
I might have to add a quarter of a quart.
So I'd probably go through two quarts in the whole season, so it isn't that big of a headache.
Right, right, yeah.
Yeah, no, I would say, if you're only going through the car show season, if you're adding a quart, a quart and a half quart of oil, it's probably just as easy just to leave it alone.
Yes, that's what I'm going to do.
Yeah, some of the Lucas products I like a lot, others I've had a little bit of an issue with, but nothing serious.
But before I went to adding something like that Lucas product or the old days of STP, and I remember, I knew a guy who, and this was years and years ago,
I think he had some kind of 1960s Dodge product that had, you know, I think it had a 318 in it, and every oil change he would add a can of STP.
And he was driving home from work one night, and the oil light came on, he stopped, opened up the hood, didn't hear any clattering of the engine,
and said, ah, it must be the oil sender's just bad, came home when he finally got to checking it, what happened was the oil pump had actually gone bad,
and he attributes years and years of years of adding STP to the oil, thinking that STP was still clanging around inside the engine where all the where parts were,
and that actually saved the engine, and maybe it did, and it very well could have.
So, you know, it's one of those things that, you know, some of these additives really work, and again, I would try, you know, maybe whenever you change the oil on the Falcon next,
maybe try the high mileage oil, add a little bit of the zinc supplement to it, and then just kind of go from there and see what happens.
Alright, well thank you very much.
Alright, thanks Dickie.
The film will be for you.
The film will be for you, sorry.
I will, I'll wait now.
I'll see you down in Plymouth Harbor next time they have a car show down in the harbor.
Alright, White Falcon convertible.
I think I've seen it.
Alright, good enough.
Thanks, Dickie.
Bye-bye.
Alright, take care.
Bye-bye.
Our phone number again, 7-8-1-8-3-7-4900.
Time to talk about the car I've been driving around, and it's something that's a little bit different.
It is a plug-in hybrid, but it's also a sports sedan.
It is a BMW 550E, and, you know, this isn't some, like, technical experiment with a BMW badge on it.
This car still drives like a BMW should.
It's solid, it's confident, it's fun to drive.
Under the hood you get a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine working together with an electric motor.
Total output, close to 500 horsepower.
I think it's 483 and 516 foot-pounds of torque.
So when you hit the throttle, it goes.
It takes off.
BMW claims 0-60 in under 5 seconds.
I'm not going to argue about that.
Because it's a plug-in hybrid, it is an electric car when it needs to be.
It will run, it's sort of like it's electric when it wants to be electric, and it's a hybrid when it wants to be a hybrid.
It doesn't have a ton of electric range.
I think it's about 40 miles on all electric.
I have a plug-in electric charger that the car has.
It's not really a charger, it's called an EVSE.
So electric vehicle supply equipment is what EVSE stands for.
Because the charger is actually in the car.
This is the cable that goes from the outlet to the car.
I only have 120 volts available.
The system I have, I can either plug in a 240 volt adapter, which will give me about 40 miles of range in a couple of hours, I think.
Or the 110 volt, which is probably a couple miles of range every hour.
But as I've been driving this and driving it 15 or 20 miles a day, I come back at night.
I plug it in and I start again.
So I haven't used any real gas, which is kind of interesting.
So around town, it'll run on electricity.
It's quiet and smooth.
It feels the same on electric, actually, which is kind of interesting.
So the 550 blends both power sources together.
You never have to worry about running out of electricity because as soon as the big battery kind of depletes itself,
it still is a regular hybrid like Prius or any other kind of hybrid.
So it still has a battery and a gasoline engine.
You never have to worry about things like range, anxiety, words that no one's ever heard of before.
Because it's still, you know, still filled with gas.
And it has a pretty good range, too.
I think it's up close to 350 or 380 miles a range.
The engineers did a really good job of hiding the extra weight of the battery pack.
The steering's sharp.
The body stays nicely controlled.
The adaptive suspension gives you a comfortable ride without turning it into kind of a floaty-boaty ride.
It's still, it's a driver's car.
It's a BMW.
It's a driver's car.
It still is.
But by adding the big battery, they took away the spare tire.
And you know me, I like spare tires.
I like any kind of spare tire.
Collapsible spare tire, compact spare tire, full-size spare tire, spare tire on an alloy wheel, spare tire on a steel wheel.
When you open up the back and open up the trunk, which is pretty good size, and you look inside there and you look to where you think the spare tire should be.
Now there's a little air compressor with some goop in it.
And it will do its job providing it's a nail or something.
But if you hit a pothole or a curb and totally destroy a tire, that air compressor is not going to do any good.
So I like a spare.
Maybe it's because I work at AAA and we'd rather put a spare tire on than tow a car because it's not convenient for anyone.
Can you call it classically modern inside?
It feels like a BMW inside.
It has this big curved digital screen, high quality material, super supportive seats, plenty of room in the back seat for basically what is a mid-size-ish car.
You know, it's not a cheap car by any means, but it feels expensive inside.
A bunch of switches have been replaced by menus on the screen.
And again, if you know me, I want buttons.
When I change the radio station, I'd like to see a button or knob.
The BMW did a little better.
BMW years ago debuted something called BMW iDrive, which I coined the phrase, I drive you crazy.
It was a, you know, they're like everybody uses a mouse and a computer.
So why not use something like a mouse to control all the functions in car?
Because when you do that, you have to look down or look over and you can't just reach for something.
They still have a version of it, but it's been simplified a little bit.
Still, I prefer buttons and knobs, call me old-fashioned.
A few other notes, in New England roads, and again, I'm not in New England, I'm in Florida,
but in New England roads, you might find this rides a little firm because of the big tires on it.
But it's, you know, around here, it's good.
I will be back up north in a couple weeks.
And also, speaking of which, I don't know if I'm going to be able to pull it off or not,
but I've been asked to do the program live from the Father's Day car show in Hyannis.
Matt Pitta, who, people who live on the South Shore,
who used to listen to a different FM radio station,
no Pat, no Matt, and he's, and I said something to Rob about,
hey, any issues if I go do this?
And he goes, no, good, Matt's a great guy, go ahead and go do it.
So Matt's not on the radio anymore, he works for the, doesn't work for the Chamber of Commerce
and Real Estate Development Company,
but he's sort of one of the people in charge of the Father's Day car show,
which is a huge car show in downtown Hyannis.
So we may be there doing the program.
I don't know what Jesse thinks of that, but we'll be doing it anyway.
I think it sounds great.
And I think Mike from Hangaman is on the line as well.
You do, you do well.
So to finish up here, if you want to kind of dip your toe into electrification,
but you still want to German sports it in,
the BMW 550E is worth a serious look.
It's kind of the future.
It's done right.
And it's something I would say, go on, give it a try.
Let's talk to Mike and him.
Michael?
So how you doing?
I'm doing good.
How about you?
Thanks for taking my call.
How about you?
I was in sickbay for a while, but I'm better now.
I'm back home now, so I'm doing much better.
Well, that's good.
That's good, you know?
Question for you.
The constant variable transmission, we've had chat.
Now it was like they're trying to, even Toyota's trying to stop it on us now.
My question is they don't use belts.
They said they use some sort of a wheel.
Sounds like a mechanical connection around the belts.
Is that making any better?
I mean, if Toyota has one, you would think it has to be good on them.
We still up the creek without a paddle.
Well, you know, again, I'm kind of old fashioned.
I like gears.
Me too.
And, you know, and, and these systems, whether they use a, you know, a Kevlar belt, which
is what some of them are using, or they use some kind of variable ratio pulley gear wheel
system, they still kind of work the same.
And the thing that I don't always like about them and, but I will admit, though, the last
few cars I've driven with CVT transmissions have felt good.
I wouldn't think anything of it one way or the other, right?
Now, longevity, you know, and Nissan, well, I shouldn't say Subaru's probably had the
first CVT transmission back 30 years ago in the Subaru Justi little three cylinder car
that Subaru made.
But Nissan's probably had, you know, more CVT experience than almost anybody.
And people would say, yeah, you know, if you take care of it, you'll get 150,000 miles
out of a CVT transmission.
You know, most transmission with gears are tested to be solid for 175,000 miles.
So I still think in many cases, a traditional automatic transmission is better than CVT.
But I think Honda's always had, as an example, Honda's always had a transmission weakness.
Their transmissions have been, you know, if you look at Honda vehicles over the years,
you like the transmission is one of the things they've always seemed to have a problem with.
They went to CVT transmissions and they seem to have solved that problem for the most part,
although not all of them, but they seem to have solved a lot of their problems.
So maybe as Toyota's going to CVT's to both take advantage of weird torque curves of their
new engines and fuel economy, you got to think of, you know, Toyota's a belt and suspenders company
and I stole that line from a guy that I know that worked at Toyota forever and ever.
And he's like, if Toyota's doing it, they got a backup plan already in place.
So, you know, based on that, I would say, yeah, it's probably okay.
Yeah, I'm on my 52nd year of driving Toyota products right now.
I was looking at the new Crown, but that was like, I don't know if you've reviewed that at all,
but they stick you with the CVT and that's a big flag for me when I say that.
Yeah, I've driven the Crown wagon.
I can't even think of what it's called now.
But, and I got to tell you, it is a well-designed, and I got to think the regular Crown is the same thing,
a very well-designed car.
It's different than, say, like the Crown versus Camry.
The Camry, you have more glass.
The Crown, you have more metal.
It feels more solid.
Somebody said to me, somebody wrote to me once and said, you know, I'm looking at the top of the line,
Camry, I'm looking at the top of the line, Crown, there's about a $10,000 difference.
What's the real difference?
And, you know, and it just feels more substantial.
And the one thing that the Crown has, and I'll say going for it, and I don't even know if I really mean that this way,
is the Crown is a fully Japanese engineered and built vehicle versus the Camry as an example that is a,
that is, could be made anywhere.
It could be made in Canada, it could be made in Japan, it could be made in the United States.
You don't know where it's made.
The Crown was designed as a flagship for Toyota.
I mean, that's, I could have made in Japan, I really, I try to have my cars made, my current car is made in Japan too.
So, but anyway.
I mean, there was a time where, I mean, you know, as well as I, you know, there was a time made in Japan,
you know, junky Japanese stuff and not anymore.
Oh, in 1973 when I bought my first Celica, all my friends laughed at me.
Oh, what ridicule I got to drive in that.
73 Toyota Celica, which I probably paid 3,500 bucks for at the time.
It was made, it made out of, it was made out of recycled switch cans.
Yeah, exactly.
And now, and now, yeah, yeah, exactly.
I was trying, I was trying to find an appropriate beer to fit in there.
So, yeah.
You picked the right one for a while.
There you go.
I want to thank you very much for taking my call.
Absolutely.
And I'll talk to you soon.
All right.
And glad you're back on the bend.
Thank you very much.
Bye-bye.
All right.
Take care.
Bye-bye.
Why don't we take another quick break when we come back?
If you want to join us, 7-8-1-837-4900, 7-8-1-837-4900, we'll be right back.
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Tune in to 9-5-9-WATD Monday nights at 9 p.m. to hear Massesoya today.
An hour dedicated to introducing you to the students, staff, and faculty of Massesoya Community College.
Each show you'll hear uplifting stories, discover the latest news, and learn more about the community that makes up Massesoya Community College.
Monday nights at 9 p.m. on 9-5-9-WATD.
Make an appointment Sunday morning at 11 for John Paul, the car doctor, on 9-5-9-WATD.
Now, back to the car doctor.
And welcome back to the car doctor program.
A sometime listener to the program, we call him Captain Keith.
Captain Keith sent me a text message at some point. You might have heard my phone ding.
And he says, we're listening. You should talk about the hazards of spraying starting fluid on a K&N washable filter.
Yeah, don't do that. Don't spray a ton of...
Starting fluids is exactly what it is. It's very flammable.
And K&N filters tend to absorb stuff.
And Captain Keith is saying this as an experience.
He had a Volkswagen powered dune buggy that he took out of storage, sprayed starting fluids, fluid.
And then it caught fire and burnt to the ground.
So be careful with starting fluid.
And be careful with anything you spray.
I remember years ago, a woman had a car parked near me and it wouldn't start.
And it was soaking wet. It was raining out.
And I went over there with a K&N WD-40 and sprayed all the wires.
And she cranked it over.
And the WD-40 caught fire because of the spark from all the leaky ignition wires.
And I had a rag with me and just kind of padded the little flames out.
And she got a little panicked and I said, oh, don't worry.
We do that to try to dry the moisture out of it, which was not 100% true.
But it did catch fire.
So be careful with anything.
I am a fan of starting spray.
You know, some people use carburetor spray, which is flammable, which is okay.
Try to start something.
Brake clean.
Most brake clean now is non-chlorinated.
But you have to be really careful with brake clean because brake clean and probably the aerosol is what's flammable.
But brake clean that used to contain chlorine gas, which is chlorine, which is what made it work really well,
turns into phosgene gas, I think.
And it's very dangerous and it's cumulative.
So once it burns, it builds up in your system and just not a good thing.
So you need to be careful about things.
You spray in your engine to get them going.
Not a great thing to do.
Ian Campbell, a retired shop owner.
He must have read one of my columns today.
I think I talked about trying to rebuild a ABS module.
And he said he had pretty good luck with a company called BBA Reman in the Milestanders Park in Taunton.
So if you have some kind of module that you can't find or it's not made anymore or something like that,
BBA Reman at Milestanders Park in Taunton might be a good way to go and see what it is.
Somebody asked me, I think this was in one of the New York papers and they just wrote to me and they said,
and I said something about leaving a car running while replacing a battery.
Never a good idea.
Back in the old days when cars had generators, you could disconnect the battery with the engine running
and if the car stalled, it meant the generator wasn't charging the battery anymore.
Well, cars have alternators today and the battery is part of the regulation that regulates the charging voltage.
So when you disconnect a battery or with the engine running,
the alternator could full field.
It could spike high voltages.
It's not a good idea.
So he said, I just read about keeping the car running while replacing the battery.
Although I have done this on my car a few years ago without any issues,
I sort of agree with you on this being a bad idea.
Yeah, it's not a good idea. Don't do it.
What do you think about doing this?
Instead of running the engine, attach a, he said tricking charge.
I think he means trickle charger or some sort of 12 volt source to the car to keep the computer settings still a bad idea.
No, no, but don't do it with the engine running.
No with the engine off.
So if you have a decent battery charger that has a maintenance mode that will supply 12 volts even without the battery hooked up and some do.
Yeah, you can do that.
If you have like a no co jumpstart box, you can actually they're designed to only work when they see battery voltage.
So when you turn them on, they need to see some sort of battery voltage.
You can trick them.
There's a way to I know the no co ones is a way you push a couple of different buttons and it will provide 12 volts all the time.
Yeah, you can do something like that.
That way the that thing is backing up the system and it's still going to be good.
So there you go.
So you can do it, but don't do it with the engine running.
So that music means it's time for us to go until next week.
Make sure you wear your seatbelt drive safely.
Be good to your car.
And if you do see an emergency vehicle by the side of the road, slow down or move over saves lives.
Talk to y'all next week.
Bye bye.
About this episode
Engine oil gets the “lifeblood” treatment as the Car Doctor Podcast walks through viscosity, synthetic vs blend labels, and why specs like API SQ and GF7 are tightening up. The show connects oil film, cold starts, shear retention, and what happens when you run low. Practical guidance covers what to do when the low-oil light comes on, plus disposal and storage myths. The second half shifts to a BMW 550e review—plug-in hybrid details, tire kit tradeoffs, and a CVT deep dive.
In this episode we talk with Sean Nguyen, Automotive Technical Specialist for Quaker State. All your oil questions answered. Plus a review of the 2026 BMW 550e. Questions email me [email protected]
