Technical oil questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Boz Mon
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Boz Mon

Boz Mon

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I hate to make another thread about oil but since I switched to synthetic oil in the Prelude, it has been using it like no other and I want to switch back to dino oil but I have always been told that once you switch to synthetic, you cant go back. How true is this? I dont see what could go wrong. Anyone got any input? A website with facts would help me greatly.
 
The H series Honda engines are known for using oil. The average is around 1qt per 1k miles, which is where mine is at after the synthetic switch. Before I switched, it was using a little more than a quart per 3k miles. It isnt leaking anywhere.
 
There's absoultely no reason I know that you can't go back to regular oil.
 
I was looking over the mobil site as well as the valvoline site posted by retsmah, and they both say very little about switching back and forth but the little that they do say is that it is ok. Does anyone have any more feedback? I just want to be 100% sure about this before I do it.
 
I think it is more of a misconception than anything, as the only thing I know about the two is that you're supposed to break an engine in using the dino-stuff... Something about how synthetics are too slippery and don't cause enough wear to sufficiently break an engine in...

I dunno. At least for me, I would think that running synthetics would be a no-brainier in a Prelude, but then again, I thought my car (Jetta) was on synthetics, but it was indeed running on your basic 5W-30 dino-oil.
 
Boz, have you considered a semi-synthetic blend? You may find a happy medium there.
AFAIK, on a higher mileage engine the best way to switch back and forth between conventional and synthetic oil is to use semi-syn as a transitional. I guess it has something to do with less leakage/burning of oil through a more gradual change.
 
YSSMAN
I think it is more of a misconception than anything, as the only thing I know about the two is that you're supposed to break an engine in using the dino-stuff... Something about how synthetics are too slippery and don't cause enough wear to sufficiently break an engine in...
Click to expand...
That's hoo-hah also. My wife's TSX came from the factory with synthetic oil in the case, let alone all the high-end sports cars that do too. Now, they did recommend leaving the original oil in it for 1 year or 15,000 miles.
 
Slicks
Boz, have you considered a semi-synthetic blend? You may find a happy medium there.
AFAIK, on a higher mileage engine the best way to switch back and forth between conventional and synthetic oil is to use semi-syn as a transitional. I guess it has something to do with less leakage/burning of oil through a more gradual change.
Click to expand...

I dont think that is what I am looking for. I was reading a link that someone posted awhile back (which I cant seem to find now) and it said that synthetic blends were a waste of money. I might email Mobil, and Valvoline to see what they have to say about this situation.
 
Boz Mon
...I have always been told that once you switch to synthetic, you cant go back.
Click to expand...

I think this was probably meant in the same way as the one about the internet - Once you switch to using broadband, you can never go back to dialup. It's more a state of mind than anything else.

However, I am not a motor mechanic nor a molecular scientist, so I could be wrong.
 
I've heard a great deal about switching and it always comes back to one guy saying you can't go back and the other saying "I already have and nothing happend."

Chances are good that you can and there will be no major consequence. 👍
(except you might save a little money :sly: )
 
I emailed Valvoline and they said that you can switch back and forth as many times as you want with no consequences.
 

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