Just wanted to know if there's advantage using synthetic? I'm always leaning towards Mobil 1...

synthetics rule in all aspects. There have been proven dyno results where synthetic oils(engine,gearbox,differential if applicable) alone can account for a 3-4% hp gain. I personally hate mobil 1, but I never challenge a man on his car care choices. I really like amsoil- that ssht is expensive but its great (even though I'd never push for the recommended times between oil changes) and they really research their product.

run mobil1 and replace the joke of a filter with a catridge type.....your motor will thank you.....the first motor i built for my 2k civic si i ran nothing but syn with catridge filter and oil cooler....at 80k we pulled the motor to drop in the newly built b18c...we pulled the well driven into the ground b16a2 out and found most parts to be rather close to new motor spec on clearances....not to mention how clean everything was....clean motor = happy motor...no build up anywhere of anykind

and ams oil is top notch....expensive....but top notch...i change every 2k with synthetic and catridge filter....

I have heard really good things about Royal Purple. I'm thinking about changing. Currently running Valvoline full synth.

Syn, Rocks!!!! I don't use anything less than syn in my cars. :D

are you guys talkin about engine oil or tranny oil or some other kind of oil?

are you guys talkin about engine oil or tranny oil or some other kind of oil?

All the above! Synthetic through out! (tranny, engine oil, even synthetic in rear differentials if you have one) :D

I have heard really good things about Royal Purple. I'm thinking about changing. Currently running Valvoline full synth.

Royal Purple is what I use! Good stuff! :D

Mobil one for me :)

i put in the synpower oil in mine on the first oil change and definately felt a difference in power and the way it idles, a lot smoother overall. :wink:

In all my cars, since i have been old enough to drive, all my cars get syn. oil. You have to do a break in period first with conventional oil. Some where on here is a guy ( MOTORMAN? ) who did several tear downs on motorcycles. He suggested driving the vehicle hard for the first couple of miles, change the oil and refill with cheap stuff. Then drive the vehicle average for another 1K miles and change the oil again. After this use synthetic and a good filter and youll get more life out of the engine. I think im going to give this a shot.

By using the conventional oil, it allows better seating of the rings and seals ( according to the mechanic mentioned above ) then once they are seated, using syn motor oil. BTW, with every oil change listed above, i mean oil and oil filter.

What is a catridge filter?
For some reason I always thought amsoil was some kind of generic oil. The expensive generic ____ that you find at gas stations. Not talking ____, that was just what I thought.
Where do you find it?
How many of ya'll use that kind?

What is a catridge filter?
For some reason I always thought amsoil was some kind of generic oil. The expensive generic ____ that you find at gas stations. Not talking ____, that was just what I thought.
Where do you find it?
How many of ya'll use that kind?

Amsoil is THE best oil available but as you may have found you can't just walk into (most) walmarts and buy it off the shelf. As far as where you can get it, well if you want to change your oil yourself you can just order it online at http://www.amsoil.com. Or if you'd rather a shop do it for you (like me...cause I'm lazy :P ) you can do a search on http://www.superpages.com for a shop close to you that sells it.

i am going to try Mobil 1 next time as my local Toyota dealer uses it....

here are a few other synth threads:

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4673

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1574

If you were to change from regular oil to synthetic don't you have to use something to flush it out first?

just rolled 3k on my 04 honda civic, switched it with mobil 1 synthetic and filter this last weekend, it runs smoother, quieter, and is much more peppy. i've never tried synthetic before, dont think i'm going back to dino for awhile :)

If you were to change from regular oil to synthetic don't you have to use something to flush it out first?

No, i have never heard of this. I would think its a waste of time, and may cause more damage in the long run.

If you were to change from regular oil to synthetic don't you have to use something to flush it out first?

Draining the Oil and Changing the filter is usually sufficient unless you waited wayy to long for an oil change and have a heavy sludge buildup in which case it doesn't matter what oil your using, you should flush it out with more clean oil.
Theres alot of myths around about synthetic oil. It used to be that if you started using a synthetic oil with teflon(ptfe and other names for it) then it was wise to stay with that for the life of the vehicle because if the teflon began breaking down and wasn't replenished with more it could cause harm to the inside of the engine(be careful some budget oils still use teflon- i.e some penzoil, that crap walmart stuff sometimes too). Most of todays synthetics are soooo different than the originals that this isn't a problem anymore.

Every so often-when the topic comes up-I like to post a link to the following post I made on my other mssg board:
http://sr20.hybrids.jp/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tech&Number=70&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1
The info is somewhat relevant, and definitely a good read from probably one of the best resources on the subject of lubricants.

Amsoil is THE best oil available but as you may have found you can't just walk into (most) walmarts and buy it off the shelf. As far as where you can get it, well if you want to change your oil yourself you can just order it online at http://www.amsoil.com. Or if you'd rather a shop do it for you (like me...cause I'm lazy :P ) you can do a search on http://www.superpages.com for a shop close to you that sells it.
Thanks for the input ShadowMage!

Every so often-when the topic comes up-I like to post a link to the following post I made on my other mssg board:
http://sr20.hybrids.jp/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tech&Number=70&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1
The info is somewhat relevant, and definitely a good read from probably one of the best resources on the subject of lubricants.

Thanks for the link to that article ScionVan!!

lots of good info there!

Every so often-when the topic comes up-I like to post a link to the following post I made on my other mssg board:
http://sr20.hybrids.jp/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tech&Number=70&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1
The info is somewhat relevant, and definitely a good read from probably one of the best resources on the subject of lubricants.

awesome addition, very informative- where are the karma points damnit!

Very nice write up, proves ive been right all along, and i use Mobil 1. But ya know what, there will be others posting here disputing that fact, or that it was even a NASA engineer who did the test. BLA BLA BLA I did like the looks of hardly any break down after 10,00 miles too, very nice.

<= will stick with oil/filter change every 6K

I've been using M1 in all my gas cars for the last 25 years... the engines stay soooo clean, and as one poster said above 'a clean engine is a happy one'. I built a chevy small block LT1 motor several years back, ran nothing but Castrol. When it blew (over-lean condition in cyl 1 due to my bad nitrous adjustment) the tear-down showed a sludgy mess. Several subsequent builds with M1 have remained spotless with almost 200K on the clock now.

ive also run this http://www.inlinefour.com/mot30motoil.html
good stuff to....yes clean motor happy motor
and as for a catridge type filter....i used a adapter plater where the filter was that came with my b&M oil cooler and ran the hose to the canister the catridge filter sits in and to the oil cooler and back to the motor....didnt use the filter relocation adapter....ever see a big diesel truck oil filter setup? think smaller
http://www.cmfilters.com/tech.cfm

Go to the Mobil 1 site. You DO NOT have to flush the engine, just drain it to put in new oil, mobil one is completely compatable with all normal oils. As for breaking in with regular and synthetic... wrong. Corvette, porsches and benzs all roll off the assembly line with mobil one or a special formula of mobil 1 and the formula does not change. Ford recommends mobil 1. I got a 61 continental that needs leaded gas, but i just use premium fuel and mobil one and teh thing is fine. If you use mobil one forever, at about 100000 miles teh engine will have the wear of an engine in the 15000 mile range. My toyota previa has well over 160000miles and the engine is still strong, and i beat teh crap out of it. Mobil 1 is like liquid gold for your engine. Its not a cheap oil change, instead of like 20-15 bucks for a change, you will pay in the realm of 50. But it is completely worth it.

those motors were broken in with detergent oil before that synthetic was put in....u can not put striaght synthetic into a new motor.....it must be broken in first on dino...ask a porsche mechanic what happens to a brand new motor after it is built before the consumer gets it...if u think that motor was built droped into your car and filled with synthetic and then drove onto a truck to your dealer...way wrong....they run the motor for awhile while they adjust valves/timing/sensors....

Here's a link to a good book, "The Motor Oil Bible, exposing the myth of the 3,000 mile oil change". You can buy it or just download the free version. One of the things he talks about is why synthetics are better than petroleum.

http://www.motor-oil-bible.com/motor-oil-bible-pre.html?hop=mechanic

Here's a link to a good book, "The Motor Oil Bible, exposing the myth of the 3,000 mile oil change". You can buy it or just download the free version. One of the things he talks about is why synthetics are better than petroleum.

http://www.motor-oil-bible.com/motor-oil-bible-pre.html?hop=mechanic

Awesome link man!

Yeah it is! Every single oil change thread on this board contains emphatic opinions that the oil has to be changed every 3,000 miles, and it is just not true. Scion.com and the owner's manual specifically state that the oil is to be changed every 6 months or 7,500 miles, whichever comes first.

"When should I change my engine oil?
For normal driving conditions Scion recommends changing the engine oil and engine oil filter at a minimum of every 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. This engine oil change interval requires changing your engine oil a minimum of twice a year.
For special operating conditions Scion recommends changing the engine oil and engine oil filter at a minimum of every 5,000 miles or 4 months, whichever comes first. This engine oil change interval requires changing your engine oil a minimum of three times a year.
Special Operating Conditions include the following:
Driving on unpaved or dusty roads
Repeated short trips of less than five miles in temperatures below freezing
Driving on rough, muddy, or salt-covered roads
Extensive idling or low-speed driving for long distances as in heavy commercial use, such as delivery, taxi, or patrol car."

Think about it. We get 3 free oil changes. If the dealers convince you to go in every 3,000 miles, then your 3 free changes last you 12,000 miles (including the first 3,000 when you bought it new). If you do the manufacturer recommended, then your 3 oil changes last you 30,000 miles. If you were in business to make money off of oil changes, wouldn't you also perpetuate the myth of the 3,000 mile oil change? It has been lab tested and proven that Mobil 1 is in better shape after 10,000 miles than petroleum oil is when it is brand new.

http://sr20.hybrids.jp/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tech&Number=70&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1

I haven't had my first oil change yet (new owner). When I do, can I use my free voucher for oil changes and request synthetic ? Since synthetic costs more, will I have to pay the difference or can I just bring in my own synthetic oil and say 'here, use this' ?

Thanks !

Eric

Amsoil is THE best oil available but as you may have found you can't just walk into (most) walmarts and buy it off the shelf. As far as where you can get it, well if you want to change your oil yourself you can just order it online at http://www.amsoil.com. Or if you'd rather a shop do it for you (like me...cause I'm lazy :P ) you can do a search on http://www.superpages.com for a shop close to you that sells it.

Just opinion. In my opinion, nothing tops Mobil One.

Be sure to not swap to sythetic until you hit about 5,000 miles. In the mean time (before 5k miles), I would change the oil twice with regular dinosaur oil.

Andrew

I haven't had my first oil change yet (new owner). When I do, can I use my free voucher for oil changes and request synthetic ? Since synthetic costs more, will I have to pay the difference or can I just bring in my own synthetic oil and say 'here, use this' ?

Thanks !

Eric

You will probably have to pay the difference. I won't let ANYONE change my oil. Even good dealers can really screw up the easiest of tasks.

Welcome to SL!

Andrew

Andrew,

I would like to change my own oil but the one thing that is a downside is the disposal. I don't like the idea of transporting the used oil to the disposal center (if only I also had a truck). I'm always paranoid that the container will leak and there goes my interior.

Eric

What i've been doing is using either the oil container or a coffee can, and sealing it with duct tape. Some local auto parts stores do free oil disposal, Discount Auto being one of them.

Andrew

My dealership made me buy my own Mobil1, but I would have to say let them do it. If they screw up the oil change, they're the ones that will have to fix it under warranty... Never let a place like Jiffy Lube do it, think first about the people they hire to work there. Then remind yourself of how many different types of cars those high school drop outs see every day. Even if they do cop to screwing up your oil change, who is going to fix it?

My dealership made me buy my own Mobil1, but I would have to say let them do it. If they screw up the oil change, they're the ones that will have to fix it under warranty... Never let a place like Jiffy Lube do it, think first about the people they hire to work there. Then remind yourself of how many different types of cars those high school drop outs see every day. Even if they do cop to screwing up your oil change, who is going to fix it?

Point very well taken. Usually you shouldn't have a problem at a Jiffy Lube. I personally wouldn't go to one unless you already know of other people who've used them with out any problems. A very common problem some people have had with some Jiffy Lube's is a cross threaded oil pan plug! For this reason alone, I always do my own oil changes!