synthetic oil

ca.detailchick

ca.detailchick

New member
Anyone using it?

I had a customer today who only uses synthetic oil and he says its much better for the longevity of engines .

I want to keep my van as long as it will last ! My lease is coming to an end in a few months and I plan on buying it.

Any opinions on this?

I have a 2010 Toyota if that makes any difference.

Thanks!:)
 
DC I know alot of folks using synthetic oil and they all never had any problems with their engine's at all. My wife's 2003 Toyota has 120000 miles and doesn't use synthetic oil, engine is fine but everything else fell apart on the car.:D
 
I am using a synthetic oil for my Acura now. I have nearly 120,000 miles on it now and am trying to do preventative maintenance to make sure it last me another 100,000 miles.

My wife's VW calls for a special full synthetic oil in its maintenance book. And man is that stuff expensive. Doing the oil change myself still costs just over $60. The dealer charges $75... :wall I wish I would have known this before we bought it.
 
I've been using synthetic oils in my vehicles for nearly 25 years. Many performance cars like the Chevrolet Corvette come standard with synthetic oils.

I use both Royal Purple and Mobil 1 synthetics.....:bigups
 
Basically, you only need synthetic if the engine requires it (look in your car manual). While there is nothing wrong with switching to synthetic oil, it is more expensive.
 
i use it in both my ford f150 and my harley. no problems. i do my own maintenance and want to go that extra mile and will go with synthetic every 3000. using a good oil filter makes a big difference too. if the price curve is too much, go with a semi-synthetic blend oil.
 
I use Mobil 1 in my vehicles mainly because I can get it cheap at Walmart and I do my own oil changes to keep the cost down (and I don't trust most 'shops'). I also like to fill the filters before I install them so there isn't a little 'dry' start and the oil pressure comes up faster. In Minnesota, we have winter temps down to -20* and it can hit 100* or more in the summer so I like to use good products. For filters, I will use Purolator Pure One, Mobil 1, or K&N. By doing it myself, I have about $30-32 into each oil change and will change the oil and filter between 3000 and 4000 miles depending on when I can get it done. (I shoot for 3k and make sure to get it done by 4k. Usually, it is less than 3500 miles)

My 2000 Regal GS has 210k miles on it and still runs great. My 1995 Impala SS has 194k miles on it and still runs great and even gets a severe workout on the road course which is pretty stressful on the engine (130+ mph and a lot of time at high RPM's). Our Silverado has 100k on it and also runs great. We drive a lot and keep our vehicles for a long time, so I will pay a little more for higher quality car care products.

Synthetic is probably overkill, but I don't mind paying a little for peace of mind. My old truck went to 325k (or more after I sold it and lost track of it) and that was with crappy filters and regular name brand oils, but at religious 3k intervals. I think regular intervals with any oil is probably more important than which oil you use.

OCD isn't just for detailing......

Randy
 
I use synthetic in my Trans Am but that's the only car I use synthetic in. If you drive in extreme conditions (temperature, heavy traffic, etc.) than I think it really helps protect the engine. Otherwise I think regular oil works just fine for protection as long as you change it regularly. Even regular oil is fine in extreme conditions as long as you change it frequently

I use synthetic in my Trans Am because I used to drag race and it became habit. Now I rarely drive it and I like going much longer between oil changes.
 
It can be advantageous but how advantageous is tough to prove in some instances. If you go 5,000 miles or less between oil changes I see no advantage. If you plan on extended oil changes such as 7500-10,000 miles or once annually then there would be an advantage. If going for long term you MUST remember to check the oil level and top off if required, you can't just forget about it. Toyota has some excellent synthetic oils made to their specifications by Exxon/Mobil. They are available at the dealership but they're not cheap, nor is any for that matter. I'd say the best value is Mobil 1 in the five quart jug at WalMart.

Although I'm a synth oil fanboy I use regular oil. Why? The Toyota Extended Warranty requires the same oil change interval as the original warranty. In my case that is every six months/5000 miles. I may have only put 200 miles on during that time but to maintain warranty the perfectly good oil has to go. Synthetic makes zero sense in my case.

Assuming your van is still in warranty you MUST follow Toyota's oil change intervals in the owner's manual regardless of oil type.
 
BobbyG said:
I've been using synthetic oils in my vehicles for nearly 25 years. Many performance cars like the Chevrolet Corvette come standard with synthetic oils.

I use both Royal Purple and Mobil 1 synthetics.....:bigups
Click to expand...

Same here, 3000 mile intervals on the engine.
 
Turbocharged direct injection engine that sees the best used oil analysis' from Shell Rotella T6 5w40 and Pennzoil Ultra 5w40. Rotella T6 is far cheaper and can be found locally at WalMart so that's what I get.
 
I think its worth it, My 2001 Acura has 180k miles and I only use Amsoil oil in it. As soon as my new Acura was due for a change I filled it with Amsoil too.

CA.detailchick. Check out Amsoil and my 2001 Acura gets a change ever 12,000miles or once a year.
 
I'm loyal to mobil 1 for like 8 years now. I have no way to prove its superior to conventional motor oil but I am of the belief that its better. So I spend the extra money when its oil change time.
 
Gurge said:
I'm loyal to mobil 1 for like 8 years now. I have no way to prove its superior to conventional motor oil but I am of the belief that its better. So I spend the extra money when its oil change time.
Click to expand...

Mobil 1 is my second choice. But I do exclusively use their oil filters.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice.

Yes, my vans under warranty for a few more months so I want to make the change over to synthetic next year sometime.

Ive always changed my own oil until I got this van that requires me to use a jack( too low to crawl under) and special tools for the filter .

I would really like to start changing my own oil again.I used to really enjoy the satisfaction of doing it myself and saving money.

I just need to buy heavy duty jack and learn how the internal element in the filter is changed.

I love the idea of going longer between oil changes too!
 
BobbyG said:
I've been using synthetic oils in my vehicles for nearly 25 years. Many performance cars like the Chevrolet Corvette come standard with synthetic oils.

I use both Royal Purple and Mobil 1 synthetics.....:bigups
Click to expand...


+1

Porsche uses Mobil 1 synthetic European Formula. Good price at Walmart!
 
Unless you have a special engine, most any properly graded oil is good. You just need to change it according to usage. Oil has progressed so much in the last 5 years or so.

If you are really concerned, I would suggest getting a used oil analysis to see where you are since the analysis can spot possible engine issues too.
 
I don't believe synthetic oil is an advantage when one lives in a paradise like San Diego.

Just how many cold starts do you experience? :)
 
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