changing oil type

[GasSavers_RunningOnFumes]

Hi gentlemen. I've seen a lot of discussions on here regarding dino oil vs. sythetic where some say that synthetic reigns and others saying it doesn't make a difference . I'm preparing to do a top clean procedure on my 3.8 supercharged Buick and will change the oil afterwards . The car has always had Kendall 10-30w which I don't know much about and I was planning on changing over to MObil 1 . Any ideas on the pros and cons of this and should I change the weight as well ? I'm also planning on changing from platinum NGK plugs back to copper core as I've read that they provide less resistance and better economy . Thanks for reading ! Jim

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I've heard the biggest difference between synthetics and dino oil is cold starting. So if you live in San Diego CA, it may not be worthwhile to run them, otoh, if it gets below 40F, I'd recommend it. Take this thread for instance, the synthetic flows much better than the others, but it's still not up to par compared to warmer temps. A good block heater and maybe even an oil pressure accumulator would be good additions in colder climates, especially during the stop/start regimes most M/T drivers do here. Just dump the oil right before a bump start to minimize wear. I'd guess that a block heater/accumulator/synth would help out with the excess fuel consumed during cold starts, engine wear, and mileage. I really recommend synthetic transmission fluid due to the longer time between changes, I'd run that even if I lived in a warmer climate. Assuming a 2% increase in mileage via synth tranny oil with a car that gets 25mpg and tranny oil changes every 30k miles, the driver would save ~$20 per year in gas, which should more than offset the difference in price. Wally's world has fully synthetic GL-5 auto and 75W-140 M/T fluid iirc, for fairly reasonable prices imo.

[lindermant]

check out BITOG (Bob Is The Oil Guy): http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

[GasSavers_RunningOnFumes]

Thanks for those tips . I live in New Orleans area and it's been a warm winter even for us, so far . I've been using Mobil 1 for a few years now and it seems to be a great oil but I haven't torn down an engine I've used with it yet . So , it seems that what OMGWTFB... is saying is that the synthetics don't work well at warmer temps ? I think I'm going to use a 5w-30 synthetic in the Buick . I was looking at a website that lists the most important qualities of motor oils and the Mobil 1 had pretty good figures compared to the others . By the way , I just purchased the Buick recently and it now has ~80,000 miles .

[omgwtfbyobbq]

It's not that they don't work well. They last longer, result in less friction, and provide excellent cold start flow. It's just that in some climates there isn't a substantial advantage to switch to synthetic versus regular. Even with longer intervals between changes there'll be something like a $40 buck increase in oil cost over 30k miles, which probably wouldn't be made up in terms of gasoline savings. The colder it gets, the greater the advantage offered by synth oil imo because they can really reduce cold start wear.

[GasSavers_Lincoln]

You may want to run some Sea Foam through the engine. I purchased my 3800 s/c with 26,000 miles and immediately tore the engine down to convert it to turbo. I was amazed at the amount of carbon build up it had with such low mileage.

I run Mobile 1 10w30

[Hockey4mnhs]

I switched to synthetic because my car was having some trouble starting in the cold.

[rh77]

Ugh, the age-old battle of Synthetic vs. Dino

Ford vs. Chevy

Chocolate vs. Vanilla

Deal or No Deal.

I'm switching back to dino in the TSX as there's no appreciable gain in any category of vehicle operation, and there's a appreciable loss in $$$.

I'd save the cash and buy a ScanGuage II...

RH77

[GasSavers_RunningOnFumes]

Lincoln , I'm going to be doing a top clean procedure with Seafoam and have already put a couple of ounces in the oil and the rest in the tank . I hear the top clean proc. really cleans out a lot of junk and creates and *** load of smoke ! Hope this link is of interest to some of you :

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=17556

I'll be changing the oil after that as well as the plugs . RH77 - Yes , I'm sure it's a really stale subject but I had to ask ! I did a search and didn't really find anything . I could read tech articles all day long but experience matters more to me and you guys are more apt at being to make it more understandible for me . Thanks for all the input ! Jim

[rh77]

Originally Posted by RunningOnFumes

Lincoln , I'm going to be doing a top clean procedure with Seafoam and have already put a couple of ounces in the oil and the rest in the tank . I hear the top clean proc. really cleans out a lot of junk and creates and *** load of smoke ! Hope this link is of interest to some of you :

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=17556

I'll be changing the oil after that as well as the plugs . RH77 - Yes , I'm sure it's a really stale subject but I had to ask ! I did a search and didn't really find anything . I could read tech articles all day long but experience matters more to me and you guys are more apt at being to make it more understandible for me . Thanks for all the input ! Jim

It's no big deal -- it's still a very relevant question. I was just in a foul mood about it as I recently found out that it costs me a bundle more to operate than traditional oil -- so I can't wait to change back to regular old Dino (and my Wife is convinced that it's harder to climb hills with the same efficiency -- since the change, the Avg. FE dropped about 2 mpg and the instant FE meter is harder to maintain in the 30's -- but it also got cold around the same time, so I can't really conclude the cause).

Regarding the Seafoam, I've used this to clean the top-end, and I think it works great! The neighbors thought my car was on fire or it threw a rod, but a boat-load of carbon was dislodged. There's another product that a lot of members her prefer, but I haven't tested it: "Auto-Rx".

To prevent further buildup of gunk, I reccommend the PCV catch device, which is pretty simple to make and install (be sure to remove the white foam-like item before installation). Over the last year or so, I've collected an appreciable amount of goo that would've gone straight into the intake, injectors, and onward. I usually empty the bottle at oil changes and recycle the goo with the oil.

RH77