Adding Oil - Can't mix brands??

Rich Grise · 2005-10-08T17:45:00+00:00

[crossposted to I've included s.e.d because those guys are versatile! But followups arenot set - please, if you reply, crosspost at least once, so I'll catch thereply, but then please set followups using your better judgement. Thanks!]Well, it's Saturday, so the place where I had my last oil change isclosed. But, having some free time, I thought I'd look under the hood -actually, I wanted to put water in my DieHard. While I was in there, Idecided to check my oil - it's an 86 GT, with the V6 - and I'm a couple ofquarts low. Yesterday, before I knew I was a couple of quarts low, I wasblithely driving all over town. Now, I've looked, and I'm afraid to driveuntil I get a couple of quarts of oil in it, but, since it's Saturday, andthe shop is closed, and I can't find their service sticker (or it's beensun- bleached so I can't read it), so I don't know what brand of oil theyused.So, is it still true that you can't mix brands of oil? I haven't got cashon hand to do a full-on oil change, but a couple of quarts should onlybe a couple of bucks.Is there a brand of oil that's safe to add even if I don't know what brandis in there now? Kind of like type O blood - the universal donor? ;-)I guess the question is, will I be OK to continue to drive while a coupleof quarts low (I have good oil pressure) until I find out what brand theyused, or should I go down to the Pep Boys or Kragen and find some "universal replacement" oil?Thanks,Rich