synthetic oil at 103k

derektri · 03-06-03, 08:22

I recently purchased a 98 civic with 103,000 miles. The car has had its oil changed every 3-5k with dino oil. With this many miles on the engine do you think it is worth it to change to synthetic oil? I am leaning toward synthetic, but I have heard that the gaskets may leak after the change.

4DSC · 03-06-03, 10:06

You can always try it and see what happens. My car is even older and has about equiv. 140,000 miles on it and doesn't use a drop of synthetic oil anywhere. Leaks may occur only because synthetic oil flows easier.

If you find it does seep a bit you could always simply switch back to regular oil the next change.

2wheelsx2 · 03-06-03, 10:21

I changed my truck from dino to full synthetic (Amsoil) at about 120,000 km (80,000 miles) and it ruptured the oil pressure sender. Tough to diagnose, as it leaked only under higher revs, so there was hardly ever any oil on my garage floor. Other than that, I would not hesitate to do so again with my next vehicle. My current ride is running dino because I bought it used and I don't plan to keep it much longer.

flyby · 03-07-03, 03:05

i *believe* that is an old wives tale.....i run Mobil1 in my 91 S-10 and it now has 234,000 miles on it. changed every 3000 miles. Current car has 80K on it with the same type of oil..... I cant see why you wouldnt want to run syn....we now have the technology and i plan on using it!!! Amsoil is an intriguing (sp?) prospect...i have been to there site, read testimonials, and such, but Im not sure i can make that REALLY big tech leap quite yet. i also try to buy good filters (K&N)

Red98gt · 03-07-03, 06:43

Flyby, AMSOIL is good stuff. Usually beats Mobil 1 in tests. I think the biggest advantage Mobil 1 has is you can get it locally. I sell AMSOIL and use it in all my cars.

flyby · 03-08-03, 02:29

which 10-40 oil would i run in my eclipse then? im confused about there oils....

Lowejackson · 03-08-03, 05:11

Synthetics are great but they do have strong detergents in them. If you get a leak after using a synthetic, you probably had a leak for some time, but the crud was blocking the hole.

I think keeping the oil clean is more important that the type of oil used. I am sure it was Geekysteve who asked a crankshaft designer what oil he used, he said dino, changed often and hot.

Steven

SVR · 03-17-03, 04:32

Redline is the brand of lubricants i use but have heard good things about AMSOIL. They're both specialty products for car purists who want the best.

HellrotCi · 03-17-03, 07:30

How many people does it take to make something said a fact? When it comes to believing synthetic oil actually cleans engine deposits so well the engines develop leaks, well I haven't seen enough documented proof to believe it. I'm not saying that it doesn't or couldn't happen, but I think coincidence also plays a big part in this. You get several dozen people making this claim on the net and suddenly it becomes fact. With that said here’s what I think.

Three of the main advantages of synthetic oils, and there’s more, have over conventional oils are: 1. Its superior flow characteristics at very low temperatures. 2. Its superior ability to withstand extreme engine temperatures. 3. Its superior lubricating qualities. Do you live where the temperatures get very cold in the winter? I’m talking below 0 for long periods. Is the engine turbocharged, in your case, no? How slippery is slippery enough for normal everyday use? Conventional oil has been around for over 100 years and has been refined and improved along the way. Racers use synthetic oils because their engines see extreme running conditions and because synthetics have been documented to reduce drag on moving parts which frees up power.

My wife’s Catera has 122k miles on it and I change the oil every 5k miles with conventional oil. Even after several thousand miles after an oil change, the oil on the dipstick remains very clean looking. I’ll never switch to synthetic in her car. Your car has accumulated 103k miles on it using conventional oil with regular oil changes. The engine was designed to be used with conventional oil by highly trained Japanese engineers. If changing to synthetic oil makes you feel better, and there’s something to be said for piece of mind, do it. I also highly believe in the saying, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

low · 03-24-03, 12:23

sorry for being a noob, but whats 'dino' oil?

flyby · 03-24-03, 04:35

dino oil: naturally made oil from fossils etc.
syn or synthetic oil: 100% man made oil, although even the purest have 1 or 2 chains of naturally made chemicals.

4DSC · 03-24-03, 07:01

Quote:

Originally posted by low
sorry for being a noob, but whats 'dino' oil?

It's just a nickname for "normal" motor oil... don't try asking for it at a store.

Oil doesn't really come from dinosaurs anyway.