I just got back from my Porsche dealer and the 2-year service/oil change on my 2009 C4S. I just noticed that they filled it (2 segments low on the oil quantity by the way) with Shell Ultra Synthetic (Euro) 5W40 oil rather than the regular Mobil 1 0W40 they have been using for the past 6 years. When I asked them about it they said that they have just switched over to the Shell brand in all the Penske Porsche dealerships and that it is approved by Porsche. I have about 5 quarts of Mobil 1 0W40 at home that I use to top off every now and then (my DFI engine eats about 1 quart every 1500 miles) and when I asked the service advisor if I could safely mix my Mobil 1 with the Shell Ultra he said "no problem". I guess all my previous experience/advise has always generally been NOT to mix different brands of oil if possible and I have certainly followed that. Anybody got any experience with Shell Ultra Synthetic and any advise about mixing it with Mobil 1 ? Can you even buy it retail at the normal auto stores ?

I have a call through to PCNA and they are looking into it and will get back to me. Any thoughts ?

 

shell is ok oil and 5w40 is better than mobil 1 0w40 but redline or motul 5w40 would probably be better.

 

I used Castrol Syntech 5w50 this last summer for DE's..just to check it out. Couldn't tell a difference in oil burning or fuel mileage. I have Mobil 1 0w40 in it now and getting ready for anyother oil change next month with Mobil1 0w40.

The Shell is great oil too....I'd use it but have never seen it in the stores. Penske in NASCAR and Indy Car is no longer sponsored by Mobil 1 and are now sponsored by Shell so that is the real reason for the switch in oil brands.

 

OP - there's no issue with mixing oils of different brands/types.

 

+1 on Syntec 5-40

 

There is a rather extensive list of oils that are approved by Porsche for your car. Shell is one of a several dozen manufactures world wide that have oils approved for use in Porsche vehicles. Issue for us in the US has been finding the correct weights of oil but there are several now readily available are your local parts store. Bad news is they all cost about the same as Mobil 1. As for why Porsche uses Mobil 1 it's because Mobil 1 pays Porsche the most $$'s to get them to advertise it as the "factory fill". Remember, making money is what Porsche does best.

 

I disagree, they are best at making cars that are fun to drive. Money is a close second.

 

UPDATE: I talked to my Porsche dealer Service Manager and let him know that I was disappointed that they didn't give me a "heads up" that they had changed synthetic motor oil brand for their oil changes to see if it was OK with me. Personally I would have provided my own Mobil 1 oil (if given the option) and they could have done the servicing with that (some dealers do that and some won't). Anyway, I started this thread under the assumption they had switched to Shell Synthetic Ultra Euro 0W40 oil (that is what was listed on the service order). The service manager said this new oil was approved by Porsche but personally he wouldn't mix my Mobil 1 0W40 with it when I need to top it off. He offered to swap my 4 quarts of Mobil 1 for 4 quarts of the new oil. When I picked up the new oil at the dealer the quarts were Pennzoil Synthetic Ultra Euro 5W40. When I asked what about the Shell oil the parts man said Shell and Pennzoil had merged the they are the same oil. Anyone else have any knowledge of that? Are Shell and Pennzoil Synthetic oils the same? Thanks.

 

I was using redline but got into a discussion with someone who works for one of the major oil companies. here's his concern with redline. not sure what to think but interesting:

Hi Cris,
My problem with Redline is that they hold no OEM approvals. They claim their product to be ester or partially ester based but are not specific. All I can say is that esters can handle high temperatures well but only if the rest of the formulation is sound.

If it was my vehicle I would stay with the Mobil 1 Euro formulation 0W-40. It has all the credentials & has been through all the approvals testing sucessfully. Redline has not. If they are serious they should get the approvals. The fact that they have not makes me suspicious. I'm tired of these mickey mouse companies buying cheap formulations from the additive peddlers - taking the "meets the requirements of" XYZ route instead of getting the approvals. They could buy a ready approved formulation from the additive majors like Lubrizol, Oronite or Infineum etc. But they don't so they can maximise margin.

Rather stick with the M1 and ensure proper oil cooling. Far more important on a track car.[/QUOTE]

 

You'll be "okay" to mix oils but its highly discouraged. Mainly because different companies use different additives in the mix. While it may not "gel" in your engine, the oils aren't going to be working well together. For engines like ours, there's no point risking the oil not working at 100% or that's just how am anyway. Especially since I change my own oil.

With that said, I used to be a die hard Mobil 1 fan until they started changing their formulation due to stricter standards. The Mobil 1 0W40 Euro is nothing like it used to as be as they've lowered their ZDDP and anti-wear additive as it will help the cat's survive a little longer. The Mobil 1 5W40 Turbo Diesel is more like the original 0W40 before they started changing their formulation.

While it was pretty much doing its job, I switched over to Pennzoil Ultra 5W40 Euro after doing a bit of research on the oil. I won't lie, they recently got awarded with a Ferrari contract which sparked my interest. Waiting till I hit 5000 miles on the oil before I get it read at Blackstone to see if the wear is similar to Mobil 1 5W40 or better. I also noticed while pouring the oil in, that its MUCH MUCH clearer than the Mobil 1 fill. Shell and Pennzoil are the same company as is Quaker State. Pennzoil bought up Quaker State, and Shell bought up Pennzoil 4 years later.

 

R34dy2walk, thanks for the very informative post. I look forward to your impressions after you get the oil analysis. Thanks.

 

In my opinion, regardless of the compatibility of the oil, the dealer should have confirmed with you first before changing brands. It's your car after all. If something should happen (even with the slightest chance), I doubt the dealer would take responsibility.

 

Please do come back here and let us know the test result. This would be great information to all of us. Meanwhile, I shall subscribe this topic to make sure that I don't miss the test result. Thanks

 

Is it Shell Helix Ultra? I used that in my cars in Germany. Very expensive and the choice of many dealerships. Standard in Ferraris. It was 22 Euros per liter!

 

Almost 3x the cost of Mobil 1?? Why? Is it that much better?