??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true?
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From: miami, FL, usa
??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true?
I have a 92 prelude si, and have been using regular dyno oil in it for its entire life and so have the prevous owners. I recently went to checkers (an auto part store) and checked out the oils and they had new quaker state fully synthetic oil for the same price as the dynosaur oil!! I thought this was a sweet deal, until a friend told me that once you go syn you can't go back.
I thought that didn't make since, because some if not most cars come from the factory with syn. oil and most people switch to dyno oil. I recently put a new head on my h23 and have new seals so that won't be a concern. Mainly I'd like to switch to get better mileage, more time between oil changes and maybe a bit more hp.
I thought that didn't make since, because some if not most cars come from the factory with syn. oil and most people switch to dyno oil. I recently put a new head on my h23 and have new seals so that won't be a concern. Mainly I'd like to switch to get better mileage, more time between oil changes and maybe a bit more hp.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (matty c)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by matty c »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a 92 prelude si, and have been using regular dyno oil in it for its entire life and so have the prevous owners. I recently went to checkers (an auto part store) and checked out the oils and they had new quaker state fully synthetic oil for the same price as the dynosaur oil!! I thought this was a sweet deal, until a friend told me that once you go syn you can't go back.
I thought that didn't make since, because some if not most cars come from the factory with syn. oil and most people switch to dyno oil. I recently put a new head on my h23 and have new seals so that won't be a concern. Mainly I'd like to switch to get better mileage, more time between oil changes and maybe a bit more hp.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i'm not sure about quaker state synthetic, you get what you pay for with motor oils, though somtiems you don't get what you pay for (cough SYNTEC).
most car's don't come from the factory with a synthetic oil, most come with conventional oil. some say it's a special formula to help break the engine in, but i don't know if that's a myth or not. certain BMW's and the newer vettes might come with synthetic oil to start, but honda civics are not
the problem with switching from conv. to syn. oil is that people encounter that the synthetic tends to burn alot after the switch. this is because synthetic flows much better than conv oil, and things like the rings have been worn out over time. if you use a synthetic from the start and keep using it, the rings are generally in better shape because the syn conditions them better. the general rule is that if you've got 70,000 miles or more on an engine that has seen mostly conventional oil, stick with conventional oil. there are exceptions of course.
as far as better mileage, i don't think the subtle difference in viscosity between a syn 5w30 and a conv 5w30 will make an increase in mileage or hp. as far as an extended interval, well, those are the breaks. i think you can definitely use the honda manual spec interval of 5000 mi between changes with a conventional though. no more jiffy lube 3k bullshit.
I thought that didn't make since, because some if not most cars come from the factory with syn. oil and most people switch to dyno oil. I recently put a new head on my h23 and have new seals so that won't be a concern. Mainly I'd like to switch to get better mileage, more time between oil changes and maybe a bit more hp.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i'm not sure about quaker state synthetic, you get what you pay for with motor oils, though somtiems you don't get what you pay for (cough SYNTEC).
most car's don't come from the factory with a synthetic oil, most come with conventional oil. some say it's a special formula to help break the engine in, but i don't know if that's a myth or not. certain BMW's and the newer vettes might come with synthetic oil to start, but honda civics are not
the problem with switching from conv. to syn. oil is that people encounter that the synthetic tends to burn alot after the switch. this is because synthetic flows much better than conv oil, and things like the rings have been worn out over time. if you use a synthetic from the start and keep using it, the rings are generally in better shape because the syn conditions them better. the general rule is that if you've got 70,000 miles or more on an engine that has seen mostly conventional oil, stick with conventional oil. there are exceptions of course.
as far as better mileage, i don't think the subtle difference in viscosity between a syn 5w30 and a conv 5w30 will make an increase in mileage or hp. as far as an extended interval, well, those are the breaks. i think you can definitely use the honda manual spec interval of 5000 mi between changes with a conventional though. no more jiffy lube 3k bullshit.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (bad-monkey)
synthetic coats all parts of the motor differently than conv. oil. if you switch back to conv. oil you will have a problem with the motor getting properly lubed.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (Elkins911)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Elkins911 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">synthetic coats all parts of the motor differently than conv. oil. if you switch back to conv. oil you will have a problem with the motor getting properly lubed.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Dude that's just blatantly false.
The (potential) problem has always been this : using petroleum based oils for, say, 100,000 miles and then switching to synthetic. Synthetic oil, by design, is "thinner" than petroelum based oil and therefore, on a high milage car, could leak past worn seals and gaskets.
However, going in the opposite direction, eg, using petroleum based oils for 100,000 miles, using synthetic for a few oil changes and not liking it, and then switching back to petroleum based oils is JUST FINE!
Dude that's just blatantly false.
The (potential) problem has always been this : using petroleum based oils for, say, 100,000 miles and then switching to synthetic. Synthetic oil, by design, is "thinner" than petroelum based oil and therefore, on a high milage car, could leak past worn seals and gaskets.
However, going in the opposite direction, eg, using petroleum based oils for 100,000 miles, using synthetic for a few oil changes and not liking it, and then switching back to petroleum based oils is JUST FINE!
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From: northern DRUNKit, ma
Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (matty c)
honestly i have run synthetic and switched back, and hell even mixed the two,
maybe i did something wrong, but my car still runs fine.
maybe i did something wrong, but my car still runs fine.
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From: State College, PA, 16865
Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (prelittlelude)
read the back of any synthetic oil bottle... FULLY compatible with conventional oils.. meaning you can switch back and forth as you see fit
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (bb6h22a)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bb6h22a »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Dude that's just blatantly false.
The (potential) problem has always been this : using petroleum based oils for, say, 100,000 miles and then switching to synthetic. Synthetic oil, by design, is "thinner" than petroelum based oil and therefore, on a high milage car, could leak past worn seals and gaskets.
However, going in the opposite direction, eg, using petroleum based oils for 100,000 miles, using synthetic for a few oil changes and not liking it, and then switching back to petroleum based oils is JUST FINE!
</TD></TR></TABLE>
So what if you have been using synthetic for a while and build you motor up, shop tells you to use reg. oil until you finish breakin it in then you can go back to synthetic?
Dude that's just blatantly false.
The (potential) problem has always been this : using petroleum based oils for, say, 100,000 miles and then switching to synthetic. Synthetic oil, by design, is "thinner" than petroelum based oil and therefore, on a high milage car, could leak past worn seals and gaskets.
However, going in the opposite direction, eg, using petroleum based oils for 100,000 miles, using synthetic for a few oil changes and not liking it, and then switching back to petroleum based oils is JUST FINE!
</TD></TR></TABLE>
So what if you have been using synthetic for a while and build you motor up, shop tells you to use reg. oil until you finish breakin it in then you can go back to synthetic?
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (JDMH22NLINE4)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDMH22NLINE4 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
So what if you have been using synthetic for a while and build you motor up, shop tells you to use reg. oil until you finish breakin it in then you can go back to synthetic? </TD></TR></TABLE>
That's fine.
Some people prefer to break in their motors using petroleum based oil; however, Porsches, Ferraris, my Ducati motorcycle and a variety of other cars have synthetic oil in them when the leave the factory - at that point, it's up to personal preference, but there's nothing wrong w/ breaking in a motor then switching to synthetic.
So what if you have been using synthetic for a while and build you motor up, shop tells you to use reg. oil until you finish breakin it in then you can go back to synthetic? </TD></TR></TABLE>
That's fine.
Some people prefer to break in their motors using petroleum based oil; however, Porsches, Ferraris, my Ducati motorcycle and a variety of other cars have synthetic oil in them when the leave the factory - at that point, it's up to personal preference, but there's nothing wrong w/ breaking in a motor then switching to synthetic.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (bb6h22a)
Well,
The first thing you should probably do is go over to http://www.bobistheoilguy.com and start reading.
The answer to your question is that you can go back and forth without issue.
Synthetic lubricants will keep your engine cleaner. They also tend to keep the seals more plyable and in better shape over the life of the vehicle.
The first thing you should probably do is go over to http://www.bobistheoilguy.com and start reading.
The answer to your question is that you can go back and forth without issue.
Synthetic lubricants will keep your engine cleaner. They also tend to keep the seals more plyable and in better shape over the life of the vehicle.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (gerhard)
I've drive an Isuzu (well, a Geo) car with 257,000+ miles, and I've switched from dyno to synthetic to dyno to sem-syn, to dyno and all types without problems. The damn car doesn't even smoke yet. Original engine. You should be fine.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (Lakeshow23)
Let me clearify something:
There IS a known issue with switching to synthetic motor oil late in the life of the engine.
If you start with synthetic and then go to dino...and then go back to synthetic... it's not a problem, per se.
It IS an issue if you go from non-synthetic to synthetic at a high mileage.
For the H22A... that would be around 75,000 miles plus.
As the seals and crap build up with non-synthetic use, you can have issues at the synthetic lube starts to remove that build up. They are also better at getting into tighter spaces within the engine... So, this can cause leakage (seeping) with engines who's seals are not in the best of shape.
There IS a known issue with switching to synthetic motor oil late in the life of the engine.
If you start with synthetic and then go to dino...and then go back to synthetic... it's not a problem, per se.
It IS an issue if you go from non-synthetic to synthetic at a high mileage.
For the H22A... that would be around 75,000 miles plus.
As the seals and crap build up with non-synthetic use, you can have issues at the synthetic lube starts to remove that build up. They are also better at getting into tighter spaces within the engine... So, this can cause leakage (seeping) with engines who's seals are not in the best of shape.
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (gerhard)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gerhard »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Let me clearify something:
There IS a known issue with switching to synthetic motor oil late in the life of the engine.
If you start with synthetic and then go to dino...and then go back to synthetic... it's not a problem, per se.
It IS an issue if you go from non-synthetic to synthetic at a high mileage.
For the H22A... that would be around 75,000 miles plus.
As the seals and crap build up with non-synthetic use, you can have issues at the synthetic lube starts to remove that build up. They are also better at getting into tighter spaces within the engine... So, this can cause leakage (seeping) with engines who's seals are not in the best of shape.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Do you tear down engines for a living?
There IS a known issue with switching to synthetic motor oil late in the life of the engine.
If you start with synthetic and then go to dino...and then go back to synthetic... it's not a problem, per se.
It IS an issue if you go from non-synthetic to synthetic at a high mileage.
For the H22A... that would be around 75,000 miles plus.
As the seals and crap build up with non-synthetic use, you can have issues at the synthetic lube starts to remove that build up. They are also better at getting into tighter spaces within the engine... So, this can cause leakage (seeping) with engines who's seals are not in the best of shape.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Do you tear down engines for a living?
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Re: ??once you go synthetic you can't go back?? is this true? (Lakeshow23)
Nope.
BUT... yes... I've torn down an H22A4 with synthetic used for it's entire life... perfectly clean.
I torn down a friends H22A that used non-synthetic... and it's not the same story.
Also, I've got first hand expereince comparing the seal out of those two motors...
Lastly, most of the mechanics I speak with say the same thing.
Here is a recent example (top = non-synthetic [70k on unit], botton = synthetic [120k on unit]):
BUT... yes... I've torn down an H22A4 with synthetic used for it's entire life... perfectly clean.
I torn down a friends H22A that used non-synthetic... and it's not the same story.
Also, I've got first hand expereince comparing the seal out of those two motors...
Lastly, most of the mechanics I speak with say the same thing.
Here is a recent example (top = non-synthetic [70k on unit], botton = synthetic [120k on unit]):
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From: AZ, USA
Re: (vinuneuro)
I switched my 93 lude si over to mobile 1 synthetic @ 130,000 miles. I am pretty sure the previous owner just used regular oil in it. Bought the car @ 130k and after switching to mobile 1 synthetic 10w-30 it runs 10 times better and idles smoother.
btw, doesnt leak a drop
btw, doesnt leak a drop
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Re: (mesh)
Let me address all of the comments...
Synthetics tend to have better additive packages than most regular motor oils.
Those additives are what help prevent sludge build up and engine part damage.
What you see on the bottom valve cover are brown spots created by Mobil 1 after being used for 7000 miles and still pooled on the cover. (I just took a quick picture.)
The H22A series motor gets hot... especially around the valve cover... and oil fumes then to bake onto the cover. Conventional motor oils are really good for this when you live in a warm climate.
Obviously, synthetic lubes are less sensitive to heat than Group I and II non-synthetic lubriucants (these are the classic "dino" motor oils). Group IIIx lubricants are really not a true synthetic motor oil, but are sort of inbetween Group IV,V,VI synthetic bases. We find that this basestock is being blended with all of the others more and more... and is less suceptable to heat and cold, but not as good as the true synthetic basestocks.
If you want some more information, here is something that explains a little more clearly:
http://absoluteprelude.com/for...c=406
The switch over to synthetic is something that you hear a ton of different personal accounts of.
The time to really be concerned about switching over is IF you car has been sitting for long periods of time over the years and does not have much milage on it.
For instance, if you've got a 93 Prelude... you drive it 5000 miles a year, and change the oil once a year... you probably shouldn't switch over to synthetic.
Environmental concerns will also play a factor in how quickly your seals harden up. If you live in the southwest, experience high heat, and have used conventional motor for the life of the car... you may not have good results with synthetic lubes and the seals on your car...
etc...
Synthetics tend to have better additive packages than most regular motor oils.
Those additives are what help prevent sludge build up and engine part damage.
What you see on the bottom valve cover are brown spots created by Mobil 1 after being used for 7000 miles and still pooled on the cover. (I just took a quick picture.)
The H22A series motor gets hot... especially around the valve cover... and oil fumes then to bake onto the cover. Conventional motor oils are really good for this when you live in a warm climate.
Obviously, synthetic lubes are less sensitive to heat than Group I and II non-synthetic lubriucants (these are the classic "dino" motor oils). Group IIIx lubricants are really not a true synthetic motor oil, but are sort of inbetween Group IV,V,VI synthetic bases. We find that this basestock is being blended with all of the others more and more... and is less suceptable to heat and cold, but not as good as the true synthetic basestocks.
If you want some more information, here is something that explains a little more clearly:
http://absoluteprelude.com/for...c=406
The switch over to synthetic is something that you hear a ton of different personal accounts of.
The time to really be concerned about switching over is IF you car has been sitting for long periods of time over the years and does not have much milage on it.
For instance, if you've got a 93 Prelude... you drive it 5000 miles a year, and change the oil once a year... you probably shouldn't switch over to synthetic.
Environmental concerns will also play a factor in how quickly your seals harden up. If you live in the southwest, experience high heat, and have used conventional motor for the life of the car... you may not have good results with synthetic lubes and the seals on your car...
etc...
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Re: (vinuneuro)
It's pretty straight forward:
There are times when using synthetic motor oil is not a good idea.
The first deals with very low milage cars that sat for long periods of time without operating.
Say you see a 1993 Prelude that's got 40,000 miles on it and was garage kept / only driven in the summer.
At first glance, that's a pretty nice car and one that anyone would like to get their hands on.
However, after the inital wow factor, you need to ask if the oil was changed every 6 mos anyway. You also need to ask if the car was started and let run once a week.
The reason is simple:
The oil keeps the seals exposed to the chemical additives that are good for the seals. When a car sits for long periods of time, the seals are exposed to air and become hard and/or brittle.
A 1993 Prelude that's basically been sitting for 12 years is going to need some care.
Exposing the engine to a fully synthetic lubricant can cause the seals (that are possibly not very plyable at this point - depending on environmental issues), to leak.
Synthetics are a little better at getting into all of the small tolerance places in the engine. This can cause leaks.
It would be smarter to get one of the high milage oils made primarily out of Group III basestock, as that would be better for the seals.
With a car in this situation I would do something that I never recommend, and that's change the oil every 3000 miles with a non-synthetic lubricant.
All of the current high milage oils, even the ones that claim to be synthetic, are made out of Group III basestock with a little of Ester basestock added to cause the seals to swell. (...and not acutally a true synthetic lube [ - I've been reading the MSDS's])
They are all highly resistant to burning as well, due to some of the additives.
The second time to not use synthetic lubes if you haven't been deals with HIGH milage vehicles.
Some times it's a really bad idea to risk using synthetic lubes on a car that has never hard them.
I can tell you, for example, that the seals on my 1997 H22A4 at 120k were nice and hard. ...and that was actually in comparison to an H22A that only had 30-40k on it built in 1992!
If my car had never seen synthetic... I'm fairly certain that the change over wouldn't have been quite such a good idea.
There are times when using synthetic motor oil is not a good idea.
The first deals with very low milage cars that sat for long periods of time without operating.
Say you see a 1993 Prelude that's got 40,000 miles on it and was garage kept / only driven in the summer.
At first glance, that's a pretty nice car and one that anyone would like to get their hands on.
However, after the inital wow factor, you need to ask if the oil was changed every 6 mos anyway. You also need to ask if the car was started and let run once a week.
The reason is simple:
The oil keeps the seals exposed to the chemical additives that are good for the seals. When a car sits for long periods of time, the seals are exposed to air and become hard and/or brittle.
A 1993 Prelude that's basically been sitting for 12 years is going to need some care.
Exposing the engine to a fully synthetic lubricant can cause the seals (that are possibly not very plyable at this point - depending on environmental issues), to leak.
Synthetics are a little better at getting into all of the small tolerance places in the engine. This can cause leaks.
It would be smarter to get one of the high milage oils made primarily out of Group III basestock, as that would be better for the seals.
With a car in this situation I would do something that I never recommend, and that's change the oil every 3000 miles with a non-synthetic lubricant.
All of the current high milage oils, even the ones that claim to be synthetic, are made out of Group III basestock with a little of Ester basestock added to cause the seals to swell. (...and not acutally a true synthetic lube [ - I've been reading the MSDS's])
They are all highly resistant to burning as well, due to some of the additives.
The second time to not use synthetic lubes if you haven't been deals with HIGH milage vehicles.
Some times it's a really bad idea to risk using synthetic lubes on a car that has never hard them.
I can tell you, for example, that the seals on my 1997 H22A4 at 120k were nice and hard. ...and that was actually in comparison to an H22A that only had 30-40k on it built in 1992!
If my car had never seen synthetic... I'm fairly certain that the change over wouldn't have been quite such a good idea.
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From: Atlanta, GA
Re: (gerhard)
oh Gerhard.
Did the person who uses non-sythetic have the exact same use as the person who uses synthetic? Probably not.
Regular oil does not clog up your motor with crap like that in gerhard's pic unless you don't take care of it. If you don't take care of it, then your car will most certainly look like that.
Synthetic is no gauruntee that your car won't look like that.
Just for the record, I use regular oil, and inside is actually cleaner than his sythetic pic. But I work at honda, and get to change my oil as often as I want for practically free.
Also, I did use synthetic for about 3 oil changes, then became too poor to continue it, so I went back to normal. It doesn't cause any problems. And some one pointed out that most syn bottles note that they are compatible with conventional oils.
Did the person who uses non-sythetic have the exact same use as the person who uses synthetic? Probably not.
Regular oil does not clog up your motor with crap like that in gerhard's pic unless you don't take care of it. If you don't take care of it, then your car will most certainly look like that.
Synthetic is no gauruntee that your car won't look like that.
Just for the record, I use regular oil, and inside is actually cleaner than his sythetic pic. But I work at honda, and get to change my oil as often as I want for practically free.
Also, I did use synthetic for about 3 oil changes, then became too poor to continue it, so I went back to normal. It doesn't cause any problems. And some one pointed out that most syn bottles note that they are compatible with conventional oils.
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Re: (BA5)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
oh Gerhard.
Did the person who uses non-sythetic have the exact same use as the person who uses synthetic? Probably not.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Actually, yeah, it was pretty much the same type of driving and beating on the car. Both of us use the cars as daily drivers, and both of use don't go a day without doing 7400 rpms at least a few times.
"Exactly the same conditions" is a dubious statement at best. However, a general trend between a few first hand experiences and that of about 4 mechanics I know indicates that my statement is an accurate one.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Regular oil does not clog up your motor with crap like that in gerhard's pic unless you don't take care of it. If you don't take care of it, then your car will most certainly look like that.
Synthetic is no gauruntee that your car won't look like that.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Obviously, if you don't take care of your car, of course you're going to be the extreme case. The picture above is a fairly extreme case, however, I've also got 3 other H22A valve covers where I've been able to verify that the owners used only non-sythetic motor oil... and the deposts on those covers with significantly less milage than my old H22A4 are almost as alarming. (That would range from 30k to 59k less than my H22A4 before the swap at 120k.)
Synthetic is MUCH MORE of a guaranty ESPECIALLY under conditions where you ABUSE the engine.
Trust me. See what your valve cover looks like after not changing convetional oil for 20k... Do the same thing with sythethic oil... and they'll be a huge difference.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Just for the record, I use regular oil, and inside is actually cleaner than his sythetic pic. But I work at honda, and get to change my oil as often as I want for practically free.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
As I mentioned, the brown build up is actually pooled oil. It's odd how that worked out bewteen the flash and the camera...
The one thing with my valve cover pic is that there is a slight gray tinge that is not the bare aluminum under the oil. That's acutally elevated levels of aluminum in the oil system due to wear on the #4 and #1 cylinder walls.
So if you take the valve cover off and notice not a varnish build up, but a fine residue over the engine parts... AND you are burning they typically 1-2 qts every 3k... you've got ring problems.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Also, I did use synthetic for about 3 oil changes, then became too poor to continue it, so I went back to normal. It doesn't cause any problems. And some one pointed out that most syn bottles note that they are compatible with conventional oils.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
When you get normal motor oil for free... why bother with synthetic if you can get it changed frequently.
The issue is that when you are not in that possition, you are MUCH less likely to be chaning the oil continuously.
Normal motor simply does not hold up like synthethic products... and ususally has a comparitively inferior additive package.
Sure, you can go between them... and that might actually be a good idea economically.
oh Gerhard.
Did the person who uses non-sythetic have the exact same use as the person who uses synthetic? Probably not.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Actually, yeah, it was pretty much the same type of driving and beating on the car. Both of us use the cars as daily drivers, and both of use don't go a day without doing 7400 rpms at least a few times.
"Exactly the same conditions" is a dubious statement at best. However, a general trend between a few first hand experiences and that of about 4 mechanics I know indicates that my statement is an accurate one.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Regular oil does not clog up your motor with crap like that in gerhard's pic unless you don't take care of it. If you don't take care of it, then your car will most certainly look like that.
Synthetic is no gauruntee that your car won't look like that.
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Obviously, if you don't take care of your car, of course you're going to be the extreme case. The picture above is a fairly extreme case, however, I've also got 3 other H22A valve covers where I've been able to verify that the owners used only non-sythetic motor oil... and the deposts on those covers with significantly less milage than my old H22A4 are almost as alarming. (That would range from 30k to 59k less than my H22A4 before the swap at 120k.)
Synthetic is MUCH MORE of a guaranty ESPECIALLY under conditions where you ABUSE the engine.
Trust me. See what your valve cover looks like after not changing convetional oil for 20k... Do the same thing with sythethic oil... and they'll be a huge difference.
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Just for the record, I use regular oil, and inside is actually cleaner than his sythetic pic. But I work at honda, and get to change my oil as often as I want for practically free.
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As I mentioned, the brown build up is actually pooled oil. It's odd how that worked out bewteen the flash and the camera...
The one thing with my valve cover pic is that there is a slight gray tinge that is not the bare aluminum under the oil. That's acutally elevated levels of aluminum in the oil system due to wear on the #4 and #1 cylinder walls.
So if you take the valve cover off and notice not a varnish build up, but a fine residue over the engine parts... AND you are burning they typically 1-2 qts every 3k... you've got ring problems.
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Also, I did use synthetic for about 3 oil changes, then became too poor to continue it, so I went back to normal. It doesn't cause any problems. And some one pointed out that most syn bottles note that they are compatible with conventional oils.
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When you get normal motor oil for free... why bother with synthetic if you can get it changed frequently.
The issue is that when you are not in that possition, you are MUCH less likely to be chaning the oil continuously.
Normal motor simply does not hold up like synthethic products... and ususally has a comparitively inferior additive package.
Sure, you can go between them... and that might actually be a good idea economically.
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,633
Likes: 1
From: Off THE 60, Between THE 605 and THE 57
changing your oil alot is such a waste. for people that don't work at honda, it's cheaper to run mobil 1 for 10,000 miles than it is to do 3 changes with a conv. oil in that period of time. not to mention that it's a waste of precious resources, and you're never letting the filter reach peak filtering capacity.
personally i think the 5000 mi interval specified by honda is fine for conv. users. anywhere from 7500 to 10000 mi intervals is fine for syn users, and theoretically the oil could probably go another 5000 miles after that, if you changed the filter at 7500.
personally i think the 5000 mi interval specified by honda is fine for conv. users. anywhere from 7500 to 10000 mi intervals is fine for syn users, and theoretically the oil could probably go another 5000 miles after that, if you changed the filter at 7500.
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 333
Likes: 0
Re: (bad-monkey)
Actually, there are a ton of oil analysis reports posted on http://www.bobistheoilguy.com
A bunch of them are camparison betwee high milage usage on conventional oils and synthetic oils.
Good reading for anyone interested.
A bunch of them are camparison betwee high milage usage on conventional oils and synthetic oils.
Good reading for anyone interested.