Turns out... the 850 is rated for an obsolete variety of motor oil?

The service manual references the ratings of the motor oil as API SH/CD - looked it up...

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...oducts/1266801

... use the link and scroll down to the tables.


I searched for SH oil, but it looked like it hadn't come up. I was about to look for some info. on the type of oil that is most ideal for my car... as well as maybe some to avoid. And i'm curious about OEM oil. I would love to do that... but is it affordable/realistic? Do they sell the oil over the parts counter?

 

as they change grades/ratings, the new ones supplant the older ones. What you need to run is type SH or better to be okay, and since all oils are past that grade now, you're fine.

As for what the best oil is to use....well if you ask 10 people you're likely to get 10 different answers. What one person swears by, another person will say is terrible and should never be used.

I run synthetic in every vehicle I own...castrol edge to be specific. it works for me. I dont know if it's overkill or not, but the peace of mind is worth it to me.

 

There is no one correct answer to this, and there ever won't be because everyone uses what they feel is best. Use what you feel is appropriate. I run Mobil1 High Mileage 10W40

 

I have 226K on my car... about 100K on this motor. Should I be using high mileage?

 

Thats completely up to you. Some people swear by it, some people say you're throwing money away by using it. personally, I say skip the high mileage stuff. if you have seals leaking, replace them.

 

Ibified is correct, if you ask ten people you will probably get ten different answers. I had overstudied this subject myself for too long. My son switched from full synthetic to to a high mileage base oil brand because his car was burning more oil using a full synthetic. I am presently doing what was recommended on another site. Pick whatever I feel good about now, then track how much it burns or gets discolored in the first 500 miles. Then I choose the oil that burns or darkens the least. There is no magic oil out in the market.
What oil are you using now ? Are you not satisfied with it ? I have a 1995 GLT. The only noticeable improvement I experienced was in performance when I switched from 10-30 to 10-40 oil. My car has over 220k miles on it. I am using Supertech 10-40 High mileage, but I am not endorsing it over any other brand.