Why synthetic?

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: 69GTX

Originally Posted By: Bluestream

You change your oil every 1400-1800 miles ?

Sure do. That car is my toy. Only driven about once per week on average. No doubt many here would push an OCI to 2-3 years. I'm not ready to cross that bridge yet. But, you never know. I've only recently gone from 2X per year to 1X. I would say the majority of owners of low mileage performance cars more than 10 years old are probably doing the same thing. Many still change the oil 2X per year regardless of miles. The guys doing oil changes every 2-3 yrs are in the minority. Not taking any sides, just pointing out what I see on the other tech sites.

Its amazing how long oil stays good. Have a UOA done after one years and you'll be shocked. I do 3 year OCI on my BMW, so for it has lasted 25 years...Long after the 3 month and 3K miles cars are in the junkyard.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979

Synthetic meets far more stringent specs than any conventional oil.

Just the base oil. And the add pack makes up a significant amount of any motor oil and has as much to do with the quality of an oil as the base oil does. I would rather have a decent conventional "less stringent" oil with a killer add pack than I would a "more stringent" synthetic with a poor to mediocre add pack.

 

[69GTX]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream

Its amazing how long oil stays good. Have a UOA done after one years and you'll be shocked. I do 3 year OCI on my BMW, so for it has lasted 25 years...Long after the 3 month and 3K miles cars are in the junkyard.

How many miles per year do you put on your BMW? I'll assume zero short trips. More than likely I'll try a UOA after the current oil is 1 yr old in May. It would be educational to test it once. But, there must be a number of other UOA's here or on say LS1Tech.com where members tested rarely driven performance cars at the 1 yr and 2 yr points using a high quality synthetic.

 

[mctmatt]

A lot of good advice and yes I know some of what I see is marketing and where they get me is heat protection as every jug or bottle of synthetic especially their top level brands all claim better protection against high engine temps. I know we are not Death Valley but sitting in Dallas rush hour traffic on 100 degree days does happen quite a few times each year. Heck it was 95 last week. I am going to have a UOA done just to see on my next oil change which I am going to push out to 7500 miles as I said I am running Valvoline HM Full Synthetic with a Fram XP Ultra...I know some will say over kill but actually I got the oil for $21.95 and the Fram was $8 bucks but probably again over kill since I am only going out 7500 mi before my next OCI.

 

[Merkava_4]

I run full synthetic because it's only about $2 more than a premium conventional.

 

[demarpaint]

I look at it this way, there is some truth to some of these these claims: . Keeps your engine cleaner . Offer greater engine wear protection . Flow better in low temperatures . Increase protection at high temperatures . Help extend engine life Lets say you blow a hose, or a belt lets go and you overheat the engine. A synthetic oil would be something I'd want in the sump. Or when we make winter trips up north and temps reach 30 below or colder, synthetic wins again. My 2000 Century made me a believer that synthetic oil cleans better than conventional oil. It is also safe to say conventional oil has come a long way. Do your homework and use what you feel is best for your needs. Lastly synthetic oil can stay in the sump longer.

 

[mctmatt]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint

I look at it this way, there is some truth to some of these these claims: . Keeps your engine cleaner . Offer greater engine wear protection . Flow better in low temperatures . Increase protection at high temperatures . Help extend engine life Lets say you blow a hose, or a belt lets go and you overheat the engine. A synthetic oil would be something I'd want in the sump. Or when we make winter trips up north and temps reach 30 below or colder, synthetic wins again. My 2000 Century made me a believer that synthetic oil cleans better than conventional oil. It is also safe to say conventional oil has come a long way. Do your homework and use what you feel is best for your needs. Lastly synthetic oil can stay in the sump longer.

I think this is a pretty good response.