Oil & Filter change question

[melbzetec]

The tests I've seen say different. Ordinary car, no mods, pretty average driving cycles, 1,000,000 miles, and at the end, all the engine specs still within manufacturers tolerance. I don't think your bog basic mineral oil can do that.

Start up, and stop start driving, are some of the most punishing things you can do to an engine

[More revs]

true there are a lot of false stories out there but most drivers here drive in ordinary traffic and look after their ride so a high grade racing spec oil isn't really needed. They are not damaging their engine by not using a full synth providing the oil is changed according to specs.

Rule of thumb if you want to use a quality synth make sure the engine is well run in first. Let it have say 20,000Km first then change over if you feel the need.

Me I stick to Fords specs AND have the intermediate oil change between services because I utterly rely on the car for work - we don't have a spare car in the family any more.

[photn]

so if i REV 1st to say about 4.5k - 6k every time and say second to about 5k then 3rd to 4k and 4th to 3k and 5th to 3k.........what oil should i use.....

Speaking Hypothetical about the Gear changes of course ;)

[Veefore]

Extensive oil testing (in 1996) by my boss in a fleet of taxis showed that ALL oils of the correct grade (sg, sh, sj etc.) will provide the same level of protection up to about 5000km. Beyond that, Penrite HPR (with no friction modifiers) shows excessive wear and so do some of the cheaper oils. Only the FULL synthetics showed no increased wear beyond 7,500km. None of the oils gave full protection beyond 10,000km.

If the engine is going to be getting very hot, eg. racing, for a sustained length of time then only synthetics will handle the heat and keep doing their job. Minerals tend to carbonise at sustained temps above about 110-120°c if I remember correctly.

[kenny21]

even the best synthetic is only good up to temps of 150C and once u go above that the oil doesnt like it very much it goes a bit funny so to speak, but in a road car ude be lucky to get to 100C but doesnt matter cause ya cant tell anyways.

[Guliver_TwiSt]

Interesting question. In comparison the Mazda 3 which runs the same engines but with slightly different tuning has 10k service intervals. Since the focus has slightly more aggressive tuning have they done anything else to warrant the engine to endure an extra 5k before requiring an oil and filter change?