Recycled oil

JaxDad wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Can someone respond and post a link to an unbiased report about any purported benefit of using synthetic motor oil?

I can probably dig up such a study, but there aren't many because to those in the industry it would be like having to get a study done about why a steak from grass-fed beef is better than ground beef from Costco.

The bottom line is that because conventional oil has several important short-comings that synthetic doesn't, namely;

The presence of waxes, which can lead to poor lubrication at low temperature.

Poor oxidation stability at continuously high temperatures, which can lead to sludge and acid buildup.

The dependence of viscosity on temperature, which can cause the base oil to thin excessively at high temperature.

A natural high temperature application limit of about 320°C (608°F), above which the base oil decomposes and begins to coke (turns to a sooty substance).

Now granted, in the case of most m/h's most of that isn't an issue, but in the case of say an F-150 with an EcoBoost engine as a TV it could be almost critical.

In the case of many vehicles, several of mine included, the synthetics really isn't any more money than conventional would be. It costs me ~$150 for an oil change, including 9 litres (9.5 quarts) of oil and a very high quality filter. However, that's only needs doing every 15,000 km (9,000 miles) or so. The vehicles computer monitors driving style and conditions as well as monitoring the oil itself and determines when it's time for an oil change. So if I pay about 3 x the price, and go about 3x the distance, I'm paying roughly the same.

The computer in your vehicle has now way to sample the oil itself. Your comment about it monitoring the oil is not true. It can only monitor how the oil has been used in the engine referring to staring and driving cycles, engine temps during those cycles etc. It will then provide information as to when to change the oil based on that info.

B.O.