Oil viscosity - more difference than I would have thought

[add|ct]

Originally Posted by add|ct

...which doesn't make any sense. Isn't 0w-30 better than 0w-20 if your car is supposed to take 30?

Sorry, I was brain dead.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I have no doubt that you have experience showing long-term survival of engines with synthetic, but what experience do you have of sub-par performance from dinosaur juice when used as directed?

w/ ya HC. i like the convenience of only changing my oil once/year. i will not try it w/ dino oil. the heat and humidity in florida really tax an oil, besides if my car overheats, the synthetic will protect better. happened to me a few times, and i've NEVER changed the oil immediately following that type of incident.

and of course you know about start-ups--better, quicker lube. also, you guys might try this...check your oil hot w/ amsoil(not sure if it will work w/ other synthetics) vs conventional. i wouldn't have believed it if i didn't see it myself...

a mechanic claimed that amsoil would cling to hot metal longer than conventional oil. well, i forgot about those words over time. so, one day i checked my oil hot, but after several minutes of being home. it was 1/2 qt low. to my dismay, i didn't have any oil to top off w/. my next trip out, i bought some oil, but got preoccupied w/ something else. when i realized, i bought oil the next morning, i decided to open and fill the crankcase. well, when i checked the dipstick cold, IT SHOWED FULL!

make no mistake, i understand the physics of oil drain back, and the time it takes. this guy was right, you need to check your amsoil cold!

[bowtieguy]

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...e_dur_oil.html
http://www.oilsludge.com/

like toyota's issues, these failures are likely design flaw related, but better oil could have help avoid them.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by bowtieguy

like toyota's issues, these failures are likely design flaw related, but better oil could have help avoid them.

That's the best argument I have heard or can think of for exceeding manufacturer's oil product recommendations in common conditions...but it only applies to vehicles known for sludge issues - and vehicles too new to know all recommend synthetic already.

[add|ct]

I'd still use conventional oils if I didn't have the choice of synthetic. It'll do the job fine, but it's as though you are the employer. Put the employee in the best possible position to succeed. No 1 employee is the same.

Its also like choosing to search for a car you want to buy, but eventually if you can't find that car will you just not drive at all? You'll eventually 'settle' on something that can still be reliable. Its all relative anyway, to put it in perspective. That's common sense. It'll still work.

The idea is just knowing what you have, in this case conventional or synthetic oil, and know why you are doing what you are doing. Not just going with an over-hyped product that ultimately plays on your fears and gets us to either change oil too frequently or curse conventional oil as though it doesn't belong in an engine or something.