Blend....advantage over conventional...if any....

[Oregoonian]

I have been using a Full Synthetic oil for the last 40,000 miles and my vehicle runs beautifully, with no issues. I have two synthetic oil changes left in my stash. My vehicle will have about 120,000 +/-...at the end of the second OC.

I'm thinking of going to either to a 'blend' (Motorcraft or MaxLife)....or...just a plain 'conventional' (Mobil Super 5000 or Pennzoil conventional) for future oil changes in this vehicle. My reasoning is that I anticipate doing less driving (as I'm retired)...and
cutting my expenses a bit.

I live in an area (Central Oregon) with dry (very little humidity) and warm summers (80 to 95 degree highs)...and fairly cold winters with some snow (lows from 10 to 20 degrees and sometimes down to 0).

My driving habits will be about 30% hiway and 70% city (but not alot of stop & go, but a fair amout of short tripping.

I'd like as many BIOTG'er chime in on the question...does a 'Blend' have any advantages over conventional? Appreciate any useful info and suggestions

 

[Patman]

I honestly don't see the need for a blend, oil companies should just simplify things and offer just a conventional and a full synthetic and that's it. It's not like the blends really use all that much synthetic in there either, it's not like a 50/50 mix (like most consumers probably think), and it's not even a PAO/ester base that they use either, but group 3.

 

[Joseph_S37]

Personally I would just recommend a good quality conventional for your needs. Patman explained it perfectly. The blends are realistically only about 30% "synthetic" in most cases, and aren't worth the price difference.

Stick to the latest conventional (SN / GF-5) and your vehicle should give you many, many more miles in its lifetime.

 

[OldCowboy]

Motorcraft Synthetic blend 5W-20 is a very good blend which sells at about the same price as conventional oils. Kinda the best of both.

 

[mechtech2]

If you use 5-20, you have no choice but a blend [unless you use a full synth].

 

[fdcg27]

I have a couple of cases of Valvoline Durablend, and a couple of gallons of Maxlife, both in 10W-40.
I bought the Durablend because the 10W-40 was on clearance and was a steal, while the Maxlife was a steal after MIR.
In 10w-40, Valvoline claims both oils meet A3, so both would be suitable for the old BMW.
I would not seek out a blend unless it were a good oil well priced that just happened to be a blend, like Motorcraft.
Otherwise, I'd only buy a blend if it were at a price level I couldn't ignore.
I wouldn't pay a premium over a straight dino for a blend.

 

[mjk]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
If you use 5-20, you have no choice but a blend [unless you use a full synth].


Explain, please. Mobil Super 5000 has a 5/20. Formula Shell has a 5/20.

 

[simple_gifts]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
If you use 5-20, you have no choice but a blend [unless you use a full synth].


+1; Because of wanting to meet various mfg approvals, citgo no longer makes a 5W-20 or 5w30 conventional.

 

[glum]

Do you really need to ask this question? I don't mean that in a jerky way. But I mean... You've obviously believed in synthetic oil in the past. A blend will offer some of the benefits of a synthetic, but not all of them. The producers tend to guard their formulations (despite what people claim), so the group number and percentage of syn is an open question, but any way you slice it, either you want the benefits of synthetic oil and are willing to pay, or you aren't, or you are in between.

 

[ahoier]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
If you use 5-20, you have no choice but a blend [unless you use a full synth].
I've heard that to make a "conventional" oil a 20 weight, you gotta use various "synthetics" to accomplish that weight......

So thus, it's "blended"

 

[artificialist]

High Mileage oils are typically a synthetic blend with a heavier dose of additives, so I see value in it.

However, just using synthetic blend.... I wouldn't.

 

[daves87rs]

A blend will be a bit better for short trip driving....that's about it.