I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Synthetic switch problem?
- Thread starter BenBenz
- Start date
- Status
If you search the forum alot of members experience more noise from the engine using mobil 1. Not that it's an indication of more wear.
I wouldn't worry about it.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Sometimes the acoustics of "syn" are a little different than conventional (at least I have noticed). Switching over should NOT be any problem. If you are worried just stick with conventional and change at your regular interval. The M1 could very well have cleaned a little more and the oil filter may have had some restriction. Changing the filter may have been what it needed. I would not be worried.
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
- Messages
- 29,558
Yeah,just go back to a good dino. My preference would be Valvoline.
My ole girl Camry Purrsssss with Mobil 1 10-40 HM. I am very pleased with the results. Car has 227 thousand miles also. PYB yellow bottle was her diet while my Aunt ownded it.
Originally Posted By: thorromig
My ole girl Camry Purrsssss with Mobil 1 10-40 HM. I am very pleased with the results. Car has 227 thousand miles also. PYB yellow bottle was her diet while my Aunt ownded it.
Dang, 10W-40HM?? a little thick isnt it?
My ole girl Camry Purrsssss with Mobil 1 10-40 HM. I am very pleased with the results. Car has 227 thousand miles also. PYB yellow bottle was her diet while my Aunt ownded it.
Dang, 10W-40HM?? a little thick isnt it?
Originally Posted By: BenBenz
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Might just have been low on oil, BUT when an oil gets tired and overloaded with gunk it will cause the engine to rattle more.
When you first switch to a full synthetic or an oil that has a lot of detergents, the first OCI should be at around half the normal figure, so you may have overstepped the mark in initial OCI terms if your engine was grubby inside. Make sure you are using a good quality oil filter, as they can also trigger a ratty engine response.
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Might just have been low on oil, BUT when an oil gets tired and overloaded with gunk it will cause the engine to rattle more.
When you first switch to a full synthetic or an oil that has a lot of detergents, the first OCI should be at around half the normal figure, so you may have overstepped the mark in initial OCI terms if your engine was grubby inside. Make sure you are using a good quality oil filter, as they can also trigger a ratty engine response.
Last edited:
If the engine was that grubby inside that a good syn like M1 became "nasty" at only 4,000 miles, then either something else is wrong with the engine or it was poorly maintained before.
Check the PCV system for starters...
Check the PCV system for starters...
As many have pointed out, cars sold in the US often have a thinner oil specified than the SAME car and engine when sold elsewhere, even if the climate in the same. Fuel economy, not "thinner works better" is the apparent reason. I don't think T6 5-40 is too thick.
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
If the engine was that grubby inside that a good syn like M1 became "nasty" at only 4,000 miles, then either something else is wrong with the engine or it was poorly maintained before.
Check the PCV system for starters...
Nope. Std SL/SM ILSAC oil is various forms of garbage and gums the rings up to high heavens. Seen this "cleanup" secenario many times when fresh oil with a huge DP is used. Current "tiny" oil filters dont help. A silly trend that is reversing to some extent with cartridge filters.
If the engine was that grubby inside that a good syn like M1 became "nasty" at only 4,000 miles, then either something else is wrong with the engine or it was poorly maintained before.
Check the PCV system for starters...
Nope. Std SL/SM ILSAC oil is various forms of garbage and gums the rings up to high heavens. Seen this "cleanup" secenario many times when fresh oil with a huge DP is used. Current "tiny" oil filters dont help. A silly trend that is reversing to some extent with cartridge filters.
Last edited:
Thanks for the responses. The filter was a Mobil 1 filter, not a cheapie, so I don't think that's the problem. The car has 86,000 miles and has always had regular oil changes -- not at 3,000 every time, but not over 5,000. Anyway, the car's running fine now so I don't think any damage was done. I had just never seen anything like that before.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
Originally Posted By: BenBenz
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Always remove / replace old oil stickers when changing someone else's oil.... even your own oil.
Unless you used the old oil filter brand, that may be the reason for the engine clatter. Some filters just don;t work as well as what's used by the manufacturer.
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Always remove / replace old oil stickers when changing someone else's oil.... even your own oil.
Unless you used the old oil filter brand, that may be the reason for the engine clatter. Some filters just don;t work as well as what's used by the manufacturer.
No lexus114, car fires right up & purrs? What dont you understand? Its 21 years old and has a plethora of miles on it!
Originally Posted By: BenBenz
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Synthetics result in less engine friction, which results in more horsepower and more fuel economy.
Less engine friction and more horsepower will change the way the engine sounds. It's nothing to worry about. Your engine will last more with synthetics, not less.
The long story short, synthetics are always better than dino, except in engines that are designed to burn oil (such as rotary engines). They will not only increase the performance but the durability as well.
PS: As you and others mentioned, it's true that Mobil 1 and other good synthetics in general clean like crazy, and it may have clogged the oil filter since you have been using dino before, which tends to leave much more deposits. Mobil 1 oil filters don't have much dirt-holding capacity -- because they are pretty small -- so, this could have happened.
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Synthetics result in less engine friction, which results in more horsepower and more fuel economy.
Less engine friction and more horsepower will change the way the engine sounds. It's nothing to worry about. Your engine will last more with synthetics, not less.
The long story short, synthetics are always better than dino, except in engines that are designed to burn oil (such as rotary engines). They will not only increase the performance but the durability as well.
PS: As you and others mentioned, it's true that Mobil 1 and other good synthetics in general clean like crazy, and it may have clogged the oil filter since you have been using dino before, which tends to leave much more deposits. Mobil 1 oil filters don't have much dirt-holding capacity -- because they are pretty small -- so, this could have happened.
Originally Posted By: skyship
When you first switch to a full synthetic or an oil that has a lot of detergents, the first OCI should be at around half the normal figure, so you may have overstepped the mark in initial OCI terms if your engine was grubby inside. Make sure you are using a good quality oil filter, as they can also trigger a ratty engine response.
Where do you guys come up with this stuff?
Mobil 1 with only 4K miles on the interval is not overstepping the the mark.
When you first switch to a full synthetic or an oil that has a lot of detergents, the first OCI should be at around half the normal figure, so you may have overstepped the mark in initial OCI terms if your engine was grubby inside. Make sure you are using a good quality oil filter, as they can also trigger a ratty engine response.
Where do you guys come up with this stuff?
Mobil 1 with only 4K miles on the interval is not overstepping the the mark.
Originally Posted By: thorromig
No lexus114, car fires right up & purrs? What dont you understand? Its 21 years old and has a plethora of miles on it!
Soreeeeee Mr. thorromig! wow
No lexus114, car fires right up & purrs? What dont you understand? Its 21 years old and has a plethora of miles on it!
Soreeeeee Mr. thorromig! wow
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: thorromig
No lexus114, car fires right up & purrs? What dont you understand? Its 21 years old and has a plethora of miles on it!
Soreeeeee Mr. thorromig! wow
Don't mess with M1 HM, we gang up on you!
Originally Posted By: thorromig
No lexus114, car fires right up & purrs? What dont you understand? Its 21 years old and has a plethora of miles on it!
Soreeeeee Mr. thorromig! wow
Don't mess with M1 HM, we gang up on you!
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Originally Posted By: skyship
When you first switch to a full synthetic or an oil that has a lot of detergents, the first OCI should be at around half the normal figure, so you may have overstepped the mark in initial OCI terms if your engine was grubby inside. Make sure you are using a good quality oil filter, as they can also trigger a ratty engine response.
Where do you guys come up with this stuff?
Mobil 1 with only 4K miles on the interval is not overstepping the the mark.
So how do you explain the noise going away after and oil change(and I assume a filter aswell)
The Mobil knockers can't say it was the Mobil as the car was fine for 4000miles.
As the oil was apparently filthy then I think it is logical that there was an element of clean-up performed by the Mobil 1 synthetic.
It is also logical that the state of the oil had caused the filter to become blocked which would surely starve the top end of the engine first, sounds plausable.
I am not sure of the exact cause and we never will in all likelyhood, but as an oil change sorted it then that is relevant.
This is something that won't happen often on the UK due to widespread use of semi and full synthetic in all vehicles for a number of years. I would suspect the main reasoning for this in the UK is to enable longer OCI than are typical in the US, Canada and indeed Australia and NZ going by what I have read on a Pathfinder forum from Aus.
Originally Posted By: skyship
When you first switch to a full synthetic or an oil that has a lot of detergents, the first OCI should be at around half the normal figure, so you may have overstepped the mark in initial OCI terms if your engine was grubby inside. Make sure you are using a good quality oil filter, as they can also trigger a ratty engine response.
Where do you guys come up with this stuff?
Mobil 1 with only 4K miles on the interval is not overstepping the the mark.
So how do you explain the noise going away after and oil change(and I assume a filter aswell)
The Mobil knockers can't say it was the Mobil as the car was fine for 4000miles.
As the oil was apparently filthy then I think it is logical that there was an element of clean-up performed by the Mobil 1 synthetic.
It is also logical that the state of the oil had caused the filter to become blocked which would surely starve the top end of the engine first, sounds plausable.
I am not sure of the exact cause and we never will in all likelyhood, but as an oil change sorted it then that is relevant.
This is something that won't happen often on the UK due to widespread use of semi and full synthetic in all vehicles for a number of years. I would suspect the main reasoning for this in the UK is to enable longer OCI than are typical in the US, Canada and indeed Australia and NZ going by what I have read on a Pathfinder forum from Aus.
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
Originally Posted By: BenBenz
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My
mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Synthetics result in less engine friction, which results in more horsepower and more fuel economy.
Less engine friction and more horsepower will change the way the engine sounds. It's nothing to worry about. Your engine will last more with synthetics, not less.
The long story short, synthetics are always better than dino, except in engines that are designed to burn oil (such as rotary engines). They will not only increase the performance but the durability as well.
PS: As you and others mentioned, it's true that Mobil 1 and other good synthetics in general clean like crazy, and it may have clogged the oil filter since you have been using dino before, which tends to leave much more deposits. Mobil 1 oil filters don't have much dirt-holding capacity -- because they are pretty small -- so, this could have happened.
Less friction with synthetics,engine will last longer with synthetics.
This entire comment is perpetuating more myths than facts.
Show me an engine,that was serviced properly that lasted longer using syn than conventional.
The additives reduce friction,not the basestock.
Most of this comment is based in fairy tale land.
Originally Posted By: BenBenz
I changed the oil in my daughter’s Kia Amanti and used full synthetic (Mobil 1, 5W30) for the first time. This was back in July, 4,000 miles ago. A few days ago she told me the engine was making a noise, like a valve clatter. I checked the oil and it was about a quart low, so I added a quart, but the noise continued, to a lesser degree, so I took it to the repair shop. They guy calls me later in the day and said the oil hadn’t been changed in 10,000 miles (he was going by the sticker from the last oil change I paid for before I did it myself) and said the oil was "nasty." I explained that I had changed it recently and he seemed at a loss. I found on the Mobil 1 website that sometimes when you use synthetic for the first time it cleans out so much gunk that you should change it again after a couple of thousand miles. My
mechanic seemed skeptical of this explanation. He changed the oil again and the noise stopped. Has anybody experienced this situation? All my other cars have always used synthetic, so I’ve never seen this when I change the oil.
Synthetics result in less engine friction, which results in more horsepower and more fuel economy.
Less engine friction and more horsepower will change the way the engine sounds. It's nothing to worry about. Your engine will last more with synthetics, not less.
The long story short, synthetics are always better than dino, except in engines that are designed to burn oil (such as rotary engines). They will not only increase the performance but the durability as well.
PS: As you and others mentioned, it's true that Mobil 1 and other good synthetics in general clean like crazy, and it may have clogged the oil filter since you have been using dino before, which tends to leave much more deposits. Mobil 1 oil filters don't have much dirt-holding capacity -- because they are pretty small -- so, this could have happened.
Less friction with synthetics,engine will last longer with synthetics.
This entire comment is perpetuating more myths than facts.
Show me an engine,that was serviced properly that lasted longer using syn than conventional.
The additives reduce friction,not the basestock.
Most of this comment is based in fairy tale land.
Originally Posted By: bigjl
As the oil was apparently filthy then I think it is logical that there was an element of clean-up performed by the Mobil 1 synthetic.
It is also logical that the state of the oil had caused the filter to become blocked which would surely starve the top end of the engine first, sounds plausable.
Mobil 1 is a great oil, but it didn't "clean" enough to clog a filter in only 4K. Even if it was clogged, the filter would go into bypass or the pump's relief valve would open. There is probably something else going on.
As the oil was apparently filthy then I think it is logical that there was an element of clean-up performed by the Mobil 1 synthetic.
It is also logical that the state of the oil had caused the filter to become blocked which would surely starve the top end of the engine first, sounds plausable.
Mobil 1 is a great oil, but it didn't "clean" enough to clog a filter in only 4K. Even if it was clogged, the filter would go into bypass or the pump's relief valve would open. There is probably something else going on.
- Status