Thinking about going back to Conventional Oil

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XtraRevsSurely

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I have an 05 Toyota Corolla XRS I bought new. My car has 170k miles all on synthetic oil. I'm debating about switching to conventional oil after using up the synthetic I've already bought. My main objective is to save money. I'm doubting the benifits of synthetic at this point out weight the extra money. I do 4k oci which is every 3 months or so now.
Also, I will continue to use Purolator PureOne filters so at least I'm getting cleaner oil.

Any thoughs on my change? Has anyone switched to conventional after years of synthetic and regreted it?
 
I see no problem at all, especially if you can save some money in the process. I've done that switch a few times over the years with no regrets. Typically when my car earns beater status, I look to save some money. Go for it!
 
I think you will not be alone in this matter. With things changing and prices going up second thought are flowing. One of the advantages of syn. oil was the add packs. NOW????
 
With oil change intervals that short, there are only two reasons for which you might benefit from synthetics over conventionals:

1. Something is wrong with your engine that is causing excess stress on the oil (poor combustion, fuel dilution, etc.)

2. You drive really hard. This includes not driving gently for the first few minutes after a cold start, keeping the revs high at low speeds, and/or driving aggressively in hot weather.

If none of that is the case for you, you probably will be okay switching to a decent conventional.
 
I'm in the same situation. I've been using Syn for 5,000-6,000 OCI on my Civic. With current conventional oil I just might go to it for 5,000 OCI. It's rare to find really good deals on Syn anymore around where I live.
 
You obviously put alot of miles on this vehicle and are a good candidate for synthetic oil. Just extend your OCI.
 
Quote:

You obviously put alot of miles on this vehicle and are a good candidate for synthetic oil. Just extend your OCI.

+1

8K if it were me.

I wish I had purchased an XRS, myself.
 
Folks, it will be all about the money for most in coming years. That said, I think synthetics and regular oils will approach closer in price in the next few years.

If one watches out for sales, syntheitics still can be had for a decent price.
 
If you like to do 4k OCI then synthetic is not worth the cost, any brand name dino will do well with that short OCI. If you like synthetic then you should extend OCI to 6 months or 8-10k miles whichever is first.
 
Originally Posted By: XtraRevsSurely
Also, I will continue to use Purolator PureOne filters so at least I'm getting cleaner oil.

This is a fallacy; your oil is not going to be any cleaner..
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: XtraRevsSurely
Also, I will continue to use Purolator PureOne filters so at least I'm getting cleaner oil.

This is a fallacy; your oil is not going to be any cleaner..


I know right? I just normally take a mason jar, stuff it with rags, and screw that on-works fine for me.
 
Since 2 of my Toyota cars went outside warranty, I'm slowly transitioning from 5,000 miles/6 months on dino (required by warranty) to 10,000 miles/12 months quality synthetic. About the same cost, but less hassle, pollution and less engine wear.

OP's 4,000 miles/3 months OCI on synthetic oil is throwing away money.
 
Originally Posted By: Cristobal
...synthetics and regular oils will approach closer in price in the next few years.


As they should since many contemporary syns, syn blends, and so-called conventional oils are nearing par with each other used inside of 7K-8K OCIs.

I abandoned syns when SM/GF-4 Group II/II+ oils were introduced. My new engines and I will never know the difference since I never maintain ownership past 100K.
 
I do not drive my car hard. I do a ton on highway miles so I'm rarely in traffic!

I thought about doing a longer change interval but wouldn't I have to replace the filter anyway?
 
[OP's 4,000 miles/3 months OCI on synthetic oil is throwing away money. [/quote]

I have thrown a lot of money away because as of May I would pay to have my oil changed to boot!
 
35.gif
 
there are hundreds of thousands of vehicles out there that make it past 200k using a Fram filter and whichever conventional oil their dad used. Oils have improved tremendously over the past decade or two. IOW I wouldn't sweat this decision.

Personally I prefer to run conventional oil at a shorter OCI (3k for stop & go city driving, 5 or 6k for highway driving). My reasoning is that if I'm changing it more often, I'm getting more crud out. If I was using synthetic, I'd probably run it significantly longer... but you aren't getting rid of contaminants are quickly this way.
 
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