Well that is definately a burden off my shoulders.

The oil filter I decided to go with is K&N Performance Gold HP-1002. The main reason for the K&N oil filter is because it was one dollar more than Mobil1. My total at the register was 14.19 and I figured by the time I drove out to Dodge to get the Mopar filter, I would have spent the money for the K&N in gas to get there and back. Now if I can just get my K&N cone filter and filter wrap for it.

Thanks for all of your help!!

Daniel

 

make that a burden off my shoulders aswell, i mean yeah it gets cold here in Tn but atleast i know it wont mess with my CAI, im also going to get a k&n airfilter and oil filter when i have the money havent had an oil change yet, k&n is the way to go aswell as aem

 

One more quick question!!

Since I just bought this Neon 2 weeks ago and I don't know what oil was used in it, should the engine be flushed out before using the Pennzoil?

Daniel

 

Maybe... but that depends on this:

How many miles are on the engine? What kind of oil was used in it by the previous owner (conventional/synthetic)?

Your answer depends on whether I keep typing to explain what you should or should not do.

 

There is a little less than 130,000 miles on the engine and since i got it from a dealer, I am unsure of the oil that was previously used.

Daniel

 

Hmm that makes it tough. No maintenance logs in the glove compartment or written in the service schedule in the manual?

Well, with that many miles on it, I will say that if the motor was ran with non-synthetic oil this whole time (regular mineral-based oil), it would NOT be a good idea to put synthetic in it now. If you do, you increase the risk of leaking oil from a variety of different seals.

I would still recommend a quality engine flush. Make sure if you DIY or have it done elsewhere, it is done properly. If not, little chunks of build-up may break free and not dissolve completely, and your oil pump will not like you for that. Afterwards just go with a nice quality standard mineral-based oil and call it good.

Unless, you know it was synthetic oil... then go with synthetic and skip the motor flush.

 

Is there any way I can tell what kind of oil was used in it by smelling or looking at it? I really hate to ruin some seals. I prefer to use Synthetic oil since that is what Mopar reccommends. How much does it usually cost to flush my engine and can i just get that done at any express lube?

Daniel

 

Try licking it... that's the only way. LOL, j/k... don't actually do that. Besides oil analysis, I don't think there is any other way you can figure out what used oil used to be. It's really a toss-up on synthetic... maybe take your valve cover and look around to see how clean everything is.

If you do a motor flush, I would recommend not paying high-$ at the service shop for something that you can do yourself pretty easily. Get ya a $3 grey bottle of Motor Flush from WalMart, or go buy ya a can of Seafoam and do it that way... when done right, its just as reliable as the flush you get in the shop, IMO.

 

I was looking in the dash and found where the dealer in 2003 used GM 5W-30 Plan B oil (whatever that is). I googled it and can't find out whether that is synthetic or conventional. All I know is that it is supposedly discontinued. I can't find any oil change stickers anywhere in my car. I do have the previous owner's phone number and address, if it hasn't changed. Only problem is that it is a woman, and it seems that 99% of the time they just pull into an express lube and tell them what they want. I'm not saying she won't know, but should I bother her to ask?

Daniel

 

That means they tried to abort the motor... lol j/k j/k. I would guess that the "Plan B" refers to "Service schedule B," which I would think would probably put the oil in a synthetic blend category.

Call the woman if you want and see what she has to say. There is nothing wrong with a little good vehicle history information. And if she realizes that you are not a stalker, and she is cute, then +2 for you. It's worth a shot...

Anyway if it all turns out well and she did use synthetic or a blend in it this whole time, you could probably get away with using the synthetic in it from now on...