Help me switch over from conventional motor oil to synthetic

This is my understanding, too - synthetic oil actually performs better than mineral (or semi-synthetic) oil, but is more expensive. So for most cars in normal use, spending the extra money on synthetic is not really necessary, but it may extend the interval needed between oil changes (and perhaps help your engine last longer), hence the suggestion by your mechanic.

BTW in case you didn’t know - Gary T doesn’t need to caveat his post as I have done because he is an actual professional car mechanic. He has nailed it, it really is as simple as that.

If you have a preferred oil, purchase it ahead of time and bring it in. Ask them to fill with what you’ve supplied, and you should be good to go.

If you’re paranoid, ask for the empty bottles.:smiley:

I’d think that you can likely use any big-name synthetic (Mobil, Castrol, Pennzoil, Quaker State, Valvoline) in the recommended weight for about 6000 miles in just about any car or truck.

They’re probably good for quite a bit more, but just how much is pretty murky. For example, Mobil 1 Extended Performance is warranted for 15,000 miles, and I can say that in my Dodge Dakota, it was good for 10,000 miles with roughly 1 quart consumed, and a decent used oil analysis (Blackstone) at the end of it. I probably could have got 15,000 out of it had I wanted to. I’ve done Mobil 1 and Pennzoil Platinum for 6000 miles several times with good analyses as well.

All that said, I’m starting to come to the conclusion that conventional oil is SO much better than before, that synthetics don’t add enough of a real-world performance advantage under my particular conditions, so I’m thinking I’m going to go back to conventional oil.

I have 2007 Camry that was at least 5 years old (using conventional oil the whole time) when I switched over to using full synthetic exclusively. Been using it ever since and also use it in my 2009 F150 that I bought used in 2018. No idea what oil was used before in that.

No issues with switching over from conventional to synthetic. I change oil on schedule with synthetic

I do my own oil changes and buy the cheapest I can find at the time. I’ve even bought Amazon branded full synthetic when it was on sale. $20 for 5 quarts and free 2 day shipping with Prime. I always use Wix brand oil filters. I read somewhere that they are designed specifically to be used with synthetic oil. I’m not a trained mechanic but do turn a wrench now and again.

I read somewhere that synthetic is particularly beneficial in cold climates as conventional oil can start to gel at -10 F whereas synthetic can go below -70 and still be fully viscous. I live where it gets -30 a handful of times a year.

I’ve also read that synthetic oil is more environmentally friendly than conventional. It’s probably only a marginal improvement, but if you need another excuse, there it is.

edit: good grief, why am I replying to a 6 year old post? I gotta remember to look at the dates on these things before I respond.