can I swap to semi synthetic from fully synthetic?

Jan 02, 2007 9 Replies

Hi the Zafira we have has been run on fully synthetic by the previous owner from new (1999 80K) it goes through it a bit between changes, and I was wondering can I put semi synthetic in it now its been run on fully for so long? , I was thinking it's a bit more viscous and might stay in there a bit longer !!



Cheers,



What is "a bit"? Whatever you put in there will come out if there's a leak.

Hi, no leaks, I've been told that the Vauxhall 1.8 16v can use 1/4 -

1/2 lt between services, its just that I dont really want to spend on fully synthetic when semi will do - it's not exactly a performance motor. Will it be OK to switch ?

2.0l diesel per chance?

A 99 would never of had fully synthetic from the factory, as vauxhall were still on 20k service intervals then (fully synthetic only started getting used when they moved onto to variable long life service intervals)

Semi will be fine. Just make sure it's the right viscosity.

"moray" wrote in news:enedkq$mbd$1$ snipped-for-privacy@news.demon.co.uk:

Are these the engines that can suffer from bore glazing if mollycoddled during the run-in period, resulting in above normal consumption?

Stu

Yes. It probably is a bit glazed. Nothing practical he can do about it now. Next time people, do yourselves a favour and run-in your engines with a bit of load and variable revs after they have warmed up. Nothing worse for an engine than being molly-coddled from new and filled at the first opportunity with an oil that effectively stops all chance of it being properly run-in.

Huw

Hi, no, its a petrol, just that the previous owner though it better for it !!

dont know about the glazing, but it does the same MPG as my fathers 1.6 Zaf , around 33 - 35mpg local (short trips)

Why wouldn't it? It does consume oil though, and it shouldn't.

Huw

Fully synthetic is but you need to have done it from new/nearly new. My missus had a BMW 525 that had an engine which ran as sweet as a nut at

190,000 miles. Had always had fully synthetic oil.

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