Thoughts on synthetic blend vs full synthetic engine oil?

[Zig]

Here is a video about 5.0L coyote engine with a note about synthetic oil. If you do short trips synthetic crystallizes in engines.

All in all not bad - engines with unknown histories are always the most fun to diagnose.

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[BrianJ77]

In 30+ years of driving cars, reading car magazines, watching car shows, etc I have NEVER heard of synthetic oil crystallizing in the engine from multiple short trips. Not saying it doesn't happen, but one YouTube video does not make me a believer in synthetic oil being bad for Coyotes. Of course we want to minimize short trips where the engine doesn't warm all the way up to burn off the condensation in the crankcase and burn off the acids that can form in engine oil.

Back to the OP: You have heard a lot of opinions and likely have already made up your mind so I will just give you my 2 cents and move on.

I use full synthetic in 3 of my 4 vehicles. The exception is my classic, but that's not important here. It all depends, IMO, how long you plan to keep the car and how you intend to use it. If your driving style falls in the severe category and you plan to keep the car for the next 10+ years, then run full synthetic for that extra protection against wear, shear, and sludge. If you are only going to keep it for 3-5 years, run the semi-syn and change every 5k miles like you mentioned, and you will be just fine. Me personally, I don't follow the OLM. My son is a lube tech and sees decent sludge in engines that have gone just 10k miles between oil changes (no, I can't tell you which makes/models...sorry). I do my own oil changes so that keeps my cost down, but for me to change the oil (about $70 in the Mustang using MC full syn) every 5k miles or 6 months...well, that's just cheap engine insurance.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[roadpilot]

@BrianJ77 - Prematurely changing your oil doesn't help a thing. It might give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, but it doesn't do anything beyond that. If you're not having your oil analyzed after each drain, I would suggest you do a few. This lets you know what's going on inside that engine.

But if you want to change it too early just to feel good, more power to you. Your money.

 

[BrianJ77]

@BrianJ77 - Prematurely changing your oil doesn't help a thing. It might give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, but it doesn't do anything beyond that. If you're not having your oil analyzed after each drain, I would suggest you do a few. This lets you know what's going on inside that engine.

But if you want to change it too early just to feel good, more power to you. Your money.

I've considered multiple times doing a UOA on my vehicles, mostly for S's and G's. I never have done it to date, however.

I would agree that on the Mustang and the F100 I probably am wasting money because I change the oil religiously every 6 months. Maybe 1000 miles or so on that oil as they are both fair weather princesses. It makes me feel better, but maybe I should run a UOA on those two just to see what it looks like. On the daily drivers I can run through a 5000 mile oil change in about 3 months. The F-150 could probably go longer (7000 miles) with no issue, but the wife's turbocharged Acura with DI smells like there is some considerable fuel dilution going on even at 5000 miles and 50% on the OLM. I feel better getting that oil out more often.

@roadpilot which UOA lab do you like best?

 

[Mr Now]

Recently bought an s650 ecoboost. The dealer offers free oil changes for two years. I’m assuming that’s the 5000 miles or 6 mos whichever occurs soonest interval .

It sounds like Ford uses a synthetic blend from what I’ve read here, correct? Can one ask the dealer to use full synthetic and will they comply?

 

[roadpilot]

I've considered multiple times doing a UOA on my vehicles, mostly for S's and G's. I never have done it to date, however.

I would agree that on the Mustang and the F100 I probably am wasting money because I change the oil religiously every 6 months. Maybe 1000 miles or so on that oil as they are both fair weather princesses. It makes me feel better, but maybe I should run a UOA on those two just to see what it looks like. On the daily drivers I can run through a 5000 mile oil change in about 3 months. The F-150 could probably go longer (7000 miles) with no issue, but the wife's turbocharged Acura with DI smells like there is some considerable fuel dilution going on even at 5000 miles and 50% on the OLM. I feel better getting that oil out more often.

@roadpilot which UOA lab do you like best?

Blackstone Laboratories.

 

[roadpilot]

Recently bought an s650 ecoboost. The dealer offers free oil changes for two years. I’m assuming that’s the 5000 miles or 6 mos whichever occurs soonest interval .

It sounds like Ford uses a synthetic blend from what I’ve read here, correct? Can one ask the dealer to use full synthetic and will they comply?

You can ask, but "free oil changes" sounds like a dealership spiff. Maybe they'll just have you pay the difference.

 

[Scurfie]

I have a 2015 gt that I bought new. I changed the original oil at around 1,000 miles to full synthetic Mobil 1 and now use Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. I always use Motorcraft filters. I'm retired so I enjoy working on my car. The oil life guage is interesting but I go by oil color. When the oil gets dark I change it. Oil is cheap and changing it too often is not a bad thing. My engine does not burn oil ever.

 

[roadpilot]

Oil is cheap and changing it too often is not a bad thing.

From performance or longevity standpoints, no. But from monetary and environmental standpoints, throwing away oil that is only 50% used is.

 

[Scurfie]

From performance or longevity standpoints, no. But from monetary and environmental standpoints, throwing away oil that is only 50% used is.

The oil I use is then recycled. I question oil that is "%50 good" too. It may have lubricating quality, but I don't want dirt cycling through my motor. But that's just me..

 

[roadpilot]

The oil I use is then recycled. I question oil that is "%50 good" too. It may have lubricating quality, but I don't want dirt cycling through my motor. But that's just me..

If you're washing dishes in the sink, do you drain the sink and refill with fresh water and soap every 3 plates? I highly doubt it. Will the subsequent dishes NOT get clean if you use the same soapy water to wash some more dishes? Nope - they will get just as clean.

Same difference. Nothing is cycling through your motor that's going to hurt it. Dirt and debris are caught by the filter. Carbon and other byproducts of combustion make the oil dark. Eventually the shear point will reduce to a point where you need to change it ... but not at 50%.

 

[Scurfie]

If you're washing dishes in the sink, do you drain the sink and refill with fresh water and soap every 3 plates? I highly doubt it. Will the subsequent dishes NOT get clean if you use the same soapy water to wash some more dishes? Nope - they will get just as clean.

Same difference. Nothing is cycling through your motor that's going to hurt it. Dirt and debris are caught by the filter. Carbon and other byproducts of combustion make the oil dark. Eventually the shear point will reduce to a point where you need to change it ... but not at 50%.

I love that analogy! What's missing is the rinse in our engines. Draining the old oil takes care of most of the dirt.

Dirty oil will lead to deposits inside those tiny little openings all through our modern engine. What do you think of engine oil flushes? Overkill?

 

[roadpilot]

I love that analogy! What's missing is the rinse in our engines. Draining the old oil takes care of most of the dirt.

Dirty oil will lead to deposits inside those tiny little openings all through our modern engine. What do you think of engine oil flushes? Overkill?

As long as you're changing your oil regularly AND you're not operating in severe conditions, I would not use any type of additive or flush.

Side note: As vehicles gets (much) older, those deposits actually work to help old, worn gaskets keep things sealed up. Ever flush an engine in an OLD car with lots of miles? That can actually lead to negative results!

 

[Scurfie]

As long as you're changing your oil regularly AND you're not operating in severe conditions, I would not use any type of additive or flush.

Side note: As vehicles gets (much) older, those deposits actually work to help old, worn gaskets keep things sealed up. Ever flush an engine in an OLD car with lots of miles? That can actually lead to negative results!

You are correct! My brother flushes his car and truck with every oil change. And, I do not. lol

 

[robvas]

I'd like to see a valve covers off comparison of an engine that was changed every 5-6k, vs one that followed the OLM and was changed every 10k or so.

I can't imagine the 10k oil change engine will be as clean looking.

Edit: You can laugh, but have you seen how nasty the oil is that fills the vacuum tank at a 10k oil change?

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