Bad Experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil

Status
Not open for further replies.
I think the better title for this thread would be "Don't change to synthetic after 150K on dino"....so I agree it's not a ST problem but a dino to synthetic at higher mileage problem.
 
The title is just fine. It tells it exactly how it was. Mis or over-interpretation by the its readers is not a fault in the title, nor is it the OP's problem.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
You have an old car, and it leaked oil as old cars do. SuperTech had absolutely nothing to do with it.

It would have leaked if you had used anything else.


But I had an old car when it didn't leak a drop also. Honda's aren't leakers, generally. My engine was spotless until I used the ST syn. It took a good bit of time after I switched to the ST syn before the leaking started. That's why I didn't pick up on suspecting the oil at first. It was the nature of the leaking, from every seal, that clued me into the oil. However, switching to the Maxlife did not solve the problem as quickly as I had hoped and I had to give up my theory and start looking for the leak again. It was too cold to work on the problem this winter so I scheduled taking the valve cover off for spring, but by the time spring arrived the leaking had stopped.

So I'm blaming the ST syn again. I don't believe modern synthetic oils cause leaks because they have seal swelling chemistry to prevent that. I don't know what happened with the ST syn. A bad batch? Anyway, I just wanted to pass on my experience to someone else who may be facing the same problem. It was a serious problem because oil was leaking onto the exhaust manifold and smoke was getting into the cabin. I'm really glad the Maxlife reversed the problem without me having to expend more effort and expense in troubleshooting it.
 
Here's my take, though reading your last you'll likely not agree. In this case, switching to any non HM synthetic after using only conventional for a long time period would shown the same/similar results. The ST Syn did some cleaning in areas not done by the conventional oil you were using. Gradually the dirt areas were cleaned by ST Syn and the leaky areas exposed, thus the leaks. Doesn't happen immediately, but over time it can happen.

Based on the information provided for your anecdote, I've reached a different conclusion.
 
Here is a different perspective. Did the leaks start to show during the freezing temps the car never saw before? Did the leaks stop when it warmed up? Could be just temperature related. Old seals get very hard/brittle in below freezing temps and will not seal properly.
 
Originally Posted By: Jay
It took a good bit of time ...

.... did not solve the problem as quickly....

but by the time....


One word of advice:
Changes with oil (when it comes to leaks and seals conditioned, etc.) DO NOT happen overnight.

The highlighted words are from YOUR quote!

Funny how people think every thing happens instantaneously.... what a society we live in.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Hmm...so the OP says he had a bad experience with Supertech 5w-20 synthetic oil because it leaked like crazy, and y'all tell him that's not right, because it would/could have happened with any synthetic oil?

What is it about "Bad Experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil" that you don't understand?

Let me explain: "Bad Experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil" means in this case he had a "Bad Experience which happened to COINCIDE with using Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil"

It does not mean "I had a much worse experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil than I would have had with any other synthetic oil." The OP is leaving that speculative stuff to y'all.


Fixed that for you.

Timing is everything. While I agree that for the OP, his experience with this particular car, at this particular time, with ST syn was bad, it does not necessarily mean that the SuperTech was to blame. The only thing you can say with certainty, is that the onset of leaks happened to coincide with his use of the SuperTech synthetic. It could just as easily have happened with Mobil-1, PUP, QSUD, etc..

Correlation does not imply Causation
 
Originally Posted By: car51
I personally have never used Maxlife either. Opinions vary....


Sure you have, you have just forgot.

Originally Posted By: car51
I still run Maxlife 10w30 in my "tank" aka 97' Bonneville without issue in Pittsburgh area
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: car51
I personally have never used Maxlife either. Opinions vary....


Sure you have, you have just forgot.

Originally Posted By: car51
I still run Maxlife 10w30 in my "tank" aka 97' Bonneville without issue in Pittsburgh area
wink.gif



Good catch Matt
smile.gif


Forgot I used some of the Maxlife over decade ago. I must be getting old
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Hmm...so the OP says he had a bad experience with Supertech 5w-20 synthetic oil because it leaked like crazy, and y'all tell him that's not right, because it would/could have happened with any synthetic oil?

What is it about "Bad Experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil" that you don't understand?

Let me explain: "Bad Experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil" means in this case he had a "Bad Experience which happened to COINCIDE with using Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil"

It does not mean "I had a much worse experience with Supertech 5w-20 Synthetic Oil than I would have had with any other synthetic oil." The OP is leaving that speculative stuff to y'all.


Fixed that for you.

Timing is everything. While I agree that for the OP, his experience with this particular car, at this particular time, with ST syn was bad, it does not necessarily mean that the SuperTech was to blame. The only thing you can say with certainty, is that the onset of leaks happened to coincide with his use of the SuperTech synthetic. It could just as easily have happened with Mobil-1, PUP, QSUD, etc..

Correlation does not imply Causation


As previously explained, there is nothing in the OP's original title or description that implies it couldn't just as easily have happened with Mobil-1, PUP, QSUD, etc..Up until now, that was just your (over) interpretation.

However, since the OP apparently IS now claiming this, digging a hole for himself (and, by association, me) right where you wanted one (thanks pal, nice timing) this logic becomes irrelevant and I've kind of lost interest in this aspect of the discussion.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Here is a different perspective. Did the leaks start to show during the freezing temps the car never saw before? Did the leaks stop when it warmed up? Could be just temperature related. Old seals get very hard/brittle in below freezing temps and will not seal properly.


You're making me pull out my service records which is what I should have done from the start.
smile.gif
Here's the sequence of events:

1. Moved from mild CA climate to Idaho in July 2013. 150kmi on car. No leaks of any kind.
2. Changed oil to Valvoline Synthetic Oct. 2013. 152kmi on car. No leaks.
3. Changed oil to Supertech Syn June 2014. 158kmi on car. No leaks.
4. Changed oil Supertech Syn Oct 2014 167kmi on car. No leaks
5. Changed oil Supertech Syn Sept 2015 175kmi on car. No leaks
6. Wintered in Tucson. No leaks
7. Drove back to Idaho in May 2016. bad leaks
8. Replaced vtec solenoid oil gasket jun 2016. leaks improve. still leaking in other places though
9. Changed oil Valvoline Maxlife Durablend Aug 2016 186kmi leaking
10. May 2017 changed oil Valvoline Maxlife Durablend.195kmi leaking almost stopped

As I look over my records I see that it took longer for the leaking to start than my memory indicated and less time for the leaking to stop. I thought I had a couple of changes of Valvoline but I see that's not the case.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
You have an old car, and it leaked oil as old cars do. SuperTech had absolutely nothing to do with it.

It would have leaked if you had used anything else.



THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Oil causing a leak is nonsensical......
 
Originally Posted By: SilverFusion2010
An engine run for 100k mi on conventional oil, then switched to a quality synthetic will most likely develop leaks.


I respectfully disagree. It depends how the vehicle was maintained before the switch. Yes synthetics clean better but if the engine got good maintenance with conventional, then there should be very little for the synthetic to clean up. I belong to another forum where countless owners switched from conventional to synthetic well beyond 100k miles and had zero issues, but maybe that's due to the quality of the make.
 
I disagree too with Synthetic causing leaks. Gaskets just get brittle, leaks aren't caused by oil. It's caused by bad gaskets.
I had my last Lincoln since new, it got 3000 mile oil changes it's entire life, the oil pan gasket got a leak. It just happens. The Ford I sold my daughter, I bought with 68,000. The dipstick was extremely varnished which leads me to believe it had not the best service life. Ive been using Castrol Synthetic 5w20 Gold Bottle in it with one change of Shell Formula 10w30 and a quart of MMO and the stick is clean where the oil is present, so I am thinking the varnish is significantly cleaned up, no oil leaks. Runs better than ever at almost 83,000 miles now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

lastofthebreed_ws6
Normal to see small seeps when switching to HM?
Replies
5
Views
651
lastofthebreed_ws6
AZjeff
Synthetic oil dries out seals.
2 3
Replies
49
Views
6K
SumGuy
C
Need Guidance re (hopefully) Non-Synthetic Motor Oil for a '99 Camry L4 (5SFE) Sludge-Prone Engine
Replies
12
Views
721
GSCJR
N
Recommend an oil choice to me - used 2005 Highlander V6
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
nthach
Charmet37
Supertech Advanced Full Synthetic 5w30
Replies
13
Views
2K
HouseTiger
Back
Top