Full Synthetic Oil

[kjpilot]

Some oils advertised as synthetic are blends for sure, the truth may be in fine print. But full synthetic oil is just that. It was invented by the Germans in WWII. It kept ******'s tanks rolling long after they normally would. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_oil

Negative, It's not just the blends. Most oils in the US labeled as synthetic are based on organic oil. Mobil 1, Amsoil (except their XL line) & Redline are true synthetics. Most of the others are just a highly refined version of the dino stuff.

Mobil took Castrol to court over the issue. The court determined that since Castrol Syntec was of nearly as high of quality as a true synthetic, then labeling it as a synthetic was fine with them. Of course nearly all other companies followed suit.

That doesn't fly in Europe, so if you buy synthetic there you get synthetic.

The history is basically right, but is off topic. FWIW, that is why ****** moved into North Africa almost immediately. Making the synthetics was very expensive & they couldn't make enough for a prolonged war. He also tried to use his hatred of the jews to appeal to the oil rich Arab countries to form strategic alliances to get at the crude.

There is an excellent book called "The Prize" by Daniel Yergin that outlines the history of oil essentially from the beginning of human existence to mid 1990's. Naturally the important stuff (& the main portion of the book) starts in the mid 1800 when they discovered that the muck bubbling from the ground was actually useful as a fuel.

The process was invented long before WWII, but in Germany.

 

[tjkj2002]

Negative, It's not just the blends. Most oils in the US labeled as synthetic are based on petroleum. Mobil 1, Amsoil (except their XL line) & Redline are true synthetics. Most of the others are just a highly refined version of the dino stuff.

Mobil took Castrol to court over the issue. The court determined that since Castrol Syntec was of nearly as high of quality as a true synthetic, then labeling it as a synthetic was fine with them. Of course nearly all other companies followed suit.

That doesn't fly in Europe, so if you buy synthetic there you get synthetic.

Actually the regular Mobil1 is dino based,the Mobil1 extended performance is a true syn oil base,that's why I now only use the Mobil1 extended performace oil.The GOV classified a certian "base level" as syn even though they are dino based,and the regular Mobil1 clears that,as does Castrol and Redline.All Amsoil's are a true syn base,even there XL line,they started out making only true syn.

 

[kjpilot]

Actually the regular Mobil1 is dino based,the Mobil1 extended performance is a true syn oil base,that's why I now only use the Mobil1 extended performace oil.The GOV classified a certian "base level" as syn even though they are dino based,and the regular Mobil1 clears that,as does Castrol and Redline.All Amsoil's are a true syn base,even there XL line,they started out making only true syn.

Did not know that about the standard Mobil 1, good to know. The XL line is the same level as Castrol. Amsoil dosen't claim it to be 100% synthetic like they do for their other lines Read the descriptions, & notice that they claim the XL is synthetic, but the other is 100% synthetic. I've also read a correspondence from the cheif engineer at Amsoil stating that as fact as well.

I may be wrong about the Redline, but I read that it was a synthetic derivative of vegatable oil. Can't remember where though.

 

[moparman]

I stand corrected about the blends and I appreciate the info about the Mobil/Castrol thing. I also had realized that statistically more oil comes from North America. It might just be a choice of words, but in my mind, if "most" of our oil comes from North America, I would think that the percentage would be higher than the 52% in 2007. And Saudi Arabia is still no. 2 on the list.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Actually the regular Mobil1 is dino based,the Mobil1 extended performance is a true syn oil base,that's why I now only use the Mobil1 extended performace oil.The GOV classified a certian "base level" as syn even though they are dino based,and the regular Mobil1 clears that,as does Castrol and Redline.All Amsoil's are a true syn base,even there XL line,they started out making only true syn.

Do you know anything about the Valvoline tjkj? I know when I use it its hard to see it on the dip-stick b/c its so clear. Its $5.xx per quart but here lately theyve started selling it in 5quart jugs for $18 at walmart. Im wondering if it was full syn in the single quarts then they went to dino base in the 5 quart jugs to get the price down.

I know I could tell right when mobil went to dino based in the regular syn oil. When I first got my Jeep 4 years ago the mobil was just as clear as the valvoline but now its fairly dark when it goes in. Maybe Im just assuming stuff wrong though.

 

[kjpilot]

I stand corrected about the blends and I appreciate the info about the Mobil/Castrol thing. I also had realized that statistically more oil comes from North America. It might just be a choice of words, but in my mind, if "most" of our oil comes from North America, I would think that the percentage would be higher than the 52% in 2007. And Saudi Arabia is still no. 2 on the list.

About 62% of total world production comes from the mid-east. while only 5% is from North America, & 9% from South America. So in the global market you are correct that most of the oil comes from states that we in the Western World should consider dangerous. We use mostly NA produced oil because it is cheaper to ship from Alaska, Canada & Mexico via pipeline than from the mid east via tanker.

I'd certainly rather give my money to some other entity than Mid-East despots. However, if oil truly is a limited resource, we can drain them dry, & they can go back to sand farming in about 100 years. Oil is pretty much all they have.

It burns my butt knowing that we have centuries worth of oil within 200 miles of the US boarder & we are prevented from getting at it. But if the rest of the world starts to dry up, we will have plenty of our own to get when we wise up!

 

[indieaz]

I run mobil 1 full syn with a mobil 1 xtended range filter - change every 5,000 miles.

 

[DrJ]

Do it yourself?

Go to your local Firestone, or discount tire dealer and get a synthetic-blend oil and filter change for $15-20. Why do it yourself for more $$$$.?

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Go to your local Firestone, or discount tire dealer and get a synthetic-blend oil and filter change for $15-20. Why do it yourself for more $$$$.?

You just have to ask yourself if the oil jockey performing the "Oil change" you so willingly are paying your $15-20 for will actually remove the drain plug from the oil pan or is he more than likely going to slide a length of vinyl tubing down the dip stick tube and merely suck most of the dirty oil up from the sump, leaving all that yummy sludge behind ready for next time to clog an oil passage or foul the oil pump itself!

A few more reasons to pay more and do it myself: Just what does Firestone or a discount tire outfit know about engine oil, let alone an oil change? Or how about a "Full transmision service"???

ABC News' 20/20 and NBC Date Line both did hour long shows on fly by night discount oil/ tire "Business' (Read: Nation wide Franchise business' like Jiffy Lube,etc.)

Thanks but I'll spend more and do it myself. At least then I know it's done correct.

 

[JeepJeepster]

They use junk filters, probably have high school kids do it, and syn blend is kinda pointless.

Do you go to the bathroom and half use it?

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Yeah, those oil filters those fly by night outfits use aren't even as good as a roll of toilet paper!

I forgot to add that Wal-Mart scored higher in those undercover tests that the networks performed at those dives! They actually drained the oil!

 

[DrJ]

If you are worried about how/what they do when they change your oil; or what kind of quality products they use all you have to do is watch them. If you are not happy with what they are doing, don't patronize them...just because you are letting them change your oil doesn't mean that you are surrendering your brain to them. Heck, my dealer will change the oil for $20 and they are protecting the warranty. And, if you are concerned about dino vs. syn-blend vs. full synthetic - if you are changing oil every 3000 miles it matters little.