switching to synthetic
 

are there any special steps/precautions i need to take when switching to synthetic oil?

not that i know of... i use it, its great

yeah just make sure that you add enough oil ;)

you might wanna try pouring a quart through with the drain plug removed and let that totally drain then replace the plug and add the oil.

oh no, hondaman! i was only planning on using 1/2 a quart. you think this will last 3000 miles? i mean it's synthetic so a little goes a long way, right? lol. :D

I'd be cautious if you have a high mileage engine (>100k), but since you have a 99, you'll probably be fine.

At least drain the old oil before adding new. Oh, and replace the oil filter. I can't stress enough to remember to put the drain plug back in securely. :rolleyes:

Other than that, I wouldn't recommend taking the "synthetic lasts longer so I'll just wait longer to get my oil changed" approach....not saying that you would, just saying you shouldn't. I still follow the same schedule as a natural oil would use, I just run Mobil 1 instead. Good stuff, costs a load.

b

what's the deal with the high mileage engine ? will it burn oil ? it will do that first 2 oilchanges. after that won't burn at all. i tried it on a 180k+ engine

that is an excellent practice..

About the filter, you really should replace it every time you change the oil!

Synthetic is more viscous, meaning it will flow into cracks, etc. easier. If you have any minute leaks, you'll know it when you switch. I run reg oil on mine (~100k), but I do know of people who run syn. on higher mileage engines. Just have to be careful.

i had syntetic in my accord for a while but the price was too big for my pocket. i use mobil 1 syntetic blend right now and i'm happy with it. it does not burn one ounce of it, but i get a lot of it on my plugs because of 2 broken gaskets. they are due tommorow for a change

I might give a synthetic blend a chance then next time I change my oil.

yeah, i actually change my oil more frequently than the recommended schedule - usually around 2800-3000 miles (which is about once every other month). maybe with synthetic i'll follow the schedule a little more closely since it costs more.

my friend stopped at his local performance shop yesterday and asked about synthetic for his civvy. they said it's a bad idea to run synthetic in the winter b/c it doesn't lube your gaskets as well and they crack from the temp changes. is this a valid point or is it b.s.?

Wow, you change frequently. I do about every 2-3k or so, but I follow the 3 month schedule....obviously I don't get lots of miles on my baby.

Not sure about the temperature deal. Usually you may want to change weights for different months of the year, but I've never heard of gasket lube problems. Just cuz I've never heard, though, doesn't mean it's not true.

b

I run Valvoline high mileage formulated oil. It's a synthetic blend and works great. It's formulated to seal rings, old gaskets etc...

hey check out syntheitc warehouse. i'm going to be getting my oil from them and wont have to worry about changing the oil for 25k mile and the filter at 12,5k miles. go check it out and see if they have appilications for your vehicles. prices look kinda high but i have heard nothing but good things about these guys.

no matter how good the oil is i wouldn't keep it in the engine more than 5k miles. plus you get a lot of metal shavings from the engine, gaskets are breaking and you don't want all that crap running thru.

haha, 25k.
...and i though the 7500 miles that honda recommends was a bit absurd. :rolleyes:

PLEASE don't leave oil in your car for 25k miles. I don't care how good it is, there are many reasons that this is a bad idea.

if you get the oil analysed before you change it you will be able to know how much longer your oil can last. they wont advertise 25k miles if it hasnt been proven.

i have seen mobil's synthetic oil been good for 15k miles. it was analysed every 3000 miles and the filter was changed only oil added was to replace the oil lost while changing the filter. this was tested by members on another forum using a daily driven 98 ford explorer with a 4.0 ohv or sohc (i cant remember which motor) and the oil was still good when he decided to change it.

i was just letting you guys know of another place to buy the synthetic oil from not telling you when to change it.