Synthetic's?

[chitown616]

Just wondering if anyone has a pref. on which brand of Synthetic oil works well?....I heard good things about Mobil1 and casteroils synth.
Im only at about 18,000 miles on my 03' 2.2L and wanted to try it out since its touted to help engine life.
Thanks

[IMkenNY]

Both are excellent products, I have been using Mobil 1 more often now that my Walmart is selling it for ~$4/ quart in the 5 quart containers.

[David Harleyson]

Originally Posted by chitown616

Just wondering if anyone has a pref. on which brand of Synthetic oil works well?....I heard good things about Mobil1 and casteroils synth.
Im only at about 18,000 miles on my 03' 2.2L and wanted to try it out since its touted to help engine life.
Thanks

Pure synthetics are the only ones worth messing with. The easy to find ones are Mobil 1, Amsoil, Redline and Royal Purple. There are others and all of them are good products. The resistance to thermal breakdown alone makes synthetics worth the extra $$. Do a search, and be prepared to spend some time reading. No other topic, can get the members of this board into an argument faster than dino vs. synthetics My.02, I have been using Mobil 1 since it came to the market. I currently use it in my Vue, Crown Vic, Dodge Diesel 2500, and my Harley. I have never had and oil related issue with ANY mechanical part lubed with synthetics. This includes engines, transmissions, rear ends or chain cases. Simply put, I love the stuff. Oil is cheaper than parts.

[remigh]

I am also using Mobil 1, 5W20 in our Vue, 5W30 in our Ion, and 10W30 in my supercharged Miata (210Hp from 1.8L..). No concern following the oil life monitor in the Saturns...

Big fan of the Redline oil but it is too difficult to get... roger

[jks06]

I just did the first oil change in our VUE, and filled it up with Royal Purple. I've used it for a while now and change every 5-7,000 miles. It's good stuff.

[wolfman]

Mobil 1 is in EVERY engine I own from the cars and bikes to the lawn mower.. a little TRUE personal story for you.

A few years ago we bought a used 1988 Ford Taurus MT5. (4cyl) it was my wifes daily driver and the "best" of the two cars. One cold fall day, she mentioned that the oil light was staying on for a "little while" after she started the car. I went out and checked the oil. It was full. The engine "sounded" fine. I told her just to keep an eye on it. About January (keep in mind this is sub-zero Maine winter weather) she again reports that the oil light is now staying on a lot longer, almost 1/2 way to work (20 miles +/-) I again check the oil...full...engine sounds fine. At this point, I "assume" the oil sending unit is bad. I decide to defer the repair to spring.

Many COLD months pass...spring arrives. I'm tired of looking at the oil light. I go to the autoparts store, plunk down $9 and buy and install a new one. Start the car...the oil light comes on and STAYS ON.

That can't be! So I purchase a cheap oil pressure guage, instal it in the car...start the engine...gauge reads 3 THREE PSI at idle.

That CAN'T BE! The gauge must be bad.

Same guage, installed in my truck...start engine...40 PSI at idle. (I built that engine)

GASP!

Pull the oil pan on the car. DIscover the pick up screen is completely clogged with goo. Bars leaks is what it looks like. (From the previous owner apparently trying to solve a coolant leak and adding the stuff to the crankcase instead of the radiator)

Remove and clean the screen, replace the oil pump for good measure, examine the main and rod bearings (OK) and the camshaft lobes (visable with the oil pan off in that engine) just some heat checking on those.

Button it back up, start the engine with the guage installed...28PSI at idle (3 more than NEW spec.)

That car went an entire MAINE WINTER, being driven DAILY with little or no oil pressure, and suffered no decernable damage.

In the oil pan that winter? Mobil 1 5w-30.

I will never use any other oil.

[bue05]

Wolfman! Thanks for that story it made me feel good about my decision to run Mobil 1 Synthetic 5w-30 in new ion and 5w-20 in our 05 v6 vue! If you ever move to NW Indiana let me know, i will hire you to be my mechanic!! Im glad your on here and always helpful and know what your talking about and you never act rude, pissed, or a smart a** I just wanted to take this oppurtunity to let you know i always enjoy reading your post because i learn alot about not only about Saturn/gm product/issues but a lot about our vue/ion and mechanic's as well! So i can better care for our families vehicles and know how to protect them and gaurd against issues that could cause or cost us a lot of time/money and all that. P.s. Im excited i just ordered My wife and I our fist set of SaturnFAns.com license plates yesterday!! Cant wait to put them on~! be well! bue05

[jdmessner]

I guess I'm the only 'old schooler' left who still prefers dino oil....

Synthetics are great, but not perfect. While they offer much greater thermal breakdown resistance over dino oils, they are completely intollerant of any moisture. If you've ever seen what happens when just a little water gets into a crank case full of synthetic, it's ugly. Milky-white, thick, and signifigantly reduced lubricity. Every crank case collects SOME water just through combustion. If the engine is not brought up to temperature, and that condensation is not boiled off, it settles in the crank case. And mixes with the oil. Not good... Especially for an engine that only makes quick stop and go trips.

When you compute the cost of a full syntheic oil change every 5000 miles, VS a Dino oil change every 3000 miles, you cannot offset the cost differential. Especially since EVERY engine uses some oil. (You fill it with 5 quarts, but have to 'top it off' with another quart before the oil chnage interval is up!)

Syntheic oils have one signifigant advantage over conventional oils. Better marketing budgets!

Conventional oils already have very advanced detergents, anti-foaming agents, friction modifiers etc engineered into them. They are every bit as good as, and can maintain lubricity nearly as long as, syntheic oils. The point that the oil becomes unusable is when it can no longer hold contaminants in suspension. It happens to both dino and synthetic alike.

That being said, I've NEVER had an oil related break down in any of the years that I've been driving, and I use nothing but conventional oils. I just follow the manufacturer viscosity recommendations, and change the oil every 5000 miles. I've logged nearly 1.5 million miles in the last 17 years.... That's alot of driving....

I don't buy into the marketing.....

[chitown616]

HMMMMMMMMM.......alot of good replys, it seems like Mobil 1 is the stuff to fly with.
Although just like jdmessner, I have never had a problem with Dino oil as well in many miles w/ religous oil changes @ every 3000 miles, I dont believe that the marketing is driving the Synth market.....there are just too many people (it seems) that swear by it and use it always, to me thats not marketing, its a good product.
So ill be plunkin down for Mobil 1 5W30 and give it a shot.

Is there a serious moisture related problems that anyone has experianced w/ a synthetic?

[Sky Pilot]

First chitown616 said: So ill be plunkin down for Mobil 1 5W30 and give it a shot.

Good idea! The weekend after we brought home our LW300, I drained the oil and replaced it with Mobil 1, we're running it in our MH as well.

Then chitown616 asked: Is there a serious moisture related problems that anyone has experianced w/ a synthetic?

I've never has any problem... I even run Mobil 1 in the gen set of my RV.

[David Harleyson]

Originally Posted by chitown616

Is there a serious moisture related problems that anyone has experianced w/ a synthetic?

Well no, yes...sort of. My 2001 Harley will occasionally exhibit the white "goo" around the oil filler cap. However, this is a problem caused primarily by short trips in the winter. (yes we CAN ride in all 12 months down here) As soon as the engine warms up fully, and that can take a while on an air cooled engine in winter, the "goo" goes away. As far as this creating a mechanical problem, no. All it takes is the oil temp over 212 once and all of the condensation is gone in short order. Note: just because your WATER temp is up to normal, DOES NOT mean your OIL temp is hot enough to boil off the condensation. On the Harley, at air temps below 50*or so, that takes 20-25 miles of riding. This problem occurs with dino oil as well, as condensation occurs in ALL internal combustion engines, it is just not as "visible" as with synthetics.

[snowman04976]

You dont have to reach 212 degF to evaporate water though- if the vehicle isnt driven much, getting the oil to 180 (idle) for some time will help... either way, emulsified oil will not be good for main bearings in the long run... It is harder to emulsify a syn oil than dino... but syn is harder to demuls as well...

[justVUEit]

Any word on Pennzoil Platinum?

Every now and then Pep Boys runs a special, 6 quarts for $2/qt after rebate.

[frostypanic]

Hey guys check out this websit to learn everything and some things you didn't want to know about motor oil.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com

I run Mobil 1 in my 03 L200 eco-tec, and Valvoline High Mileage in my wife's 00 L200 eco-tec, the Valvoline is 18% synthetic. I change the 03 by the OLM and my 00 at 4K. My wife drives short trips hence the shorter OCI, and I drive about 1K a week hence the Longer OCI. Neither car uses a drop of oil between changes and I check them every week when I wash both. Pennzoil Platinum has been getting great reviews on the Bobistheoilguy website but I have always run the same brand of oil from start to finish in all of my cars since i was 16, I'm 34 now. The 03 now has 61K and counting while the 00 has 90K and counting. I also like the fact that I can get both oils at wally world in five qt jugs. Hope this helps.

Brian

[GearGuy]

Originally Posted by frostypanic

Hey guys check out this websit to learn everything and some things you didn't want to know about motor oil.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com

Pennzoil Platinum has been getting great reviews on the Bobistheoilguy website ...

I agree, Penzoil Platinum looks to be a great oil.

Advance Auto has a $15 rebate for 6 quarts right now. $2.38 per quart. And it looks like the store in my area JUST decided to start stocking the 5W-20. I hope they continue to stock the grade.

Penzoil Platinum On Sale at Advance Auto

My stash is building...

[wlhawk]

Originally Posted by chitown616

Just wondering if anyone has a pref. on which brand of Synthetic oil works well?....I heard good things about Mobil1 and casteroils synth.
Im only at about 18,000 miles on my 03' 2.2L and wanted to try it out since its touted to help engine life.
Thanks

My 03 vue has had Castrol Syntec since new. On the o4 vue , I started using Mobil1 from the first change.

[cookall]

I have been running Valvoline Synpower since my first oil change in my 2004 VUE. It has been working great however, I just put Amsoil in last week only because it was on sale at Fleet Farm. All I can say is wow! My VUE used to be a intermittent hard starter. That has stopped since the Amsoil. I'll be danged if I know why but hey it works. As far as mositure and Synthetics the white stuff he is talking about happens in dino oils too. Synthetics matter if superior protection for your $20,000 plus investment.

[burnout]

Cookall, what viscosity did you run, and what did you change to with amsoil? Were they they same?

[Tom92SCm]

All of my cars run synthetic in every lubrication system, except for the coolant- but 2 of the 3 are using Redline Water Wetter so that kinda counts. I put the VUE on Mobil 1 in the crankcase at about 4500 miles and Red Line in the transmission about 22000 miles.

--Tom

[Darknight]

Went with mobil 1 synthetic in my 06 RL,for it's first oil change and k&n oil filter, noticed it ran slightly cooler, and smoother, also don't have to step on it as much to keep at speed, just my 2 cents, Duane