2006-11-25 16:26:10 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Synthetic oil is usually made from natural gas, therefore is 'synthetic'. It is much more slippery than conventional oil, which is a mixed blessing. In new cars it's great--in old cars it can slip right past the worn seals.
It also lasts longer, but you will still need to change your filter and top it off just like normal.
2006-11-25 16:32:04 · answer #1 · answered by skunked 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Synthetic oil is a lot thinner than the "dino" oil it replaces. It will cause less friction and therefore less wear. Less friction means slightly better mileage.
If your car was made before 1995 or so, there is no real reason to use it. It might get you better mileage. It might also seep more easily past the rings and seals, so check it more often.
It costs about three times as much as "dino" oil. Wal*Mart usually has the best price on Mobil 1 in a gallon or 5-qt. container.
If you want to MAKE SURE you have it in your car, change it yourself or watch it being changed. You would not want to pay $50-$75 for the oil change and not get the oil you asked for.
Change the filter, too.
Synthetic oil should last for 10,000 miles, as opposed to 3,000 for dino oil, but CHECK IT REGULARLY, as your engine might use it more than iot does dino oil, because it is thinner.
2006-11-26 00:42:18 · answer #2 · answered by Richard E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Better? Yes. Neccessary? Not unless you live where there are very extreme temps (hot or cold). (Conventional oils will not break down within acceptable oil change intervals). Can it be changed less frequently? NO!! Your oil needs changed every 3-4,000 miles, regardless of what type of oil you use. The contamination factor is the same, regardless of what type of oil it is. This is my number one pet peeve with synthetic oils-they tend to make people believe you can change your oil a lot less often, which is bad, bad, bad! My advice is, unless you are in one of those temperature exteme zones (like Phoenix, or Fairbanks), don't waste your money. Use a good brand of conventional oil and CHANGE IT every 3-4000 miles.
2006-11-26 05:02:46 · answer #3 · answered by wrench50cal 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what about it? Is it worth it? For newer cars yes because it is more viscous than regular oil. But it can be bad for older cars because a pin hole in any of the seals/o-rings can turn out to be a gusher because synthetic is more viscous.
2006-11-26 00:32:48 · answer #4 · answered by diamond_joe1979 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What of it? Yes it is a lubricant, and is engineered rather than pumped and distilled from crude.
is it good? Yeah, it's good.
Should you use it? It depends on a lot.
Will it help your fuel mileage? Probably.
What more do you want to know?
Good Luck
2006-11-26 00:32:22 · answer #5 · answered by Ironhand 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋