is it ok to use regular oil???

[Keeper1343]

As some of you may know... my car sprung a oil leak really bad behind the block somewhere... I think its either the sandwich, lines leading to the sandwich, or the o ring. I want to put oil in it and start it up and find where its coming from. Problem is that i use full synthetic oil. Its 25$ for 5 quarts of it and don't want to waste 25$ to find out where its coming from. Can i just use regular oil to find the leak??? or will it mess up something??? Ive been told never to mix them

[russiankid]

Why not just drain the synthetic, get some cheap dino oil and use that to find the leak?

[SvicksTc]

So is there some Full Synthetic in the car now, or is it drained? I wouldnt mix the two if one is already in there, but i cant see it being a huge problem if you drained out whats in there used the Regular, then drained that for all new full synthetic....

Not a huge oil guru, but i mean cars can switch from regular to synthetic so as long as its drained out i dont see it being a problem....

[Keeper1343]

yea... im just not sure ya know.... Ive just been told not to go back to regular once its been full synthetic

[russiankid]

Thats BS in my opinion. The amount of oil left after its drained is so minimal that it won't cause any damage. I've seen many cases where people switch back without problems. Plus, you're going to use it just to source an oil leak.

[Vr-4-Life]

theres probably not much oil left in there. just buy 5w30 from walmart... its like 1.60 per QT.. fill it up with 4 quarts and lets start it up.

[SpendOne]

Do you have full synthetic or tri-synthetic?? Brand?? I asked b/c alot of people seem to have these confused.

[SovXietday]

You're not going to hurt the engine by turning it on with two different kinds of oil in it. Just don't go out and race it around with it like that.

[Keeper1343]

Do you have full synthetic or tri-synthetic?? Brand?? I asked b/c alot of people seem to have these confused.

I always run mobile 1 full synthetic.

[lagos]

yea... im just not sure ya know.... Ive just been told not to go back to regular once its been full synthetic

Congratulations, you've fallen victim to marketing.

[SpendOne]

I always run mobile 1 full synthetic.

Mobile 1 is tri.

[Keeper1343]

Congratulations, you've fallen victim to marketing.

ummmm ok.


Spend One - What is Tri-Synthetic?

[OutToWinPAHC]

Its a honda, you could put Kerosene in the crank case and it would run fine. Use conventional it will be fine, it would just break down to high heat where synthetic wont. Other then that the are speced to the same lubrication properties. There is no reason why you cant switch.

[Keeper1343]

Well i used mobile 1 cause i used to run the car hard. So I figured it would be better.

[Xavier]

You won't have any problems mixing them.

But I think your problem is there is a sandwich in your engine bay. Food products aren't meant to run a car.

[Keeper1343]

Hahaha...

[rich33389]

It says on the back of the bottle of Mobil 1 that it can be mixed with any other oil.

[russiankid]

^^You shouldn't mix synthetic with dino.

[frosti108]

^^You shouldn't mix synthetic with dino.

why not?





i dont see a problem running regular oil with the synth especially if its only to find a leak.

like previously mentioned, i wouldnt go around running it hard with both oils mixed in there... use reg oil, find the leak, then change it all out for 1 kind of oil

[SpendOne]

You can mix the tri-synthetic. It is fine. Just do it.

[ho1ywars]

not mixing synthetic oil is a marketing sceme to make more money. what do you think synthetic blend oil is?

[russiankid]

Fully synthetic oil and regular oil are derived from the same thing, crude oil. However, after being refined, regular oil does not have consistent weight and size of molecules where as fully synthetic does. Thus, synthetic oil has a better base oil because it has consistent weight and size of molecules, which allows it to be more stable and different additives are used which are better than what is put into regular oil.


Now you see why you cannot mix them?

[DPancoast]

theoretically, your leak might go away or be less if you use regular oil. Synthetic only makes leaks worse.

[russiankid]

theoretically, your leak might go away or be less if you use regular oil. Synthetic only makes leaks worse.

Because it doesn't contain as much wax that likes to build up where a leak is.

[240sxDann]

jeez Mr. Oil Guru!

[russiankid]

jeez Mr. Oil Guru!

:mrgreen:

I read. :lol: Or at least I did when I got into cars.

[Xavier]

Fully synthetic oil and regular oil are derived from the same thing, crude oil. However, after being refined, regular oil does not have consistent weight and size of molecules where as fully synthetic does. Thus, synthetic oil has a better base oil because it has consistent weight and size of molecules, which allows it to be more stable and different additives are used which are better than what is put into regular oil.


Now you see why you cannot mix them?I fail to see why you cannot mix them. Because the molecules are a different size? Either way, he is using it temporarily, no big deal.

For what its worth, you could mix some 0-40 with 15-30 and make a custom blend. Oil is oil is oil is oil.

[russiankid]

I fail to see why you cannot mix them. Because the molecules are a different size? Either way, he is using it temporarily, no big deal.

For what its worth, you could mix some 0-40 with 15-30 and make a custom blend. Oil is oil is oil is oil.

You can mix them for short periods of time. The thing is the molecules blend different between the two, and not to mention the different amount and type of additives.

[Xavier]

Ok, have you mixed oils before? Judging from your stance, I'd say no. From my own personal experience, I've done it MANY times and have never had an issue. My father who has been a mechanic for 30+ years does it with no hesitation. There are times when things actually practiced > things you've read.

[russiankid]

Ok, have you mixed oils before? Judging from your stance, I'd say no. From my own personal experience, I've done it MANY times and have never had an issue. My father who has been a mechanic for 30+ years does it with no hesitation. There are times when things actually practiced > things you've read.

No I personally have not, and I wouldn't.

[SovXietday]

Fully synthetic oil and regular oil are derived from the same thing, crude oil. However, after being refined, regular oil does not have consistent weight and size of molecules where as fully synthetic does. Thus, synthetic oil has a better base oil because it has consistent weight and size of molecules, which allows it to be more stable and different additives are used which are better than what is put into regular oil.


Now you see why you cannot mix them?

No, not really?

[Xavier]

No I personally have not, and I wouldn't.

As I figured. I have experience doing just what the OP asked and have had zero issues. You on the other hand claim it will cause problems even though you've never done it and have no evidence to prove this besides things you've "read" somewhere.

I think you can see where I'm going with this.

[ASIAN JUL]

Ladies, ladies! You can mix the two from what I hear.