Hi guys I am getting ready to change my oil tomorrow, I have 11,500 miles on my truck and this will be my 5th oil change. Up untill tomorrow I have used only Mobil 1 full synthetic 5w30 with a motorcraft filter. I bought 5 qts. of Valvoline 5w30 conventional oil, because I am pretty sure you can't go wrong with Valvoline. My only question is switching from sythetic to conventional going to hurt my engine? I like to change my oil every 3,000 miles anyways just so I can give my truck a check up underneath, and under the hood.

 

about all that will happen is you may notice a slight drop in fuel economy, and performance. your engine might run a bit hotter, but you will likely not notice that. otherwise nothing bad will happen.

 

Rest easy. Your motor will run just has it has before. I doubt you will see a difference.

 

Depending on your mileage, it could cause some noise for the first 500-1000 miles. Switching brands will do that nearly every time. I've experienced it a time or two myself. I use only valvoline myself since owning my truck. Can't go wrong with it. Also why would you switch form using a synthetic to conventional? The better brand is a reason to switch names, but synthetic protects better. If you only plan on keeping it a year or two more I wouldnt put a 2nd thought to it and not worry. But if you plan on driving the wheels off of it I'd stick with the synthetic under any oil's name. It'll prolong your engine life in the long run.

 

I think it will do just fine. I can't understand why you would switch to a lesser oil though.

 

If the owners manual specifies synthetic then a conventional oil should not be used.

I checked the manual for the 06 Ranger, and it calls for a Synthetic Blend for all engine sizes. If you are going to back off the full synthetic, suggest you consider the blend in lieu of the conventional.

Are you changing the filter with each oil change. The general consensus here is to use the Motorcraft filters.

 

I had no idea that the factory was shipping trucks loaded with synthetic. I have been of the mind that dino oil was supposed to be used for the breakin period to allow for proper 'wear in' (pistons, rings, timing chain, etc). After which, synthetics were the bomb for long term wear protection and reduced operating thermal build up(better mpgs as a side effect). It always seemed a reasonable philosophy to me since in the old school method of proper cylinder honning and crosshatching was to promote proper sealing of the rings. Correct me if this ideology has changed and why.

Fred

 

I'm a firm believer in mobil 1 myself and use it religously. If I were going to switch back to dino, I would go with motorcraft, which is a synthetic blend. That should be what you do since your manual calls for a synthetic blend. That way they wouldn't be able to get out of honoring warrenty work. I would go with motorcraft or some other synthetic blend for this reason.

 

Just re-read your post 06Sonic. Are you planning to do your own oil change? I thought the warranty didn't allow for do-it-yourself oil changes since they are untraceable.

Just a thought

Fred

 

I was told by my dealer, that if I did my own oil changes, to mark it in the service booklet and keep the reciepts as well, so thats what I do. I haven't had an issue come up to put it to the test and hope I never do. On the focus, my sales lady who I've delt with for years included life time oil changes in the contract for a additional 80 bucks I think it was. That sorta burnt my shorts, cause I like doing my own oil changes and I also use mobil 1 synthetic. I let them do 1 oil change to get something for my money, but from here on out it will be mobil 1. I told her not to do it again without asking me, but she's really nice and she's getting old, so I didn't make a big issue out of it. I've been buying cars from her since 86, she's the mother in law of the guy who owns the dealership. She thought I had the dealer do my oil changes, she's 74 and her memory isn't what it once was.

 

Personally, I would not switch from a synthetic oil to a conventional oil. However, I doubt you will do any damage if you do. Engines have been running on conventional oil ever since they were invented. I prefer Mobil 1, however I also like Valvoline.

 

Someone told me before I switched my truck over to syn. oil to make sure I was willing to always use it, and wouldn't want to switch back later.


I was told the reason was because some full syn. oil is designed to break down conventional oil so you don't need to flush the engine when doing the change to synthetic. I do remember being told back when syn. oil was hitting the market years ago that they recommended the engine being flushed so to get most all the dino oil out because they were not compatable.

Therefore, if you do a oil change and put dino oil back in the syn. that is left in your engine will break some of it down.

Maybe the person telling me was wrong, had old information, or it depends on the type of syn. oil you use. (I use Royal Purple) Anyway, it may be a good idea to check into it.

 

Well I decided to use what I have used for years and that is Mobil 1. The main reason for me wanting to go to conventional is the cost of Mobil. It is true that when synthetic oil first came out conventional and synthetic were not compatible, it has since changed in the last few years. I KNOW that conventional would not have heart my engine one bit, as a matter of fact it would probably run the exact same way, but I love my truck too much to change.

 

No, you wouldn't notice any difference in the way it runs with the dino oil, not until you hit 250,000 miles, when you're compression and oil pressure are what they were when new and maybe the fact that you've never had to change a timing chain, oil pump etc, and your valve train still isn't ticking.
It's a tail end or long term benefit. Check the change frequency with the synthetics vs dino. My mechanic out east would change the filter evey 2500 and oil and filter ever 5000.

 

Even with mobil 1, I change the oil every 5,000 miles even though I wouldn't have to. My son uses mobil 1 and changes his oil every 7,500 miles. I never changed my oil at 3,000 miles. I had read an atricle several years ago in popular mechanics that said changing oil at 3,000 miles was just throwing away good oil. Some mobil 1 with space aged polomeres or whatever can go 15,000 miles, but I know the filter wouldn't last that long. I use to use fram filters untill I heard alot ogf bad things about them, then switched to k&n untill I talked to a tech who told me that motorcraft is one of the best filters on the market for the money. I now use motorcraft filters in everything, even my jeep. So thats where I'm at, mobil 1 oil and motorcraft filters. I used havoline before switching to mobil 1, thats a good dino oil.