84,000 miles, too late to switch to synthetic???

cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:17 am

I did a search an found a member switched at 40K, but im way past that. Im I past the mark? I was using syn at one point but got too expensive & went back to reg. oil. Too late to go back?

Wolfman213 · Post by **Wolfman213** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:24 am

IMO, it's never too late to switch to synthetic, well, unless you're motor is already shot lol. Some people start syn at their very first oil change, then start way late. Go ahead and switch back, your engine will love you for it!

djkeev · Post by **djkeev** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:49 am

If you change your oil faithfully dino oil will do just fine. If you tend to "miss" that oil change mileage then you'd be good to switch.I use synthetic in anything I purchase new for the advantages are there over the long term. It costs a few more dollars but I don't worry too much about the wear on the engine. It's better in cold weather and I believe more forgiving for a missed oil change point.Dave

Whelan · Post by **Whelan** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:49 am

AGain I've got another 20k on top of you almost. I would say leave it. I used synthetic in my Civic and it caused me to have a bunch of oil burn issues. My 5w-30 regular oil at the 3-5k interval has worked well and there is no need to switch.What you need to ask yourself is:1) what are the advantages of switching on a car that is not high performance.2) is it just to make you feel better?3) Why the sudden need to change back?

Caretaker · Post by **Caretaker** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:48 am

I totally agree with Whelan. Don't waste your money on a feel good measure at this point. If anything, you should start thinking of switching over to a high mileage oil like Castrol. The rings in your car are beginning to wear out and puting in the ultra watery synthetic only adds to the chance of it getting around the rings and burning away into your exhaust.

L5K · Post by **L5K** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:23 am

I'm coming up on doing the first oil change since I got the car just a couple months ago. It's a used 03 GT, does anyone know if there's a way to tell if whoever did the oil last used synthetic?

cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:11 pm

Thx for the replies! The reason I was thinking about going back because I really want the vibe to last & was considering syn oil for added protection. My goal is to pay off the car & NOT have a car payment! So I wanna keep the Vibe around, if you know what I mean.

spiffy1001 · Post by **spiffy1001** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:40 am

Good luck on having a paid off car, that was my plan with this 2004 Saturn, I put synthetic in it too, there is my oil all over the street. Sorry, I know it is unrelated but it makes me jealous when someone talks about not having a car payment........(on a related note - my current vibe below was able to be fixed.)

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cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 2:45 am

Sorry to hear about your Saturn. The reason I have the Vibe is because my previous car ( 2003 two door civic ) was rearended & totalled. Didnt have gap ins. so I has to pay off what was left....2000 plus the payment for the Vibe.If I didnt get rearended I would have paid off the Civic this past Feb. would have been car payment free.GRRRRRRR!!!!! Stupid drivers!At what mileage should I switch to high mileage oil???

pljenkins · Post by **pljenkins** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:20 am

I for one don't see any reason to switch to "high mileage" oil either. I have 130K+ miles on my base '03 Vibe, changed the good old Pennzoil 5w-30 yellow every 3500-5500 miles and have had ZERO powertrain problems. She runs stronger then the day I bought her.Take care of your machine, educate yourself on your machine, and it will last as long as you want it to.P.

cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:25 am

Thx for the tips guys! I do all my oil changes myself & never been past 5K for a oil change. I check under the hood weekly & also check tire pressures when im making my "rounds". Recently cleaned the Throttle body & MAF. This car has been very reliable & lots of space for a car its size. I actually found out about a compartment behind the rear seat from a thread here. I swear the more I own this car the more Im glad I bought it!Now if I can get a chance to replace my broken passenger side door handle & upgrade to some polk speakers LOL.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:29 am

I see that Walmart has 5 qt jugs (not 4 qt) of Mobil 1 for $19.99.

84,000 miles, too late to switch to synthetic???

84,000 miles, too late to switch to synthetic???

Re: (djkeev)

Re: (Whelan)

Re: (cptnsolo77)

Re: (cptnsolo77)