Synthetic motor oil question.

[Ferocious]

Someone told that it's good stuff but he warns against going back to regular oil after using it.

He says once you use it...you gotta stick with it from that point on....otherwise the engine will break down even faster than before.

True or false?

 

[CraigRT]

True.

 

[geekender]

oops...double post.

 

[geekender]

False.
http://www.castrolusa.com/products/productpage1.asp?product_id=4&product_category=1
http://www.quakerstate.com/pages/carcare/whattoknow.asp


Myth #1: Once I use synthetic motor oil in my car, I cannot switch back to conventional motor oil.

Fact: Even if you've switched to a premium synthetic motor oil like Castrol Syntec, you can always go back to a conventional oil, but why would you want to? Consider Castrol Syntec Full-Synthetic motor oil a "super lubricant," as it seeks out and neutralizes harmful particles in your engine, fights sludge on vital engine parts, neutralizes acids in your engine, and is fully compatible with conventional motor oil. For example, Castrol Syntec actually engulfs particles preventing them from grouping together and forming engine sludge. Synthetic motor oils deliver superior engine protection versus conventional oils, and once you try it, while you can go back, we doubt you'll want to.

 

[CraigRT]

I don't have a link, but I read with the way syntetic oil expands and contracts, if you switch to a conventional oil again, the seals on your engine will leak, and you could start to lose oil rapidly, making your engine an oily puking mess.

I also read, even on newer engines, the engine is slightly more succeptable to leaking oil simply due to the breakdown of synthetic oil. i don't know what exactly causes this, but that's what i read somewhere.

 

[Saulbadguy]

I don't know. I drink Quaker State for breakfast every morning, and it keeps everything smooth. Who needs a synthetic?

 

[Zenmervolt]

It used to be "kinda" true, but now it's completely false. When synthetics first came out, they were not compatible with conventional oils and unless the engine was flushed completely of the synthetic oil, the mixing of synthetic and conventional created a concoction that did not lubricate well and formed sludge. Modern synthetic oils suffer no such problems, in fact, you could mix modern synthetics half and half with conventional oil in the same fill.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
I don't have a link, but I read with the way syntetic oil expands and contracts, if you switch to a conventional oil again, the seals on your engine will leak, and you could start to lose oil rapidly, making your engine an oily puking mess.

I also read, even on newer engines, the engine is slightly more succeptable to leaking oil simply due to the breakdown of synthetic oil. i don't know what exactly causes this, but that's what i read somewhere.

Whoever wrote what you've read was pulling it from their arse.

ZV

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Another interesting site on lubrication..Bob is the oil guy

False, makes no diff.

Since I drive short distances, I use conventional oil and change it every 2.5k.
If I were a long distance commuter again, I would go synthetic w/extended changes.

 

[Eli]

False.

Good lord people, engine oil isn't some mysterious concoction that we don't understand.

Any synthetic oil you're going to be using is 100% compatible with all the conventional oils on the market.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
I don't have a link, but I read with the way syntetic oil expands and contracts, if you switch to a conventional oil again, the seals on your engine will leak, and you could start to lose oil rapidly, making your engine an oily puking mess.

I also read, even on newer engines, the engine is slightly more succeptable to leaking oil simply due to the breakdown of synthetic oil. i don't know what exactly causes this, but that's what i read somewhere.

Makes absolutely no sense.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: geekender
False.
http://www.castrolusa.com/products/productpage1.asp?product_id=4&product_category=1
http://www.quakerstate.com/pages/carcare/whattoknow.asp


Myth #1: Once I use synthetic motor oil in my car, I cannot switch back to conventional motor oil.

Fact: Even if you've switched to a premium synthetic motor oil like Castrol Syntec, you can always go back to a conventional oil, but why would you want to? Consider Castrol Syntec Full-Synthetic motor oil a "super lubricant," as it seeks out and neutralizes harmful particles in your engine, fights sludge on vital engine parts, neutralizes acids in your engine, and is fully compatible with conventional motor oil. For example, Castrol Syntec actually engulfs particles preventing them from grouping together and forming engine sludge. Synthetic motor oils deliver superior engine protection versus conventional oils, and once you try it, while you can go back, we doubt you'll want to.

LOL, it actually FIGHTS sludge and neutralizes harmful particles They must stick Arnold in there with a gun and a mini version of him takes care of business

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee
Another interesting site on lubrication..Bob is the oil guy

False, makes no diff.

Since I drive short distances, I use conventional oil and change it every 2.5k.
If I were a long distance commuter again, I would go synthetic w/extended changes.

<--- Long distance commuter, and that's precisely what I do. I just got an oil change this morning actually.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Originally posted by: geekender
False.
http://www.castrolusa.com/products/productpage1.asp?product_id=4&product_category=1
http://www.quakerstate.com/pages/carcare/whattoknow.asp


Myth #1: Once I use synthetic motor oil in my car, I cannot switch back to conventional motor oil.

Fact: Even if you've switched to a premium synthetic motor oil like Castrol Syntec, you can always go back to a conventional oil, but why would you want to? Consider Castrol Syntec Full-Synthetic motor oil a "super lubricant," as it seeks out and neutralizes harmful particles in your engine, fights sludge on vital engine parts, neutralizes acids in your engine, and is fully compatible with conventional motor oil. For example, Castrol Syntec actually engulfs particles preventing them from grouping together and forming engine sludge. Synthetic motor oils deliver superior engine protection versus conventional oils, and once you try it, while you can go back, we doubt you'll want to.

LOL, it actually FIGHTS sludge and neutralizes harmful particles They must stick Arnold in there with a gun and a mini version of him takes care of business

Actually, all engine oil does that. All engine oil contains additives like detergents that keep particles suspended(preventing them from grouping). The Total Base Number(TBN) of an engine oil is a measure of its ability to neutralize acids and harmful particles.

Synthetic oil (usually) just does it better.

Their wording is a bit.. colorful.. though.