Synthetic Oil back to Regular Oil

RalphVa · Oct 25, 2007

My bowling partner asked me the same thing. Someone put dino oil in his car at the 1st oil change. Someone told him he couldn't switch back. A load of bull. He's already switched back to synthetic. Told him it'll take 2 or 3 synthetic changes before he completely flushes the dino out, but this is no problem unless he really wants to go in excess of about 10k miles on each change. I recommended that he just change once/year.

Ralph

kenmac · Oct 25, 2007

john_bud said:
Sounds like a marketing ploy used by people that sell synthetic oils. Then again, I'm not real trusting of marketing ....

jb

I haven't seen( not saying there's not 1) a synthetic oil / company that says that

johnk · Oct 25, 2007

I'm glad I'm not the only one who heard you couldn't go back. I just never heard the facts or the reasoning. Glad I'm getting older in this fast paced, ripoff world..

DMW · Oct 25, 2007

Back in the 90's I took a lubrication course, syn or dino didn't matter as long as it met manufactirer's specs. The only caveat given at that time was to stay with the same brand as the additive packages would be compatible. All the majors shouldn't be a problem, but at that time mixing off-brand oils could cause problems, as the additive packages might have an adverse reaction with each other.

Dennis

kenmac · Oct 27, 2007

johnk said:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who heard you couldn't go back. I just never heard the facts or the reasoning. Glad I'm getting older in this fast paced, ripoff world..

That saying has surfaced many times in the past
and has been around this site and discussed as well

MikePA · Oct 28, 2007

johnk said:
Glad I'm getting older in this fast paced, ripoff world..

IXLR8 · Nov 4, 2007

Actually this is FACT, or it was. As was elluded to by others, the early synthetics were of a different base than what is being used today, for the most part. The early synthetics would cause the seals to swell, they would then 'wear in' to their swollen size. If you went back to dino oil, the seals often returned to their original size and leaked. BTDT. The newer synthetic oils, post ~1980, don't have this issue and it is no longer a worry. Today even the oil bases that caused the swelling have additives to prevent it. Switch back and forth all you want... just use a quality oil.

Jim