To use Synthetic or not to use Synthetic, that is the question.

[jasonck08]

As the title says, I'm wondering if I should use synthetic oil. I have a 1989 camry 4 cylinder automatic with 146k on it. I'm wondering if synthetic oil would be good for it and if it would increase MPG or power at all.

So is it really worth the extra $? My camry does NOT burn any oil, and the oil stays quite clean. As it is I'm 500 miles over due for an oil change, and the oil still looks quite clean. As far as I know the engine is in good shape.

Please advise, and tell me what type of oil I should use.

[atobe]

if you don't drive it hard i wouldn't bother.. unless you want to do 10k mile oil changes but the filters don't last that long

[Musikmann]

Ditto to atobe. It sounds like your car is used to petroleum oil and is behaving fine. I have fewer miles but mine uses no oil between 3000 oil/filter changes and looks clean on the dipstick. I have never followed the owner's manual which says to change oil every 3750 and the filter every 7500. The dealer I use says I can use a 5000 mile oil/filter interval but I refuse to do so. One of the service writers (former tech and Gen 1 Avalon owner) agrees with me.

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by Musikmann

Ditto to atobe. It sounds like your car is used to petroleum oil and is behaving fine. I have fewer miles but mine uses no oil between 3000 oil/filter changes and looks clean on the dipstick. I have never followed the owner's manual which says to change oil every 3750 and the filter every 7500. The dealer I use says I can use a 5000 mile oil/filter interval but I refuse to do so. One of the service writers (former tech and Gen 1 Avalon owner) agrees with me.

Until you do oil analysis, you won't know what the correct oil change interval is for your car. If you do oil changes yourself, it doesn't cost much extra to do them more often, but it would still be a waste of time and money if the oil and filter is still in good shape.

I run my Camry on 5k intervals with dino oil and my WRX at 7.5k intervals with Mobil1, with no problems to report. Most of the driving I do is pretty easy freeway stuff, and I do an extra oil change after track days and such with the WRX. I haven't done any oil analysis though - this is going off what I have seen from other WRX owners who have.

-Charlie

[malayan]

Hi guys!

Hey just want to let you know that if you use the Synthetic and you have any leaks (like I had)...IT WILL MAKE THEM WORSE!

Things get more slippery.

But if you have a none leaker( like my other Camry).. The tests have proven that changing a high mile motor to Synthetic will prove to help the eternal parts to last much much longer..but

Not worth the expense if it is going to end up on the pavement!

I have an engine that I was going to replace anyway because it had a od going out but still ran ok.
I canged the oil to synthetic and then drove it around for a couple days. I then drained (and saved) the synthetic completely out of the engine like they did on T.V.
I proceded to see how long the engine would run WITHOUT ANY OIL IN IT.

I am going let it idle while I am working on my other engine swap.

Anyone interested in the results?

Ok Time for a Widmer.. Love Wheat!..he he

[TLewis07@cfl.rr.com]

Originally Posted by jasonck08

As the title says, I'm wondering if I should use synthetic oil. I have a 1989 camry 4 cylinder automatic with 146k on it. I'm wondering if synthetic oil would be good for it and if it would increase MPG or power at all.

So is it really worth the extra $? My camry does NOT burn any oil, and the oil stays quite clean. As it is I'm 500 miles over due for an oil change, and the oil still looks quite clean. As far as I know the engine is in good shape.

Please advise, and tell me what type of oil I should use.

synthetic oil uses the same additive packages as conventional motor oil,so it too is affected by acids,dirt,water etc.I surely wouldnt keep it in for 25,000 miles,As far as leaks,the smaller molecules in synthetic oil may find a infant leak,but for the most part,nothing to worry about.The synthetic oils real benefit is the high temps it can withstand.Just don't use it with a 3 dollar oil filter.

[Kingdom934]

I switch from dino to semi syn and then to full syn HM for my '85 Camry. My uncle didn't keep a good record of oil changes, so it had a fair amount of sludge, evidents shown in the oil drain plug. Black crystals. Been doing oil changes every 1.5K ~ 2K miles with oil filter change everytime. I Use fram since they are cheap and I change the oil often anyhow. My Versa is still using dino on a 3K change.