Synthetic vs. Standard oil???

[hbrad3]

Having run a motorcycle dealership for several years, I have been aproached by several synthetic oil companies to use their product. The only two that showed any real improvement over conventional oil in my customers' bikes were Amsoil, and Royal Purple. Amsoil, when properly filtered, seemed to be the best. That being said, I use non-synthetic oil in my truck and change it as soon as the indicator says it's time. Never had a problem going the conventional route. My Harley is a different story. When I changed the old shovelhead over to Amsoil, the rear cylinder cooled off dramatically! The EVO seems to like Amsoil as well. My overall thoughts are that frequent oil changes are best no matter which oil you use. Just my 2 cents.

 

[GoNoGo]

I got a 2010 Nissan Titan. This is the vehicle purchase that has got to last me 15 years minimum.

Trade it for a Toyota truck, use regular oil every 3 or 4,000 miles and you'll get your 15 years.

 

[Rocket Man]

I always use Amsoil in my Corvette and Dodge Ram Quad cab. I don't drive either more than 7K miles per year, so one oil change each per year. A really important point to be considered about using a synthetic is you don't need to worry about any sludge build-up. This was an issue in some Dodge motors, using conventional oil.

 

[papadaca]

strictly use mobile one 0w 20 in the mercury
and castrol or valvoline in the cbr 1000. Oil filter is always a K&N.

 

[inkdaddy]

All I use is Mobil 1 synthetic...I was introduced to Mobil 1 in 1971 using it in two Pratt & Whitney Gas Jet Turbine's.

 

[ASSAULTLIFE]

Synthetic oil is always the better option.

Your car will run smoother and produce less friction. The engine will last longer and you only have to change it every 6000 miles.

I had a 2002 Audi A6 and used Castrol Synthec in it since all German cars have to have synthec. I changed oil every 10k miles and the oil was still perfect.

My mom has a 99 Camry with 219,000 miles and all we use is synthetic oil in that car since we bought it two years ago. Car is immaculate

I can only recommend Synthetic Oil.
As of brand, I always used Castrol and my brother alsways used Mobil 1 in his VW GTI.

 

[Tex06]

If you choose to go with synthetic, stay with it. You can't switch back and forth between the two, as the molecules in synthetic will actually stop dino oil from "sticking" and therefore lubricating on the metal surfaces of your engine. Also, if you go the other way, dino could have some buildup around sealing surfaces, in which case the synthetic will "wash" it out and potentially cause a leaky gasket. Also, older engines don't like synthetic as much (flat tappets for you gear heads, about 1985 and earlier for the rest of ya'll). I've had lifter problems and leaks with synthetic whereas dino with ZDDP hasn't failed yet.

Bottom line is owner's manual and stick with whichever you choose for the life of the engine/truck. I personally run synthetic in race vehicles only, my daily drivers get dino. I need an excuse to get out and check out my vehicle every 3000 miles, look for leaks, check fluids, tires, ball joints, tighten up any rattles, etc.

 

[reds06]

Alot of real world test I've looked in to have all basically concluded that synthetic's performance really stands out in high performance engines, other wise non synthetic will be just as good. Theres a lot of hype for synthetic for it's misleading also. Where I work we have to do monthly oil analysis and good quality oil is fine, and the conditions are about as worse case scenario as can get as far as getting contaminated. Also, your truck being a 2010, will changing oil type or even changing oil yourself void your warranty?

 

[Clarke123]

As was explained to me:

Oil in an engine serves two primary purposes lubrication and cleaning.
The primary purpose of an oil change is to replace oil that is ladened with
desolved contaminates (burnt oil, desolved metal components)
AND to restore the elasticity components that maintain the oil's ability to operate
at different temperatures: 5w - 30w means that the oil is 5w when cold
and 30w at normal engine temperatures).

Synthetic Oils tend to maintain their elasticity component much better than
Dino Oil. That's why you are supposed to be able to run them with longer
change intervals. On the other hand, contamination occurs as a constant
whether you use Dino or Synthetic. Contamination is far greater for stop and go
OR short trips. Far less for highway miles.

So, for my money - I tend to change every 3k miles but not more than every 90 days
nor do I go over the manufacturer's recommended milage per change limit.

I have never seen any credible evidence that mixing Synthetic with Dino, or changing one for the other
caused any problem in any vehicle. I have seen articles that indicate that Synthetic Oils have
caused problems with seal failures in older vehicles OR late model vehicles repaired with non-OEM seals.

A personal observation: I have observed a noticable increase in gas milage (+2-3MPG) and
perceptable decrease in engine noise every time I have ever change oil.

 

[BHJ]

I am a firm believer in synthetics. The catch is that brand new motors require break in and synthetics are so slick they can actually retard this process and lead to components that wont seat and seal properly. I run dino for the first 5K (break in) then switch to synthetic.
BHJ