clausda0

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JamRWS6

Possibly
Only you can answer that.
Cost
No, many new cars come with it factory filled.
I use Mobil 1. The German Castrol Syntec is very good also.

I only use synthetic in my car.

I would keep it at the 5K recommended mostly because of the need to change the oil filter. The oil will last longer but the filter should be changed which requires the oil to be changed anyways

Leechiro

ill prob swap to full syn on my first and change it every 5k like i did with my rsx-s. ive always used mobil1

hey JAM, were you ever on rsx or mustang boards? name looks familiar

Kamikaze2b

I was very surprised to learn that the IS only requires old school oil. Even my 2004 F-150 used a synthetic/conventional blend at 5w20.

Big Andy

Most manufacturers are moving to extended services intervals (15k - 20k) using the latest synthetic oils which can last in excess of 25k miles with minimal loss of performance. Lexus believes that by extending the service intervals you loose touch with your customers so have stuck with the short intervals (10k in the UK and Europe, 5k in the US). With these short intervals a good quality mineral oil will suffice and go some way to offsetting the increased costs by having your car serviced twice as often.

Mind you if you suggested to someone in the UK that your car needed an oil change every 5k miles they would look at you like you were either mad or had just emerged from the 1980s.

mtnduc

I used to buy oil for a large intl quick lube chain and have many conversations with the reps from all of the major oil companies.
Here's the short of it:
1) As long as you change your oil every 3-4K regular oil is just fine
2) If you decide to use syn oil you can almost guaranetee you will never have an oil related engine failure due to oil lubricative issues. I would still suggest changing oil at intervals of no mor ethan 7.5K
3) Semi-syn oil only has to have 25% syn to be called that. You can simply add 1qt of syn to every 3 of regular to get the same results
4) Switching oils from reg to syn on a newer vehicle will not cause any problems.
5) I believe, Ferrari, Viper, Corvette and Porsche all us Mobil 1 as a factory fill. Syn does have better lubricating qualities and in these high perf engines this may make a difference. Ferrarri may us AGIP I may be wrong here. I do use syn in my street bikes and MX bikes due to high rpm running.
6) If you plan on keeping the car for a very long time, say 250K miles, I'd consider using syn.
7) If you were to look at an oil pan after approx. 100K of reg oil vs 100K on syn oil I can guarantee the pan will have less sludge with the syn oil. I have personally seen proof of this.

For a basic chemistry lesson, think of the molecules in reg oil as a handful of gravel then think of the molecules of syn oil as a handful of marbles.

Hope this helps.

Tony1

5 Maybe that explains why all those cars you just mentionted don't have reliable engine
stats compared to (Toyota, which doesnt use syn oil and has the most reliable engines)..lol
(I'm not saying syn is not good oil.. Just saying unless you race your car or plan
on keeping it for over 10 years, i wouldn't bother) Unless piece of mind is worth hundreds
of extra dollars over the years..

7. So that would mean a test was done where 1 person owned 2 of the identical cars
and did oil changes on them at the exact time, and ONLY he drove both cars up until
100k miles,, Not likely..

Big Andy

I wish my reps did such a good sales job..

I'd want to say to those oil reps:

" So you're telling me that over the last 20 odd years and hundreds of millions of dollars of research you can still only produce an oil that lasts a measly 3-4k? That's despite the engine manufacturers doing half your job for you and producing engines with closer tolerances and better manufacturing."

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

oil analysis can answer a whole lot to when you need to change your oil, and can answer a lot of how your engine is running, its very comprehensive, it is analogous to a blood test for a person

www.blackstone-labs.com

sample
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/gas_report_1.html

JamRWS6

It really has nothing to do with that. Think about the people that drive those cars...they drive them HARD and those engines are putting out big power compared to what most Toyota engines do.

Any car that is driven hard will have premature wear and failure no matter if you are filling it with gold.

Synthetic engines are cleaner inside...I've seen first hand proof of this.

A while back a gentlemen who had a LS1 powered Camaro decided to tear down the motor and rebuild after 200K b/c he "figured it was time". What did he find? After 200K runnning Mobil 1 and normal driving the cylinders still had hone marks from when it was made and looked practically brand new inside.

Long story short...If you drive it hard..it's gonna have problems no matter who makes it. Toyota is not free from the laws of physics.

Very good advice. This can definitely tell you what is happening inside your engine.

Remember that even though the oil may be good the filter should not be run in excessive intervals.

Tony1

You also have to remember the cars you mentioned are not driven nearly as
much as totoyas are, those are mainly "Weekend driven cars"., while most
totoyas have much more mileage put on them, and are driven through
all climates, including cold winter seasons, and they STILL last longer..
All you have to do it change your oil in a reasonable amount of time
and buy a JAPANese car!

Kamikaze2b

Doesn't synthetic give you better mileage and slighty more power due to lesser friction? That and you can go twice as long pretty much makes it a wash IMO.

clubfoot

Synthetic oil may give you more power and better mileage, but you may also void your new car warranty by not changing your oil at the scheduled intervals.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

how would they know you dont change it at regular intervals, if the engine doesnt look like its getting caked with old sludgy oil or failing due to bad lubrication who is the dealer to void your warranty. Oh you went 1 mile over 5k I void your warranty, I dont think it works like that

casey225

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I know you will ), but a few years back Consumer Reports tested reg oil, syn. blend, and pure syn. on NYC taxis. I'm not sure of the specifics, I think it was after 25K miles, they checked and found no difference in engine wear based on type of oil. I just remember the take home message was not to waste your money on synthetic. I don't know about sludge buildup etc.