1995LS400

switch over to non-synthetic without "flushing" the crankcase? Im at 95K. Should I just stick with the pricier syn and not be a cheap *** about it? One more question. Whats the deal with some people saying that a car with higher mileage should not be using syn because it will slip past the rings easier, WTF. What if the car has lived off the stuff as long as mine has?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

people caution against switching from dino oil TO synthetic on higher mileage engines.

if ur car is already running on synthetic then id definitely stick to it

DJ TANTRA

agreed!!!!

1995LS400

Thanks for the advice bro.

Lexmex

However, I know several Lexus owners who have gone to conventional when using Auto-RX and I haven't heard of single issue yet involving that process.

sonyman

You shouldn't have any trouble switching back to a dino oil.

denverdog

don't be a cheap ***.

stay with synth.

your car is barely broken in at 95k. look at the thread on "how many miles".

in SD, you'll appreciate synth even more when its 20 below zero. your car will turn over like it's july. synth does not get thick in the cold.

sonyman

Just to add some factual information:

Many dino oils rival synthetics in quality and performance now. Unless you are doing extended drains or subjecting your motor to harsh operating conditions including:

- frequent starting and stopping of the engine
- starting in very cold temperatures
- short drives neglecting to warm up the motor to boil off contaminants
- racing and/or jackrabbit starts

then the only real advantage to running a synthetic is slightly better wear protection. Sure, a quality synthetic may flow a tad better (a slight reduction in wear) and may have a higher flash point, and other benefits on paper, but it's hard to really find any substantial gains under normal operating conditions. There are exceptions, of course. For example, if I owned one of the sludge-prone 1MZ-FE engines, I would definitely stick to a synthetic. However, the 1UZ-FE is not such an engine, and happens to wear very well with any quality oil. Now, since you are in South Dakota, there will most likely be a tangible benefit during the winter months as far as starting performance, since dino oils tend to thicken up more than a synthetic with the same viscosity rating. There are, however, also dino oils that offer the similar if not the same benefits for cold weather protection.

To conclude the above, you'd be find with any quality oil, synthetic or dino, but there may be benefits during winter from an oil with a thinner viscosity when cold such as a synthetic or a cold-optimized dino oil.

avalon42

iTrader: (1)

Don't they call it conventional?

sonyman

Same thing. Dino because it's made from dinosaurs.

Klierslc

Agree with all of the above, unless SD stands for San Diego. Then the cold weather benefits are no longer a factor.

1995LS400

No, sorrily it is South Dakota. But we have mild winters here in the western part of the state. The temp never reaches the -20F like someone above said. In the east, like Sioux Falls however, the ambient temp can easily reach -20F on a regular basis.

Bill Dowd

Mobil one did a test in 1990 took 5 BMW 325 cars and ran them on car type treadmill to one million miles and took the engines apart and found that that parts of the engine were still within specs of a new motor and the rest or the motor was in perfect condition. I have friends who ran their 1990 ls400 to 600,000 miles and still running today. BMW Mercedes porche and all high performace racing cars from Euorpe run Mobil one from the factory. I also run the mobil one trans fluid in the tranny and power steering and at 190,000 all is still perfect my car is a 1991 ls400. I also most forgot the rear end I use the 75-90 mobil one snythetic gear oil. Living in Sioux Falls stay with mobil one,the greatest wear on any engine is in the morning and mobil one will help there. Both in hot and cold weather synthetic oil far better than dino oil.

Heepspo

Dinosaurs, eh? LOL!

sonyman

It's made from crude, which as we know is made from the remains of once living things from many, many years ago.