Switch to synthetic oil ok for my car?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 1991 Acura Legend that has 255,000 miles on it but is buring oil at about 1 1/2 quarts a month…been using Lucas additive to stop a lot of the smoke…mechanic said to switch to synthetic oil, but use a blend for a couple of months before switching? Sound ok?

2

All you will succeed in doing is burning more expensive oil. Synthetic oil won’t reduce the rate of burning, nor will it make the engine last longer.

If you wish to switch, just go ahead. You can switch back and forth from regular to synthetic any time. The engine doesn’t care.

3

What problem are you trying to solve by switching to synthetic?

I agree with mcparadise. You’ll just be burning more expensive oil.

4

I am surprised that the additive helps with smoke.

Does the car smoke on acceleration or deceleration or all the time? (Blue smoke, right?)

I know of no additive that will reduce oil consumption appreciably that is not harmful to the engine. In that car I would be using 20W-50 conventional oil, but oil consumption will be similar to what you will see with 10W30.

If the problem is valve seals, I would replace them. If the problem is rings, I would be planning to replace the car, unless I REALLY liked it and the rest of the car was in great shape.

5

Thanks for the reply. Car is in great shape…other than blue car smoke after being stopped for awhile at traffic light. Not smoking while driving. The Lucas additive cuts the smoking down dramatically…almost can’t even see it, but eventually burns the oil, but doesn’t seem to be at the rate when just using my 10W-30.

6

I would switch to a “high mileage” conventional oil. While you can switch back and forth between conventional oil and synthetic oil without doing any harm, it probably won’t solve your problem. “High mileage” oil might not solve it either, but it has a better chance.

7 
It reduces the oil burning by making the oil thicker.  Doing that does make is use less oil, but it also will reduce lubrication to some parts under some conditions. I would guess you are going to end up placing that engine anyway, so continuing to use the Lucas additive is not going to damage anything that is going to last a lot longer anyway.  

Plan on an engine rebuild/replacement in the future.