SiR-Racer

I'm thinking about switching over to synthetic oil. My question is, are there any special things i need to do to make the switch to synthetic? Or do I just ask for synthetic oil the next time i go for an oil change?

Also, why do people recommend 10W30 for summer and 5W30 for winter? Is there a reason why you shouldnt use 5W30 during the summer?

Lastly, why is it that once you switch to synthetic you cant switch back to regular oil?

imported_loudsubz

I use 5W30 in the summer, I use whats reccomended int he manual.

OcTaNeTeDdY

aaaahhhhhhh..... And the great oil debate begins .....

SiR-Racer

yes, come on, let the debate begin. discuss amongst yourselves people

Cantonagod

I would also like to know why if you switch to synthetic you cannot switch back.

Jugglez

10w30 can't handle extreme cold temperatures, and we all know how cold it can be in the winter. You can safely run 5w30 all year round but alot of guys run 10w30 in the summer because it is a thinner oil and your internals perform better because of it.

How many clicks do you have?

For a newly rebuilt motor or new car you can safely switch to synthetic after 5000km's.... but for an older motor that's seen some wear you'll probably wanna do a flush... you wanna get rid of all the gunk and nasty buildup that has accumulated on various internal parts to allow for the new syntheic oil to protect these internals, otherwise you're just wasting your money... i think v33k posted some instructions on how to do this flush.

For a really old motor 150,000km + I wouldn't bother, it'll probably do more harm then good. That's my thoughts.

SiR-Racer

Thanks for the reply Duy but I was under the impression that 5W30 was thinner than 10W30?

I have 42K on my car right now. Do you think i should flush it out first?

What about switching back to regular oil after switching to synthetic?

90EFHB

Switched my EF to synth at 40,000km and never looked back. I used 5w30 as recommended by Honda. They said the 10w30 was too much for the EF engine.
btw my engine now has 150,000 clicks.

imported_fine2ne

10w30 is thicker than 5W30


can not remember exactly what the oil codes mean but it goes like this.

higher ratings mean thicker oil

10W30 means viscosity starts at a rating of ten then as the oil gets warmer it is getting more viscous and hence the rating goes up to 30 which is less thick then ten.


Now in summer you use 10w30 which is slightly thicker to start with because in the heat the oil will be quite viscous
In winter it is better to use 5W30 because it is thinner when you start the engine and the oil is still cold. simply stated it protects better at lower temps.

redfox

Just one advice SiR-Racer: use Mobile 1 5w30. Expensive yes, but if it's good enough for small Diesel engines, it's good enough for my gas engines.

Using 10w30 will decrease your gas milage slightly, but increase performance a wee-bit as far as the ability to absorb more heat away from your engine head. I don't mean the gain of HP, but rather increase cooling.

Don't worry yourself over it, but do switch and don't look back. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't switch back.

Oh, if using synthetic, make sure you change yoru filters every 6,000km! Reason being synthetics (especially Mobile 1) clean the engine better and tend to leave more deposites on the filter.

SiR-Racer

thanks for the tips guys!

i'm gonna take my car in tomorrow and get the Mobil1 5W30. i hope it's worth it cuz it's like double the price of regular oil.

ROB THE BRUCE

there is a good article in the last (I think it was last month, the one with the white jetta on cover) Sport Compact National, talks about synthetic vs. conventional, I'll try and find it, maybe even type it up...

also talks about the truths and myths of sythetic

ROB THE BRUCE

found it on the site

click here... http://www.sportcompactnational.com/index2.htm

click "THIS ISSUE"
scroll down to "Synthetic Oils" link pg. 64

worth the 5 min read if you are thinking of switching

Jugglez

Yeah the 5w30 is thinner, i had it reversed.

redfox

Believe me, you won't regret it. Happy Reving! Now if only I can solve my problem...

autoxer

I switched to Castrol Syntech at 5000kms, and until recently I changed to Mobil 1. I have over 276000 kms on the car and a good percentage of those is race usage in autocrosses or track days. Switching to synthetic is a great investment if you plan on keeping the car for awhile, but if your leasing the thing and are planning on getting rid of it after a few years I don't think it's worth the expense.

Buff 'n Stuff

There are a wide variety of motor oil grades available today. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend a 5w30 grade oil for gasoline engines. The main reason for that is that is has a wider viscosity range from cold engine start-up (which is when the majority of internal engine wear occurs), to operating tempurature. 5w30 is the most common grade of oil being used in today's engines, because of viscosity versatility and fuel efficiency. If your owner's manual specifies 5w30 oil for your engine, then it may be used year round. Whether you use 5w30 or 10w30 in warm temperatures makes no difference at all. However, it is very important to use 5w30 or even better, 0w30 in cold temperatures to protect against cold engine start-up. Most imported vehicles owner's manuals include a diagram featuring a tempurature range which shows when you may use different grades of oil. I've seen some which state a variety of grades, from straight weight oils such as SAE20 or 30, to multigrade oils such as 0w30, 5w30, 5w40, 10w20, 10w30, 10w40, etc. By the way, for those who don't know... SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers.
In regards to synthetics... the reason synthetic oil is not recommended to be used immediately in new engines, is because the oil will not allow the engine to break-in properly. I personally believe that the break-in period is less than 5,000 kms, or perhaps not even applicable in engines today... particularly imported engines. Technology is a little more advanced than it was two or three decades ago. Lastly, once you've used synthetic oil in your engine, you may switch back to conventional oil or likewise anytime... but it's really pointless to switch back to conventional. If you really care about your car and engine, you'll use the proper grade of synthetic oil to protect against unnecessary engine damage or wear. Having used synthetic for over ten years, I'd definately recommend it. Yes it's expensive, but compare the cost of the oil with the value of your car. Mobil 1 is one of the top products on the market and highly recommended, however other leading brands such as Castrol and Quaker State can perform just as well.

I hope this helped!

p.s.: 5w30, 10w30, etc... are called multigrade oils. That's because the first number stands for the viscosity rate or thickness of the oil at start-up, and the second number stands for the viscosity rate of the oil at operating tempurature. The first number is always lower than the second number, and the higher the number goes (0,5,10,15,20), the thicker the oil. For example, the thinnest grades of oil on the market today are 0w30 and 5w20. You do not want to use 20w50 in the winter. It's really quite simple folks!

SiR-Racer

Thanks for the help everyone. Synthetic it is for me!

ROB THE BRUCE>> Awesome link! Thanks!

Buff 'n Stuff>> Thanks for the very informative reply! Definitely helps alot. Looks like you really know your oils

Buff 'n Stuff

Don't mention it! It's what I do for a living...

I'm glad I could help!