I've heard that after switching to synthetic in an older car (1989), it's a good idea to change the oil after maybe 400 miles or so for that one time. Supposedly, the synthetic oil will loosen some of the gunk and you don't want that floating around in your car's system. Is this sound advice? Thanks.
Reduced OCI initially after switch to synthetic?
- Thread starter DaveInLA
- Start date
- Status
I think you can go longer than 400 miles. The first load of synthetic in my wife's Aerostar ('92) was put in last year and I changed it around 1900 miles IIRC. I judged it based on blotters of the hot oil periodically. Now I am on the second batch of synthetic and am out to 3400 miles and still going.
Are you using Auto-RX prior to switching to synthetic? That would make a difference in how long you would want to run the 1st interval. Is the car buring oil? Have you had the valve cover off to take a peek inside? Any sludge noticed?
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
I prefer doing a 50-50 mix of synthetic & dino (same brand) first with older vehicles making the change... letting it go 4K if what's behind the filler cap is not cruddy..... 2k if it's cruddy.
The best medicine for crud is not synthetic oil... it's either repeated flushes/repeated entire OCIs using 20 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil or a quart of Rislone... or Auto-Rx.
The best medicine for crud is not synthetic oil... it's either repeated flushes/repeated entire OCIs using 20 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil or a quart of Rislone... or Auto-Rx.
I had the valve cover off last year while I was still running dino. No real noticeable sludge from what I remember. Car isn't burning any significant amount of oil. I didn't use RX before making the switch.
Anyway, I thought about changing just the filter, but doesn't that generate a mess? If you take off the filter without draining the oil, won't the oil simply drain out from where the filter was?
Anyway, I thought about changing just the filter, but doesn't that generate a mess? If you take off the filter without draining the oil, won't the oil simply drain out from where the filter was?
DaveInLA,
Changing the oil filter and not draining all the oil out will only create the same mess as when you change the oil and filter together.
The oil in the filter and a little from the threaded return line will be all that leaks out.
I've switched 4 cars and 1 truck from dino oil to synthetic oil.
I drained the dino, put in synthetic oil and new oil filters, ran the vehicles 1,000 to 1,500 miles, drained and put new synthetic in and changed the oil filters, and now I'm going for extended oil changes with analysis.
I also used Auto RX on my 92 Honda Civic.
I based this on what I've read on this forum.
Changing the oil filter and not draining all the oil out will only create the same mess as when you change the oil and filter together.
The oil in the filter and a little from the threaded return line will be all that leaks out.
I've switched 4 cars and 1 truck from dino oil to synthetic oil.
I drained the dino, put in synthetic oil and new oil filters, ran the vehicles 1,000 to 1,500 miles, drained and put new synthetic in and changed the oil filters, and now I'm going for extended oil changes with analysis.
I also used Auto RX on my 92 Honda Civic.
I based this on what I've read on this forum.
I switched my '97 Camry to synth early last year at ~55K miles. I used M1 5w30. I changed the first batch of M1 & filter after about 3 months / 3000 miles since the oil had darkened a lot and I had similar thoughts of loosened "dirt". The second batch took much longer to darken, and the third batch is still in the car after ~6 months and is still amber in color. Given my experience, I suggest that you monitor your first batch of synth oil level and oil color and change it when you think it needs it. Others on this board who know more about oil than me say that oil color does not matter, and perhaps they are right, but I think that this is a special case!
Best wishes as you motor along!
Best wishes as you motor along!
I just switched my 2001 susuki swift, to synthetic. (Mobil 1 5W30 EP).
I bought it recently (at 52.5k), and did an oil change on it shortly there after(~53k) with castrol GTX 5w30 dino to get a feel for whether or not it had any consumption issues. I assume the previous owners used dino, but have no idea really. I chose castrol because from what i understand, it has a slightly beefier detergent package than most dinos. After ~3500 miles, not a drop consumed, reading on the dipstick was exactly where it was when I filled it(and oil actually looked pretty clean). So I decided this would be a good candidate for expensive oils and extended drain intervals.
I've been trying to decide how long to run the first OCI on synthetic also. My goal, is to be in the 8k-10k interval on EP eventually, but i don't want to run the first few intervals this long, as I fear the synthetic will loosen up crud and dirty up the filter and oil faster. Originally, i was thinking maybe 5k for my first interval on it, now i'm contimplating 2-3k region for my first change. then moving up to aroudn 5-6, then up to around 8k intervals. this is a relativally new car in modern terms, so I might be over paranoid about the situation. besides- how much sludge could a weedwacker motor really have in it anyways, lol. (1300cc 4 banger)
I've pretty much decided that i'll change it out around 3k for my first run on it. But if this were an OLDer engine, I would probably recomend 1-2k for the first synthetic interval. possibly doing a "flush" of sorts prior to making the switch.
I bought it recently (at 52.5k), and did an oil change on it shortly there after(~53k) with castrol GTX 5w30 dino to get a feel for whether or not it had any consumption issues. I assume the previous owners used dino, but have no idea really. I chose castrol because from what i understand, it has a slightly beefier detergent package than most dinos. After ~3500 miles, not a drop consumed, reading on the dipstick was exactly where it was when I filled it(and oil actually looked pretty clean). So I decided this would be a good candidate for expensive oils and extended drain intervals.
I've been trying to decide how long to run the first OCI on synthetic also. My goal, is to be in the 8k-10k interval on EP eventually, but i don't want to run the first few intervals this long, as I fear the synthetic will loosen up crud and dirty up the filter and oil faster. Originally, i was thinking maybe 5k for my first interval on it, now i'm contimplating 2-3k region for my first change. then moving up to aroudn 5-6, then up to around 8k intervals. this is a relativally new car in modern terms, so I might be over paranoid about the situation. besides- how much sludge could a weedwacker motor really have in it anyways, lol. (1300cc 4 banger)
I've pretty much decided that i'll change it out around 3k for my first run on it. But if this were an OLDer engine, I would probably recomend 1-2k for the first synthetic interval. possibly doing a "flush" of sorts prior to making the switch.
- Status
Similar threads
