Coming up on the first 5k oil change...

[The Lox]

I can't really decide what to do. Take it to the dealer? Take care of it myself? I have a 6 year 100k warranty on the car, and don't want to risk voiding it, but I am thinking I'd like to run sythetic in this car since I will be driving it for a very long time. What do you guys think??

[Raven]

Change to synthetic. DIY and just keep the dated receipts with the mileage recorded on them in case of an engine warranty issue. They don't expect and cannot demand everyone to get it done at the dealer. You can do a synthetic change yourself for about $30.00. I've been doing my own oil for years.

[KNINE]

I bought a cheap notebook and stapled my receipts inside, along with the recorded milage. That way if any warranty issues came up, I had proof of maintenance. By law, the dealership cannot make you get oil changes there. I went to synthetic on my first oil cahnge, and have been using it ever since.

[The Lox]

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »I bought a cheap notebook and stapled my receipts inside, along with the recorded milage. That way if any warranty issues came up, I had proof of maintenance. By law, the dealership cannot make you get oil changes there. I went to synthetic on my first oil cahnge, and have been using it ever since. Awesome, what kind of synthetic are you guys using??

[prathman]

With my first new car I did all the oil changes myself, kept the dated receipts, and even stopped by the dealership (it was on my daily route anyway) to have the service manager initial and date it. With the Vibes I've been taking them either to the dealership or other service places depending on coupons (the dealer has run a number of $6 specials). With 5 kmile intervals the conventional oil should be fine. Once the warranty is up I'll switch to synthetic and do some oil analysis to see if longer change intervals are justified. (Currently the oil looks almost identical after 5 kmiles to the new oil that's put in. So I suspect the analysis with synthetic will show that I can go with a longer interval.)

[KNINE]

Quote, originally posted by The Lox »Awesome, what kind of synthetic are you guys using??Pennzoil Platinum

[The Lox]

Well I got her done, no problems. I bought 4 filters from Toyota to ahve for my car and the wifes. I went with Mobil 1 full synthetic. I also threw in a can of seafoam in the gas and filled up. The car is running way better than when I first got it. Probably just all broken in and ready to go..Next up is the Cosmo SRI, and then I am done with the engine mods...

[SkyVibe]

Just a tip- next time put in the fuel system cleaner a tank of fuel or so before you change the oil Many times some of the cleaner or crud it removed ends up in the oil, which isn't such a great thing. Some of the cleaners tell ya not to use them more than so many times in one oil change cycle because of this.My personal favorite is Gumout Regane or Chevron Techron.

[The Lox]

Quote, originally posted by SkyVibe »Just a tip- next time put in the fuel system cleaner a tank of fuel or so before you change the oil Many times some of the cleaner or crud it removed ends up in the oil, which isn't such a great thing. Some of the cleaners tell ya not to use them more than so many times in one oil change cycle because of this.My personal favorite is Gumout Regane or Chevron Techron.Never thought of that...great idea though. I will do that the next time..

[Burns1210]

Quote, originally posted by prathman »(Currently the oil looks almost identical after 5 kmiles to the new oil that's put in.If the oil comes out clean after 5,00 miles, isn't that a sign that it isn't working? Oil is supposed to get dirty.

[SkyVibe]

That is exactly right. I've seen many times it looks pretty good on the dipstick but is black in the pan when drained. If it looks like new oil in the drain pan then there is a serious issue with that oil...

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by SkyVibe »That is exactly right. I've seen many times it looks pretty good on the dipstick but is black in the pan when drained. If it looks like new oil in the drain pan then there is a serious issue with that oil...Exactly WHAT would be considered a "serious" issue, if the oil comes out clean?? Sounds to me like a tight engine, that isn't blowing past the rings.. or one that's not driven hard, causing nothing to blow past the rings... How exactly do you think the oil gets dirty? It doesn't come in contact with the combustion gases (for the most part) So, how does oil become dirty and black? It's carbon that gets past the rings.. otherwise, there isn't anything TO dirty the oil...

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by Burns1210 »If the oil comes out clean after 5,00 miles, isn't that a sign that it isn't working? Oil is supposed to get dirty.Why is oil "supposed" to get dirty??? Same questions as above... same answers to...

[SkyVibe]

From - http://www.quakerstate.com/myth_vs_fact.aspx"Myth #2If the oil turns dark or black quickly, it's no good. You can tell the condition of oil by the look, smell or color of it. Dirty (black) motor oil means the oil is breaking down. FactA common misconception is that high quality motor oil should come out of an engine looking clean at the time of an oil change. Nothing could be further from the truth. If the oil is doing its job of cleaning the engine, then it should be dirty when it is drained. Quaker State® motor oil will start looking dirty a short time after it is put to use. In the case of diesel engines, the oil will look dirty within a few hours of operation. These are signs that the motor oil is doing its job of keeping soot, dirt, and other combustion contaminants in suspension to be carried to the filter or removed from the crankcase when the oil is changed. Quaker State® motor oils have been formulated to hold these contaminants in suspension until they can be removed with an oil and filter change. "If that doesn't convince you here is what Castrol has to say-"• I noticed that my oil seems to get darker with use. Can you explain this? [50%]It is natural for oil to darken with use. This is an effect of the oil doing its job well. The oil will darken as it collects the contaminants from the combustion process, as well as handling the high temperatures that occur within any piece of machinery. "So if the oil is coming out clean it isn't doing it's job holding contaminants in suspension, this can happen with non-detergent or really really crappy oils....

[Sublimewind]

Hmmm, ok... Good, I like these discussions... I read and understood what you posted, and it's VERY true, with exceptions... On a motor that isn't driven hard (vibes) there is really no reasion for the engine to "losen" with age... espically if it has been well maintained... On an older loser engine, sure... but these things have nice tight tolerances.. the only combustion contaminants that make it to the oil are ones that leak past the rings.. on a lose motor... Lots of factors come into play on WHY some motors stay clean and some don't, even amoung Vibes, my oil comes out black... others don't.... But to say an oil isn't doing it's job because it's relitivaly clean is FALSE... The facts that the QS site put up are "questionable" at best.. espically when you see things likeQuote »Quaker State® motor oil will start looking dirty a short time after it is put to use. In the case of diesel engines, the oil will look dirty within a few hours of operation. These are signs that the motor oil is doing its job of keeping soot, dirt, and other combustion contaminants in suspension to be carried to the filter or removed from the crankcase when the oil is changed. Quaker State® motor oils have been formulated to hold these contaminants in suspension until they can be removed with an oil and filter change. "Which reads much more like an opinion about THEIR product, than actual fact... Want to read up on REAL facts.... http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/I'm not saying you are wrong, man, i'm just saying that the "facts" you provided could easily be skewed by the manufacture, they can print anything they want...espically if it benifits them...

[NibCrom]

If the oil never got dirty, why would you ever change it?

[AZViking]

Probably a dumb question here, but generally how long can you go on 100% synthetic oil betwen changes?

[SkyVibe]

Quote, originally posted by NibCrom »If the oil never got dirty, why would you ever change it?I can't WAIT to hear sublimewinds response to this By the way sublime- ALL engines have blowby, there is no perfect seal between rings and/or pistons to cylinder walls. I'd also like you to post your thoughts about oil staying clean looking on BITOG (been a member for more years than you've been driving perhaps), get your asbestos underwear on for when the guys who really understand engines and oil get ahold of you

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by SkyVibe »I can't WAIT to hear sublimewinds response to this By the way sublime- ALL engines have blowby, there is no perfect seal between rings and/or pistons to cylinder walls. I'd also like you to post your thoughts about oil staying clean looking on BITOG (been a member for more years than you've been driving perhaps), get your asbestos underwear on for when the guys who really understand engines and oil get ahold of you Why you gotta be like that..?? We are all here for the same thing... It's all about learning man, teach me something... If all engines have blow buy... why would some genvibers be draining relatively clean oil? I know very few here that use generic oil, so, is one oil doing something different than another? I doubt it highly... Quote, originally posted by NibCrom »If the oil never got dirty, why would you ever change it?Thermal and mechanical breakdown.. To be quite honest, if we had a better filtering system, there is a good chance for 10kmi changes, even with good conventional oils... I know there was an oil filtering system being developed that looked like a roll of toilet paper in the canister, that did a 1000% better at filtering the oil than conventional filter, it was just poor in the flow department... I don't know where that development went, but a lot of oil gets changed due to the content of contaminants... It becomes abrasive at a point.. Quote, originally posted by AZViking »Probably a dumb question here, but generally how long can you go on 100% synthetic oil between changes?On a "good" synthetic like (German) Castrol Syntec 0-w30, you could likely get 3 changes worth out of it in a Vibe, just changing the filter at normal intervals and topping off.. Just guessing here, but these engines aren't high strung, high compression, high heat, high boost engines...

[Water boy]

Your question has been answered a few times over at....http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

[Burns1210]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »On a "good" synthetic like (German) Castrol Syntec 0-w30, you could likely get 3 changes worth out of it in a Vibe, just changing the filter at normal intervals and topping off.. Just guessing here, but these engines aren't high strung, high compression, high heat, high boost engines... I have yet to change the oil in the Vibe, but will be shortly...are you saying that you can remove the filter without losing a lot of oil? Is the filter higher than the oil pan? It doesn't sit sideways does it...I hate those. My girlfriend's G20 is like that...makes a mess.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by Burns1210 »I have yet to change the oil in the Vibe, but will be shortly...are you saying that you can remove the filter without losing a lot of oil? Is the filter higher than the oil pan? It doesn't sit sideways does it...I hate those. My girlfriend's G20 is like that...makes a mess.Usually you can, I mean you lose some oil, but definitely not all of it... replace it with more of the same and you are good... The (German) Castrol i spoke of, I've only found at AutoZone... It's the only bottle of oil on the shelves (as far as I know) that is made 100% in Germany, and in that it must adhere to stricter TUV standards that surpass the standards here... I've read that synthetic, doesn't have to be 100% synthetic to be CALLED synthetic. As long as it's over a certain higher percentage of synthetic components, it can be called synthetic... like 90% + or something, I don't know the actual numbers.. So, many of the oils aren't 100% synthetic and tend to break down worse than the GC... A lot of Subie guys run it, because of it's fast flow on start-up and it's ability to truly keep it's cool under the high loads that the turboed motors put on the oil... On a vibe motor, it will never see those type of stresses, so it's much less important..