Synthetic oil - your real world results?

[islandboy57]

My gen 5.5 Camry is now two years old and my cousin changed my oil yesterday. I bought Pennzoil 5W-30 synthetic and I was wondering if it is really worth it.. It costs 2-3x as much as conventional/mineral oil so I want to make sure it's worthwhile. My cousin explained to me that it performs much better especially in extreme cold or extreme heat, and here in Hawaii it regularly gets up to 90 degrees in the middle of the day - all day during the summer sometimes.

I haven't driven my car much but as always, it's much smoother when it's got fresh oil in it. I hopped on Google and see that synthetic should definitely provide better protection (cold and heat, obviously the former is not important here), longer oil change intervals (I've been doing 3m/3K mi) and possibly slightly better fuel mileage - but I wanted to know what YOUR experiences are?

I make lots of short trips (2mi / 15min) during the week and on the weekend I drive it more. I tend to drive my car hard but not like a maniac.

BTW, I finally learned how to change my own oil! Well.. My friend and I - we practiced on her aunt's 2006 Corolla. It was really easy! Next time I can do my own car. I've always put off learning how to do it myself (as if it were that hard..) but my cousin taught us. And even my friend (yes, a girl!) wanted to learn and so she took off the oil filter on the Corolla. I already did that when my cousin was running me through what to do (didn't have the right oil filter, so I just took it off and put it back on).

[repocop]

I exclusively run synthetic oil on all new cars i own, have owned, or will own.

I personally get better gas milage running it. your milage (har har) will vary.

[terrastrife]

good synth oils tend to wear the engine out less in tests, other then that, theres no real noticible difference from going from 15w-40 to 10w-30 that you woudl really notice...

i use mobil 1 supersyn 10w-30 (its the hard weight to get here in aus compared to 0w-40 lol) and purolator oil filters purely for their reputation.

[SRTRIDE]

Synthtic is the way to go, its thinner but sticks to component and don't break down as fast.

It is suggested not to use synthtic in a 30,000 mile vehicle though, unless you've always used it. It will find any way out it can through gaskets and seals.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by SRTRIDE

Synthtic is the way to go, its thinner but sticks to component and don't break down as fast.

It is suggested not to use synthtic in a 30,000 mile vehicle though, unless you've always used it. It will find any way out it can through gaskets and seals.

My car has ~20K miles. I also bought synthetic for my aunt's '05 Avalon w/ 6K miles. And yep, I've read that online. Synthetic doesn't cause the leak, it just clears the crud that dino oil created which sealed leaks. I thought it was pretty interesting. Okay, so I guess I'll invest in synthetic. I'm going to have my car for a long time to come..

PS: My friend's aunt..she bought her Corolla around 5/06 and her first oil change was yesterday. Almost 10 months!! It was getting awful gas mileage (17 MPG city) and the oil was really dark. She said the dealer told her 5K mile intervals (she has 2.8K on it) -- I told her, it's 5K mi or 5mo, whichever comes FIRST. Anyway, so we changed it and now you can barely tell it's running cuz it's so quiet. Poor car was probably choking on its own oil. I expect its gas mileage to improve greatly..

[repocop]

your first change or two after switching from natural to synthetic should happen closer to 1k miles than 3k tho.

it'll break down deposits that will quickly clog your filter and get into places it shouldn't.

[summerwind]

Originally Posted by SRTRIDE

Synthtic is the way to go, its thinner but sticks to component and don't break down as fast.

It is suggested not to use synthtic in a 30,000 mile vehicle though, unless you've always used it. It will find any way out it can through gaskets and seals.

Not true any more..

Per Mobil

Myth: Mobil 1 will leak out of the seals of older cars. Reality:






Mobil 1 does not cause leaks. In fact, new Mobil 1 was tested in dozens of industry standard and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) tests to prove its seal performance. It is fully compatible with the elastomeric materials from which all automotive seals and gaskets are made. If an older engine is in good condition and does not have oil leaks, Mobil 1 provides the same advantages as when used in a new engine. ExxonMobil recommends taking measures to repair the leaks, then using Mobil 1. ExxonMobil also recommends following the automobile manufacturer's manual for the proper oil to use.

Link to other info. http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/Mo...ics/Myths.aspx

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by repocop

your first change or two after switching from natural to synthetic should happen closer to 1k miles than 3k tho.

it'll break down deposits that will quickly clog your filter and get into places it shouldn't.

Man. Changing to synthetic and keeping it that way is expensive. Ha ha.. Alright, well, it'll give me a chance to practice the oil change routine then.

[Joe B]

Amsoil Synthetic here .

[geoff5093]

Originally Posted by summerwind

Not true any more..

Per Mobil


Link to other info. http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/Mo...ics/Myths.aspx

Is that a guarantee? So if I buy that and start to only use that, and it starts leaking and I can have them repair it? I doubt it, lol

[summerwind]

Originally Posted by geoff5093

Is that a guarantee? So if I buy that and start to only use that, and it starts leaking and I can have them repair it? I doubt it, lol

The "religion of oil" is an ongoing debate.

The important point is to use oil that meets the specs in your owners manual

More and more manufacturers are using synthetic oil as the factory fill. The latest to join the fold is the Acrua RDX. Most turbo powered engines specify synthetic.

Myth: You should break in your engine with conventional oil, then switch to a synthetic oil like Mobil 1. Reality:
You can start using Mobil 1® in new vehicles at any time, even in brand new vehicles. In fact, Mobil 1 is original equipment (it is installed at the factory) in:

• Acura RDX
• Aston Martin
• Bentley Amage and Bentley GT
• Cadillac CTS, CTS-V, XLR, XLR-V, SRX and STS and STS-V
• Chevrolet Corvette C6 and Z06
• Chevrolet SSR
• Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
• Chrysler 300C SRT-8 and Crossfire SRT-6
• Cobalt SS
• Dodge Ram SRT-10
• Dodge Charger SRT-8, Magnum, and Viper
• Jeep Cherokee SRT-8
• Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles
• Mercedes SLR
• Mitsubishi EVO III
• Pontiac GTO
• All Porsche vehicles
• Saturn Red Line
• Viper SRT-10

One of the myths surrounding synthetic oils is that new engines require a break-in period with conventional oil. The fact is, current engine manufacturing technology does not require this break-in period. As indicated by the decisions of the engineers who design the high-performance cars listed above, Mobil 1 can be used starting the day you drive the car off the showroom floor.

Do you need it...no

Can you use it yes..

[SRTRIDE]

Originally Posted by summerwind

Not true any more..

Per Mobil


Link to other info. http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/Mo...ics/Myths.aspx

After speaking with the oil folks and not just reading what they want you to, and being a ase guy for a long time. I can tell you from seeing the problem many times, where people switched to syn on a vehicle with over 30,000, and after about 8 months would develope leak after leak.

If you where to cut a filter down after the switch, you would find the ole gum in the filter.

Did the syn cause it, NO! The dino more or less cause a glaze on the interior of the engine at every gasket and seal, then the switch to syn actually cleaned the glaze. Now the gum is found in the filter.

The glaze on the interior gaskets and seals, allow for the rest of the seal or gasket to dry. When the glaze is cleaned poof, you have a leak.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by SRTRIDE

After speaking with the oil folks and not just reading what they want you to, and being a ase guy for a long time. I can tell you from seeing the problem many times, where people switched to syn on a vehicle with over 30,000, and after about 8 months would develope leak after leak.

If you where to cut a filter down after the switch, you would find the ole gum in the filter.

Did the syn cause it, NO! The dino more or less cause a glaze on the interior of the engine at every gasket and seal, then the switch to syn actually cleaned the glaze. Now the gum is found in the filter.

The glaze on the interior gaskets and seals, allow for the rest of the seal or gasket to dry. When the glaze is cleaned poof, you have a leak.

You think I'll have any problems switching to synthetic @ 20K? Well, at least the Avalon is @ 6K miles so the engine is still relatively new. I do know that my car feels fantastic with fresh oil - synthetic at that. I'll be checking my dipstick as a quick way to see if I'm leaking any. I don't really park in one spot all the time so I can't just look under the car.

[SRTRIDE]

Originally Posted by islandboy57

You think I'll have any problems switching to synthetic @ 20K? Well, at least the Avalon is @ 6K miles so the engine is still relatively new. I do know that my car feels fantastic with fresh oil - synthetic at that. I'll be checking my dipstick as a quick way to see if I'm leaking any. I don't really park in one spot all the time so I can't just look under the car.

As long as you have stood tough on oil changes at regular intervals you should be fine, 30k has always been the breaking point.


If your wanting to use syn, think of whats best for your transportation. Once you go syn, make sure to stick with it from here on out. It cost more but, you can also go further on oil changes. Its recomended that on dino, every 3-4,000 miles. On the other hand syn is up to 7,000. But I recommend if going the syn route 4-5,000.

Amsoil has to be to best product on the market, a test to do is take different makes of syn and in differnet cups, place 2 oz of each in the freezer. If you do it you will find which has the best low temp, which would stay at a more liquid state rather than getting to thick. This same thing can be done using tin cans to heat the oil to find the one with the highest boil or flame point (outside test). After finding the one which stands up to the most extreme heat and cold, start over with the best two without changing the samples going cold to hot to get the best syn oil. I doubt you go through all this but, just stay with a very known oil name and you'll be fine. If its done you would find amsoil has the highest and lowest temps which withstands all the changes better than any other I've ever seen.

Do this same test with dino, and it falls on its face in heat or cold.

Hope that helps.

[islandboy57]

I bought the car used and they changed it every 5K/5mo whichever was sooner. Since I got it, I've been changing it every 3-4mo -- I drive only 6-8K miles per year so mileage doesn't matter, I go by time.

I think I will go with changing my oil every 5K/5mo which is what Toyota recommended on dino oil. Like you said, I figure synthetic can go longer and I'd like to think I can go a little longer since I'm paying so much more. Thanks for the info.. I buy my oil from Costco and Sam's Club. I bought Pennzoil since it was the cheapest - but maybe next time I'll go with Mobil1 which is the only other brand they have. Pennzoil was $24.xx per 6 quart case while Mobil1 was $37.xx.

Okay, synthetic here on out. My cousin did warn me that he highly recommends against changing back to dino..so I committed myself to synthetic. Money is not an issue with the Avalon and Corolla so I guess I'll go synthetic from here on out with those too.