Synthetic Motor Oil is it worth it?

Forthewall · Feb 1, 2008

I run of fleet of trucks daily and decided to test some synthetic motor oil to see if it improves mileage. My trucks consistantly knock down 26 mpg. After replacing the regular oil with synthetic we were able to achieve 27 mpg.

However, 1 extra mile time 13 gallons only extended fuel mileage costs by 1/2 a gallon a tank or about $1.50. So all in all I would say for your average commuter car the additional cost of synthetic motor oil vs. regular oil is simply not worth the money.

bobcatbess · Feb 1, 2008

WELL I'VE WONDERED THE SAME THING OVER THE YEARS!!!

MAY I ASK WHAT KIND OF TRUCKS YOU RUN THAT GET 26-27 MPG???

HERES ONE MORE THING TO THINK ABOUT!!!

THE WEAR & TEAR ON AN ENGINE SHOULD BE WAY LESS WITH SYNTHETIC OILS!!!

BUT HOW MUCH LESS???

I LIKE RUNNING SYNTHETIC OILS IN GEAR BOXES,TRANSFER CASES & DIFFERENTIALS,I BELIEVE ITS WELL WORTH THE MONEY,BUT IN THE ENGINE I'M WITH YOU,IS IT WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN???

DEPENDS ON IF YOU'RE PROLONGING THE ENGINES LIFE WITH THE SYNTHETIC OIL I GUESS???

I THINK ALOT OF TODAYS MOTOR OIL IS PRETTY GOOD OIL!!!

DO I RUN PENNZOIL???

DO I RUN QUAKER STATE???

OR DO I RUN ONE OF 50 OTHER BRANDS???

I DON'T KNOW WHICH IS THE BEST???

I'VE RUN PENNZOIL FOR THE MOST PART & I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS!!!

AS FOR THE SYNTHETIC OIL I USE THE MOBIL ONE,EXPENSIVE $HIT,IS IT WORTH IT???

I DON'T KNOW???

THIS IS MY NEW GUN,YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT,YOU'LL LIKE IT A HELL OF A LOT LESS WHEN IT HITS ITS DESTINATION!!!

THE ONLY bobcat THAT KNOWS ALOT OF YOU HAVE HAD THIS IMAGE IN YOUR PEA BRAIN BUT DUE TO POOR SHOOTING TACTICS I'M STILL KICKIN!!!

3blade · Feb 2, 2008

I was an auto mechanic for 15 yrs and saw many high mileage engines oil ports completely plugged up by pennzoil and quaker state motor oils. They are paraffin based oils which leaves a wax residue in your engine over time. Most other oils are sulfur based and leave your engine much cleaner providing you change the oil like your supposed to. I was also told by Texaco and Chevron engineers that castrol was the best and valvoline was #2 as far as holding up under pressure produced by an engine.

huntindude · Feb 2, 2008

I agree with you guys , it's great but probably not cost effective in newer engines. many mechanics agree with you 3blade, and say Pennzoil is the worst because of poor detergents.

One thing to think about for you classic car guys or anyone runnung an older flat tappet engine is synthetic oils are thought by many to cause cam failure. my Mopar club with members across the nation is pretty much sworn off of them, for me with a high lift cam and heavy valve springs like I have in my 440 six pack it only makes it worse. a good quality regular oil and a high zinc additive are what your cam needs, this could be debated like politics but it's a pretty popular theory.

TFinalshot · Feb 2, 2008

I have a different opinion.

i have almost 300,000 on my toyota tacoma. I use full syn Mobile 1 5-30 in the winter, and 10-40 in the summer. I change the oil every 12-15,000 (and air filter) miles and the oil filter at 7,000. I burn just under on quart of oil between changes.

This means for $40 bucks, the cost of doing the oil change at home, I do it once instead of 5 times like I would have to do with regular oil.

So, for me it works great. The toyo with 280,000 on it still pulls the hills loaded with 500 lbs of gear at 70-80 mph if I use supreme. . .

I like the fact that I do fewer oil changes, and for me that worth every penny and then some. . .

TripleK · Feb 2, 2008

>This means for $40 bucks, the
>cost of doing the oil
>change at home, I do
>it once instead of 5
>times like I would have
>to do with regular oil.
>
Home oil change job? What do you do w/your used oil afterwards??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm???

LOL (you know I'm just giving you a hard time, Tony..I know you're not the kind of guy who dumps it into the creek. lol)

TFinalshot · Feb 2, 2008

I use the oil on my drive way. . . not really, i dump it in the oil drop in cutbank, Montana, at the trash transfer station.

YukonDall · Feb 2, 2008

SYNTHETIC OIL NEVER WORKED FOR ME, IT WAS VERY COSTLY....AND STILL LOOKED DIRTY BEFORE IT WAS TIME TO CHANGE IT. HOW DO YOU KEEP SYNTHETIC OIL FROM BEING JUST AS DIRTY AS CONVENTIONAL OIL ? ALSO I TALKED TO MECHANICS WHO DONT/WONT USE IT.....YD.

TFinalshot · Feb 2, 2008

for me the proof is in the pudding. My experience with syn-oil is awesome, almost 300,000 k and still going strong, I could care less what ANY mechanic in the entire universe told me. In fact some still tell me i'm crazy, but really, am I?

If it aint broke dont fix it. . .

kilowatt · Feb 2, 2008

Just read in the local paper this morning where a man up in MN is very close to reaching a milestone with his 1991 Chevy Pu and logging a total 1 Million miles. Changes the oil every 3,000 miles too. Puts about 85,000 miles on a year delieving seafood in three states.

He goes to some quick stop oil place for the changes. I use to do my own too, always used Valvoline or Castrol. Got to where I couldn't find a place to dump it, always had their barels full, so just to go the dealership where I bought the PU. A very close friend of mine who has worked as a Mech. for just over 45 years now says to use either of the above mentioned oils.

Brian

kingfish · Feb 2, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-08 AT 11:25AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-08 AT 11:24?AM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-08 AT 11:23?AM (MST)

The ONLY true 100% synthetic oil on the market is Amsoil. All the others are blends. I run Amsoil in my cars and love it. I spend 50 bucks each change and only have to change my oil twice a year. I use NAPA gold filters and change them every 5000 miles I just add 1 quart per filter change. Yukon, all oils get dirty because they have cleaning agents in them. The only issue with Amsoil is if you have any oil leaks Amsoil will increase the volume that leaks because is thinner and lubricates better.

Forthewall · Feb 2, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-08 AT 10:37AM (MST)[p]Bobcat, I run a fleet of Toyota Tacomas and I use Castrol GTX 10-40. On the average I get about 300,000+ miles before having the head done. By the time they stack upwards to 450K, it's time for them to go bye bye.

I gotta admit I do use Castrol Syntec on my Camaro and Amzoil sythetic in the rear and the tranny. However, I only put about 200 miles a year on that ride and cost isn't really a factor.

huntsonora · Feb 2, 2008

>for me the proof is in
>the pudding. My experience
>with syn-oil is awesome, almost
>300,000 k and still going
>strong, I could care less
>what ANY mechanic in
>the entire universe told me.
> In fact some still
>tell me i'm crazy, but
>really, am I?
>
>If it aint broke dont fix
>it. . .

Yeah T, I think your crazy but I agree with you about synthetic oil. I use it in all of my vehicles, I put it in the crankcase, transmission, differentials and anywhere else I need to use oil or grease. I use Amsoil and love it...

Drum

eelgrass · Feb 2, 2008

My 2003 Tacoma gets an oil change every 3000 miles or 3 months. Castrol GTX 5-30. 35,000 miles in 5 years without a problem. LOL

I always wait for a good sale with a rebate and usually pay around $1 per quart. I have 4 cases stashed in the garage.

Eel

manny15 · Feb 2, 2008

my Bro-inlaw works for Lucas oil and he said the main reason to switch is, longer oil life less oil change's and thus saving money in the long run...every thing else is an added bonus....

nickman · Feb 2, 2008

More opinions....My 91 Suburban has 293,000 miles and has never had anything in it but Pennzoil Synthetic.

This is my daily driver and my hunt rig. Desert roads in 4 wheel drive at least 3000 miles annualy. Rebuilt the engine one time, never had to turn the crank and there was NO ridge on the cylinders. Oil ports and oil pump was unbelievably sludge free. Made a believer out of me.

I was a GM factory rep and service trainer for 12 years and now I know why the factories did not recommend synthetic oils.

BeanMan · Feb 2, 2008

95 toyota 4 wheel drive PU. Change the oil every 3000 with Castrol. 250,000 miles and uses less than quart of oil between changes. rebuild the motor? Maybe if it wears out.

synthetic in the gear boxes.

beanman

manny15 · Feb 2, 2008

Bean - it's not the oil its the toyota man, my 87 has 320,000 and still going...

schmalts · Feb 2, 2008

Been in a business that I had a lot of exposure to testing of Synth oil VS regular. First off you don't use synth for better mileage.... But for engine life.
Second, if you dont run the synth for at least 7500 miles (i do 10,000) your wasting your money. BTW, if your changing your non-synth oil before your factory recommended interval your also wasting your oil. The oil companies and oil change shops have you suckered into thinking your oil is bad after 3k miles.
Third, someone commented on their synth oil getting "dirty" fast. Oil that is discolored and black is not dirty, it is just discolored with extra fine soot and other crap that was loosened up by the better detergent of a good oil. If the stuff is so fine that the filter cannot pick it up it will in no way harm your engine, and can actually act as an axtra additive. Don't change your oil just because it is not clear anymore, your wasting your money. Hell, if your changing your Mobil 1 at 3000 miles send the stuff to me and i will run it in my truck for another 7k and than after that use it in my chainsaw for bar oil.
You guys need to keep in mind that oils have come a long way since the days that your Dad bragged if he got 100,000 miles out of his engine. The additives are far better than the old days, and that is why 100k miles is now just broken in for most engines.

257Tony · Feb 2, 2008

I run Syn in my Cobra, I figure its better at 7k RPM, but run dino oil in my Truck since it gets changed more often and never sees the high side of 5k RPM.