Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
Gary Allan - The use of synthetic HDEOs can IME reduce the maintenance requirements such as valve train adjustments etc
As for overhaul rates, well that is a major question mark!
The cost effectiveness mineral v synthetic occurs (in this Country at least) as the OCI can be extended via UOAs well beyond 2.5 times if managed correctly - and "uptime" is enhanced accordingly
Synthetic lubricants do seem to aid turbocharger life for many of the reasons already listed by others. I expect the turbochanger's lifespan to be extended by a factor of around 50% on certain highway applications and possibly even longer in other more complex "city" operations
As for car engines, well Porsche know a lot about turbocharged engines and they have not Approved a mineral lubricant for nearly a decade!!
The "only" lubricant Approved to be used in the twin turbo Cayenne V8 for instance is M1 0w-40 - and that has been the case since the first one hit the market place several years ago. And, no turbo failure history either that I know of!
I knew you were in the background, Doug. I could sense it (cue suspense music -
)
I believe that your assertion, which I share, is that there is no "magic oil" in terms of longevity in commercial service. If there was, and it significantly effected overhaul rates to any appreciable amount, it wouldn't matter what it cost.
Now on the variable service that a passenger car may see
I'd say that you could probably tune a lube to neutralize the environmental and process variables to alter outcomes.