First bad experience with synthetic oil

[JOblenes]

Just thought I would share my expereience with synthetic. I drove the truck on the original oil until 12,000 km as per the severe duty service schedule (sorry for the metric units, eh). I had read all of the arguments on TDR about breaking-in, etc. before going to synthetic, and decided I would make the switch. I put in Royal Purple 15W40 which I can get locally for a not too bad a price. I checked the level after about 3000 km more and the level was low, so I added another litre to bring the level up to full. Checked it in another 3000 km and it was again a litre low, the truck is just drinking this stuff. So I decided to switch back to conventional oil, went with Delo 400, have driven 2000 km since and everything is fine. So what are your thoughts, engine not broken in enough? I was relating this story to a fellow I know that is a heavy duty mechanic for a local company that moves compressor stations around, they run everything from diesel pick-ups (supervisor and foreman's trucks) to 36 axle trailers, dozers, etc. and while they usually run synthetic in all of the big equipment they don't run it in "automotive" diesels because they go through so much of it. He says you would swear they have an oil leak they use so much. To make things more interesting I would swear there was a step change increase in mileage (should that be kilometerage in metric) by about 1. 5 MPG, at least according to the overhead, though it is probably too early (too few km) to tell for sure.

 

[DGFoster]

I use Amsoil and have for years,I have never had to add oil to my trucks after switching to synthetics.

 

[Jeff_K]

Jon, I waited about 20,000 km's before switching to Synthetic. I ran a some 0w-40 John Deere Synthetic last winter and it didn't use a drop. I have changed the oil three times since then and ran 5w-40 Mobil 1 Delvac once and now the new Esso XD3 0w-40 grade 4 synthetic. I have had no problems at all with useage. Maybe your engine needs a bit more time to break in.

 

[scotty1]

I had the same problem with Mobil 1. I could push 2 liters out in a 1500 KM trip towing heavy. We thought it was the seals in the engine. This was in the winter. I switched back to Rotella 15W40 and I am not using more then 1/2 liter every 15K this summer.



I had 30,000 kilometers on the clock when I put the Mobil 1 in.



I may try it again in the winter... I have 62K on the clock now so I should be broke in... especially with the loads I have pulled. :-laf



Scotty

 

[DPKetchum]

Most Cummins don't use oil of any sort or any age or brand. In 5 years on this site first I EVER read of one sucking oil syn. or dino.

 

[Tim]

I use Rotella and to my surprise, my engine has never used oil.



Then again, it was broken in PROPERLY, at 16,000 lb GCW or so with 500 miles on it. (sense the sarcasm)

 

[Grizzly]

Something doesn't sound right. One should not have problems with synthetic oil, especially on a new engine. Could it be the brand of oil? I have heard of Royal Purple, but I have never used it.

 

[DPKetchum]

Theres posts here from guys that have swapped over to syn. after 1000 miles with 0 problems. I waited till 15k on mine. Before that Dealer changed my oil at 3k,7k etc. using Mopar oil in the blue galon jugs. Now its Amsoil 15w40. Been 6 months and 4500 miles. Changed filter only today and topped off.

 

[klenger]

Interesting report. I've used both Delo 400 and Amsoil in my trucks and never had any oil consumption. I can't figure out why synthetic oil should cause any more loss than dino oil. Go with what works for you.



Wonder how long it will take for this thread to get to :-{}

 

[JOblenes]

I hope this thread doesn't break down to :-{} ! I only wanted to report on my experience. I will give an update in a few more weeks once I have put on a few 1000 more km's (started scouting for hunting season). I actually switched to synthetic relatively early based on info from this site. But, not to worry, I will just give it another 12,000 km's and try again. If someone does a search on "oil" and "burn" it would appear, with all due respect, that some people do burn a bit of oil in their Cummins, probably not the majority, and even Scott replied on this thread that he has burned some oil. I really hope I do not fall into this category, but, so far, this only happened with the synthetic. The original oil was fine (didn't use a drop) and the Delo has been fine (so far). Maybe they sell us a different synthetic oil north of the border hey Scott (just kidding).

 

[Lnwing]

I have a Massey 399 w/354 Perkins with only 1200 hours that doesn't like Amsoil. It'll use a couple of quarts/day. Switched back to dino and consumption dropped back to nothing. Amsoil works great in the Dodge, though.

 

[DPKetchum]

Couple Qts a day!!!

 

[Hohn]

This is interesting.



I'd tend to think that it isn't broken in enough.



I switched to syn at only 14K, with NO TOWING or any kind of heavy load applied (other than lead foot).



Shortly after converting, I had the oppportunity to tow about 6K from GA to WY. I flooring it WOT up every hill I could in TN on I-40. This was with DD2s and EZ, so there was more load on the engine for sure.



I haven't had any blowby or consumption issues yet.



I did notice though that my engine's fuel economy and performance kept increasing (and oil mist out the puke tube got less) as the miles piled on.



I don't think my truck was FULLY broken in until I strapped it to LaserBob's Superflow dyno. That thing REALLY put a loadon my truck (it has NEVER seen 1550 EGT before!), and it's run better and smoother ever since.



Lately, the truck is running EVEN better, but I attribute this to Don M's injectors and to the Fuel Power additive (FP60 from www.lubecontrol.com)



jlh

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

I thought we were suppose to have at least 20,000 miles before the switch to synthetics? (Sorry for the english units) A friend of mine has a Ferd F-150 and switched to Mobil 1, that pig was drinking oil faster than it was the gas, Ford said it was within limits for oil consumption, he went back to dino lube and the consumption stoppped. His truck was pretty new when he did this and I think that had alot to do with it, but he's never gone back to prove it.

 

[bmoeller]

Couple Qts a day!!!

Tht's not bad. :-laf



My uncle had a Massey combine with a C-series Cummins. It went through 3 GALLONS of engine oil (Cen-Pe-Co dino) a DAY! :--) :--) He never figured out why. Only ran it one season. The whole machine was a lemon. The machine that replaced it has been great.

 

[macdaddy]

Synthetics do nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Synthetics do nothing but add to operating costs. Save your money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The issue of fuel dilution makes it a mute point with the CTD. It still has to be changed at factory recommended intervals, don't kid yourself. It is a different story for gasoline racing engines.



No flame suits required



Mac

 

[JOblenes]

Synthetics do nothing but add to operating costs. Save your money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The issue of fuel dilution makes it a mute point with the CTD. It still has to be changed at factory recommended intervals, don't kid yourself. It is a different story for gasoline racing engines.



No flame suits required



Mac

Yeah, I hear what you are saying and I must admit I am still undecided. I was seriously thinking about going the bypass route or perhaps one of those oil centrifuges which I think is a neat concept. If I extended the oil changes I could probably justify the additional expense of the synthetic. But some part of me also thinks that I will be doing my truck a favor by running the best oil money can buy (hey some guys spend more than an oil change's worth on a wax and polish every other week, some guys spend more on beer in a weekend, so I guess it could be worse).



At any rate it seems that there are a few similar stories about high consumption with synthetics, I will be interested to hear if more pop-up. I am absolutely not bashing synthetics, I work for a chemical company myself and am pretty knowledgable about Royal Purple and (poly-alpha-olefins) PAO technology in general, we even use RP in some of our plant equipment (with which we manufacture other polyolefin products). I was quite surprised to have had this result in my truck, but I will try it again.

 

[DPKetchum]

Some NEW vehicles come from the factory filled with syn. The 4. 3 G. M. V6 had some strange noises in the first few thousand miles and one cure per a TSB was the FIRST oil change to install MOBIL 1 and G. M. paided for it. It worked and noise went away. Rule of thumb is to let things burnish in before using a syn. but there are posts on this site from a few hotshot rigs that change to syn. in the first 5k and still running with no problems 250k later. One guy always posted his thing about installing syn. quickly in all his vehicles. My own experiance is the good quality syns have far less burn off then dino oils. I've used it for years and oil consumtion was a fraction of what it would be with dino. I use syn. oil and lubes in EVERTHING I own. Including a New Holland tractor. Even a 22 h. p. Briggs engine. I have noticed a differance for the better in everthing I have ever installed syn. lubes in. Even SYN. HYD. lube.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Synthetics do nothing but add to operating costs. Save your money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Says the guy in So. Cal. to the guy in Calgary...

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I switched to Rotella synthetic at 352,000 miles on an engine run on Delo 400 all its life and oil consumption isn't a problem. It'll suddently suck a quart here and there but I put in about 4 quarts total in the last 11,000 miles (now at 381,400).



I've put synthetic in my last 3 Cummins with no usage issues at all. Delvac 1 and Amsoil mostly, never tried RP.



Vaughn