I have a 05 Toyota corolla w/ 81,000 miles. I use conventional motor oil. At this point if i switch to synthetic oil would there be any benefit or it is just a wast of time and money.
by Bull6791, July 25, 2013
I have a 05 Toyota corolla w/ 81,000 miles. I use conventional motor oil. At this point if i switch to synthetic oil would there be any benefit or it is just a wast of time and money.
Won't hurt at all - if it is a benefit or not - that depends on how you drive the car.
Synthetics have some unique properties that might make it more appealing. Has a very strong resistance to high operating temperatures, has great low temperature flow, great solvency, usually a pretty robust additive package. Many can run extended oil changes -p provided that you monitor it from time to time and make sure filtration is up to snuff.
If you plan on changing the oil on relatively short intervals - 3000 or 5000 miles - then synthetics might be a waste of money. Stretching that oil change interval out - or if you plan on running under some pretty extreme temperature ranges - then you might benefit from a synthetic motor oil. There are mega mileage cars that run exclusively synthetics and conventional motor oils - so one doesn't necessarily offer better protection than the other in "most" operating conditions.
The bottom line is the maintenance aspect - just change the oil regularly. Doesn't matter if it is conventional or synthetic or synthetic blends - as long as you change the oil on a regular basis - they are all good.
Myself, personally, I run synthetics. My usual operating temperatures are pretty moderate - compared to other regions. But I can see temps drop in the low teens or even subzero - temps in the highs can reach triple digits easily. I do it more for extended oil operation - since my commutes are pretty lengthy - I can hit 3000 or 5000 miles pretty quickly. So to reduce the number of times I need to change out the oil - I run a good synthetic on a 7500-10000 mile oil change interval. Back that up with periodic UOAs and run the largest filter I can put on there that matches the original specs. I know that on my cars - even at 7500-10000 miles, the oil is still giving good protection, I could run it to 12000-16000 miles, but I like to give myself a little cushion, just in case I can't get to the car to change the oil. That flexibility is the deciding factor for me.
Most engine damage is done at startup, synthetics are the best game in town if you want to keep you car when it gets a lot of miles on it. Even at 70 degrees F damage happens.
Sonix,
My 05 corolla calls for conventional 5w30. I never had a car that called for synthetic oil. Not knowing much about synthetic oil I thought at 81,000 miles changing to synthetic would be a waste. Also longer oil change intervals like 7000 or 10,000 miles makes me nervous. I always stick with 3,000 mile oil change. Also if I wanted to change would it have been better to do it earlier in the schedule.
Bull
