Considering going back to dino oil

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For quite a few years now I've been using synthetic oil exclusively in my vehicles (various oils including GC 0W30, Mobil 1 HM, Mobil 1 5W30 and now PP or Ultra in my old Honda Accord and Chevy Impala). Looking at the UOA's lately it seems that add packs in the dino oils are pretty impressive and are giving great results (including the new SN oils). I'm seriously considering going back to good 'ol dino (thinking PZ yellow bottle with it's impressive specs in the the new SN flavor). These cars see a LOT of easy highway miles (55 mph speed limit here for the most part and few opportunities to do any city driving as there aren't any real cities). My only concern is winter starting. Temps here in the "great white north" trend to subzero much of the time and I like the lower pour points of the synthetics. I just don't think I'm getting that much advantage for my type of driving from these synthetics.
 
The majority of syn oil users never get the advantages they pay for with syn oil. Todays oils are really good and unless the syn advantage is required or needed.
 
I hop back and forth. Trying different stuff all the time. I change seasonally, last fall I put in M1 0w40. Sometimes I will put in a dino 5w30 for winter, and a dino 10w40 for summer. You really just can't go wrong either way if you wait for a good sale and stock up.

M1 0w40 never seems to go on more than a buck or two off on sale, so I splurged on that one, but I have 16 qts of GTX 5w30 and 10w40 I got at half price and a jug of T6 all waiting to go in.

Try different stuff! See what works best, or if there's any difference at all in your car. No need to pick dino or syn exclusively.
 
I often think of doing this myself but then a sweet deal surfaces on synthetic...like the 20 quarts of Quaker State Ultimate Durability I just bought for $3.39/quart.
 
Originally Posted By: pidster
You really just can't go wrong either way if you wait for a good sale and stock up.


That's the ticket
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I did that on my truck. My wife's Pilot still gets syn cause I can't make myself run dino 8,000 miles like her maintenance minder tells me to! Now that I have a new job where I drive more, I went back to dino and 5,000 OCI's for my truck.

To be honest, there is NO difference in MPG, smoothness, noise, or anything else.
 
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It really depends on vehicles, use and personal comfort zone.

I have very similar driving conditions to you excepting more heat and less cold.


We currently having to run 6 month changes due to warrranty.

2010 Ram 1500 4.7L - 5W20 Pennzoil SN every 6 months (5000-6000 miles)

2007 Hyundai Accent 1.6L - 5W20 Quaker State SN every 6 months (2500-3000 miles).

If it wasnt for warranty I would do annual changes using PYB on the Accent and PU on the Ram.
 
I'm going back on my truck, probably to PYB. I really don't see the point in spending the bucks for synthetic when the OLM tells me to change it at 5k-7k anyway since I do a lot of around town driving.
 
If I can get a good deal on Syn, I suppose I will keep buying it. Otherwise I will use Dino in truck and minivan. I have a feeling that the Mustang GT will get the syn because of the way I like to drive it...
 
Different strokes. I want the best fluid in my engine and synthetic is a better fluid. I get fractionally better mpg with syn,so it pays for itself.
 
I'm doing both.


Formula Shell for the summer/fall, then back to syn for the winter/spring.(QSUD).


Best of both worlds....
 
You can always stretch the mix buy combining some High Quality Dino with some synthetic. I do it al the time and even with diesel oils compatible for gasoline engines. The combinations are endless and since all SN and SM oils are compatible, the cost of the mix vs a synthetic blend at regular retail price is a lot less.

The bonus is that you actually KNOW how much synthetic oil is in your home mix rather than guessing at what the brand name Blend consists of for synthetic.
 
Synthetic ONLY if going 10k miles on an OCI, with a bypass filter, and if you have REALLY cold winters.

Other than that, I think its a waste of money. You'll never know the difference, but it will make you feel better.
 
Not a waste of money. You can get,fractionally,better mpg with synthetic oil. Heck you may even "make" money" by running synthetic.
 
Originally Posted By: FZ1
Not a waste of money. You can get,fractionally,better mpg with synthetic oil. Heck you may even "make" money" by running synthetic.


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