synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

Hi. first my car is a ( eclipse 97 gs auto 114k always used conventional oil ).
I drove my car for oil change service .( no garage -mean manager to DIY ) but before they changed it . my car had only 1 qt of conventional oil and then the mechanic checked the car and he said it needed new head gasket ( leaking ). so i told him to fill it up with synthetic oil and i ll return as soon as i have the money for the repair. BUT . after 2 days i was driving and the car just didnt accelerate more than 40mi/hr and if i hit the gas the rpms went up but not the speedometer arrow. and a couple miles ahead my check engine light was ON.
so i was wondering if the switch to synthetic is related to the problem with the head gasket and with the check engine light problem or is just coincidence ?
also, what is the OBD scan tool you recomend ( price from $80 to $120 ) i want to check first by myself the error codes before taking the car to the shop.
Any help ,tip or money :D is appreciated

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

for one u should of had him drain the conventioal oil and then put synthetic in it never mix those 2 togeather and to answer ur guestion the synthetic oil has nothing to do with ur head gasket it probably is geting ready to blow so i would check ur oil for antifreeze in it out the other way around cuz i had a 95 plymoth neon that has oil in the raidator so check that stuff and then go to autozone and get a head gasket set should b about $63.99 and up it was $63.99 for my 90 eclipse

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

and as far as obdII scaners the $120.

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

hey thanks 90eclipse, yeah actually the guy first drained the old oil but i was wondering if the syn-oil was leaking faster thru the worn gasket than the conventional because is thinner and probably spread in some places the conventional didnt .
also the mechanic estimate was 575 for labor and 30- 70 bucks for the gasket, so around 650 total, is that a good deal?

thanks again

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

yes that is a good deal, I got quoted at 1500 for mine. Also the 420a's and the A855's are notorious for leeking at the head gasket right behind cyl 1. My car does so and many others that I know do so. Its really no big deal becuase its just leeking oil down the back of the block. But if your going to get it replaced I would recomend that you also get a new timming belt/ tensoiner done at the same time seeing how they have to be removed any way. Also when then HG is getting done see if you can get the mechanic to torque past the factory specs. The factory recomends 85lbs but you can go all the way up to 120lbs with out any problems. Although you can go that high I wouldent recomend that for you situation. I would say that 95-100 lbs would solve all of your issues. Lastly when the head is off get it decked (checked for warp).

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

cool , do you think is going to be expensive to replace the timing belt tensioner and getting the head decked ?
thanks

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

All right first off ANY reputable shop SHOULD be sending the head out for warp/crack checking as part of the HG job. Ask if they do. The timing belt and tensioner should only cost you parts. Again a decent shop won't charge labor as they already have to pull it to do the head gasket.

As for the synthetic causing the problems... Yes and no. No because the gasket was already about done when you added synthetic. You SHOULD have stayed with the conventional and saved up for the new HG then switched. The synthetic is a bit thinner molecularly causing it to seep into places that regular conventional can't go. The viscosity levels are the same but the molecular makeup and sizes are different. So while it didn't CAUSE the head gasket to go bye bye it DID bring more hate and discontent than if you'd stayed with the conventional.

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

hey thanks Sanguinius now i get the difference syn VS conventional i though they had different viscosity levels
Im probably taking my car to MY Mitsubishi dealer in my area ( for the check engine light ) just to get an estimate and if is to expensive i m going for the previous shop.

wish me luck cuz i dont like my bike....jk:D


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RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

viscosity is the thickness of the oil, the higher the viscosity the more syrup like it is. Synthetic oil is a low, very low "vis" thus its alot thinner. What makes it better is that its easier to reach its operating temp, wont suffer from thermal break down as easily, is easier on the oil pump to move, and it falls down the block faster and reduces "crank globs".... which are glibs of oil that collect on the crank and add uneven weight to the crank. With conventional oil globs the size of golf balls collect on the crank. Thats why synthetic performs better, smaller globs, less rotational mass, more motor leeks lol.

RE: synthetic oil and head gasket problem
 

hey thanks for explaining slow420a, so conventional can be on diferent levels of viscocity like for example oil for high mileage cars vs normal conventional oil, and the same for synthetics?,or im lost on this one lol:D