I filled up with synthetic and at 2.5k miles later, my MID reads 50% on the MID. What's up with that? I know that synthetic last longer, but should I still follow the MID or reset it when it hits 0%? It should adjust to the synthetic oil right?

 

I highly doubt it. Its not smart enough. It probably considers temperature, RPM, % throttle, and total engine revolutions in some algorithm to determine oil life.

 

That's what I thought. So I should reset the MID when it hits zero and just follow the mileage?

 

This is where you're kind of stuck in a Catch-22 situation. If you don't follow the MID and something goes wrong then the dealer can say that its your fault for not following it. If you do follow it then you're changing oil too soon. I'd say following the mileage is pretty safe but the dealer would say that the MID is there to more intelligently predict oil life than simple mileage.

 

i think it was stated elsewhere on this forum but the mid only adjusts the oil life to how you drive and not by the actual oil's life. Time also plays a role.

 

yea but it's weird because i drive the same everyday and i'm getting the same oil life now from synthetic than conventional

 

What type of Syn oil are you using? Full Syn or a blend.

I would stick with the MID. Oil/filter changes are inexpensive and provides one of the best long term benefits for the life of your car's engine.

I use Mobil 1 5w-30 and follow the M.I.D. oil change interval every 5,000 miles.

One time I was on vacation (Tucson/Phoenix @ +110 degrees) and went over my oil change by 800 miles. I wouldn't have done that if I had regular oil in the engine.

 

My observations exactly - I see about 5.3k miles to 0% oil life with synthetic or dino oil.

 

I drive my car pretty hard...i believe it reflect how i drive for sure. the nicer i drive the longer my oil lasts....I choose to trust mine...as long as its not rediculous....like 80% life at 3000 miles or something like that....

 

I just got my oil changed with this same oil, the Mobil 1 5w-30 and the dealer put the sticker on my window sayting I should come back in 3500 miles? should I follow that? I figured I could get about 5,000 or at least 4,500. I don't want to ruin my engine...I have an 04'

 

They just want to bleed as much money as possible out of you. Modern motor oil is a highly engineered product that will easily supply 10,000 miles of optimum performance, even under fairly abusive conditions. The biggest limiting factor of oil life in reality is contamination, which shouldn't be much of a problem with these cars. 3,500 miles is nothing more than them wanting money.

 

Most europeans go 12-15K miles between oil changes.

 

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I filled it with full synthetic. But why should I change my oil so early when the reason why I chose synthetic is because of it's longevity? I paid twice as much for it and isn't it a fact that full synthetic last longer than conventional? I want to go by the MID, but it's telling me to change my oil way too early. If I am suppose to change it the same time as conventional, then I think I might switch back to conventional because it's cheaper. Also, I researched it and not a lot of proof out there that says full synthetic is better for your car. It might be cleaner, but it doesn't affect the vehicle in any way. That is correct, right?

 

Synthetic oil withstands heat and pressure better due higher level of uniformity at the molecular level. Viscosity stays more stable at various temperatures as a result. Beyond that, it's not magic. You get longer life and it does it's job better under extreme conditions.