Why bother with a synthetic blend ?

I believe the synthetic has a higher VI than conventional, so a syn blend avoids some of the need for VII, which can break down and cause sludge, so overall keeps engine cleaner than conventional oil.
 
Not a trick question. I really am curious to know the reasoning or appeal of buying a blend vs conventional or a full synthetic product .

Do any synthetic blend products actually list the ratio of synthetic to conventional oil on the label ?

Is there any way for a consumer to know if they are getting a 50% / 50% blend or a 1% / 99% blend ?


Z
Cost is the main factor. I used Motorcraft for years and its a good oil *shrug*
 
Today group 3 synthetics are cheap enough not to waste time with blends
or even conventionals. Yes, it's approvals what counts, but most approvals
you really want are commonly found on synthetics.
Which approvals for everyday cars? Dexos is only for gm vehicles. Most new cars call out gf6 api SP which syn blends meet. Yes, weights such as 0w20 and 0w16 are only available in syn for the most part.

Even Ford recommends syn blend for all their f150s and mustangs
 
I wouldn’t go out of my way to find and use a synthetic blend. In fact most if not all conventional oils are synthetic blends. They do that to meet the latest certifications.
I was going to say the same thing. I've read "synthetic blend" on the backs of a few "conventionals." So buy a conventional and you might be buying a blend making your question somewhat moot.
 
Because you could run 5,000 mile intervals? Why would anyone run 2,000 mile intervals except on a 1950 Jaguar XK120?




VW 504 00, BMW LL-01/04, MB 229.5, Porsche A40/C40 just to name a few.
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Ah ok, since most of the cars on the road are bmws, vws, mbzs, and Porsche’s. Those are some of the biggest volume manufacturers, right? 🙄
 
I'm afraid of leaks on high mileage vehicles and figure I have slightly less of a chance on a blend vs a full syn of springing a leak.

Myth.
You can easily 'tune' a synthetic to any desired aniline point (e.g. by
adding some esters) and that's what matters with regard to seals.



Ah ok, since most of the cars on the road are bmws, vws, mbzs, and Porsche’s. Those are some of the biggest volume manufacturers, right? 🙄

Volkswagen surely is. Who's bigger? However does it even matter
for the question what reputable approvals are? Does it matter for
the fact that all more demanding approvals require the use group 3
base oils at least? That's been my point and I guess there's nothing
wrong with that.
.
 
I was just saying in a previous thread that I use a lot of synthetic blends / semi-synthetic oils, for me they are a lot cheaper than full synthetics, about half price. I know in North America (NA) the price difference is much smaller, so I can see why they don't make sense in NA.

I assume most cheaper full synthetics are probably Group III only, I'm not an expert here, but I believe Group III typically only comes in thinner base oil viscosity grades, such as 4cSt, 6 cSt and 8 cSt (KV100). With GTL being mostly just about 4 cSt. So Group III and GTL is a natural fit for stuff like 0W16 or 0W20.

However Group II is available in thicker base oil viscosity grades, such as 10 cSt, 12 cSt or higher. This makes it at home in thicker semi-synthetics. Hence the large amount of 10W40 semi-synthetics with Euro A3/B4 ratings sold in Australia and New Zealand. Cheap but good oils.

Of course Group IV (PAO) can be thick or thin, so it makes excellent but more expensive full synthetics of every type.

Still, I don't have a problem with a 5W30 or 10W30 semi-synthetic, with a KV100 of about 10 or 11 cSt, and a deft mix of a thin Group II and a thick Group III, they sort of make sense to me.

https://www.vertexenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/AD-Base-v20062017.pdf

https://www.nuroil.com/baseoil.aspx
 
The shop I use for oil/filter changes uses Chevron Supreme 5W30 as their conventional oil, it is a synth blend. I have it done annually usually with less than a 2,000 mile OCI. The full synthetic they offer is Amsoil Signature at more than twice the price of the Chevron. That's why I use a synthetic blend.
 
Myth.
You can easily 'tune' a synthetic to any desired aniline point (e.g. by
adding some esters) and that's what matters with regard to seals.





Volkswagen surely is. Who's bigger? However does it even matter
for the question what reputable approvals are? Does it matter for
the fact that all more demanding approvals require the use group 3
base oils at least? That's been my point and I guess there's nothing
wrong with that.
.
I mean I guess it depends on the blend but even going from a blend that likely was more synthetic (Motorcraft) to Supertech conventional, my mom's car went from leaking a quart every 1500 miles and smelling quite a lot from the leak to leaking a quart every 2500 or so and not smelling much. It's too early to tell with Maxlife, but I had a jug left for an OCI for my Fusion that's grounded from an electrical issue, so I figured use it.

For what it's worth with my vehicles in the sig I actually called Valvoline's tech line and they recommend Maxlife blend and not the full synthetic.

I do think for my mother's car it probably would have leaked less if I started it on a good synthetic at less mileage, but I didn't get control of the oil changes until it got to 120K or so from 60K, before that it had changes at the Ford dealer who likely used a bulk syn blend. I did try a full syn once in it and nothing terrible happened. Just yeah, had syn blend its whole life, runs great, there's not really a reason in my eyes to go to syn for running theoretically maybe 1-2% better but potentially having leaks get a lot worse.

I had an older Mitsubishi Galant in the past that I used only Supertech conventional in (before syn blend labeling) and one day I got the bright idea to use Rotella T5 10w30 to "clean it out", which to be fair is a blend but likely was more synthetic than ST. Before with ST I'd lose maybe half a quart between 5-6K OCIs, and I had no sludge and just light varnish under the valve cover. A few thousand miles later after that oil change I blew a front main seal and leaked a quart every 5-10 miles and ended up having to get rid of it.

I know it's coincidence and anecdote but in a Pascal's Wager context I don't see the improvements as worth the risk. It's not a DI or turbo car, I don't drive them that hard, etc.
 
I mean I guess it depends on the blend but even going from a blend that likely was more synthetic (Motorcraft) to Supertech conventional, my mom's car went from leaking a quart every 1500 miles and smelling quite a lot from the leak to leaking a quart every 2500 or so and not smelling much.

Yes, that's what I was trying to say - it highly depends on the blend but
there's just no general rule existing like 'minerals are more seal-friendly'.
No blender uses pure PAO on any PCMO. They all use to try to 'adjust'
the aniline point - more or less consequently/successfully. If an engine is
'leaking a quart every 1500 miles' I'd suggest a repair.
 
There is no industry standard for what defines a syn blend. I use a syn blend because my mechanic charges $30 for an oil change on my 4runner with syn blend API SP. Full syn runs $55 so it's not worth it to me.
Same here- the local shop near my work charges $40 for a 5w-30 syn blend oil change on my '12 Rav4. Full syn is $60-65. I get it changed every 5-6K and haven't had any issues. I'd do it myself but I usually don't have time to do it, plus the shop I go to has been good to me for the last 25 years or so. I get to do plenty of PM's on our OPE at work. The Bobcat Toolcat is a fun one (not).
 
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