i am running synthetic oil (mobile 1) for my b16a swapped eg hatch and i do the oil change at every 3000 miles on all my cars. i was told by many people that it is a waste to do oil change at every 3000 miles of using synthetic oil..people say full synthetic oil is good up to 5000 miles... i just need to hear from you guys...

 

u can use it up to 5000 miles. But its kind of up to u i use full synthetic and still do every oil change at 3000. whats a couple of bucks

 

yp you can probably run on synthetic for 8 k miles. safe side is 4-5 k

 

i wouldn't run synthetic for more than 5k

 

Synthetics CAN be run up to 10-12k miles without breakdown. However, it really depends on your conditions. If you track your car, beat on it really bad, etc. then more frequent changes need to be done.

A good way to go about this, is to send in your sample of your oil to an oil analysis company, such as Blackstone Labs. It costs roughly $20 and they will tell you what the condition of your engine and oil is. If you go 5k miles and they say the oil is fine, then you can safely go to 5k on subsequent oil changes, if not more.

Personally, if I'm not tracking the car, I'd go 5-6k between oil changes on synthetic. People who say to stick to 3k oil changes don't realize that advancements have beem made in the oil industry. 20 years ago, 3k intervals might have been recommended, but the oils out today are far more superior.

Also, if you're wanting to run FULL synthetic, do yourself a favor and pick up Amsoil, Royal Purple, etc.--not Mobil1.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by p nut &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Also, if you're wanting to run FULL synthetic, do yourself a favor and pick up Amsoil, Royal Purple, etc.--not Mobil1.</TD></TR></TABLE>
bro why not mobile 1 ?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crazyguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
bro why not mobile 1 ?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's not a true synthetic. Search for it. Many have switched (myself included) to the other oils listed above.

 

P nut covered basically everything I would have.

 

Isnt Royal purple good up to 14k mi. Doesnt mean you dont have to change your oil filter tho.

 

I wouldn't go 14K in between oil changes


7K max on synthetic, 3K max on regular ol' oil

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JKov240 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I wouldn't go 14K in between oil changes


7K max on synthetic, 3K max on regular ol' oil</TD></TR></TABLE>

You'd be surprised how far you can push both synthetic and regular oils. As mentioned above, send the oil in for a UOA, and you'll be able to determine how its performing and what sort of life it has remaining. Using a 3000 mile interval is likely overkill in most cases, even with a conventional oil.

 

Mobil 1 is the same as Castrol Synthetic.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bulli Kid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mobil 1 is the same as Castrol Synthetic. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What do you mean by "the same"?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Padawan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You'd be surprised how far you can push both synthetic and regular oils. As mentioned above, send the oil in for a UOA, and you'll be able to determine how its performing and what sort of life it has remaining. Using a 3000 mile interval is likely overkill in most cases, even with a conventional oil. </TD></TR></TABLE>


True, but it's like taking a rubberband and stretching it...sooner or later it's gonna break.

I'm old school...clean fluids keep the engine going longer

 

Whatever makes you happiest.

Recommended OCI on my car is 15,000 miles.

 

In 96-97 the recommended oil/filter change interval was 7500/12mos for normal use, 3750/6mos for severe. And yup, they've gone up since then.

I change my oil every 7500 miles, filters every 3750. That roughly works out to be a filter change every 4 months and an oil change every 8. I think Mobil 1 Extended is good enough for my pattern. No need to spend $40+ for pure synthetics, plus OAs every few months so I don't change it out too early. One part of me likes the principle in doing OA, but (last time I checked) an OA costs more than a budget dino oil change.

OTOH I did finally find a place selling PureOne filters, so I got that going for me, which is nice.

 

3000

 

I've personally seen what high mileage oil change intervals can build up in an engine, and I am by no means impressed with advancements in oil technology, even in cars less than 4 years old, buildup and thinning are still just as prominent as it was from what I've seen.

Mileage should not be a substitute for time, you either hit one or the other. I really do not believe there have been too many significant advancements in oil, only that the service interval is lengthened so that dealerships can lower the "cost of maintenance" so customers look into buying them. Most cars today don't even specify coolant/brake flushes. (brake fluid should be flushed at at least one interval as it absorbs water very easily)

My 91 DX calls for a 7500 mile oil change interval, and I change it about every 3500 miles. Most of the time I never hit this, but I still change it due to age every 3-4 months. Every oil has a cracking point, and age will destroy oil just as bad as mileage can. Not to mention blow-by accumulation over 15,000 miles. This should be a big factor as well for those debating on obeying a factory interval.

 

Has "what you've seen" also been confirmed by UOA's?

 

No, this is my opinion. I think analyzing oil is a little overkill, and there is plenty you can tell with your senses.

Generalizing engine wear with other cars also leads to a problem. Some cars wear more than others with different oils, and following a trend is somewhat blind to me. You can get a good result in a sludged engine. Even if the result is good, you still have deposits laying around that can become a clog. Cleanliness and oil quality should both be factors, because a UOA will not know if you engine has deposits or not. Some oils are better at dissolving deposits than others, others suck at it, and can still be "clean".

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slowcivic2k &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No, this is my opinion. I think analyzing oil is a little overkill, and there is plenty you can tell with your senses.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I wouldn't say it's overkill, particularly if you're truly interested in how your oil is performing. There is a limit to what you can tell just by looking, feeling, or smelling your used oil, and a UOA can provide a wealth of information regarding the oil itself and even the health of the engine.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slowcivic2k &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Generalizing engine wear with other cars also leads to a problem. Some cars wear more than others with different oils, and following a trend is somewhat blind to me.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree, and many people prefer to err on the side of caution by using frequent OCI's. However, many others find that their oil (even conventional) is still protecting and holding up very well at OCI's quite a bit past the traditional 3000 mile mark. Again though, if someone prefers to change more frequently, he's certainly not going to do any harm to the engine.

 

hmm i changed my oil every 3k with the boosted d. I think im going to switch it to 4200 now.