Would you use synthetic oil if owners' manual recommended it?

[GNRick]

My daughter's 2007 Jetta (or VW of some sort) supposedly "needs" synthetic oil. It has 70k miles and she always used regular oil until some quick change shop charged her $90 for a synthetic oil change. We checked her owner's manual and sure enough it says to use synthetic. I know the Vettes came with Mobile One (synthetic?) Can regular oil lead to damage?

 

[gnpoweredrail]

i highly doubt it....they want you to run thinner lighter weight synthetic to get better mileage and go longer between oil changes...that is all..
Run normal oil and change it every 3k like normal

 

[GNRick]

owner's manual recommends 5k mile intervals for oil changes. Doesn't the SAE emblem or starburst emblem or something mean the regular oil is suitable for all cars, and passed government standards?

 

[GNTIM]

I only use good quality synthetics in all of my stuff, even small engines. Learned a lot about that stuff after 12 years with Mobil. You can by the stuff at Walmart for maybe $45 with filter. My 2 cents

 

[GNRick]

Thanks for your reply. Just curious....what is Mobil's position on using ZDDPlus or other ZDDP additives? In an old GSXtra, Lassiter asked a Mobil engineer what oil he recommended for our cars and he said to use the motorcycle oil as it had more ZDDP. Have you ever heard that when you were with Mobil?

 

[novaderrik]

i don't know about Volkswagen engines, but a lot of newer DOHC engines require that you use a specific kind of oil to keep all the oil passages clean and all the hydraulic tensioners and what not working. that's what that 5w-20 oil is usually for..

 

[Chuck Leeper]

"Run normal oil and change it every 3k like normal "... The oil companies obviously wrote that "rule". It was likely close to being correct, back when oil was not as highly refined, and hi tech additive packages were not in use.
My 08 Silverado is set, [from GM], to trip the alarm at 7500 mi. That obviously cuts the change expense in 1/2, from the old schedules. @ $30 a pop, and 20K a yr... A significant savings. I use AMSOIL in all the oil compartments in the 55,[LS engine, 4L65E], and conventional in the truck.

 

[gnpoweredrail]

^^^I know as I worked for Gm for 15 years....you know how many engines I have seen replaced because people are going by the oil life monitor.....even those with factory fill Mobil 1

 

[turboc87gn]

I run amsoil in both my vans 06 and o7 chevy and in my 08 dodge ram 3500 and i change it every 25,000 miles with the amsoil filter...What happens to the oil is you use up all the additives, These are also vehicles that spend a lot of time on the hwy the vans both are over 450,000 miles the ram is at 200,000 the gn gets castrol gtx and some zddp..with a wix filter...

 

[broke]

The newer engines run pretty high engine temps and this is prolly part of the reasoning behind synthetic ole. I have seen my wifes new zl1 oil temps approach 210.
I would run the synthetic. Just my humble opinion.

 

[2QUIK6]

I have always ran a blend of half and half as there are beneficial properties in both that are not in both. It just seems like its getting harder and harder to find the traditional weights given all of the newer car requirements. Try finding good ole 10w-30, 10w-40 or even 20w-50 at the local places.

 

[2QUIK6]

Double post delete

 

[GNTIM]

Thanks for your reply. Just curious....what is Mobil's position on using ZDDPlus or other ZDDP additives? In an old GSXtra, Lassiter asked a Mobil engineer what oil he recommended for our cars and he said to use the motorcycle oil as it had more ZDDP. Have you ever heard that when you were with Mobil?

Not sure, been away from Mobil for 7+ years. I do know that certain engines were specifically designed to run synthetic due to the metals used, and clearances. Some reccommend it because that's what the engine had in it when it was up for emission certification, but it may or may not be okay to switch. I put synthetic in every engine, even the lawnmower

 

[broke]

I dont love my lawn mower

 

[GNRick]

I have always ran a blend of half and half as there are beneficial properties in both that are not in both. It just seems like its getting harder and harder to find the traditional weights given all of the newer car requirements. Try finding good ole 10w-30, 10w-40 or even 20w-50 at the local places.

When I was in Tenn. a week ago, outside temp was 106 degrees. Oil pressure in my TR was 25 psi on the hwy. I had 10W-30 in it. Got home and put 20W-50 Vavoline VR-1 (with ZDDPlus) in it, pressure on hwy is now 45 in about 90 degree weather. I will just use this weight through out the summer months.

 

[novaderrik]

I have always ran a blend of half and half as there are beneficial properties in both that are not in both. It just seems like its getting harder and harder to find the traditional weights given all of the newer car requirements. Try finding good ole 10w-30, 10w-40 or even 20w-50 at the local places.

i don't know where you shop, but you can get all of those weights of oil- in regular and synthetic- at every parts store around here.. Wal Mart has the best selection and prices, so i get the oil there and then either got to Mills Fleet Farm to get a K&N filter or to NAPA or whatever parts store happens to be closest to get a Wix/NAPA Gold filter...

 

[2QUIK6]

i don't know where you shop, but you can get all of those weights of oil- in regular and synthetic- at every parts store around here.. Wal Mart has the best selection and prices, so i get the oil there and then either got to Mills Fleet Farm to get a K&N filter or to NAPA or whatever parts store happens to be closest to get a Wix/NAPA Gold filter...

Walmart here has none of those except 20w-50 in a qt only, no 5 qt containers, or they have the High Mileage stuff in that viscosity in an off brand. I think most is the 5w-x stuff.

 

[charlief1]

Walmart here has none of those except 20w-50 in a qt only, no 5 qt containers, or they have the High Mileage stuff in that viscosity in an off brand. I think most is the 5w-x stuff.

Got those ranges of oil here Rob. Maybe you need to shop somewhere else.

 

[Rivical]

I've had to shop the different WalMarts. We've only got a good selection of oils at one of the four within 40-miles of me. But one of the others carries the 20W50 in 5qt containers. Gotta shop around...

I use Mobil 1 exclusively. Mostly the Extended Performance 15,000 mi. oil which is still under $30 here. I change the filter out as it approaches 7,000 mi. and the oil @ 13K. Never had any trouble. No oil consumption between changes in any of my three regularly used vehicles. In order of age, the 96 4x4 has 219,000mi. The little 02 DD has 181K, and the wifes 07 suv that uses the ultra thin 5W20 is up to 101K mi. already. No troubles, always Mobil 1.

Thing I wonder is, if synthetic really needs to be changed at 5,000 miles even. It doesn't smell bad, doesn't look burnt. It's not the sort of expensive lesson I want to learn by experience, but I mostly run the 15,000 mi oil and wonder how really different they could be? A label and two dollars?