How can I tell if the engine is filled with synth oil? Is there a "burn" test I can conduct. I would expect synth won't burn if subjected to high heat where regular would coke up. Is this a way of figuring out what's in there?
Thanks.

It seems to me that Mobil 1 is about twice as thin as dino oil.

If you had a quart of each, you could easily tell the difference. I think.

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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)

After a day in a Diesel engine I doubt you could tell without an oil analysis

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

I agree that the color- Stygian black- will be the same in any Diesel engine. But the synthetic oil is not nearly so thick as the dino oil.

The dino oil is the viscosity of pancake syrup, while the synthetic is more like olive oil.

That's what I meant.

__________________
Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)

I'm not as discerning as you. I compared some Mobil 1 15W-50 from the SDL with some Chevron Delo 400 15W-40 from the SD and I can't tell that one is more or less viscous than the other either at room temperature or close to operating temperature. Maybe with more samples it will be obvious.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

I wipe it on my fingers and see how easy is it to get them clean. The mineral oil will usually leave an oily film. The syn will wipe clean and dry. Works the same way on concrete shop floors.

HTH,

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Brian Toscano

One weird thing I can relate in regards to this:
When I've cleaned up engines, newer ones like the 112 motors and such where synthetic is used, (thinking of like the famous engine oil level/quality sensors) I used this citrus-based engine degreaser. When the synth came in contact with the degreaser, it turns purple.

Gilly