Well I decided to change my own oil yesterday as I haven't done this for a
few years and my local garage was booked for a few weeks. I also wanted to
put Castrol Syntech in my Honda Accord which is something some mechanics
frown on. I think they only make money buying the cheap shit oil and filters
in bulk. So, Saturday morning a friend of mine and I set out to do his Camery
and my Accord. The last time I did an oil change was in my 1988 Subaru Wagon.
What I didn't know was, you can't really get at the drain plug in a Camry or
Accord since they sit so low. So, I had to get the car jack out and jack the
car up enough so that I could see the damn drain plug. My drain plug was so
tight that I couldn't break it free. Luckily I am an old pro at tricks and
used vice grips on the end of the ratchett to extend the length of it. Once
I broke it free it was all down hill from that i.e., drain the oil, refit the
plug, change filters etc., and then put in the Syntech. BTW you can get oil
in Walmart in 5gal bottles. Did I save any money? Perhaps in the long run.
The quality of the oil is much better and supposed to make your car last
longer. I studied these engineered carbon molecules in organic chemistry. The
carbon chains are packed tightly together in a more uniform pattern and
should penetrate bearing surfaces better and take longer to break down. I
have heard that your horsepower will increase slightly as a result but this
is yet to be seen. The cost is more i.e., $23.95 for 5 gals of oil. I used to
use Castrol in my air-cooled bugs and Porche 914 when I had it at the
recommendation of an aircraft mechanic who rebuilt my bug engine. It was the
only oil that didn't foam up and seemed to hold up better with heat. So, now
what would be the recommended Oil Change Interval? Forget the 3000 miles as
this is not necessary. It's a ploy from the oil industry to buy more oil. I
think minimally you should change your oil every 5 to 6 thousand as long as
you monitor your levels. I am also wondering if I can go longer with the
Syntech oil? I am not sure about this. Any ideas out there?

Jah