1999 Integra 4Dr Auto
I have moved to Mobil 1 from Valvoline synthetic (oil change every 5k) and I drive mostly in town.
With Mobil 1 syn, it looks to me I could do every 8k? Any thoughts?
What is the difference between Syn oil filter Vs the regular oil filter?
I use Mobil 1 in the Acura but only because I have to use 0-20, and change at 5000. I use dino in the others. I don’t believe in extended oil changes regardless of synthetic or dino. I think you could do just as well with dino. I use OEM filters. Everyone will have their own opinions on this.
Driving mostly in town means that you are likely to have more moisture accumulating in the oil than you would if you were more of a highway driver. That is just the reality of doing a lot of low-speed, short-trip driving.
The result of accumulated moisture in the oil is an accumulation of sludge, over time. And, oil that has too much moisture in it will have a tendency to turn somewhat acid. Sludge and acidity are very destructive to engines.
While the more consistent molecule sizes that comprise synthetic oil give it the ability to perform much better in temperature extremes (both very hot and very cold), this quality does nothing to prevent the damage from moisture in the oil that results from local driving.
The only things that work to reduce/eliminate moisture from your motor oil are:
Getting the car out on the highway at least once a week for a good run of at least 40 minutes
Changing the oil more frequently
So, while synthetic oil certainly does have advantages for people living in very hot or very cold regions of the country, it really doesn’t help those who do mostly local driving. Unless you can get the car out on the highway as described above, then I would suggest that you change your oil every 3-4 months (regardless of how few miles were accumulated), and with that type of oil change regimen, you would be better-off with good old conventional “dino” motor oil.
I don’t believe there is any difference between a ‘synthetic’ oil filter and a conventional oil filter, except the marketing hype and likely the price. Either of these filter types is supposed to have a useful life twice that of your oil change interval. But filters are cheap so it is customary to replace the oil filter with each oil change.
Agree with @Bing. Regardless of whats printed on the container…you can’t extend your oil changes just because you switch your oil to synthetic or any other oil for that matter.
@VDCDRIVER I agree, using Mobil1 to extend your oil changes does not make sense. The OP’s driving style (severe service) should never exceed 5000 miles between changes.
If synthetic is not specified, normal mineral oil will suffice. I use synthetic only under exrtreme conditions; winter, towing, driving in Arizlona.
Regular Mobil1 doesn’t recommend longer oil change intervals, anyway. Keep it at 5k.
NEVER exceed the car manufacturer’s oil change intervals, even if the car was originally designed to use conventional oil.
It is Synthetic that I use;
@tesases wrote: Regular Mobil1 doesn’t recommend longer oil change intervals, anyway. Keep it at 5k.
Again it is Synthetic that I am talking about.
Let’s make it crystal clear
If the owner’s manual lists a 5K oil change interval, NEVER exceed that, regardless of what kind of oil or filter you are using.
For that matter, I don’t believe any of manufacturer’s maintenance intervals should be exceeded
@sciconf - I know you mean the synthetic, all Mobil1 oils are synthetic. The ‘regular’ Mobil1 does not recommend extended change intervals, only the ‘Mobil1 Extended Performance’ oil has the extended change interval:
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_1_Extended_Performance.aspx
It’s a 14 year old car, no warranty to maintain. I would have no problem with the 8,000 mile interval as long as it gets changed once a year.
Why do you change your oil? What’s the goal?
If your goal is to keep the oil as long as possible, switch to 8,000 miles.
If your goal is to keep the car as long as possible, keep the 5,000 mile schedule.
Better lubricants are useless if you also make a change that offsets their benefits.
@db4690: When my car was made in 1999, I do not believe Syn oil was on the shelf - so the manual did not address the future innovation.
When I was using Valvoline Syn, every time I change oil at $5k, I noticed an improvement. With Mobil no improvement meaning Mobil oil is holding up. Last oil change, the Pep boys m/c said that he can see right though the oil as he was emptying it.
@the same mountainbike: What I am seeking is an optimal period of maintenance. I do not want to waste resources unnecessarily.
Based in these reasons it looks to me that for my car, 1yr or 8k is optimal. I may want to experiment to see if it is really true.
@sciconf I’m not sure what part of the country you live in, but where I’m at there were plenty of synthetic oils on the shelf in 1999. Several manufacturers and several viscosities.
If you want to do the best thing for your car, use synthetic oil and change it at the manufacturer’s recommended 5K interval. Several of my colleagues do this on their engines which also do not require synthetic. They don’t mind spending a few extra bucks over time.
I’ve seen synthetic oils on the shelf since at least 1995. Also, don’t believe the warnings about switching from conventional oil to synthetic. You can switch to synthetic oil without such worries.
@sciconf "What I am seeking is an optimal period of maintenance. I do not want to waste resources unnecessarily."
Thank you, I’m glad someone gets it. Every bottle of oil used is one future generations won’t have, so exploit the full value of it. And I applaud your willingness to experiment past the mfgs recommendations. My '11 car has a 9k mfg’s recommended interval and holds 4.5 L of a non-specific 5W-30.
I don’t believe there is a simple answer to your question. It depends on the specific car and the driving conditions where it is driven.
In general I recommend following the instructions that came with the car. (note likely the dealer does not know the answers to that question
I have a friend who used to be a Marine Patrol supervisor and his state truck used Mobil1 and was changed every 10 k miles. He has used this regiment in his 97 Camry with over 200 k miles. Mobile 1 , 10 k interval oil change. It burns no oil, runs like a top.
You can probably go a little longer, but you won’t really know what’s going on unless you have an oil analysis done. Google “Blackstone Labs” FYI, while Mobil1 is good oil, there are other synthetics out there to try too. I’m getting rather fond of Amsoil myself…