Why so short OCI with synthetic oils ?

[HTSS_TR]

It looks like a majority of member here have fairly short OCI of less than 10k miles with synthetic oils. Some OCI with synthetic oils is as little as 5k miles. Why bother using expensive synthetic oils with short OCI ? Most brand names conventional oil such as Havoline, Chevron Supreme ... are more than good at 5k miles OCI for a lot less $.

I am using Mobil 1 0W-40 in '00 E430 because it is recommended by Mercedes Benz and the OCI is 1 year or 12-13k miles. The other cars using Mobil 1 are 1994 Lexus LS400 with OCI of 1 year or 13-15k miles, and 2004 Honda S2000 with OCI of 1 year at fairly low miles at about 6k of more than 90% city and short drive of less than 4 miles each.

 

[tenderloin]

One has to look at this with some sense. You own a Mercedes and Honda S2000 you even give a blink about a few dollars difference with synthetics? Heck most cars cost more than a few thousand dollars so why even a concern over the price difference? Makes no sense to me. If you want to use dino (very good stuff especially at lower OCI's as we all know) good for you. Why even waste a breath about someone wanting what they feel is best for their car/situation...Vver a few bucks a qt? Come on....

It would be like someone asking you why you are wasting all that money on costly Mercedes and Honda sports car when a Toyota Corolla will get the transportation job done for much less? It must make sense for you.....Me? I'll take a Bimmer.....

 

[tenderloin]

Left out..If you want to use dino (very good stuff especially at lower OCI's as we all know) or use synthetic at longer OCI's good for you.

 

[Cutehumor]

now..now..it is a fair question. I believe a majority of people who idle their engine one minute in traffic a day believes their car is under severe service.

 

[deven]

2 reasons.
1)warranty says 5000miles/6 months.
2)I truly believe that synthetic oil keeps the engine cleaner especially a sludger toyota product that i drive.

 

[simple_gifts]

Short trips in So Cal != short trips in New England.

 

[Maximumcanon]

I pose this question. Why such long OCI? (10k or more). Sure the oil may last that long but oil also acts as a cleaner. Synthetics may clean better but the dirt is still there in the oil. It doesn't magicaly disappear.The longer it remains the higher the concentration. It may be my paranoid thinking but companies who rate 15k or 25k OCI are just trying to impress with numbers. And common sense says that if a filter is the same size but traps more (which plugs up the holes in the filter that oil can pass through), it will eventually flow less over time. The only way to allow more flow would be an actualy increase in physical size, or trap less.

 

[Stainless]

Because oil is cheap, engines are expensive, and peace of mind is priceless.

I used to spend $40 bucks to have a BP station change my oil every 3k. Now I spend $26 to do it myself. $22 on a 5 quart jug of Mobil 1 5w30 (Walmart), and $4 on a WIX 1036 (napa gold) filter. So, right there, I am automatically saving $$$ AND using MUCH higher quality components.

I would not buy a car, knowing the oil had been changed every 8,10, or 15k+ miles. I just wouldn't.

I have NOT seen, on this forum, anyone post the long term effects of 10k+ OCI. Wait a min there... I do NOT mean, "i have changed oil every 10k, and it has 90,000 miles on it now." 90,000 miles on a car, for me, isn't much. I want to see a car with 200,000 miles on it and oil changes every 10k, THEN I might think about changing.... maybe.

The proof I require involes 2 similar cars, both run to 250,000 miles, both with the same synthetic oils, and one with an OCI of 3k and the other with a 10K OCI. Then check to see the engine wear, if the 10k interval car is even running.

Until then, I think all long OCIs are just heresay and conjecture in terms of long term engine life. Since I can't find the definitive truth, I am going to stick with a quallity synthetic oil, changed every 3k.

 

[Gary Allan]

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It looks like a majority of member here have fairly short OCI of less than 10k miles with synthetic oils. Some OCI with synthetic oils is as little as 5k miles. Why bother using expensive synthetic oils with short OCI ? Most brand names conventional oil such as Havoline, Chevron Supreme ... are more than good at 5k miles OCI for a lot less $.

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Well, you're not always looking at 5k OCIs. Sometimes you're looking at 6month OCIs that happen to be around 5k.

 

[JohnnyO]

X amount of dirt after 5k is still X amount of dirt after 5k and I want to get it out. Syn is "better". If I didn't care about "better" for my vehicles then I wouldn't be here in the first place.

 

[BrianWC]

turbosludger!

And oil doesn't clean.

 

[HappyHyundai]

Quote:

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One has to look at this with some sense. You own a Mercedes and Honda S2000 you even give a blink about a few dollars difference with synthetics? Heck most cars cost more than a few thousand dollars so why even a concern over the price difference? Makes no sense to me. If you want to use dino (very good stuff especially at lower OCI's as we all know) good for you. Why even waste a breath about someone wanting what they feel is best for their car/situation...Vver a few bucks a qt? Come on....

It would be like someone asking you why you are wasting all that money on costly Mercedes and Honda sports car when a Toyota Corolla will get the transportation job done for much less? It must make sense for you.....Me? I'll take a Bimmer.....

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[1999nick]

As one who used M1 synthetic since it came out in the 70's until I retired back in 2001, at one year or 18- 20,000 mile OCI's, and whose engines were always as quiet at 140,000 miles as when new, I do not understand using synthetic for short 3000 to 5000 mile OCI's. Conventional will give you 200,000+ miles if changed at 5,000 mile intervals.

Popular Science magazine had a report on synthetic oil many years ago, and said, among other things, that M1 was as good with 10,000 miles on it as regular oil was new. Made sense to me, as, at 10,000 miles, my oil still had another 8-10,000 to go. Changing M1 at 3,000 to 5,000 miles is not even getting M1 broken in. At 200,000 miles your engine will not know the difference, changing at 3,000 miles, whether you used conventional or synthetic.

You know, back when M1 first came out, it was claimed to be good for 1 year or 25,000 miles. They dropped this claim after a while because some people were not checking their oil, running their engines out of oil, and ruining them. I never owned a car back in the day that did not use a quart of oil every 4-6000 miles. So I added a couple of quarts every year. What I can't understand is why this new Mobil 1 Extended Performance is said to be good for only 15,000 miles. Doesn't affect me now, tho, because I only drive 6,000 miles a year in my old age. I now change twice a year, using dino. Can't see wasting good synthetic at this short of an interval. I am using up my stock of M1 in my lawn mowers, yard vac, and other outdoor power equipment, changing at one year intervals.

 

[ProV1]

hey there! i also have a 97 MB E420, 2003 Honda S2000 and a 00 Honda CRV.

In the S2000, I put in Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15000 full synthetic, and drove for about 10k miles in 15 months. When I drained that oil, it had the nastiest smell ever, and it was really thick. I freaked and swore i'd never do that again..

 

[Maximumcanon]

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turbosludger!

And oil doesn't clean.

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wow. when did that happen?

 

[Maximumcanon]

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hey there! i also have a 97 MB E420, 2003 Honda S2000 and a 00 Honda CRV.

In the S2000, I put in Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15000 full synthetic, and drove for about 10k miles in 15 months. When I drained that oil, it had the nastiest smell ever, and it was really thick. I freaked and swore i'd never do that again..

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same reason i swore i would never use Mobil 1 Extended Performance again and never use oil for over 5k. The same thing happened to me.

 

[blupupher]

Warranty.
Otherwise I woud do a minimum of 10k. I am about to go to 5000 miles on dino once I use all my syn stash.

 

[Nappers]

My understanding is that Syn is a better oil for keeping up with the heat and still provide lubrication, also better at lubricating and flows better at start up. I do not go more than 5,000 miles on a change as I have read that oil filters good or bad cannot keep going that long (they tear and whatnot after a while) you could just change your oil filter and top off with more syn, but I prefer to just change at every 5,000 miles which is easy to remember my '00 Yukon has 106,000+ on the clock and will change at 110,000 and then at 115,000 and so on. Even my wife remembers to tell me to change it out.

Aaron

 

[Gary Allan]

I'd rethink your position on filters. They are designed to last beyond the manufacturer's recommended OCI. I'd say it depends on how long it takes you to accumulate 5k determines if it's a sensible (as in required) OCI/FCI.

 

[BrianWC]

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turbosludger!

And oil doesn't clean.

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wow. when did that happen?

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Just pointing out that in my car, an 01 Saab 9-5, poor PCV construction (the sixth update has just been released) doesn't allow you to go safely much beyond 5k miles with synthetic. Even in a normal vehicle, I've yet to see conclusive proof of synthetic "cleaning" anything. Maintaining cleanliness, yes..