Is full synthetic oil worth the extra cost?

Question

And what about the partial synthetic oils? Thanks.

Answer 1

Regular motor oil degrades over time due to the extreme heat and shear stress of moving engine parts.

As the oil degrades it loses its lubrication properties slowly and engine performance suffers.

Synthetics are more able to handle the heat and shear stress of moving engine parts and degrade much much slower. Whereas after 5000 miles ordinary oil would have degraded by as much as 25%, Synthetics would only have loss less than 10%.

The synthetic oil would still retain most of its lubricating properties much much longer than petroleum based mineral oils but the problem is that the longer you keep the oil in the engine, the more dirt gets suspended in it. In time, even if the oil is still good, you need to replace it because its too dirty.

Normally, you can extend service life to a little more than twice as that of petroleum based mineral oil before going for an oil change. The oil may still be good but you need to flush the dirt out.

Semi-synths gives you best of both worlds. It gives you the much the same benefits of better lubrication as that of full synths but at a much cheaper price. Regular oil change periods still apply.

Its all up to you. Going synthtetic gives you the benefit of 2 regular oil changes. You get the convenience of saving a trip to the lube shop for every oil change. Determine your costs for every oil change and check whether the savings or the extra cost is worth this convenience.

Answer 2

There are varying opinions about synthetic motor oil. I used it once and had a bad experience so I don't use it at all. The positive note on sythetic oil is that it lasts longer so you don't have to change it as often. The negative, of course, is the price. I just use petro-based motor oil and change it every 3000 miles or 3 months. The chain auto parts places put this stuff on sale all the time so it's relatively cheap, no excuse for not changing it regularly. If you don't wish to change your own oil, there are many places that will do it for twenty bucks or so. I don't like to leave oil in an engine too long, synthetic or not. Acids and combustion byproducts contaminate the oil and make it less effective over time and, if you have a turbocharged engine, oil should be changed even more often due to the intense heat generated by the turbocharger. I have no experience witht the partial synthetics.

Answer 3

Is Synthetic Oil Worth It

Answer 4

The main benefits to synthetic oil is that it doesn't break down over time, tends to stay cleaner longer, and handles the higher temperatures better than standard petroleum oils.

The extra cost comes mainly from the manufacturing process, so it's a matter of whether you want to try leaving oil in your crank case for extended periods of time...me, I'm from the old school of regular maintenance, so I just use regular oil, and change it and the filter every couple months, a $12 cost...

Partial synthetics are a trade off, and seem more of a money maker to me, than beneficial...

Answer 5

I had just finished searching on line about the pros and cons of synthetic oils. The information I found was the conventional oil was just as good unless you have a race car or operate under extreme temperature conditions. I was considering using it in my new truck, but have now decided against it as to keep the warranty in effect I have to follow the manufactures guidelines and the synthetic would cost more as I would still have to have the same number of oil changes.
I am just going to take my truck to the dealer and stay with the conventional oil.

Answer 6

Yes/No

Synthetic oils have certain properties that inhibit wear on interanal engine parts. Synthentic Oil also claims that you can change your oil every 6 or 12K instead of the normal 3K. But in actuality how long are you planning to keep your car. Most cars are sold or traded after 5 years or 100K. Standerar motor oil even the cheap superteach stuff will do very well. Recently they have benchtested standered motor oils and found virturally no difference as long as it has the ASTM symbol on the back.

Answer 7

full synthetic oil worth extra cost

Answer 8

According to my friend, who is a Diesel mechanic, full synthetic motor oil isn't worth it because it's better at protecting your engine than regular motor oil in some ways but worse in others. He recommends Valvoline DuraBlend for the best of both worlds. There is only one exception to that rule: If you have a brand new car, you need to break the engine in with regular motor oil for the first 10,000 miles so the valves and rings will seat properly (he recommends changing the oil at 1,000 miles; 4,000 miles; and 7,000 miles), then switching to DuraBlend at 10,000 miles.

Answer 9

Depends on your engine. If its an engine with 100k miles on it no. Full synthetic tend to have a laxative effect on older engines making them more susceptible to leak.

If its a new engine no, because you want to break it in on conventional unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer.

Now if its a fairly new engine, meaning broken in, then yes. You don't have to change the oil as often, and you get a slight increase in hp, very slight. The friction is reduced by full synthetic.

Answer 10

full synthetic is the best for your engine, it helps prolong the life of your engine. partial is good, not as good as full. it has some of the same benefits but on a smaller scale. it really depends on how you maintain your vehicle. if you drive a beater, i wouldnt recommend paying extra for synthetic. but if you drive a car you want to last you a long time, synthetic could be a smart move.