Does fully synthetic oil break down over time ?
Discussion
I have a weekend toy that I only do a few thousand miles a year in .I always change the oil and filter in the spring .It seems a waste of Mobil 1 when it comes out looking pretty much like it went in .Could I run it for a couple of years until it has done a decent ammount of work or like mineral oil does it deteriorate with time ? 
My understanding is that it does not.
My Ultima has now done 14000 miles over 4 years and all I do is change the filter each year.
Followed a study done by a guy in the states where he just kept piling the miles on but sent some oil for analyses every couple of months. Results came back OK each time.
Steve
My Ultima has now done 14000 miles over 4 years and all I do is change the filter each year.
Followed a study done by a guy in the states where he just kept piling the miles on but sent some oil for analyses every couple of months. Results came back OK each time.
Steve
They will eventually become full of suspended contaminants like any oil so just change the filter from time to time and change the oil when it looks dirty.In short, yes.
Of more concern is wear metals and other contaminants being in suspension. Oil change life is determined by manufacturers by taking samples of oil and analysing them at regular intervals, then when the oil looks like it is of limited use that is when it would be changed.
Obviously not every oil has the same additive pack and that would make a difference as to when the change should be made. Some manufacturers would have you believe that their oil lasts forever. Others err on the side of caution.
My view is that oil is cheap compared to engines. Change it youself, take the used oil to the recycling centre and protect the engine.
Of more concern is wear metals and other contaminants being in suspension. Oil change life is determined by manufacturers by taking samples of oil and analysing them at regular intervals, then when the oil looks like it is of limited use that is when it would be changed.
Obviously not every oil has the same additive pack and that would make a difference as to when the change should be made. Some manufacturers would have you believe that their oil lasts forever. Others err on the side of caution.
My view is that oil is cheap compared to engines. Change it youself, take the used oil to the recycling centre and protect the engine.
Although not combustion engines we run compressors at work that have been running for over 11 years now on the same oil, these run at up to 30000 rpm the same oil is used for lub. of comp. brgs, electric motor brgs and gearbox .
So I'd say it doesn't breakdown.
we also have dual fuel combustion engines that run on compressed gas with about 10% diesel to supply ignition the oil is almost never changed on these but topped up regularly due to leaks lol, the only time the oil is changed completely on either bit of machinery is if analysis dictates so
ie contamination by cooling medium or excess metal detected in sample etc etc
So I'd say it doesn't breakdown.
we also have dual fuel combustion engines that run on compressed gas with about 10% diesel to supply ignition the oil is almost never changed on these but topped up regularly due to leaks lol, the only time the oil is changed completely on either bit of machinery is if analysis dictates so
ie contamination by cooling medium or excess metal detected in sample etc etc
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