07BLKTL

Alright, not to start a pissing match here. I don't care about what oil you use and how long you wait before you change it.

I just want to know if there might be any unforeseen issues if I run synthetic and this car was previously ran on conventional. I don't know what oil is in the motor now. I just bought it about 3 weeks ago now.

The TL has 57k miles on it now and is at 90% oil life. I was planning to change it over to Synthetic once its ready. Anyone think it might be a bad idea to switch over now? I've almost traveled 1000 miles and it's sitting at 90% oil life. What is the oil change programmed interval?

Thanks.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

oil change interval will vary based on YOUR driving habits, temperature, start ups etc. so it could be 4k mi (lots of city based miles) or 7500 mi (lots of hwy miles). just FYI, the car WILL NOT know whether you are using dino or synthetic. the car's MID i believe is set up to assume you are running dino.

from what i have read about switching from dino to synthetic...you can switch without issue. there have been a few things i've read that higher mileage engines would have seal issues b/c the synthetic properties are a little different than dino.

if you go to the 3G garage, there are a few oil threads in there you might want to read. also mobil 1's website has FAQ type page that can answer your questions as well.

hope this helps.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

You can change the oil at any time, just a waste of oil and money when changed at 90%.

Mobil Site:
Question:
Switching From Conventional Motor Oil to Mobil 1
There seems to be confusion about how to make the switch from conventional motor to synthetic. I am a do-it-yourselfer. Could you provide instructions?

Answer:
The instructions are very easy to follow: Simply change the oil as you would normally. Any “confusion” is just myth. You can switch from conventional motor oil to Mobil 1 synthetic (and back again, if you want), without following any special procedures.


The only exception to this is with a higher-mileage engine that has never used synthetic motor oil, or with an engine that has used conventional motor oil and been poorly maintained. In these cases, you should still follow the same basic oil-change procedures (drain the old oil, remove the old oil filter, put in new Mobil 1 and put on a new oil filter), but you should follow a regimen of one or two shortened oil-change intervals. For instance, let’s say that your regular oil change interval is 5,000 miles. If you’re switching to Mobil 1 under the circumstances mentioned above, make your next Mobil 1 oil change in 2,500 miles, your third Mobil 1 oil change 3,500 miles after that, and then follow your normal 5,000 mile oil-change interval. The reasoning behind this staggered interval is that a high-mileage engine, or one that has seen infrequent oil changes, will likely have a considerable build-up of sludge and deposits. Mobil 1 will help clean the engine as you drive, but it will have to work much harder in a very “dirty” engine, and so it is best to change the oil more frequently for those first few thousand miles. After that, you can rest assured that Mobil 1 is continuing to keep your engine running clean and well lubricated for mile after mile.

Valvoline:
Is it ok to switch back and forth between regular and synthetic motor oil? I heard this causes leaks? Is this true?

Switching between synthetic and conventional oil does not cause problems. Because the oils are compatible, you can switch back and forth as often as you like.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

thanks turbo

07BLKTL

Thanks, I was more worried about springing a leak with a seal or something.

nj2pa2nc

Do not own a tl but use either regular oil or a synblend. No oil leaks or loss of oil.

spaceboy

i would check the oil color rather than relying on the MID for the first time, when I bought the car from a dealer it also reads 100% but B.S i checked the oil it looked a bit dark then i drove for the next 2 weeks (dropped to 90%) followed by its first oil change, the oil looked like 50% rather than 90%, like soy sauce...
anyone can reset the oil life thingy, i would change it since i dunno how the previous owner took care of it..
conventional or synthetic is up to u, i was told stick with synthetic if u r an aggressive driver, 4000rpm+, i rarely go up to 4k but i still use synthetic .....i change my oil every 4000 miles (usually MID reads 50%) since most of my trips involves local drives...

07BLKTL

Thanks, I'll check the oil color to be safe. I drive pretty mellow for the most part.

I hate cars

Some oil gets darker from heat cycling alone due to certain additives. Some oil will be dark in a few hundred miles even though it's fine. Used car dealers will sometimes use an oil with no detergents (which is luckily getting hard to find) because it will stay looking clean and clear much longer due to the fact that it's not cleaning and keeping crap in suspension.

The Conventional to Syn question has been answered a hundred times on here.