Question to those who use synthetic oil

I am considering switching to synthetic oil when I buy a new Accord in
the next few months. Do the manufacturers of synthetic oil offer a
sticker to put near the engine block reminding anyone who services my
car that I am using synthetic oil?. I often get my oil changed at the
dealer or those quick lube places. Even though they offer synthetic
oil, I may not remember each time to indicate this. I want the extra
measure of caution with the sticker. K&N air filters give you a
sticker to place over the air filter compartment, so whoever services
the car, they dont need to be replaced like the paper ones

 

First, leave the factory fill in for the full service interval you expect
to use for your driving habits. Second, go one more full oil change cycle
before switching to synthetic.

For the sticker it won't make any difference - most of the quick-lube
places and even dealers don't care. It's even been reported that a dealer
made err, a mistake and the synthetic oil the customer had supplied was
neatly stashed in a corner of the workshop. If you don't want to be
treated like that, find a good shop you trust and supply your own oil if
necessary.

BTW synthetic oils are not all really synthetic any longer. For the mass
market, Mobil1 is the only one I trust; Valvoline and Castrol have
confessed that they are using hydrocracked mineral basestocks in their
"synthetics".

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

I've found that checking the oil with a white tissue paper, immediately
after the oil change is a good indicator to determine if you have the
correct oil. The Mobel-1 tent to be brownish is appearance while the
regular honda oil is more goldish. However, if the oil change hasn't
been done properly and the new oil still has dirt in it, it'll be
difficult to make a comparisons since the dirt will give the oil a more
brownish appearance. The nice thing about using a white tissue paper to
check the oil, is that it allows the oil to soak through, which makes it
easier to determine if there's still dirt in the oil.

Another way to determine that the engine has the correct oil, is to
check if after after about 3000 km (2000 miles) of driving. The regular
oil will get muddy more quickly then the mobel-1.

If you don't already have a comparisons point, it'll be very difficult
to determine if your engine is getting cheated out of the synthetic oil.


Pars
98 DX Hatch

 

I've found that checking the oil with a white tissue paper, immediately

I've never found color to be consistent in oils. I've had different
batches of the
same weight Castrol oil be different shades, some really light, others not.

I recently bought Exxon 5w-20 and was surprised at how dark the oil was.
The color of a beef gravy. I don't imagine the color means anything
about the quality, I personally just like the oil to be lighter.

Norm

 

I quite agree! Some of the gomers in those places can't even read or
speak English. Find a trustworthy independent mechanic.

 

Are you sure about that? I've heard of people asking Valvoline, and
getting a response that it's still a PAO/ester blend.

The following is Valvoline's description of what makes synthetics
different. They make a big deal about how their synthetics are
made differently than "mineral oils".

<http://www.valvoline.com/synpower/articleviewer.asp?pg=ccr20011002sb>

However - Valvoline has attached the "SynPower" name to a variety
of different products that are inherently synthetic. This includes
brake fluid and fuel system cleaners. That's more marketing than
anything.

 

Look up the MSDS - I don't have time to look just now but last time I
looked their 10W-30, e.g. had: "HYDROTREATED HEAVY PARAFFINIC DISTILLATE
(PE 64742-54-7 53.0- 63.0". It used to read "POLYALPHAOLEFIN
SYNTHETIC OIL".

FWIW, I asked Castrol the same question and got the same answer, i.e. PAO,
long after they'd confessed here:

Yes and the formal claim is that hydrocracked or hydrotreated petroleum
distillates *are* "synthetic" - the molecules have been sufficiently
massaged to qualify. As noted in the above URL, the National Advertising
Division of the BBB has supported Castrol in this claim.<shrug> As a
former petrochemical-chemist, I choose to disagree.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

I only recently starting paying close attention to the oil's
texture/shade since
my episode with the honda dealership. For the last 3 oil changes, the
Mobel-1's shade/texture
seems to be consistent (which is encouraging when compare to unreliable
result from
the past...)

Pars

 

Let's see:

SynPower MXL 0W-30: NO HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS PRESENT

SynPower 5W-30: PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON
CAS 64742-54-7 52.0-62.0% by weight

SynPowwer 5W-40: only mentions detergent dispersal package and zinc.

SynPower 10W-30: HYDROTREATED HEAVY PARAFFINIC DISTILLATE
CAS 64742-54-7 53.0-63.0% by weight

SynPower 20W-50: 1-DECENE HYDROGENATED HOMOPOLYMER
CAS 68037-01-4 65.0-75.0% by weight

It seems as if they use a variety of different base oils, although
you're correct that some of them seem to be ppetroleum based. The
20W-50 ingredient sounds suspiciously like a synthetic polymer.

Heck - even Amsoil is selling one (Series 7500) of them as a "synthetic"
oil.

 

Well if your paying 4-5 bucks a quart for oil I don't see how you can forget
to mention it.

CaptainKrunch

 

IOW all those which conform to latest API "energy conserving" standards are
petroleum modified basestocks. For the 20W-50, PAO is precisely what they
say: 1-decene hydrogenated polymer, IOW a real synthetic.

Compared with a real synthetic, there's big $$ of mark-up in it.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

I took a look at the ExxonMobil website for Mobil 1. I used the US
MSDS database, and they don't have any hazardous materials listed.
It sounds like unused synthetic oil isn't toxic per se, but wouldn't
it make one heck of a laxative? All the sheets say the following:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL NAMES AND SYNONYMS: SYN. HYDROCARBONS AND ADDITIVES

GLOBALLY REPORTABLE MSDS INGREDIENTS:

None.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

Substance Name Approx. Wt%
-------------- -----------
POLYALKYLENE SUCCINIC ACID, 1-5
POLYAMINE DERIVATIVE
(147880-09-9)

*******

The list is the same for all weights, including ones that aren't
available in the US (like 5W-50).

These are the datasheet ingredients for their Mobil 1 MX4T 10W-40
motorcycle oil:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL NAMES AND SYNONYMS: SYN. HYDROCARBONS AND ADDITIVES

GLOBALLY REPORTABLE MSDS INGREDIENTS:

Substance Name Approx. Wt%
-------------- -----------
PHOSPHORODITHIOIC ACID, 1-5
O,O-DI-C1-14-ALKYL ESTERS,
ZINC SALT (2:1) ZDDP
(68649-42-3)

 

Yeah AFAIK most of the oil companies, including Mobil, used to publish all
the ingredients in their MSDSs. It seems that they got some kinda
permission to stop listing the ingredients which were non-toxic in the
bottle, likely for competitive reasons... proprietary formula info I guess.
As for laxative, yes in some countries they still (I think) sell "Petroleum
Oil" as a laxative - highly purified of course and clear as water. I dunno
what it does to the liver and kidneys though.

Interesting. Motorcycles don't use catalytic converters of course.... yet,
so their oils can still use ZDDP.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

theyre standard on some if not all models in europe.

 

Hadn't heard that and I wonder about the cost/benefits but like I said in
another post, compared with the EC, the EPA are pussycats.

Hmmm, I wonder: where do they put the damned thing so it won't burn the
driver's or passenger's legs off?

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??