Anyone use synthetic motor oil instead of regular? (1 Viewer)

[Philip_G]

Yes, it goes to the used oil tank in the sky. I take mine to checkers and they accept it just the same

 

[Karl_Luph]

Peter A asked a very good question about why you can't break in an engine with synthetic oil. The answer is that there needs to be a polishing effect on the rings and cylinders and valves etc. to level out the microscopic peaks and valleys on the parts. Synthetic oil is just too slippery to use on a brand new engine, thus the parts don't seal optimally. I guess this is why most manufacturers have the short mileage on the break in oil. Cars that come from the factory with engines already filled with synthetic oil are probably broken in on the bench before installation. Maybe a member who works at the factory can fill us in on this.

 

[Eric Alderson]

I just got my car 2 months ago (Acura RSX type-S) and it is well known in the enthusiast community that those cars come with a special break-in oil from the factory. I plan to change to Mobil 1 at 5000mi which is the recommended change interval for severe conditions. All the feedback I hear is positive on synthetic like smoother running engines and better gas mileage.

 

[Peter_A]

Peter A asked a very good question about why you can't break in an engine with synthetic oil. The answer is that there needs to be a polishing effect on the rings and cylinders and valves etc. to level out the microscopic peaks and valleys on the parts. Synthetic oil is just too slippery to use on a brand new engine, thus the parts don't seal optimally. I guess this is why most manufacturers have the short mileage on the break in oil. Cars that come from the factory with engines already filled with synthetic oil are probably broken in on the bench before installation. Maybe a member who works at the factory can fill us in on this.

You would think that they would break them in on the bench first but in some case, that would be a lot of engines!

Also if you use synthetic don't be surprised if you get a small amount of seepage over time. Since synthetic oil is a lot more fine than normal oil, it can get in places normal oil can't. I'm not talking a huge leak or anything, it's definitely nothing to be worried about.

 

[Tim Markley]

Changing the oil every 12,000 miles? That seems pretty extreme but if that's what the car manufacturer requires then i'd be ok with it.

Yes, that's what's recommended by BMW and that's what they cover in their maintenance warranty. We've had the car for a little over 3 years and the oil's been changed 3 times. It's nice to not have to worry about getting the oil changed every 3 months.

 

[Karl_Luph]

Synthetic lubrication is definitely a good way to protect your new investment and increase the performance,fuel economy,and drain intervals. Another great way to reduce our dependance on foreign oil.

 

[Lance Nichols]

I switched to Synthetic @ 1K KMs on my GT Cruiser. Don't really know what was the factory lube.

On any Turbo I have owned they have been fed a diet of Synthetic oil. NA cars get good old refined from dead dinos. The heat build up in a turbo is frightening, and I don't want a bearing seizing because of coked up oil.

 

[Ian Wilson]

Just to expand on some of the comments. Modern engines are build to much tighter tolerances and require far less time to bed in. In fact as has been mentioned some manufacturers start with synthetic oil. For older engines that have been running regular oil for some time changing to synthetic can cause problems as the additives in synthetic oils will remove deposits in the engine and can cause the engine to burn oil. Synthetic oils are more suited to applications where the engine is being worked hard, i.e. track use. Synthetic's have a much higher temperature operating range. I've seen plenty of track cars who have burnt their oil because of running petroleum based oil.
As far as oil changes go if you do lots of short journeys or drive in extreme conditions then change your oil on a more regular basis. If you do lots of highway miles then you can safety extend your oil change interval by a considerable margin.
Lots of good info here http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbi...oil_bible.html