jnoone

I wanted to get some opinions on switching to synthetic oil. My car is an 07 tl with 36000 miles on it. I talked to acura dealer and they told me that it does not need it, but will last longer if I use it. he also said that sometimes people wait until the car is older before they switch and once you switch you can not go back to regular oil. Should I wait, or make the change now?

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/what-atf-use-anyone-using-new-dw-1-honda-793975/

literally one thread below yours.

jnoone

He is talking about ATF oil, Not engine oil. Thanks anyway.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

my fault...idk man, if you can switch to synthetic and can afford to do so...then why not do it? you can extend your oil change intervels as well, adding a quality filter like RP or amsoil and you can go 7,500-10k on a single oil change depending on driving style etc.

i say go for synthetic. i did and i love it.

pkarandi

I have used Mobil 1 synthetic oil and Mobil 1 filters ever since I bought my car in Dec 2007. It was CPO with 10k miles on it.

I do like the added peace of mind that I get with the synthetic. Plus, I do most of my oil changes myself, so the synthetic changes only cost me about $35. But, if I was paying $75 for each oil change, I might be reconsidering, especially if you are good about changing the oil every 5k miles or less.

My other reason for using synthetic is that I plan to keep my car a minimum of 10 years, and hopefully many more (like 13-15 years). For that kind of timeframe, I will probably be pushing 200K miles. So, my thought is that synthetic will keep that engine going longer. Not sure if that's sound logic though.

So, my 2 cents: if you're good about oil change intervals, and don't want to keep the car more than 8 years or so, synthetic seems like a waste. But, if you're anal like me, and want to keep your TL a long time, synthetic is not a bad idea.

Oh, about switching from synthetic to conventional: I have heard that it's no problem - go back and forth as much as you want. The only downside to this is that doing this will negate all the positive effects of synthetic oil. But, I heard it won't harm anything. Can anyone else confirm this?

Vortex

I understand you should break the car in with the conventional, switch to synthetic (only after a few oil changes) and don't go back. Plus you are better off to do it sooner than later as high mileage engine seals get "broken in" with the thicker convention oil. One option I have done (when I don't have time to do my own change) is buy your oil & filter and take it to the dealer. My last dealer would do the change for next to nothing.
If someone thats wants to get high mileage out of their car, runs synthetic, why not do it even if you only keep the car for a year? I do.

LessisBestmakingendsmeet

If you do it make sure the old fluid is completely flushed out. That means buying extra synthetic to flush out the old as well before you fill.

Good luck.

ltn1dr

I switched to synthetic this past only change, for the sole reason that I am terrible at getting my oil changed. I literally went around 10k miles on my last car without an oil change, using conventional oil.

Slooo97CL

iTrader: (1)

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...ynthetics.aspx

Guess not if you switch to Mobile 1 Synthetic.

This isn't a fluid which needs to be flushed. Just completely drained and filled again. If you want to be over cautious I guess you could "flush".
Drain then fill, drive a couple hundred miles or more..then drain and fill. I
would not waste my money, do an earlier change if you poorly maintained your vehicle prior to the switch.

OP, there are so many discussions about this topic you should search.

Keywords "Oil, filter, Redline, Royal Purple, Amsoil"

insang

if you do a search on google, you'll find that oil analysis shows there is no difference in engine wear from synth to dyno.

so if you think it'll be better and spend extra. then do it. if not. stick to any dyno and it'll make your car run just fine and last forever.

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

Switch to synthetic. It doesn't break down vs conventional oil. It provides better protection. Your engine will run slightly cooler. There are many more benifets to Synthetic vs conventional from what I understand. Its all around a better choice. No negetives to it.

I hate cars

How are these myths still alive?

You can switch back and forth from synthetic to conventional as often as you like.

You can mix the two if you like.

There was one synthetic back in the '70s that could not be mixed with conventional and unfortunately the myth has carried on for too many years.

Oil analysis does not show engine wear. Wear metals in the analysis are in a small particle size range and they mean absolutely nothing.

Synthetic will withstand hot temps better. It will go longer without oxidizing or breaking down. It usually has a better additive package. Under heavy usage it will slow engine wear. It usually has better cold start properties.

pkarandi

Cool - so I was right then!

I'm with you "I hate cars". I would like to see that myth laid to rest. Back in the early 2000's, I asked a guy at the local motorcycle dealership about synth oil and he told me about that whole "Once you go synth, you can never go back." I hope the dealerships are aware that switching between the two is fine, and don't keep perpetuating the myth!

Plus, don't they make synthetic/dino oil blends? I'm guessing that would never work if the myth above was actually true. I heard these blends are the biggest waste of money. Either go all synth, or don't waste the cash.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Most "fully Synthetic" are blends.

the true stuff = redline, mobile 1 0w30 and some other high end oils.

Correct me if Im wrong.

AcuraVic

switched at 105K, now have 178K on engine. My engine is not modified.
Syn runs great!! And yes, I use the dreaded Mobile 1, 5w30, 5 quarts for 13 dollars at Walmart. I bought my car new (2004) and it has never missed a scheduled oil change, so far.
Oh, and I do my own oil changes.

I hate cars

Pretty much. Mobil One 0w-30 is mostly synthetic. 0w-40 is probably their best true synthetic. Their 5w-30 "fully synthetic" is just a grpIII dino oil. Still good stuff but misleading advertising.

Motul, German Castrol, Shell Helix, and a few others are true synthetics. Motul and Redline are the only grp V esters that I know of.

I found this when looking for something else. It's not entirely accurate but gives a description of the lawsuit and how dino oils came to be labeled "synthetic".



Please read below...

RP oils use Group IV PAO's and other synthetics along with synthetic additives that contain diluents.

Castrol is a Group III hydrocracked mineral oil that is now commonly being called synthetic.


GI- solvent refined petroleum base stock. It is common belief that no SL rated oil uses 100% GI basestock, but some of them do have some GI in them.

GII- hydrotreated petroleum base stock. More refined, with less gunk in it. More stable, and usually with a higher viscosity index. Chevron and pennzoil oils use nothing but this group in their oils. Common belief that all SL oils use this in a certain amount.

GIII- "hydrocracked" or severely hydrofinished base stock. Castrol won the right for oil blenders to call this group "synthetic". Most OTC synthetics are made from this base. I think they use the same process to make it as GII, but take it a step further.

****Groups 1 to 3 are petroleum base stocks. ****

G-IV PAO base stock. Chemically produced from ethelene gas. True synthetic oil, and primary basestock used in mobil, amsoil and most top tier synthetics. Much more stable and has higher VI index than GIII. Can handle more extreme temps.



Recently, Mobil accused Castrol of reformulating its synthetic by substituting other basestocks in place of its synthetic polyaphaolefins (PAO's). Castrol is a hydrocracked oil. That's right, Castrol has replaced the PAO synthetic base stock with hydroisomerized petroleum base stock. Hydrocracking, as it's called, is the highest level of petroleum refining. Castrol isn't even a Group 4 synthetic yet Castrol ended up winning the battle when the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus ruled that Castrol could still market its oil as "synthetic" despite their new formulation. Basically, they expanded the definition of synthetics to include Group 3 hydroprocessed petroleum oil. This high profile case took place because synthetics are recognized as the market's best hope for growth. Synthetic oil sales have outpaced petroleum oil sales by a wide margin and the gap continues to widen every year. Consumers are getting smarter and demand the best for their vehicles. Read the full story on the Castrol issue in our informative articles section. Additionally, just as soon as Castrol won this battle, several other major oil companies jumped in and came up with hydroprocessed motor oils of their own and labeled these products to be "100% synthetic", when they still are Group 3 hydro processed petroleum oils.

Incidentally, the Castrol 5W-50 allows for a 2.284 mm wear scar (ASTM D4172 4-Ball Wear Test), compared to the a Group IV 20W-50 Racing Oil which allows for a 0.454 mm wear scar. That's 5 times greater wear with Castrol!

rp0617

you CAN switch back to conv once you go to synthetic its only a myth!!

Cbronze_06TL

you can switch between synthetic and regular oil anytime..

just make sure you have a decent oil filter if you're going to synthetic oil.