Is Synthetic oil worth it?
- Thread starter Ashley V
- Start date
If you dont mind post the price. Some dealerships truly have a good deal, others take you to the cleaners.I would like to thank everyone who took the time to give their genuine and helpful opinion.
I have an appointment this afternoon and they just happen to have a deal on a synthetic package so I'll go for it.
I didn't end up going to the dealer. A friend of mine told me about a Quaker State Synthetic special this week at Canadian Tire for $45 so I went there this afternoon. I had a one o'clock appointment and my car went in right away. I was paying the bill at 1:40 so I was happy with that
Not bad at all, although i wouldn't trust the people at canadian tire to work on my bicycle, never mind a car.I didn't end up going to the dealer. A friend of mine told me about a Quaker State Synthetic special this week at Canadian Tire for $45 so I went there this afternoon. I had a one o'clock appointment and my car went in right away. I was paying the bill at 1:40 so I was happy with that
Atleast you didn't get burned at a dealership for 250+$ like some people lol
Willie, Willie, Willie...
Your car is not affected by emotions and what you feel or think or love is irrelevant.
Your estimate that 15% of the oil remains in your engine is outright wrong. That would mean that there is almost a liter of oil remaining in a typical 5 liter oil capacity V6 engine. Not a chance. I use the jug the oil came in to take it to Canadian Tire for disposal. It is FULL. Same in and same out.
As for the "gunk". Engine flushes are pretty much just mineral spirits. They are very volatile and the ounce or two that MAY pool in the oil pan and not get drained out (in a poorly designed oil pan) will evaporate from the oil within a few minutes of driving. There will be nothing left.
Doing the Ceiling Cat double flush is ridiculously wasteful and is of no measurable benefit.
O
OnTheWayOut
I've been using synthetic oil since the 90s and have had great results. Easy starting in winter (never need to plug in heater) and superior protection in all temperatures. If you are a Costco member they do a synthetic oil change for less than $50. I drive about 60Km a year and change synthetic oil twice a year. 335,000 and purrs like a kitten. Been doing similar for almost 20 years now.
Regarding nitrogen, heat is the biggest reason for tire failures. Simply put, Nitrogen in tires helps them run cooler. IE, a tire cold with 35psi will heat up and the pressure will rise to over 40psi (42-45) after driving a few km on a hot day. With nitrogen it will only heat up to 37-38psi meaning it is running a lot cooler which helps a tire's health. Nitrogen molecules are larger than air molecules so leakage is less. This is important since a tire that is low in air pressure heats up even more dramatically and is more susceptible to problems than a properly inflated tire. Nitrogen helps by losing less pressure over time meaning you have to add nitrogen less often. I store my summer and winter tires on wheels and with nitrogen they rarely lose more than 2psi. With air they would lose 5-10psi or even more. You can add air to the nitrogen if you have a leaking tire, they do mix just fine but you will want to get the tire repaired and have all nitrogen for maximum effectiveness.
Again if you are a Costco member they use only nitrogen and do not charge extra for it. They charge $15 per tire which covers mounting, balancing, nitrogen and lifetime rotation, balancing and flat repairs. You can check your pressure and top up the nitrogen for free if needed by stopping in. So if you shop wisely you can get free nitrogen and get all the benefits without paying extra. I would hope Costco is not the only place doing this since nitrogen is becoming more common these days.
Regarding nitrogen, heat is the biggest reason for tire failures. Simply put, Nitrogen in tires helps them run cooler. IE, a tire cold with 35psi will heat up and the pressure will rise to over 40psi (42-45) after driving a few km on a hot day. With nitrogen it will only heat up to 37-38psi meaning it is running a lot cooler which helps a tire's health. Nitrogen molecules are larger than air molecules so leakage is less. This is important since a tire that is low in air pressure heats up even more dramatically and is more susceptible to problems than a properly inflated tire. Nitrogen helps by losing less pressure over time meaning you have to add nitrogen less often. I store my summer and winter tires on wheels and with nitrogen they rarely lose more than 2psi. With air they would lose 5-10psi or even more. You can add air to the nitrogen if you have a leaking tire, they do mix just fine but you will want to get the tire repaired and have all nitrogen for maximum effectiveness.
Again if you are a Costco member they use only nitrogen and do not charge extra for it. They charge $15 per tire which covers mounting, balancing, nitrogen and lifetime rotation, balancing and flat repairs. You can check your pressure and top up the nitrogen for free if needed by stopping in. So if you shop wisely you can get free nitrogen and get all the benefits without paying extra. I would hope Costco is not the only place doing this since nitrogen is becoming more common these days.
If there is absolutely no benefit at all then it is not necessary. I will debate with you the pros and cons of my methods as compared to your methods, but first tell me how often you change your oil, at what cost and where do you have your oil changed. Do you use synthetic or regular oil?
1) Change your engine oil with regular oil, do not change the oil filter. ( regular Valvoline oil was available for $9.99 a jug 4.75 liters at the annual Walmart anniversary sale this year. )
The bulk of the contaminants in your engine is out with the old oil, and the rest of the contaminants are suspended in the new oil. Even this 1 week old rinse oil will come out the color of tea.
2) After a week of flushing, change the flush oil with synthetic oil with new filter change. The oil now looks like the day you got the car at the dealer. Synthetic oil can be had on special every 2-3 months
at CDN Tire for 50% off and once or twice a year for 60% off per 4.75 liter jug. ( $18-25 )
You can do a super engine oil rinse for about $35-45, if you keep your eye out for specials on synthetic and regular oil and bulk buy when they are available. At this time I have 6 jugs of synthetic oil and 3 jugs regular oil on hand.
Quaker State synthetic oil is so clear that when I do a double flush I have trouble seeing the new oil on the dipstick.
What I am doing is bringing the engine oil environment to as perfect a condition as I can, even if you double flush with regular oil it is better than just regular oil changes, or you can do a double
flush every second or third oil change. The extra cost is only $9.99 a jug of oil ( on special ) and a little labor every oil change.
