Hi, i'm new here, this is kinda a newbie question so spare me. I have a 1995 Civic DX with 115,xxx mi. on it , I'm sellin it a few months to get a new car, undecided yet but feel free to grace me with opinions , I was wondering if my car would be ok runnin synth oil, and if I did put it in what would the positive/negative effects be? Thanks in advance for the help

 

running synthetic oil in a high mileage engine is not good, its thin and not good for your engine if you havent' used it before

 

running synthetic oil in a high mileage engine is not good, its thin and not good for your engine if you havent' used it before.

 

well since its a dx motor and your gonna sell it why not just buy exxon superflo at $.99 a quart.

 

Most likely you will leak oil if you use it.

 

No. I would stick to regular oil. Due to that much miles on that motor, it will most likely burn the oil right off since your rings are probably slightly (at least) worn.

 

Why would synthetic oils burn off any faster??? The flash point (ignition point) is higher on synthetics. It's more stable at temperature extremes. It sticks to hot metal better, so there's a coat of oil when you crank your engine after a long period of sitting. It flows smoother, so there's less friction, and more power. It removes heat better.

The one disadvantage of seals leaking is accurate. Older seals were more porous. The dino oil would "soak" into them. If you change to synthetics, the oil will actually flush out the old dino oil and leak. This is because the hydrocarbon chains are more consistent in length/size.

 

If the engine's still in good condition, then the synthetic will be fine. I switched to to synthetic at about 125k in my D16Y8 with zero problems. Although, since you're selling it soon, I would just pick up some inexpensive oil.

 

A few things here...

The above is true. In the context of this 'older car' discussion, as well as racecars for that matter, synthetic motor oil DOES NOT burn because of the higher flash point, as mentioned above. And, it's also true that it helps remove heat, although this is primarily a function of the spark plugs. Why is this important to both 'older cars' and racecars? Because, burning oil effectively lowers the octane rating of the fuel you are burning, causing detonation. This isn't a college paper, so I'll stop there...

I would judge this to be true and false. Using Mobil 1 as an example - it's fully compatible with the elastomeric materials from which all automotive seals and gaskets are made; so is dino juice. The only problem would be if you have been using some oil additive, or 'high-mileage vehicle' motor oil, to try to rejuvenate worn or damaged seals. With extended use, these agents can over-soften engine seals. Synthetic oil will not make the situation worse, but it will be more expensive in the long run because of the premium price you pay for the oil itself.

Personally, if I had a high-mileage car, and it didn't leak excessively, I would go for it. I'm a BIG believer in synthetic oils.

Bottom line is: using synthetic motor oil in ANY car, regardless of age, is probably the single best thing you can do for it. However, if you own a 'bleeder', be aware that you are leaking $4.50/qt motor oil on your driveway. This can get expensive...

 

This is true also, and is a valid point that shouldn't be ignored. If you don't plan on keeping your car for a LONG time, synthetic oil is a waste of money. All you are doing is making things easier for the next owner. The benefit goes away with the car...