htsang07

I hope this hasn't already been posted before and I'm sorry if it has but I searched and haven't came up with anything.

I have a 2003 Honda with 68k miles on it that has been running on conventional oil up until now. I recently received mobil 1 extended synthetic oil and filter for free from one of my friends. I read up on switching to synthetic and I found that switching to synthetic has a pretty good chance of revealing oil leaks but on the other hand, synthetic oil has a lot of really good qualities compared to the regular conventional motor oils. I thought about it a lot and I decided that I want to go ahead and do it IF the repairs for gaskets and seals aren't crazy expensive if there is an oil leak after the switch.

So my question is: In the worse case scenario, ALL of the gaskets and seals have to be replaced, how much am I looking to pay for parts & labor(a ball park estimate would be suffice)? I'm sure I wouldn't have to replace ALL of them but I've had pretty bad luck in the past and I would like to know if I can afford it before making the switch. I only decided going with switching to synthetic even knowing that it reveals oil leaks is because I figured the leaks are already there and I will have to deal with them sooner or later because I plan on keeping this car for a really long time. The question is whether I can afford changing those gaskets/seals all at once..

Please let me know an estimate of how much I might have to pay if all the gaskets/seals have to be replaced. Thanks so muchh.

civickiller

I haven't noticed any leaks from switching to synthetic and some of my gaskets are the from '00 When I bought the motor

Drive 4 fun

If you really had to replace the gaskets and seals, the parts might not be so bad, but what about time and labor, or paying for. This has been covered here and other sites, but as many topics and will take some reading to filter it out, filter pun intended. I switched my '95 at 125k and now 225k, no leaks. Your fear and rumor seem to come from much older engines and seals. If you do this, your new synthetic will serve as a flush for a couple changes. Synthetic will clean out your engine, into the new oil for a couple times and get very black very fast, be prepared.

htsang07

i actually know that it's pretty uncommon to have a leak come out after switching to synthetic. But I already have a 'seep' it's not dripping and the oil seeps out really slowly. I only notice it because when I touch the oil pan, it's a little oily.

I am also going to just switch it but I kind of want an estimate of the worse case scenario because I don't want to be under prepared if the worse case scenario occurs (which is if everything starts leaking...) And I really do have no idea what so ever how much that would cost me.

But anyway, they say that theres a chance of it occurring because after changing to synthetic, the oil will clean out the engine and if there are any gaps in the gasket that is 'closed' off from the residue of burnt petroleum oil, the synthetic oil will clear that out and further reveal those gaps. So I guess I just want to be safe.

TunerN00b

Modern conventional oils have enough detergents in them to remove the "burnt oil" that would have been sealing any leaks.

Just switch. Everything won't suddenly start leaking. That's one of those myths that might have had some truth back in the 60s, but shouldn't still be propagated today.

Rotors warping, engines needing back pressure, and switching to synthetic opening leaks, these myths stick around much longer than they should.

htsang07

I took your advice and did the switch to synthetic yesterday. As of right now I don't see any leaks. I AM worried that after the detergents clean everything out, that leaks will start appearing. But I figured that if there's gaps, then I should probably get them fixed anyway. I'm just worried about the price of repairs. Since I don't work and can't have money accessible to me instantly, I'm just wondering.. how much money do you guys think I should keep stored away in case a leak or two does appear in the future?

thankss

EJ1_CRIS_909

You can switch back and forth between sythetic and conventional with no problem at all. If you start to see leaks (which i highly doubt at only 68k), just shop around. Call alot of shops to find the best price. Or you can do it yourself depending where the leak is.

TOO MUCH TORQUE

you probably wont notice leaks..

i switched at 80k on my integra. 120k now...still using and no leaks