synthetic or regular motor oil?

[PA DETAILER]

We all spent decent time and money here keeping our rides protected and looking good. On to the life blood of them. Whats in your crankcase?

[TroyScherer]

I have been running full Syn for awhile now. The VW requires a "special" blend that is only Syn around here. In my Acura I was running a Syn blend but the last 2 years have gone full Syn due to having 145,000+ miles and wanting the added benefits.

I really want to do some reading up to determine if there is any real benefit of Syn vs Regular.

[Swanicyouth]

Synthetic all the way. Any research out there will tell you that is the way to go. Ideally, you want to use a real synthetic - which I believe Mobil 1 still is. Other than that, to get a real synthetic you will have to go with something you will not likely be able to source locally.

Me, I use Mobil1 ESP in my Pathfinder and BMW`s Castrol TWS 10w60 in my M.

There are all kinds of fancy expensive oils out there for high dollars, but IMHO some of these may not be as good as Mobil 1. I wouldn`t use Redline, as it`s not API certified - not saying its no good, but for me, I couldn`t see paying a premium for something that lacks this certification.



As for other fluids, I always use the factory fluids. BMW gets all factory fill BMW labeled branded fluids - and these cost mega $$$ (~ $175 just for diff fluid!). Only exception is brake fluid, for that I use Pentosin:

[skibik]

My car calls for synthetic blend. After looking around for it and seeing that it costs as much as full synthetic I opted for Mobil 1. Since Corvette`s come from the factory with it in the crankcase then I figured it was more then good enough for my Camaro. It has the Dexos certification that my motor requires.

Dean.

[PA DETAILER]

I have been running full Syn for awhile now. The VW requires a "special" blend that is only Syn around here. In my Acura I was running a Syn blend but the last 2 years have gone full Syn due to having 145,000+ miles and wanting the added benefits.

I really want to do some reading up to determine if there is any real benefit of Syn vs Regular.

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...made-easy.html

[Billy Jack]

I run either full-syn or syn blends in all the family fleet.
Back in the 90`s, GM was having some issues with premature valvetrain wear in a few engines, so they would give a new truck buyer a free Mobil 1 oil change at 3,000 miles. Considering the cost of Mobil 1 vs mineral oil there must have been a damn good reason for them to spend that kind of money, so that was enough for me to drop mineral oil from my rides` diets. 20 tears ago, syn was 3-4 times the cost of mineral oils. Now it`s only 25% to 50% more. IMO, it just doesn`t make sense to buy anything but the good stuff, even if you`re not looking for extended change intervals.

Bill

[JHL88]

I usually switch between Pennzoil Platinum/Ultra, Valvoline Synthetic, Mobil 1. Really can`t go wrong with either of them so Its whatever is on sale.

[jtford95]

I use synthetic oil in the mini van. I too have 144,000 miles & am tring to keep it going.
I did hear that Wal mart buys what ever is cheaper from the big oil companys and puts there own label on it. Just what i heard.

[XxBoostinxX]

I run full synthetic in all my vehicles. I use Royal Purple and Amsoil. I go 10,000 miles with the Amsoil (can go longer, but choose not too) and Royal Purple for 3,000 then go back to Amsoil and so on. I believe alternating between the two helps with any gunk buildup. I read an article from a chemist that did a lot of research about oil and gasoline years ago. He wanted to determine what is the best and what is used in all of them. He came to a conclusion that he believed all were similar except the different types of cleaners used in them and swapping between different oils helps eliminate the buildup of one with the new cleaner in the other. So I try to swap brands each time I change my oil or fill up. It may or may not help, but it sure doesn`t hurt to try.

[Bunky]

I use Motorcraft 5W-20 blend in my Ford cars and use several different ones in the truck (10w-30 Valvoline Max Life, now Pennzoil Sun Blend).

I have had good luck with pennzoil 10w-30 in my outdoor power equipment but do run the John Deere oil in my UTV while under warranty. I plan to switch to Rotella T5 in my generator and UTV.

[RaysWay]

For the car (transmission fluid shown)



and for the bike



I bleed purple.

[jtford95]

For the car (transmission fluid shown)



and for the bike



I bleed purple.

Does the kitty help you change the oil too?

[RaysWay]

Does the kitty help you change the oil too?

lol grumpy Naps Maru doesn`t help with anything that can get his fur dirty. He just takes long naps and keeps me company when I`m on the computer.

[The Driver]

The only three that I know that are really all that and a bag of chips are moguls 400v line, royal purples race line and of course amsoil which is also ridiculously expensive. Moguls real ester oil is serious stuff but very expensive. A great performer for European engines is castrols European formula, usually in the zero weight category. It`s tough to find but this is what I run now. Very good stuff and great bang for the buck.

[valleyrider]

I`ve always used Motul 300v for the motorcycle and now I use Motul 8100 X-Max for the car.