I am thinking of switching to synthetic oil (Mobil 1) on my 94k mile daily driver, a 96 Grand Am. The car has had oil changes every 3k for its life using regular Quaker State. It used to be driven 50-60 miles a day. Now that I have it, I only drive it for getting to the train station and back, and it rarely sees any highway or extended usage. I drive it for mostly short trips, and this is the reason I am thinking of switching to synthetic. I am somewhat worried about switching on a higher mileage engine though. Should I switch, or just stick with the regular oil? If I switch, should I flush the engine or run a bit of ATF to clean it out?

 

It is a bad idea to switch to a full snyth fluid becuase of the milage on your car. I would however goto a snythetic blend (most manufatures makes it) You will get the bennys from having a snyth fluid but shouldn't have the leaking problems that you will get with a snyth. Its kind of a win-win deal. I wouldn't dump atf down my motor to clean it out never did understand that one. You do have the ability to mix a blend with standard, just make sure the WT. is the same.

 

AMSOIL makes a crankcase flush for the very purpose of cleaning out the engine before going to the synthetic. If you're still nervous after that, then a blend or half-&-half is fine for the first change. But, there shouldn't be any problems with the switch given its history.