Synthetic blend. Please advise.

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I have always changed the oil in my 1993 Honda Civic at 3k. With synthetic blend oils can I or should I lengthen the entervals? If so to what?

Thanks for the help.
HoldTight....
 
I think the only sure way to know is to have a UOA done at say: 3000,5000 or 7500 miles and see what the lab says. I know Mobils blend says it's good for 7500 miles.
 
I like the rule of thumb with Mobil 5000 oils. Any SM rated oil should take you to 5k. I just changed my daughter's '92 Civic - it slipped out to 6k while I was not looking, and it still looked great.
 
You could probably go 5k with no problem. When I run blends, I use one quart of full synthetic mixed in since I've heard that blends are only about 30% synthetic.
 
I only put about 10k miles per year on it so If it were safe to fo 5k oil changes that would be optimal for me.

HoldTight.....
 
The better conventional oils like Castrol, Havoline or Pennzoil should be fine for 5,000 miles or 6 month intervals. A used oil analysis is not a bad idea to see how the oil looks at the end of an interval. Besides, once you get bit by the 'oil bug' you'll do used oil anlysis just for fun.
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Yes you can lengthen those OCIs with syn-blends. I'm fussy like you with short-length conventional changes... even with quality oils. I do 5.5K with a syn-blend & 8K with full synthetics. My engines stay clean that way - so does the dipstick for quite a while.
 
I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that Valvoline Durablend is essentially 70% All-climate and 30% Synpower synthetic. I've also read that Phillips Trop-Arctic and Motorcraft are 50% group II and 50% group III. Mobil 7500 is supposed to be approximately 80% Mobil 5000 and 20% Mobil 1 EP. I have not found anything about QS, Pennzoil, Supertech or any others. Prices vary, so I would calculate which is more cost effective: buy a blend off the shelf or make your own. Please don't take this as gospel; it's just what I've read on this and manufacturers' sites. One last thing: If I were to mix my own, I would stay within the same brand family.
 
Most synthetic blends on the market are about 10% group III , that said you will not see a improvement in preformance or PROTECTION. These syn. blends are marking ploys to get the consumer to spend a dollar more for a quart of oil. Havoline with the basestock Chevron is using could be called a synthetic blend but this CO. does not choose to deceive the consumer,if you want to use a syn blend make your own.TRIPLE-SE7EN extending oil drains is more dependent on the additive package than the basestock.
 
There has been no evidence to date that the Mobil 7500 blend will not go the stated 7500 miles that Mobil claims it will.
 
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