Conventional oil

[gnomade]

I let a friend drive my 2017 explorer xlt and they did an oil change by using a conventional oil Castrol Ultraclean to save money, it has been few days now, and I just noticed it on the receipt, should I take it back and do another oil change using synthetic oil ? I am currently in Texas and it is mild temperature mid 50s..No snow.

 

[Barry Trobaugh]

Run it for a few thousand miles, maybe 1/2 your normal schedule and then change back to synthetic.

 

[gnomade]

Run it for a few thousand miles, maybe 1/2 your normal schedule and then change back to synthetic.

Thanks!

 

[bigdude2468]

Don't worry about it. No "proof" that synthetic motor oil will make your engine last longer. All of the oils are SN+, plenty of people use Pennzoil yellow bottle conventional with good results. Run it for five thousand miles and then change it.

 

[Mbrooks420]

All conventional oils are surely not SN+. There’s a mountain of proof that synthetics reduce friction and cold start wear.

Is a single conventional oil change going to be a problem. No. Would I run it 5k? Not a chance.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Ultraclean is a synthetic blend anyways. (Which in itself means nothing. It could be 1% synthetic and be a “blend”)

 

[sshooterz]

Run it 3K then change it. It’s oil, you’ll be fine.

 

[bigdude2468]

All conventional oils are surely not SN+. There’s a mountain of proof that synthetics reduce friction and cold start wear.

Is a single conventional oil change going to be a problem. No. Would I run it 5k? Not a chance.

Castrol is SN+ and meets Ford specific requirements. No proof that your engine will last longer on synthethic. I only know of one long term test of motor oils which was done by Consumer Reports. Their analysis was run a good quality oil to the oil change interval recommended in your owners manual. Changing earlier than the recommended did not result in longer engine life and in fact they saw no additional wear in engines using conventional versus synthethic. I use synthethic and Wix XP filters. On sale synthethic oil or Kirkland which is made by Warren is just a few $ more. Cheap insurance and it makes me feel better. I would have no problem going 5000 miles. BTW, Ford dealers use a semi made by Conoco Phillips.

 

[Mbrooks420]

So you truly believe synthetic is no better, yet you run it...... Logical.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Castrol is SN+ and meets Ford specific requirements. No proof that your engine will last longer on synthethic. I only know of one long term test of motor oils which was done by Consumer Reports. Their analysis was run a good quality oil to the oil change interval recommended in your owners manual. Changing earlier than the recommended did not result in longer engine life and in fact they saw no additional wear in engines using conventional versus synthethic. I use synthethic and Wix XP filters. On sale synthethic oil or Kirkland which is made by Warren is just a few $ more. Cheap insurance and it makes me feel better. I would have no problem going 5000 miles. BTW, Ford dealers use a semi made by Conoco Phillips.

That consumer reports study you mention is way old. Lots have been done since then.

Note, they've changed their tune.

 

[Ken2012limited]

That consumer reports study you mention is way old. Lots have been done since then. View attachment 326754
Note, they've changed their tune.

View attachment 326755

I run full synthetic now since at Walmart its only couple bucks more for 5 qts. I have ran a dozen cars old late 90s and as new as 2014 with conventional at 5k mile intervals and 0 oil related issues. we run them to over 200k each before trading and never a problem. These are mostly me, wife and kids and mostly around town. Nothing wrong with conventional. Ford spec is a syn blend anyways.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I didn’t say there was anything wrong with conventional oil. It’s just not better than a synthetic.

 

[J_C]

Castrol Ultraclean is a semi-synthetic SN rated, meeting the same Ford specs per viscosity. There is no reason to change your oil change interval. 5K should be fine unless it's a severe duty application, same as if you'd used the manual's prescribed Motorcraft semi-syn.

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Full synthetic oil is better, but mostly at the extremes of operation. Clearly the lower extreme, didn't worry Ford much or else they would've spec'd 0W-20 but even for Canada they spec the 5W-30, so your main benefit is going to be if driving a 4 cyl ecoboost like you stole it, in a hot climate, and then your OCI changes to 3K mi if not lower, with synthetic oil.

 

[imp]

Run it for a few thousand miles, maybe 1/2 your normal schedule and then change back to synthetic.

Reason for doing this? How does 1/2 normal schedule change anything from full schedule?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Reason for doing this? How does 1/2 normal schedule change anything from full schedule?

Conventional oil doesn’t last as long. At a short interval the conventional will be just fine. I wouldn’t run any blend to 5k.

 

[imp]

Conventional oil doesn’t last as long. At a short interval the conventional will be just fine. I wouldn’t run any blend to 5k.

I have been using Shell Rotella T-3 15W-40, non-synthetic in my '04 Explorer for about 60,000 miles now, have 170,000, uses none between changes (4000 miles = 1/2 qt). This is a diesel-rated lubricant for which I had to convince some here that it would not "wreck" my engine, 4.0L SOHC, original everything in it.

 

[JAPeterson]

Conventional oil doesn’t last as long. At a short interval the conventional will be just fine. I wouldn’t run any blend to 5k.

The only way to tell this is to have your oil analyzed and see if it is breaking down and how the additives are in it.

I have ran conventional oil in a diesel up to 7000 miles between changes and according to the analysis I could go further. Now if a diesel can do it a gas engine could.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’ve gone over 20k on synthetic. I’m certain it would have tested better than a conventional in the same conditions.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I have been using Shell Rotella T-3 15W-40, non-synthetic in my '04 Explorer for about 60,000 miles now, have 170,000, uses none between changes (4000 miles = 1/2 qt). This is a diesel-rated lubricant for which I had to convince some here that it would not "wreck" my engine, 4.0L SOHC, original everything in it.

Rotella is solid. It’s all I run in my bikes transmissions. 15w is fine as long as your climate is warm.

 

[donalds]

Rotella is solid. It’s all I run in my bikes transmissions. 15w is fine as long as your climate is warm.

I also use the rotella on all small engines I redo cheap and has more stuff for metal on metal ......rockers ect...