synthetic vs regular?

[exvin]

So wait, you cannot go from using a regular oil to a synthetic oil right away? I am starting to run synthtic oil now but it was using regular...is that a good thing?

How long after you make the switch do you notice any oil leaks?

If you do notice any oil leaks what do you do, stop using full synthetic or switch to a semi or would the engine need repair?

How much does it cost to replace the seals in the pathfinder?

[exvin]

OK! SO now I am worried out of my mind about going from regular oil straight to a synthetic, so after my last post above with my questions, I decided to call the dealership..thats right, I called them on new years eve lol

Anyhow, I asked one of their service people there (who was pretty friendly shockingly) if I can go from a regular to synthetic cold turkey and they told me it was fine...BUT...BUT .... BUT you cannot go back to regular if you make the switch.......even going back to a semi synthetic is not recommended if you switch to synth.

I asked him why and he said that it messes with the combustion or at least I think that is what he said as I was more relieved at the time..and it can also mess with the seals...

Man, this whole oil thing is confusing...

[fueler]

i think youll be fine just dont switch back and forth every other oil change

[dgeesaman]

yea he was a service tech. sounds like good info, ill try it. he suggested mobil 1. any other suggestions as to which brand?

That tech's idea is a bit odd and pointless. A little bit of a different oil usually doesn't make a difference, but putting 50/50 of two entirely different oils is asking for strange behavior. So pick an oil type, switch, and quit worrying about it. But anyway.

Like the others said, the benefits of synthetic are:- better viscosity at cold temps- longer lasting (I use 5k between changes instead of 3k)- better lubrication

The downsides are:- cost- tends to find leaks more than dino oil**

** Note that synthetic FINDs leaks, it doesn't make them. There is an old perception that syn's are bad for old cars because it makes them leak - this is a poor representation at best. The truth is that dino oil doesn't fill cracks and tight spaces as well (which is one reason synthetic lubricates better) and a leak has to be larger to become visible with dino oil. In any case, minor leaks are nothing to be concerned about.

There are two great deals in synthetic oil right now:- Walmart generic synthetic (cheapest synthetic and not bad stuff at all)- Mobil1 bought at Walmart in 5qt jugs. It comes out to under $5/qt. For your truck I'd recommend 5w-30 or 10w-30 high mileage. Whatever grade you pick, don't get less than a -30 oil.

There are a lot of people fascinated by how long they can make a change of oil last. I'm not. While my oil might be good at 5k miles when I drain it, the cleanliness of the oil matters too, and there are plenty of damaging particles that are too small for the oil filter. So I buy Mobil1 and change twice as often as the guys who buy Amsoil or whatever at $10/qt and make it go 10k or 15k. The point is my oil is much cleaner 67% more of the time. I do my own changes and it costs me very little overall.

Dave

[dgeesaman]

OK! SO now I am worried out of my mind about going from regular oil straight to a synthetic, so after my last post above with my questions, I decided to call the dealership..thats right, I called them on new years eve lol

Anyhow, I asked one of their service people there (who was pretty friendly shockingly) if I can go from a regular to synthetic cold turkey and they told me it was fine...BUT...BUT .... BUT you cannot go back to regular if you make the switch.......even going back to a semi synthetic is not recommended if you switch to synth.

I asked him why and he said that it messes with the combustion or at least I think that is what he said as I was more relieved at the time..and it can also mess with the seals...

Man, this whole oil thing is confusing...

Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. You can switch back to dino oil or semi-syn. The engine doesn't care. It's leak behavior might change a little bit but the engine won't know any difference.

I recommend you stay with the synthetic. My 97 Maxima just past 194k and it's been fed synthetic since 80k miles. It's got a few little leaks but none of them make any difference.

[exvin]

dgeesaman - Hey Im just saying what the dude at the dealership told me based on my questions to him

What synthetic oil do you use?

[Adnan]

Hey you're probably right. I believe Corvettes come standard with synthetic oil. The B-series of Honda engines is phenomenal... makes more HP per liter than almost anything on the road (besides RX7 which is a 1.3L rotary) and at 9000 RPM, synthetic just ain't what it needs....

meh the b engines arent bad..but the F20C makes more hp per literi just hate the lack of torque at lower rpm...i hate to beat the living ****out of my gsr drivetrain lol