I read in another post:
I am curious to know how often other synthetic users change their oil. While I want to provide maximum protection for the engine, I also want to avoid *overkill* considering the increase in oil prices.
Why should the rising cost of crude oil cause the price of synthetic oil to rise?
Although I remember the Cuban sugar embargo. Coke and Pepsi went up, and so did their diet pops that contained no sugar.
Because it is made from crude oil.
I pick up a 5 qt container of Mobil 1 for under $20.00 at WalMart and the new extended change version is about $22.00.
Richard
Because synthetic oil is made from petroleum starting products.
I use castrol syntec every 5,000km.
Steve
I use Mobil1 every 3,000 miles
synthetic
Depends on what your definition of "synthetic oil" is.
Mobil 1 is made from polyalphaolefin (PAO) and polyol and/or dibasic esters. There was also another ingredient in the discontinued "Tri-Synthetic" formulas. PAO is made with natural gas as a starting ingredient. Esters use a different ingredient. This is essentially making larger polymers out of smaller molecules.
Most of the US marketers of "synthetic" motor oil are selling "Group III" (Very Highly Refined) petroleum oil - often blended with esters. Castrol Syntec is among these. My understand of the process is that it can only make molecules smaller, although more uniform.
Apparently in Europe, a Group III oil can't be legally marketed as being a full synthetic oil. Mobil filed an FTC claim in the late
90's and lost.Mobil 1 in both my '92 Dynasty 3.3L and my '99 Caravan 3.0L
I change both at 3000 to 4000 mile intervals.
I have used Mobil 1 synthetic since about 1982 and have changed it about every 8-12,000 miles in the following vehicles.
1980 Chevy Citation w/2.8 Liter Eng. had 150,000 mi on it before giving it away (burned no oil) 1986 Nissan 300ZX w/3.0 Liter Eng. has 220,000 mi on orig en(burns 1 qt ever 1200 mi) 1998 Chry T&C w/3.8 Liter Eng. has 115,000 mi on orig eng. (currently has an oil leak) The stuff has never let me down and the 300zx had 110,000 miles on it when I bought it and started using Mobil1. Greyhound Tampa FL
I use NAPA's *house* brand that is made by Ashland, the makers of Valvoline. I use it in my 1993 Voyager, and 1998 Stratus. I change at
5,000 - 6,000 miles, which is under the recommended 7,500 miles for *normal* use.I used to use Chevron's synthetic, but can no longer find it.
-Kirk Matheson
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required