Know everyone dislikes oil threads but think this might be useful. For about the last two years have been using extended oil that is supposed to be good for fifteen thousand miles. Have gone to about twelve thousand miles and sent it in to be checked, it came back all good and still a little life in it, probably another thousand miles. The things I have noticed when it gets past ten thousand miles are if oil is low the filler cap is very hard to get off because of the heat and when changing the filter it is super hot and I say this again it always comes back the oil still has active ingredient left and is performing within acceptable levels. Well anyway had my car serviced today and the oil pan gasket is starting to weep, the oil is starting to go though the gasket. When the oil has over ten thousand miles and it does not dissipate heat as well and even though this is within an acceptable level can it have adverse effects on anything? Granted car has two hundred seventeen thousand miles and and oil pan gasket is something that might have to be replaced but wanted to ask this. What do you think , the oil analysis is as far as I know a reputable place but it got me thinking and wanted to ask what the pros think. The car runs great but can the heat the oil holds adversely effect anything even though the oil is performing within an acceptable level?

 

Hi there,

Exactly what oil are you using? How often have you been changing the filter?

Roy

 

Hi, Mobil 1 Extended performance oil and filter both are supposed to be good for fifteen thousand miles and the filter is changed when the oil is changed.

 

Come on, somebody has to have an opinion.

 

As I understand it, engine oil does two important things to protect against wear and engine failure...First is for lubrication, and second is to dissipate heat from the lubed surfaces. Heat is the issue here and I would be concerned of the oil weeping out the gaskets as another serious problem developing. How long have you been using this type of synthetic oil ? Also, what year Accord and what engine in this car ?? At 217K miles, I would reconsider changing the oil at earlier intervals to prolong the life of the engine. Mobil 1 is great synthetic oil, but may not be suitable to the needs of a high mile engine and extended mile usage between oil changes.

 

Thanks for the reply, it's a 95 with 2.2 four cylinder Vtec, have been using Mobil 1 ever since the car was bought at one hundred twenty thousand miles. Started to change oil at longer intervals at about thirty five thousand miles ago. Before it would be changed at about seven thousand miles. Yes, think all that heat and the oil pan gasket weeping is saying something. From now on think seven to ten thousand miles will be the interval. It's just, get the oil analysis back and it says it's still good, who do you believe you know?

 

Think of the oil as the life blood of your engine...My 1993 has 227K on it...I drive it with care and change the oil every 3000 miles (Non-Synthetic Castrol 5W-30) I guess my point is to use added caution with an older, well seasoned car. I have also read that synthetic oils can almost be too slippery and not cling to surfaces which they are meant to protect...This could explain some of the heat issues you are experiencing. I am not an expert, just offering my .02 worth on the subject.

 

Is the increased engine temperature reflected on the water temperature gauge?

I have read any number of posts by people running synthetic oil longer than the car manufacturer specifies (for dino oil, anyway) and have never read of increased temperature. I would be tempted to keep track of head temperature with an IR thermometer and if I was getting a considerable increase I'd do something different (change the oil more frequently or switch to some other oil). Extra heat can't be good.

I have heard reports of oil leaks being worse with synthetic.

For what its worth, the only data-based study of synthetic oil I have read was done many years ago by the Consumer's Reports people. Their methods seemed really solid to me. They ran a bunch of taxis 70k miles and measured engine wear before and after. They concluded synthetic oil was a waste of money. The suggested: use dino and change it when the car manufacturer suggests. That is what I have done for a really long time with many high-mileage cars and trucks.

 

Coolant temperature reads the same as always. Thought about that also but it always showed the same and went with the oil report it was always within an acceptable level. Wish all cars had an oil temperature gauge. Think what is going to be done is when it gets to seven thousand miles at every gas fill along with checking oil level check the oil fill cap because it's the first thing that was noticed, when the oil starts getting to hot it's very difficult to get the cap off. Hey it was tried and hopefully it will just effect the oil pan gasket, that's where the majority of the oil is. Who knows really it has two hundred seventeen thousand miles and an oil pan gasket is highly possible with that many miles on it. Maybe the heat is an acceptable level but will look into further if possible.

 

Thanks everyone.