Originally Posted By: gregk24
Just wondering which would cling better to parts of an engine, conventional or synthetic (as in group III synthetic) Car is started 5+ times per day and there is almost always some ticking going on for the first few seconds, sometimes it lasts for 10 seconds. Might be the filters fault though. Anyway, what are your thoughts, and can you back them up with proof?
There is no real difference in cold start wear from using a synthetic or a conventional base oil of the same viscosity (There is not even much difference with oils of different viscosities until you get down near the pour point temp figure).
All oils, even an 0W are far too thick for the first few minutes of a cold start, so what matters is the anti wear layer (Mostly a mix of Zinc and Moly additives, although Boron also helps). Most good quality oils will have a suitable add pack, although some of the major brand High Mileage oils do contain higher levels of anti wear additives, if your exhaust system is OK with them.
I never use a non OEM supplied oil filter, as it's very difficult to figure out if the design of the relief valve or media quality is as good as that demanded by the manufacturer, although some of the, "Made in Germany" ones seem to be OK, although they are nearly as expensive as OEM ones from a main Internet dealer (The walk in dealers are expensive in Switzerland).