Snoopdogie187

Hello everyone.
I am wondering about synthetic oils. I was reading on another forum and there was mixed thoughts of it.

A lot of what I want to know is, some people were saying it can cause seals to leak, other says it stops this. I know once you go to synthetic you should never change back.

I'm mostly thinking if it should be done for my moms pathfinder. High mileage (200+ miles on it) and the reason I'm thinking about it is because her oil is pretty dirty all the time, and they were saying the synthetic oil can help clean it up. On the down side (really good though), its a 92 and doesn't leak any oil. I don't want to tell her to switch to then find out it caused an oil leak.

I would also like to hear any ones thoughts on synthetic oils vs. traditional oils.

thank you

Pauldo

I've have seen forums were the debate gets kind of heated.

All I can say is that my Nissan dealership just switched all of their oil to synthetic. They sent out a letter stating that they were doing this and that the recommended interval between oil changes is now 6500 miles (or something along those lines).

I have a 2001 Xterra and a 99 Pathfinder.

Pauldo

dai

it can cause problems on older engines from what i have read

Mcninjaguy

so do synthetic oils have smaller molecules or something is that why they can cause leakage?

Snoopdogie187

From what I read it was because it cleanedthe seals uncovering and weak points, i think

Mcninjaguy

oh that makes sense since what synthetic oils don't cling to things as well as natural oils

bruiser

You can probably find out more than you want to know about oils and lubrication right here: www.bobistheoilguy.com/

Mcninjaguy

thanks for the link!

StraitSynthetic

I use nothing but synthetics in each of our vehicles. We have a 2006 Pontiac G6, '87 Toyota FourRunner, and '88 Jeep Wrangler. Synthetics have increased the performance of each of these vehicles and has tremendously improved the fuel milage on each of the older vehicles.

Another place to learn more about motor oils is at www.bobistheoilguy.com, as I have personally learned a lot about motor oils here also.

Hope this helps

deezo

Here is what I've learned about synthetic oils. Synthetic oils are manufactured mostly from man-made materials and are often silicon-based. Opinions differ as to which type of oil is the best. Most techs agree that synthetic oils better protect engines in very hot and cold temperatures. However, product studies have shown no significant performance gains or reductions in engine wear when sythetic oils are used under normal operating conditions. So, both petroleum-based and synthetic oils provide the same minimum protection. If a car isn't operated under exteme temperatures, synthetic oil may be unnecessary and not worth the added cost.

If the oil appears dirty all of the time, then there are two causes to this: a defective oil filter or the screen on the pick-up tube of the oil pump is defective. Located at the base of the pickup tube is a wide, round inlet that's covered by a fine mesh screen. This screen prevents any dirt and debris from entering the tube and into the oil pump...

StraitSynthetic

Synthetic motor oil is a laboratory manufactured, custom-designed product that contains a uniform-sized molecular structure and is pure from any of the non-beneficial properties found in conventional petroleum motor oils. Before being introduced to automobiles, synthetic oils were first used in fighter jets. Synthetic oils were first introduced to the consumer market in 1972 and have grown in popularity because of the superiority in protecting today's high performance engines.

Quite simply, the biggest disadvantage of synthetic oil is price. With a manufacturing process that is much more involved, synthetic motor oil costs around twice the price of petroleum-based motor oil. This means an oil change that would typically cost $20, could cost nearly $40-$85. However, since synthetics are more durable, oil changes are not needed as often, and this fact partially negates the cost disadvantage of synthetics.

Although petroleum motor oil will provide adequate protection, there are some reasons why synthetic motor oil is the better choice when it comes to protection for your engine. Why settle for adequate protection? Synthetic motor oils have clear advantages. Let us look at some of these advantages.

Unlike petroleum motor oil, which must be changed every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, synthetic motor oil can go 7,500 to 25,000 miles between oil changes. Longer oil change intervals, means fewer trips to the lube shop or time spent underneath your vehicle.

Because synthetic motor oil lasts at least three times longer than petroleum motor oil, change intervals are significantly longer. Fewer oil changes reduce the waste-disposal problem that comes with changing your oil, which leads to a healthier, greener planet for all of us.

Petroleum motor oils are prone to boil or vaporize within the normal operating temperature of the engine. This is commonly referred to as breakdown. Once the oil begins to breakdown, it usually results in oxidation, creating hardened oil deposits -more commonly know as sludge- in your engines components. Synthetics by contrast, are able to withstand greater heat temperatures, resulting in greater protection against breakdown.

A typical oil change using petroleum motor oil may cost anywhere from $25 to $30 at your local oil change shop. Using synthetic motor oil will cost you approximately $65 per oil change. While synthetic motor oil may cost you more per quart, it will save you money in the long run because of longer oil change intervals.

To learn more about oil comparisons please visit: StraitSynthetics

AMSOIL-The First in Synthetics

Snoopdogie187

thank you ever one for your inputs