THis might be a stupid question but I heard from one of my friends that it might be unsafe if I switch from regular motor oil to synthetic and back to regular...something about if i switch to synthetic, then I always have to use synthetic is that true?

Tengu

 

You don't HAVE to do anything, but staying with synthetic once you switch is a good idea. Why would you want to switch back?

 

synthetic costs an arm and a leg... it's a b*tch. i get pissed off all the time when i have to fork over 50 some bucks (that's with AAA discount) for oil. but ya, once you switch over to synthetic, stay with it, otherwise your engine may get damanged. stepping down to synthetic blend isn't too bad.

 

$50.....Wow! Why don't you change your own oil, it's a 20min job?

 

It is a bad idea to switch back and forth. Stick with one or the other.

 

that's crap. you can switch as many times as you want but why would you. if it's too expensive then why switch in the first place. if you change your oil regularly you will not damage your engine from going back and forth with regular and syn.

 

Mechanically I have found nothing to state that there is any issue with mixing Synth and regular oil. It is more of a bad thing b/c of change intervals. As stated previously, just stick with one. Correct change intervals of the oil is the best strategy, not whether it is synthetic or petroleum based.

 

They are supposedly fully compatible, all though there are some reports that leaks may occur if switch to synthetic after many years of dino.

Meanwhile, I suggest doing what I do if you don't have the time to change it yourself. Buy the synthetic oil yourself and carry it to the dealer. You can get 5 gallon jugs of Mobil-1 5W-30 for less than $20 in some places.

 

I love those jugs of oil. Many places now carry them and this is so economical especially for those of us who change it ourselves.

 

Is there really a difference when you put those two types of oils in?

 

I have to say that I've never used synthetic in any of my Hondas and each were problem free for years of service. Synthetic allows you to go longer between services but so what? I'd rather get the dirt out of my engine as quickly as possible.

 

I don't think that many synthetic users buy it for longevity. Most prefer the superior lubrication benefits and cleanliness of the oil.

 

Well, that is probably true of the posters here (because they're so damn thoughtful and well informed!). But, why even bother? If you just use "conventional" oil and you change your oil frequently, it should do the job nicely.

 

I don't proclaim to be an expert on the topic but AFIK there are 3 good reasons to switch to synthetics:
1) they flow better on startup
2) they don't break down as easily at high temperatures thus lowering oil consumtion
3) they inhibit engine deposits that can clog oil lines and foul bearings.

 

yeah... most members here probably switch out syn oil as regularly as standard oil. I use to do that but now leave it in for the recommended time period in the manual where as prior to using synthetic oil I would change on half the distance recommended by the manual. I have to say I noticed no difference between the 2 as far as performance goes.

 

Unless your taking your engines to the extreme levels of it's ability, I don't think it makes a difference.
The benefits of synthetic only come into play in extreme engine conditions. Enzo, for instance, requires synthetic and recommends oil changes every 1500 miles.
On a TSX, unless your sprucing up your engine for high performance, I wouldn't think it would make much of a difference.

Junkster, whose never tried synthetic... because his cars weren't in need of them.

 

well, i'm too lazy to change oils on my own... and god knows how pissed off i'll be at myself if i should f*ck up. and plus, in michigan, my hands get too cold and won't function properly... only if i had a heated garage... yeah, and michigan weather is what drove me to change to synthetic, because on a COLD start, synth is much better than reg. and i drive my cars like they're stolen occasionally... as soon as i start leasing, im done with paying for oil changes.

 

i dont use synthentic for longevity. i change mine every 3000 miles. and i used royle purple.

 

I bought 6 quarts of royal the other day and with a K&N filter, total was $54
I usually go with mobil one synthetic and a cheap oil filter and that comes out to less than $40.
P.S. - Buy your oil at walmart...ITS CHEAP

 

Stick to synth if you can. It is definitely better in cold weather... However, if you really want to cut your costs, there's absolutely no harm in switching back to dino oil...

 

y do u buy 6 quarts? the tsx does not even hold a full 5...and i get 5 of the purple and a k&n and i pay less than 40.

 

just my and i am by FAR no expert so take it or leave it...

putting regular oil instead of synthetic oil in your car is like putting 87' (or w.e regular gas is) instead of the recomened 91' or higher. Im no rich bastard, I am attending college full time and working full time so when gas hit the $3.30 + in the south Jersey region I tried to save money by using regular oil and lower octane gas. BAD IDEA after 1 full tank of gas i changed the oil back to synthetic and will only put premium in my car. My engine sounded horrible, my car felt "jerky" kind of like it had a bad cold and tried to run a marathon.

But come on man, if your gonna shell out the 24K+ for the car i think you can afford to throw out the extra $15 for the synthetic oil

 

Wow, this thread was brought back from the dead!! Almost 4 years old! LOL!

And my take on the subject: You CAN switch back and forth, no problem, but why not just use a good quality synthetic and stick with it? Its better for your engine and that's the main thing, right?

 

is switching synthetic oil brands bad?

 

Although I agree with your sentiment, I don't agree with the logic. The manufacturer recommends 91-octane so putting in 87 is going against manufacturer recommendations. However, the manufacturer does not recommend synthetic oil. Dino oil is fine. I agree that synthetic oil is better, I run Mobil1 myself. But, for everyday driving there is nothing wrong with regular oil of appropriate weight and rating.

 

The K-Series engines are developed at Honda using conventional (non-synthetic) oil.

Enough said.

 

Agreed. However, how much time is spend at sub-zero temperatures there?

 

For a turbo motor, I think synthetic is a must (avoids coking in the turbo oil lines after shutting the car off).

For an N/A motor, it's a wash as long as you maintain the proper oil change intervals. You can go longer with synthetic, so it provides something of a safety net for the lazy.

Also, Honda dino oil has more molybdenum than many other regular oils, which has some benefits, so I plan on letting the dealer do the first oil change with Honda oil and then possibly switching later.

 

so compared to the factory oil change interval for standard oil, what would be the "suggested" oil change interval if i change conventional oil at 4k for:

1. full synthetic oil?
2. synthetic oil blend?