Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for mechanics and DIY enthusiast owners of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I've heard in the past that when you have one of the two types of oil (Synthetic or natural) you shouldn't change between them when you do an oil change.
But I just called to change my oil and got told that, well, you can switch between the types, just don't mix them in the same oil mixture.
So what is right? Can you change oil type while doing an oil change?
I do not think that there is any issue in switching between oil types only thing you need to be sure is that you use the correct oil viscosity as recommended by your manufacturer.
Also there is a belief that synthetic oil would deteriorate the seals and gaskets and leak into engine. Synthetic oil has not been shown to deteriorate engine seals or gaskets. But it might find an existing leak. The smaller molecules of synthetic oil are able to pass through very small cracks and crevices that the larger molecules of petroleum-based oil cannot. Eventually, those small cracks and crevices can lead to bigger problems — with or without synthetic oil.
Switching from conventional oil to synthetic oil at the time of an oil change shouldn't be a problem, provided that both the old oil and the new oil are both advertised as being compatible with all modern conventional or synthetic oils.
There are some engines, however, that have specific oil requirements. Or, more specifically, they have certain additive requirements. If the manufacturer recommends a specific, specialized oil type, it's probably best to stick with that type of oil, especially if you want to follow the manufacturer's oil change schedule.
