Oil Types?
 

What do you guys think about Synthetic Oil vs Synthetic Blend vs Normal Oil? Do you gain any advantages from having one over the other or what? Do you get better gas mileage or anything like that?

I have a 2000 accord with 46k on it and bought Castrol Synthetic Blend because that is what the dealer put in the car when he took it to them to do oil changes. I am not loyal to any particular brand, but want to know the advantages and disadvantages of each.

I use AMS oil brand sythentics....I go 25,000 miles between oil changes and I love it.

Wow, I don't think I could do that. Do you just use your dipstick to check if your oil is clean/dirty? I mean, if spending 20 dollars on oil to go that long between changes is really practical, I would be all for it!

Well thats what the company recommendeds for the interval with that type of oil...you still change filters at 3k.....

How do you change the filter without inadvertently changing (spilling) most of the oil?

I use Mobil 1 15W50 and plan to change it every 6000 miles.

I've always heard that switching from regular oil to a true synthetic on a car with higher miles (I think 50k was the rule of thumb) could cause problems. Supposedly, with regular oil, deposits can build up which actually help keep the system sealed. When you switch to synthetic, those deposits get blown out, and you can end up with all kinds of leaks. Anyone know if that's just an old wives tale?

I use royal purple full synthetic and change it about every 4,000 miles, changing the filter at 2,000 mile intervals.

djmala, to my understanding, what you say is correct.

when the car is off, most of the oil is in the oil pan, so pulling the filter isnt going to leak alot. you'll have to add oil afterwards though.

That's how they get away with longer oil changes. You could do that with standard oil and get longer changes, really. Not THAT much longer, but a little. I change my oil every 3000 miles. I use a synthetic blend formulated for Saab's. I would NEVER go more than 10,000 miles on an oil change, regardless of what kind of oil I was using. Mobil1 is almost five times the cost of standard Mobil oil, in the same weight. So, if you have a five quart engine, and you pay $1/qt for Mobil, and $4.79/qt for Mobil1, you've got to go some 15,000 miles per oil change. If you add on to that, the 1/2 - 3/4 of a quart, sometimes more, that you have to add when you change the filter at $4.50, then you're not saving any money at all. In my opinion, 3-5,000 mile oil changes on regular oil is absolutely fine. Use a good quality oil with a good filter, and you'll be good to go.

I dont use synthetic oil for cost savings so much as I use it for peace of mind.


it does lubricate better than regular, and when an engine is pulled apart, you can tell the difference between someone who has run a good synthetic and regular oil.

I would respectfully disagree. I owned a 1985 Cavalier with the 2.0 four cylinder. The guy that bought it from me tore the engine down to rebuild just because. It had 190,000 miles on it, 35,000 from me...hard. I used regular oil in it, and the engine was sludge free, minus just a smidge on the rocker arms, and everything in the engine save one crank bearing mic'd to within regular tolerance for a rebuild...meaning the engine could have passed for new. There are circumstances when a synthetic would be useful. High temps, consistent high loads...like a race car, or a truck that pulls a heave load day in and day out. A daily driven car won't REALLY benefit from it.

i work at valvoline instand oil change in streetsboro ohio, and everyone asks the differnece between the oils, and to quote someone up above, after you put oil in your car, its dirty about 5 days later..

but i would go synthetic until you get 75,000 miles then switch to maxlife synthetic just because its prooven to be better than durablend and conventional/all climate

cool, I guess if you stay on the oil change, it doesnt really matter.

I beat on my car enough to feel bad if I dont run synthetic.

yes, I have been brainwashed