Synthetic oil testing.

['97ventureowner]

Is there an easy way to tell if you have synthetic oil in your engine? I had my first oil change on my 2006 Uplander done at the dealer last Friday. (It was way too cold to do it myself outside in below zero temps so I took it to my Chevy dealer.) I asked them for a synthetic oil change and it was specified on my receipt.
I know the interval change for synthetic vs. conventional oil is much greater and I expected to see
that reflected on my Driver's Information Center's oil life. I expected the rate at which the figure drops would decrease since I am now using synthetic. Well here it is two days later and my oil life now reads 97%,( it read 99% when I got the vehicle back from the oil change. I've only driven the vehicle 45 miles since then and I think the rate the level is dropping is the same for the synthetic as it was for the conventional oil that was previously in it. I also noticed the little sticker they put on the windshield to remind you of your next oil change is set for April '07 and 3000 miles more mileage than it currently has,(vehicle now has 12,550 miles on it.) That sticker also leads me to wonder what type of oil they used as well since shouldn't the sticker have a longer change time with the synthetic oil? I would like to find out what type of oil is currently in my engine and was wondering if there are any easy DIY ways to find out? I'm not paying $54.99 for a "regular oil change" especially when I can do it myself ( when the weather is warmer for a fraction of that cost.) They supposedly used MOBIL 1 and charged me $39.99 for the 5 qts, (the same 5 qts. that costs $22.99 at Wal Mart.)
Wouldn't one expect the rate of decrease in the oil life would be much slower using synthetic. I am planning a trip with the family to Florida in 2 weeks (about 4200 miles roundtrip) and really don't want to worry about having to change the oil around that time again.

[chevcamaro_86]

it is just a good measure to change your oil every 3000 miles or every three months what ever comes first for longer engine life and performance. synthetic oil though expensive is very good oil and would could last your trip to florida i recently bought the same oil and it costed close to the same. in that price that youu said you also have to include the oil filter which was probably a premium filterwhich costed around ten dollars.

['97ventureowner]

The main reason I switched to synthetic oil was it's longer interval change. I never really considered using synthetic oil in the past,(I've been changing oil for over 25 years,) but since reading many posts on this site started to consider using it. Some members on this forum say they use an interval between 7,500 to 15,000 between changes,(changing the filter and topping it off in between changes.) Even other sites I have researched claim that specific interval change up to a year in service. What I was wondering in my post above was whether or not I got synthetic oil during my oil change, and my doubts pertaining to it by what I'm seeing with my van since the change. I want to know if I paid for synthetic and got conventional oil instead.
I'm also considering moving to a 5000 mile change interval with my other vehicles after doing more research into the matter. Engine oils produced today are much better than their counterparts in the past. They have a better additives package and can last longer. Going to a 5000 mile change interval can also reduce our dependence on oil because in effect we are using less, and there will be less to dispose of in the long run = better for the environment too. A lot of the stuff i'm reading also points to the "3000 mile change interval "as a ploy by the oil companies to make a bigger profit because we end up using more of their products by following their recommendations.
In the price I mentioned above I did include the price of the filter which was around $7.00. I believe they used a standard A C Delco oil filter, which according to many sites, including Mobil 1 is perfectly fine to do.
So what I'm really trying to find out is if there is a quick way to tell by myself whether or not the dealer used synthetic oil for my oil change, becauseI'm starting to have my doubts.

[Steel]

Well the van itself wouldn't know if the oil is sythnetic, so the oil change odometer wouldn't reflect that. And they marked 3000 on your sticker so that they could make more money off of you. Theres no way yo tell by just looking at it... unlesss maybe taking a sample and raising it to a very high temperature to see when it sludges up (synthetics have a MUCH higher temp for this thatn dino oil).

Otherwise i wouldnt worry about it. Run it for the next 9953 miles and don't think about it.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by Steel

Well the van itself wouldn't know if the oil is sythnetic, so the oil change odometer wouldn't reflect that. And they marked 3000 on your sticker so that they could make more money off of you. Theres no way yo tell by just looking at it... unlesss maybe taking a sample and raising it to a very high temperature to see when it sludges up (synthetics have a MUCH higher temp for this thatn dino oil).

Otherwise i wouldnt worry about it. Run it for the next 9953 miles and don't think about it.

My question then to your reply is why wouldn't the computer know the difference in oils? According to my owner's manual the sensor that is hooked up to the drivers information center does not go by mileage rather than it monitors other factors which decrease the oil's life. So to me that would indicate that the sensor would determine that the new oil isn't getting dirty as quickly and the rate at which the oil life on the screen would drop at a slower rate than regular oil which can get dirty quicker. I also figured, (and hoped,) that it might've been a mistake that the guy who filled out the windshield sticker forgot to reflect the longer change interval and just put 3000 as he's probably used to doing most of the time.

[Knap]

I believe this system uses a mathmatical model to calculate oil life adjusting for the operational use of the engine, not actual oil condition.

Mobil may not even be a "true" synthetic - Group 3 cracked mineral possibly being substituted for PAO.

['97ventureowner]

Well I called the service manager at the dealer and explained my concerns. He told me the tech must have made a mistake in filling out the sticker. I told him about the oil life in my driver's info center, and he told me that the computer calculates the number of times the engine is started and the hours it is run along with some other factors. I've done business with this dealer for 15 years and know the service managers and a couple of techs so I believe them when they say they used synthetic in my van, and I'm glad I called to straighten out the matter. They explained it to me without any excuses and in a way that makes you satisfied with the answers.

[bcar02]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

Is there an easy way to tell if you have synthetic oil in your engine? I had my first oil change on my 2006 Uplander done at the dealer last Friday. (It was way too cold to do it myself outside in below zero temps so I took it to my Chevy dealer.) I asked them for a synthetic oil change and it was specified on my receipt.
I know the interval change for synthetic vs. conventional oil is much greater and I expected to see
that reflected on my Driver's Information Center's oil life. I expected the rate at which the figure drops would decrease since I am now using synthetic. Well here it is two days later and my oil life now reads 97%,( it read 99% when I got the vehicle back from the oil change. I've only driven the vehicle 45 miles since then and I think the rate the level is dropping is the same for the synthetic as it was for the conventional oil that was previously in it. I also noticed the little sticker they put on the windshield to remind you of your next oil change is set for April '07 and 3000 miles more mileage than it currently has,(vehicle now has 12,550 miles on it.) That sticker also leads me to wonder what type of oil they used as well since shouldn't the sticker have a longer change time with the synthetic oil? I would like to find out what type of oil is currently in my engine and was wondering if there are any easy DIY ways to find out? I'm not paying $54.99 for a "regular oil change" especially when I can do it myself ( when the weather is warmer for a fraction of that cost.) They supposedly used MOBIL 1 and charged me $39.99 for the 5 qts, (the same 5 qts. that costs $22.99 at Wal Mart.)
Wouldn't one expect the rate of decrease in the oil life would be much slower using synthetic. I am planning a trip with the family to Florida in 2 weeks (about 4200 miles roundtrip) and really don't want to worry about having to change the oil around that time again.

I have been using Castrol 5w30w Full Synthetic in a 92 Cavalier for 10 years and change the oil and filter once a year about 10000 miles, I have never had any problems with the engine!!!

[KiwiBacon]

You should be able to tell by the viscosity whether it is Mobil 1 or dino oil. You didn't mention what grade mobil 1 you got, but if it's 0w40 it'd be quite obvious compared to something like 10w30.

[bcar02]

Originally Posted by KiwiBacon

You should be able to tell by the viscosity whether it is Mobil 1 or dino oil. You didn't mention what grade mobil 1 you got, but if it's 0w40 it'd be quite obvious compared to something like 10w30.

I said I am using the following: I have been using Castrol 5w30w Full Synthetic in a 92 Cavalier for 10 years and change the oil and filter once a year about 10000 miles, I have never had any problems with the engine!!!

[KiwiBacon]

Originally Posted by bcar02

I said I am using the following: I have been using Castrol 5w30w Full Synthetic in a 92 Cavalier for 10 years and change the oil and filter once a year about 10000 miles, I have never had any problems with the engine!!!

I was referring to the original posters problem. They are trying to confirm if they got the synthetic oil they paid for.

Your post was irrelevant.