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Synthetic oil change comes two ways at dealership ,full & partial. What's the difference is what I'd like to know, other than the cost. Enlighten me if you can. Thanks , Derf
Full synthetic oils cost more than regular oils used in gasoline engines, about 2X. Partial synthetic oils are blends of synthetic and regular oils. Synthetic oils work great in today's high compression engines, especially in cold climate. Partial synthetic oil blend is a reasonable compromise for cost consideration. We have been using partial synthetic oil blend as recommended by Honda.
@Sven I'm looking at a $6 difference for full vs semi oil change with a tire rotation included in the special. Also I'm not one to change every 6 months ,but when due by mileage.
That is small cost that is worthwhile for your engine’s longevity. Our engines using synthetic blend oil have made over 200,000 miles in the last 15 years and counting. A new car today costs a minimum of $30K and quality oils make all the differences.
That is small cost that is worthwhile for your engine’s longevity.
Exactly @Sven. Talk about cheap insurance! Use the best oil and change frequently as directed. Anything less is not where you want to scrimp and save. Penny wise - pound foolish.
When synthetic oil came to be required a few years ago, I read that the then-new ceramic engine bearings have such fine tolerances that a conventional motor oil cannot lubricate them at low temperatures. I had changed my own oil for eons until the arrival of synthetic oil. I stopped because my Honda dealer then offered an oil change and free inspection for about $30. The price of a quart of synthetic at the store was some $9, so DIY made no sense. The dealer has raised the price, of course, but I still go there. I do crawl under my 1993 300ZX to service it, but that's because I'm a bit nuts as well as cheap at 82.
@BenWP You're doing good youngster, still changing oil! I did at one time, after finding filler cap not put back on & another a QUART low I did my own changes up to about the age of 65.
My vehicle manual specifies synthetic oil that meets certain VW specs so that's what I use. Synthetic oil generally provides superior engine protection compared to conventional oil. Although synthetic oil is more expensive, it's a small cost to pay as Sven has mentioned.
Car oils are dual-rated 10W30 (thick or heavy), 5W20, 0W20 (thin), etc. The 1st number is the Winter rating, the 2nd the Summer rating.
The car oil blending is a compromise - even the natural car oils are blends. Pure natural oils tend to have single ratings - it was beyond the Nature to figure out that people would use these oils for cars to drive in all seasons.
In an emergency in Summer, you can use non-recommended oil with proper Summer rating, but must change to proper oil before Winter.
There isn't any natural 0W20 oil that many newer cars need. So, it's either 100% synthetic (more expensive) or a synthetic-natural blend (not as expensive).
For fresh oil, equally rated synthetic and natural oils (5W20, 10W30) should perform the same. But over time, synthetic holds up better. So, synthetic oil would be better for hard driving conditions (short trips to grocery stores is hard driving) and one may prolong oil change interval some.
If you switch from natural to synthetic oil, you really have a synthetic-natural blend the 1st time because of some residual oil in the system (unless you do an expensive and wasteful flush). Once you start using synthetic oil, you should stick with it.
My oil change guy charges $70-75 for synthetic oil change, $40-45 for natural oil change, so the price difference adds up for 4-5 quarts of oil, and the oil change place may tag extra $5-10.
I don't drive much. I use synthetic oil but change it less frequently. My car oil-life meter may still show 30% life, but after enough time has passed, I just have it changed.
BTW, the oil-life meter is half-dumb - it estimates oil life from the miles driven and number of starts (it doesn't actually measure the quality of oil). So, pay attention to low-oil light if it comes on - don't drive far with low-oil light on.
All good. I worked as what we affectionately called a “grease monkey” in my younger years. So crawling around underneath my personal vehicles like @BenWP was common up until sometime after 2000 when the carriages became so low to the ground it was tough to do. Tried ramps for a while but wasn’t worth the added risks of damaging the vehicle. Non-synthetic motor oil has improved greatly over time. Ifyour vehicle manual says it meets specs, nothing wrong with using it. Oil will have a letter / numeric code on the container so you know if it meets your auto maker’s specs.
Granted, the synthetics are better (but considerably pricier). I suspect plenty of cheating goes on at garages in this respect. Unless you insist on taking the empty containers home with you, how do you know what went in? And since most pull from a larger drum holding many gallons of oil … how can you be certain? That’s probably why @BenWP is so fussy that he does his own.
Even in the 70s it was easy to put over 100K on a vehicle using traditional motor oils. Back then I changed every 3,000 miles or less - but at least twice yearly. Those low tolerances someone mentioned are also the reason engines last so much longer today. So 200K + is fairly common today. With my previous Honda, I just let the built-in “mileage minder” tell me when. Better in the sense it can calibrate the optimum interval based on how the vehicle was driven and outside temperatures. Shorter drives and colder temperatures take a greater toll on oil. But if you routinely drive 90, then that’s also an added wear factor. Generally, I went 6-8 months or around 5,000 miles before changing based on the monitor..
This all begs the question of how longdo you intend to keep the vehicle? The way technology is evolving you may, like me, prefer to trade every 5-7 years to keep pace with ”the latest & greatest”. One recent feature I enjoy is blind spot monitoring, common on newer vehicles. Might save your a*** one day. In cold climates remote start, heated seats & steering wheel are nice. Automatic lane-tracing features keep improving. Some cars now have wi-fi. So if you don’t keep your cars past 70,000 miles or 7 years, worrying a lot about the quality of oil may be unnecessary. Me? I trust the mechanic to follow the vehicle’s (owner’s) manual. In almost every case they prefer to upgrade to synthetic. Oil filter? My last car, a Honda, said “every other” oil change. But everyone who worked on it changed filter along with oil. Probably unnecessary. But not a bad idea - as a small, amount of dirty oil would be retained in the old filter.
To answer @Derf’s question … “partial synthetics” (usually sold as Synthetic Blend) typically contain a small amount of full synthetic mixed in. It’s usually only around 20-30% full synthetic. Should say on the container. Less expensive. If I can’t find full synthetic in the right weight or at the right price I use the partial stuff in my lawn mower & snow blower. Neither has ever complained.
@hank Thanks for that lengthy note. Are you snowed in or just in the "freezer" ? I see temps rising into 30's next week, then down again. Thankfully no below O readings!
@hank Thanks for that lengthy note. Are you snowed in or just in the "freezer" ? I see temps rising into 30's next week, then down again. Thankfully no below O readings!
Typical January weather. Sunny and cold. 15 F near Lake Michigan this morning. Likely below 0 a few miles inland away from the warmer water. Very little snow cover. But we can get clobbered with 2 feet or more at any time.
Comments
Synthetic oil generally provides superior engine protection compared to conventional oil.
Although synthetic oil is more expensive, it's a small cost to pay as Sven has mentioned.
The car oil blending is a compromise - even the natural car oils are blends. Pure natural oils tend to have single ratings - it was beyond the Nature to figure out that people would use these oils for cars to drive in all seasons.
In an emergency in Summer, you can use non-recommended oil with proper Summer rating, but must change to proper oil before Winter.
There isn't any natural 0W20 oil that many newer cars need. So, it's either 100% synthetic (more expensive) or a synthetic-natural blend (not as expensive).
For fresh oil, equally rated synthetic and natural oils (5W20, 10W30) should perform the same. But over time, synthetic holds up better. So, synthetic oil would be better for hard driving conditions (short trips to grocery stores is hard driving) and one may prolong oil change interval some.
If you switch from natural to synthetic oil, you really have a synthetic-natural blend the 1st time because of some residual oil in the system (unless you do an expensive and wasteful flush). Once you start using synthetic oil, you should stick with it.
My oil change guy charges $70-75 for synthetic oil change, $40-45 for natural oil change, so the price difference adds up for 4-5 quarts of oil, and the oil change place may tag extra $5-10.
I don't drive much. I use synthetic oil but change it less frequently. My car oil-life meter may still show 30% life, but after enough time has passed, I just have it changed.
BTW, the oil-life meter is half-dumb - it estimates oil life from the miles driven and number of starts (it doesn't actually measure the quality of oil). So, pay attention to low-oil light if it comes on - don't drive far with low-oil light on.
Granted, the synthetics are better (but considerably pricier). I suspect plenty of cheating goes on at garages in this respect. Unless you insist on taking the empty containers home with you, how do you know what went in? And since most pull from a larger drum holding many gallons of oil … how can you be certain? That’s probably why @BenWP is so fussy that he does his own.
Even in the 70s it was easy to put over 100K on a vehicle using traditional motor oils. Back then I changed every 3,000 miles or less - but at least twice yearly. Those low tolerances someone mentioned are also the reason engines last so much longer today. So 200K + is fairly common today. With my previous Honda, I just let the built-in “mileage minder” tell me when. Better in the sense it can calibrate the optimum interval based on how the vehicle was driven and outside temperatures. Shorter drives and colder temperatures take a greater toll on oil. But if you routinely drive 90, then that’s also an added wear factor. Generally, I went 6-8 months or around 5,000 miles before changing based on the monitor..
This all begs the question of how long do you intend to keep the vehicle? The way technology is evolving you may, like me, prefer to trade every 5-7 years to keep pace with ”the latest & greatest”. One recent feature I enjoy is blind spot monitoring, common on newer vehicles. Might save your a*** one day. In cold climates remote start, heated seats & steering wheel are nice. Automatic lane-tracing features keep improving. Some cars now have wi-fi. So if you don’t keep your cars past 70,000 miles or 7 years, worrying a lot about the quality of oil may be unnecessary. Me? I trust the mechanic to follow the vehicle’s (owner’s) manual. In almost every case they prefer to upgrade to synthetic. Oil filter? My last car, a Honda, said “every other” oil change. But everyone who worked on it changed filter along with oil. Probably unnecessary. But not a bad idea - as a small, amount of dirty oil would be retained in the old filter.
To answer @Derf’s question … “partial synthetics” (usually sold as Synthetic Blend) typically contain a small amount of full synthetic mixed in. It’s usually only around 20-30% full synthetic. Should say on the container. Less expensive. If I can’t find full synthetic in the right weight or at the right price I use the partial stuff in my lawn mower & snow blower. Neither has ever complained.