What type of oil you put in your vehicle and why?

[Remobz]

I been hearing many debates about whether or not synthetic oil is much better than conventional oil and so on. I was at the gas station today and the amount of choices and brands for different types of oil was mind boggling.

As for me, I have a Mazda Tribute 2003 with a Ford Duratec 3.0L V6 engine. It has over 140,000 miles on it. Vehicle is in a hot humid climate with no winters.

My manual says to use synthetic 5W-20 oil but I am using Castrol GTX Trishield 10W-30 conventional oil. Today was a REALLY hot day as well so maybe the thicker oil might be better?

Anyway, what do you guys and why?

 

[rommelrommel]

I would use whatever the motor is spec'd for.

Generally the engineers are not idiots and choose an oil (and design around it) for rational reasons.

 

[Raizinman]

The manufacturer wants a specific weight and type (synthetic) oil for their engines. When you deviate from the manual, you risk losing your warranty coverage. Granted, with 140,000 miles on your vehicle, unless you have some sort of extended warranty, it won’t really matter. But for the average Joe, with a warranty or extended warranty, they can easily have problems should an engine problem develop.

Not sure why you would want to NOT run what the manufacture recommends:
1) Synthetics flow better in cold weather
2) Synthetics cause a cold engine to start easier
3) Synthetics offer better cold weather protection
4) Synthetics resist viscosity changes at low and high temperatures
5) Synthetics oil costs twice as much, but it doesn’t matter, because you can go twice as long between oil changes.
6) Synthetics have a higher resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and sludge.
7) Synthetics will give you better fuel economy
8) Synthetics, overall, will give you longer engine life

What do you know that the engine manufacturers engineers do not that is better than the above?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Spectro Platinum 4 full synthetic 15w50 in the Ducati.

I just take the cage to the dealer and they put in it whatever they put in it. I don't care and honestly I've never even checked the oil level in my car.

 

[Zodiark1593]

I go within the specs of the manual for my 1998 Volvo V70 GLT. 10W-30 synthetic blend (full synth is expensive) seems to work just fine, changed at 5000 miles as per what the manual also says. Car laster for 190K miles (original turbo btw), so obviously, something must have been done right.

 

[Remobz]

The manufacturer wants a specific weight and type (synthetic) oil for their engines. When you deviate from the manual, you risk losing your warranty coverage. Granted, with 140,000 miles on your vehicle, unless you have some sort of extended warranty, it won’t really matter. But for the average Joe, with a warranty or extended warranty, they can easily have problems should an engine problem develop.

Not sure why you would want to NOT run what the manufacture recommends:
1) Synthetics flow better in cold weather
2) Synthetics cause a cold engine to start easier
3) Synthetics offer better cold weather protection
4) Synthetics resist viscosity changes at low and high temperatures
5) Synthetics oil costs twice as much, but it doesn’t matter, because you can go twice as long between oil changes.
6) Synthetics have a higher resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and sludge.
7) Synthetics will give you better fuel economy
8) Synthetics, overall, will give you longer engine life

What do you know that the engine manufacturers engineers do not that is better than the above?

Firstly, I bought the car second hand (used car) a little over a year ago. I have NO CLUE what type of oil was being put in it before I bought it. Warranty is null and void here.

Secondly, I live in a tropical climate with ZERO...I repeat ZERO cold weather or winters. Cold is not an issue here.

On the other hand, its very hot here and especially this summer, today reached 94F and was extremely hot.

The hot humid climate must be taken into account here...am I right?

Its not that easy or cheap to get Synthetics here sometimes. Especially, at certain specs such as 5W-20.

I am not trying to be an idiot here trust me. Just trying to make the best of what is available to me that is all.

 

[Remobz]

I go within the specs of the manual for my 1998 Volvo V70 GLT. 10W-30 synthetic blend (full synth is expensive) seems to work just fine, changed at 5000 miles as per what the manual also says. Car laster for 190K miles (original turbo btw), so obviously, something must have been done right.

Beware of synthetic blends. Either go full conventional or full Synthetic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZsPdRxNvoo

 

[jlee]

Amsoil 0w30 in everything.

94f doesn't seem hot to me - it gets 115f here during the summer. You shouldn't need anything different than manufacturer's recommendation.

 

[LTC8K6]

If the engine is under warranty, you must use the weight specified in the manual, and you must change it at the specified interval. If synthetic is not spec'd, then there is really very little advantage to using synthetic, since you will be changing it at the normal intervals.

If no warranty is involved, then you can try different oils and longer intervals.

I stick with 5w-20 as this is the weight the MDS system was designed around in the 5.7L hemi.

As for the weather, the mfg would already have tested the specified oil at both extremes of temperature, so it is okay at high and low ambient temps. If different oil is needed for different temp ranges, it will be noted in the manual.

 

[KentState]

I use synthetic and GM covers it for 4 years/50k miles.

 

[shabby]

The hot humid climate must be taken into account here...am I right?

The people making the engine know what they're doing, owners usually don't.

 

[railer]

The manufacturer wants a specific weight and type (synthetic) oil for their engines. When you deviate from the manual, you risk losing your warranty coverage. Granted, with 140,000 miles on your vehicle, unless you have some sort of extended warranty, it won’t really matter. But for the average Joe, with a warranty or extended warranty, they can easily have problems should an engine problem develop.

Not sure why you would want to NOT run what the manufacture recommends:
1) Synthetics flow better in cold weather
2) Synthetics cause a cold engine to start easier
3) Synthetics offer better cold weather protection
4) Synthetics resist viscosity changes at low and high temperatures
5) Synthetics oil costs twice as much, but it doesn’t matter, because you can go twice as long between oil changes.
6) Synthetics have a higher resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and sludge.
7) Synthetics will give you better fuel economy
8) Synthetics, overall, will give you longer engine life

What do you know that the engine manufacturers engineers do not that is better than the above?

I'm a big fan of following the manufacturers recommendations, vs. following what mindless morons on internet forums usually have to say about anything.
Having said that...if the vehicle is used, and is long past the warranty period, and is really not worth a lot of money at this point, I wouldn't have a problem deviating, as there's really nothing to lose at this point.
As to the points listed above, I would argue:
1-4, 6: So what? Better is relative. Synthetics aren't enough "better" than dino oil to make any meaningful difference on a 140k car. I mean, do people actually have difficulty starting their car with dino oil?
5: If you actually push out the oil change 2x as long with synthetic, great. Some people seem to change the oil every x number of miles, regardless of oil type. My OLM in my Pontiac certainly doesn't know the difference between synthetic and dino, and would prompt me to change the oil at the same mileage either way.
7) Perhaps in theory. Not noticeable in practice.
8) Again, in theory, maybe. In reality the rest of your car is going to fall apart long before the engine, regardless if you're running synthetic or dino.

 

[TridenT]

Using different weights is generally frowned upon.

I use 5w30 Mobil 1 (Just the plain stuff, no high mileage specific or anything of that sort) in my car exclusively. 5w20 could be beneficial if I was in a sub zero climate. (As it is recommended by the manufacturer for colder climates, from what I can recall from the owner's manual) However, I have not and do not plan to live in sub zero temperatures. So, I stick with 5w30. I run through areas that are in the 110's to 120's more often than I run in sub zero temperatures. I believe having 5w30 is beneficial in my instance.

Supposedly 5w20 has some fuel economy benefits over 5w30 too... but they're near negligible in many cars.

 

[mmntech]

Been using the conventional, manufacturer recommended oil for years. Might try synthetic coming up to the winter though.

 

[jonesthewine]

Amsoil, Signature Series oils - at the weights specified by Mazda, for a 2011 Speed3 and a 2010 CX-9 - have used Amsoil for many many years, going 15,000 miles between changes for the Speed3 and 20,000+ for the CX-9. As a dealer, they cost around $8.00 per quart, which is a small price to pay for peace of mind and a clean, happy engine. Also use Amsoil synthetics in the manual & auto transmissions.

 

[pauldun170]

Years ago I put synthetic in everything. Cars and bikes.
Not any more. If the manufacture doesn't specify synthetic then I don't bother.
Honda gn4 in the cbr.
Whatever mc 10w40 in the zx11.
Cars get whatever weight oil specified in the manual.
I keep cars for at least a decade. Same for bikes. I dont do track days. No competing professionally.
Dino is just fine.

 

[Fenixgoon]

quaker state 10W40. manufacturer spec'd.

 

[Zivic]

amsoil 10w40 in both my Z and evo.

in my Z because it's built and what was recommended for the build

for the evo because I have a journal bearing turbo and it calls for a high zinc oil, which the amsoil is

I run Amsoil OE 5w20 in my 2009 odyssey. I order it the same time as my other oils and it is competitively priced with other oils. though I did just order amsoil XL series for my upcoming change. it was about $0.30 more a qt, so I sprung for it.

One thing to note is that I used to use honda oil in my van through the first 15k miles or so... about 2 changes worth. I would go 5500-6500 miles between changes based on the maintenance minder on the car. I would use about 1.5 quarts or more in that period using the honda oil. I switched to amsoil and I might use .5 a quart now between changes.

 

[Remobz]

Thanks for the replies.

1) Amsoil and other HIGH quality TRUE synthetic oils are hard to find here and VERY expensive. I will get a 5W-30 oil next time because of the high heat and I doubt the 30 will screw things up seriously.

2) Considering my vehicle is second hand (not under warranty) and over 140,000 miles I wonder how much of a benefit synthetic will really have? I hope it won't be like putting perfume on a pig
I will always try to change oil every year (earlier?) or over 3,000 miles whichever comes first. New oil filters as well.

On another forum, some people are saying that Mobil 1 changed the formula for their synthetic oil and now its not FULLY 100% synthetic again like the old days.

Read about it here....

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1596075

 

[olds]

I run synthetics in my air cooled and high revving engines.
Regular oil in everything else.

 

[jjsbasmt]

Been using Mobil 1 since 1978 with zero oil related problems. 5K change rate and had a couple of engines along the way torn down just to examine the wear and in each case the pros that did the tear down were very favorably impressed. Each of my vehicles during this period has exceeded the EPA Highway mileage as listed on the sticker at purchase. I also will mention that proper care with fluid and filter changes along the way is very important too (trans, air, brake, fuel).

 

[rommelrommel]

Thanks for the replies.

1) Amsoil and other HIGH quality TRUE synthetic oils are hard to find here and VERY expensive. I will get a 5W-30 oil next time because of the high heat and I doubt the 30 will screw things up seriously.

2) Considering my vehicle is second hand (not under warranty) and over 140,000 miles I wonder how much of a benefit synthetic will really have? I hope it won't be like putting perfume on a pig
I will always try to change oil every year (earlier?) or over 3,000 miles whichever comes first. New oil filters as well.

On another forum, some people are saying that Mobil 1 changed the formula for their synthetic oil and now its not FULLY 100% synthetic again like the old days.

Read about it here....

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1596075

You have to know the specific weight and type of oil to say. I don't think that all of Mobil 1's "synthetic" oils were ever true synthetics.

 

[Remobz]

Been using Mobil 1 since 1978 with zero oil related problems. 5K change rate and had a couple of engines along the way torn down just to examine the wear and in each case the pros that did the tear down were very favorably impressed. Each of my vehicles during this period has exceeded the EPA Highway mileage as listed on the sticker at purchase. I also will mention that proper care with fluid and filter changes along the way is very important too (trans, air, brake, fuel).

When I bought my Tribute in July of 2013 and I did my first oil change the oil was BLACK as Black could be. It was really bad. The engine sure took a licking I bet but for how long?

A couple questions if I may.....

1) How long before you change your fuel and air filters? You go by miles or months?

2) My Aunt uses regular oil in her Geo Tracker but she drives less than 2,000 miles a year. Should she change the oil every 6 months still? Or yearly?

 

[Tsavo]

I would use whatever the motor is spec'd for.

Generally the engineers are not idiots and choose an oil (and design around it) for rational reasons.

Yep.

I had 328k miles on one engine using nothing other than spec oil, and the compression and everything else was damned near perfect. Another car, same make...225k miles, same story. Everything else had turned to crap, though.

I never go full whack on mileage, though. Date, never go over. Oil filters, OEM only, at recommended intervals.

I've had exactly zero oil related problems ever. Roughly 714 thousand miles of driving tells me all I need to know; follow the book.

 

[Tsavo]

I knew this one fellow who was always experimenting because "ohl compnies are just out to screw you" as he said it.

He purchased a new "Chivvy" truck that he couldn't really afford, and paid a shocking amount for it. This was 7 years or so ago. A base model with "undercoating" and "extended weranty" (yet ohl compnies were out to screw the little man).

He was forever screwing around with it. K&N air filters, chip mods. Odd tire/wheel combos to "make it handle better". He always bitched about MPG, yet always had 1000 pounds of crap in the bed, and damned near always drove at "full throddle".

At 60k miles, the engine sounded like crap, so he ran ATF through it to "clean it up".

At 65k miles, the engine sounded like a rusty can full of square ball bearings, and the front end was toast.

"Thissil be the last gawt-damt Chivvy I ever buy!" he ranted.

Some people just can't be "learnt".