jrv2000

So I know both of you guys are pretty smart, and I was wondering if you could help me make a decision about what type of oil to use in my car. I am debating if i should start using synthetic motor oil in my car, or continue with 5W30. I dont know if it will benefit my engine at all, and was wondering if you guys could clarify it for me. My main concern is even though the oil lasts longer under the same conditions than regular oil, unwanted particles from engine wear will still suspend themselves in the oil and cause damage. Is it just better to use regular oil and change it more often, or is Synthetic really all irs hyped up to be. Thanks

John

M-Flo

Synthetic works.

Then again regular dino oil has been time tested and proven. Old toyo engines have been known to run for 200k + miles on dino oil without any problems. It's a heck of a lot cheaper as well.

It's up to whether you have the money for it or not. Do your own oil change and synthetic will only run you around 20-30 bucks including filter. Go to a dealer and they will charge an arm and leg for it even though it's the exact same labor as a regular oil change.

As long as you monitor your oil levels and condition a la the mighty dipstick, you should be fine whether you use dino or syn :D

XBman

some 1 here speaks spanish...... might i add the mighty plastic dip stick, but yea. what he said

TheKnown

yea thats right, i heard you guys have a yellow plastic dipstick.... thats kinda special.

jrv2000

So what are the main pro's/cons running synthetic vs regular?

hotbox05

Synth runs cleaner , leaves less deposits behind , and is supposed to be a better lubricant , as well as have longer change intervals , it also is less likely to burn off , but it can seep past seals , it isnt a good thing to use pure synth on old high mileage cars, too many oil leaks will develop.

jct

from what i hear soon as you go fully synthetic you can not go back to using dino oil

could you do that with 50/50 (synthetic blends with dino) oil???
change back to or from? yeah some thing like that

pdrizzle

I've got about 9,500 miles on my car and I'm contemplating whether or not to start running Royal Purple. Does anyone have a reason that I should not? Is 10,000 miles a good time to start using synthetic?

jmiller20874

I've heard in numerous threads on here that Royal Purple should not be used at all in our engines and doing so would gunk it up, not to mention the cost. I know I'll get flamed for this post (if I do you better have proof otherwise), but Royal Purple is for high-performance racing engines not daily-drivers that barely reach 100whp.


(Isn't funny how neither of the people this thread was directed at have responded?)

Minsk99

From the Royal Purple web site:

"Royal Purple® Motor Oil is recommended for use in all four-cycle gasoline engines and both two-cycle and four-cycle diesel applications including cars, trucks, motor homes / RVs, boats, commercial fleet and stationary industrial diesel engines....

Royal Purple® Motor Oils are compatible with other mineral and synthetic motor oils.
Royal Purple's motor oils are API certified and will not void new car warranties. Royal Purple® recommends waiting until the manufacturer's first scheduled oil change or a minimum of 2,000 miles in new gasoline engines before using Royal Purple®. Allow 8,000 to 10,000 miles before use in diesel engines."

I switched to Purple at 2000 miles.

pdrizzle

Thanks, Minsk! Have you had any issues? Have you noticed anything different (bad or good?

jmiller20874

That's fine but that stuff is still close to $6 a quart. Unless that stuff guarantees a 5% raise in performance and/or that my engine will last 500,000 miles, is it worth it? With poeple getting 200K out of plain motor oil, I don't see the point.

pdrizzle

Why do people put LEDs in every hole and crevice? Why do people ride 19" wheels and pay $300/tire? Why do people outfit their car with every carbon fiber part out there? Why do people pay over a thousand dollars on coilovers for a crappy ride? Why do people eat steak when SPAM provides the same nutrients? Sometimes you do things because they make you feel good.

I justify it like this: the average person puts 15,000 miles on their car per year; the average oil change takes place at 3,000 miles, so that's about 5 oil changes a year. For 3,000 mile oil change vehicles, that would be 4 quarts * $2.50/quart * 5 oil changes = $50 a year on oil. For our cars, the equation goes like this: 4 quarts * $2.50/quart of regular oil * 3 oil changes (one every 5,000 miles) = $30 a year on oil. Royal Purple is $6/quart * 4 quarts * 3 oil changes = $72 a year on lubricant. Now if I can't afford an additional $42 (only $22 compared to a normal 3,000 mile oil change) a year (about $14 per oil change) to make sure that my car is running the best lubricant out there, I probably shouldn't have bought a new car.

Tamago

i run valvoline .. good oil.

btw, chevron oil is the only company that refines their oil to a completely CLEAR state, before putting additives in it.

Petem

just an FYI... "excluding AMSOIL".... all motor oils are dino based.. meaning they are pertrolium based... what makes one oil synthetic and one not is in the way it is processed..

the synthetic oil is chemically processed.. so you get a better more consistent molecule.. regular oil goes thru the regular refining process.. this better molecule is what give the syth oil it's better quality.... some of the more expensive petrolium based synths start with a higher quality base stock.. after that.. both synth and regular oil get the full range of needed additives.. synth blends are just a combination of the two types....

Now.. AMSOIL if im not mistaken is non petrolium based.. im not sure where they get their base stock from .... i vagly remember someone somewhere telling me that it was plant based but don;t quote me on that.. does it make it better or worse than petro based oil.. ? i guess that is up to yopur opinion...

this info came to me by way of mobil oil along time ago.. it was just a reprint of a motor trend right up about synthetic oil.. i may still have the print i recieved..

jmiller20874

Dude what you decide to do is ok, I'm not trying to bash anyone or start a flame war. To each their own, really. Trust me when I say money has nothing to do with it, to me it's all about neccessity. I run 87 octane and use plain Mobil dino oil, not because it's cheap but because the engineers at Toyota say thats all my stock motor needs for long life. If and when I boost the engine, I probably will run a full synthetic oil and premium fuel, because it'll be neccessary. I'd just assume spend my cash on other things.

Petem

Synth is suppose to make your seals last alot longer.. i can attest to this.. my present car. a 95 gtp has had synth oil in it from the moment it cross 1000 miles.. and at 235k miles.. it has had "no" oil leaks what so ever.. where as on the pontiac boards.. those that have used regular oil seem to have some leaks here and there.. just my 2 cents.

Minsk99

We are all missing the most important point here: Royal Purple is, in fact, really purple (LOL). I have to admit that I'm a dope about that. I think that they should make it grape tasting and scented and then I'd have a few sips along with my xB. On weekends I'd mix a little Makers Mark in there for the two of us.

To answer above question, I have had no negative effects (that I know of) w RP. Its the only synthetic I have run so far so I have nothing to compare it to.

Scott17

^^^^^^I'm with this guy.