Synthetic Oil Change Intervals
by Bob DeP. AskBob@stretcher.com
Bob,
I just finished reading your article on synthetic oils and I must ask where you get your facts from and how you based your personal advice on changing synthetic oils every 3,000 miles. Correct me if I am wrong because I am not a mechanic, but if synthetic oils don't breakdown as quickly as regular motor oil, and if they prevent dry parts from rubbing on each other during cold starts, resulting in a cleaner oil for a much longer period of time, why would you recommend to change the oil at the same time as a lower quality oil?
It's like saying a Chevy will perform the same as a Porsche in the handling and speed category so instead of owning a Porsche I will buy a Chevy. Just recently I was exposed to a company that manufactures synthetic oils and decided to try it on my 1991 Honda Accord. I can tell you I have noticed a difference in power and the leaks have slowed dramatically.
Have you done any tests on any cars yourself to base your opinions and, if so, what oils and synthetics did you test and what manufactures?
Curious Cesar
Curious,
The reason I state from my own personal opinions that the oil should be changed is not due to break down of the oil. In fact, it has been proven time and time again, that synthetic oil actually does hold up better than normal oil.
However, what the people that market synthetic oils forget to mention in all of their adds is that it is not metals wearing off from the motor that the oil filter filters out, it is dirt and grit from the outside world that is getting into your oil. Yes, dirt from the road you drive on finds its way into your engine. It is the job of the oil filter to remove this dirt before it gets circulated around the engine. Another thing they neglect to tell you about are the combustion byproducts. Some of that soot also finds its way into your oil. Granted, at 3000 miles the oil integrity may still be there, but it may also be dirty.
So, to all the people that I talk to that cant seem to understand my point of view, I ask them to at least change the oil filter at the regular interval and just top off the oil to the appropriate level when doing so. Also, use a quality filter. Some do not filter out the finer particles as well as others.
Good Luck!
Drive Safely!
Bob, The Auto Answer Man
If you have a question for Bob send it to: AskBob@stretcher.com. He's able to answer many of them personally and we'll include the best questions in future issues of The Dollar Stretcher.
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