Yes you can but why would you? And the blends suck either way.
It's one or the other.

 

Like all the comments...especially like the correction as to the oil viscosity index by timzcat. If you hadn't i was all over that one. Are you all ready for the answer why synthetic is bad on 4G94?? It's the oil pump. Due to specs there is a huge variance between min and max tolerances on the gear pump. A +/-.035 difference to be exact. This is where some have problems and some don't with synthetic. If you are at the extreme end of the tolerance synthetic will tend not to get forced by the gear into the pressure side of oil paths. This is due to fact that it doesn't have the same thickness/coalessing qualities. Synthetic is great and can give good gains on all motors. On ours however the tolerance varience allows synthetic to flow back into the gear rather than into pressure side. Regular oil tends to coagulate thus keeping it thick enough that it will go into the pressure side. It's more or less a stab in the dark to see if it will effect you or not. Mitsubishi will deny this fact if asked but a tech told me he's seen a handfull or so come in for similiar problems... which mitsubishi warrantied telling the customer to use regular oil from now on. They also have changed the specs on the gear due to this. If asked they will recommend only regular oil for this motor... for a reason! It sucks but its a new car and they honestly didn't expect this problem as who'd make a performance car out of a US Lancer right? Anyway, hope this clears the mystery up. As i've said just call and ask. Mitsu does not recommend synthetic with the 4G94! Good luck with the motor Kontra!

 

Just curious, but.... I thought the Evo Runs Sythetic. it has a turbo. and it states on the oil Cap that you must Run Mobil 1 sythetic or it VOIDS THE WARRANTY??

 

Evo was made and spec'd for synthetic... ie: tight tolerances on most parts between +/-.002 to +/-.005 on some components. A lot better than the 4G94.

 

I have had mobile 1 since my first oil change (at about 1000 miles). No problems with it, runs smoother. dealer told me no problem. I'm good with synthetic. I now have 16000 miles, hit redline almost all the time (accidently hit the rev limiter a few times) and no problems? I have run Mobil 1 in my 1999 Suburban also. i now have 65000 miles on it, no problems. Oil is always clean when I change it. I have a 1981 pickup truck (350) I have run sythetic in it sine I rebuilt my engine. No problems there. I used regular oils before, and the regular stuff always seemed burnt and very discolored. Synthetic always is clean...

 

You guys have the numbering system wrong.... the first number corresponds to the 210 degree Fahrenheit viscosity SAE rating for the oil at 0 degrees... in other words... a 10W30 oil at 0 degrees has a viscosity equivalent to to an SAE10 oil at 210 degrees. The second number after the W is the SAE 210 degree fahrenheit motor oil.

As far as this synthetic debate... the oil pump sounds like the most likely culprit. Tolerances are incredibly important in a hydraulic pump, and if the +- 35 thousands is true that is a pretty terrible tolerance!!

I'm not 100% sure on this... but I don't believe a synthetic oil is any thinner than a regular oil. That would mean it has to have a different viscosity number if it was. It needs to maintain the given SAE viscosities at the appropriate temperatures or it could not be SAE certified.

Once upon a time synthetics were very bad... there are still several out there that aren't very goo. Mobil 1 is basically the best oil out there and has eliminated pretty much all the shortcomings of a synthetic oil.

I don't think synthetic is the culprit here... but if it were actually thinner, or you weren't running the recommended weight for warm weather per our manuals, then I'd say you could easily have a problem.

 

thanks Boe, i knew you would come in here and straighten things up. The man, the myth, the LEGEND!

 

Everyone wrote their essay on this issue, so I won't. One of the joys of my job is that people with every conceivable problem with a Lancer call on us, everything from how to hook up Neons to body kit fitment problems. One notible trend I have seen is oil pressure problems with synthetic oil in 4G94.

Boe nailed it! 4G94 pump does not like thinner oils and particularly sythetic oils of lower weights. This is because of the tolerances of pump gears. I don't know where to draw the line on weights with this motor but I will not run synthetic oil in my 4G94! Maybe a blend.....
In my 4G63, 4AGs and many other race motors I have had, long after break in, I would and have run synthetic. IT IS SUPERIOR OIL! But this motor is not really designed to optimize it because of the pump. This is my educated hunch based on research into the pump and a half dozens guys who have told me they had oil pressure problems. They changed back to regular oil, problem gone for good! With Kontra right after changing to Sythetic, BAM! Rod bearing...... No oil got to that bearing. BAM no oil pressure. BAM Sythetic?
That is my $2.00 worth and I will spend no more time convincing anyone about sythetic in this particular motor! Let the debate rage on..............

ROAD/RACE
http://www.roadracemotorsports.com/

 

Looking at my post now, dam I wrote an essay anyways!

ROAD/RACE
http://www.roadracemotorsports.com/

 

I had regular oil and it was running fine and when i changed it to synthetic Mobil 1 oil my pistons went out. I like synthetic like everyone else put it in my accord and three other cars at my house. But maybe synthetic is not good for our cars.

 

What SAE were you running Chris and Ntran?

 

i was running a 10w30...going to a 20w50

 

o.k. so i'am using a blend should i keep the blend or just bust down to regular old oil. would the blend be fine to leave it in. glad you found this little problem Kontra good to know now before we all went down w/ something like this.

 

I'd personally probably not use blend in the first place as I've never heard anything good about it... but sounds like synthetic isn't such a good idea for us either...

I'm still trying to figure out how the oil is thinner (I realize it is... as I use it largely because it protects the head gasket in cold Wisconsin winter's) when it has to have the appropriate viscosity... anyone got an answer?

 

I have been using Mobil 1 15w50 ever since I got my car, and my oil light has not come on yet.