Synthetic engine oil- 4 months v.s. 3 months.?

Question

I am getting a brand new car and will be using mobil 1 synthetic oil. I live in Canada, and the winters are pretty cold so i would prefer to use synthetic oil. I heard that synthetic it will last longer than conventional oil in terms of mileage, but can i use it for 4 months instead of 3 months if i am still under the 6000 miles? The reason for this is because i use 4500miles in 4months and 3500miles in 3months. It seems to early to change it at 3 months since synthetic has a lifetime of 6000miles.

Answer 1

I looked into the syntetic oil when it came out years ago. I tried it for several years in a couple different vehicles and the one with high mileage used more oil which I found interesting however it got dirty about the same time as conventional oil when I could no longer see the dipstick markings through my oil its time for a change. I read some of the literature and about the only significant difference I could tell was the molecules of the synthetic are smaller which allows more oil to stick to parts in theory. At the end of three years about the only thing I could say for sure was it cost more money for synthetic. Beyond that I could not tell the difference and eventually went back to conventional oil .

If you do not follow the recommended oil change intervals for your vehicle you will have a major problem when it comes time for any warranty service. I would make sure and use the oil the manufacturer recommends at least for the warranty period so as not to throw a wrench in the works should a problem arise at a later date. My daughter used to work for a dealer with multiple manufacturers and one of the waranty busting tactics when vehicle problems arose near the end of a warranty period was to go through the records and check the mileage on the oil change. If the interval was 3000 miles it was better to bring it in at 2999 than 3020 . Manufacturers expect people to be too busy to do routine maintenance so they can void warranties and some would look for any excuse . so cover your butt if you are still under warranty and follow the recommendations.

Answer 2

I've used Mobil One on all my vehicles since 1975. However, on a new vehicle, I would not deviate from exactly what the car manufacturer's owner's manual specifies until the powertrain warranty expires. In fact, I recommend having the engine filter and oil changed by your car dealer for at least the first year to make positively sure the warranty will be honored if the engine or transmission fails. It can happen! It happened on my daughter's new car. Ford routinely installs a new Motorcraft oil filter and Motorcraft synthetic blend motor oil in ALL their oil changes for about $25!

Answer 3

Depending on what make of vehicle you are buying will depend on the mileage intervals and oil type. Check your owners manual for specifics. It will list different driving types, such as normal or severe conditions. You would probably fall under a severe seeing as your temps go so low. BMW's, Mercedes, and Volvo's get their oil changed every 15,000 miles and they are full synthetic, most domestic vehicles are using synthetic blends and the intervals are anywhere between 5-7500 miles.

Answer 4

Yes, can change at 4 months. Synthetic oil can last for a year without degrading too much.