Poll - How many use Synthetic Oil or Regular Oil in their Vibe?

[johnsoax]

Currently I use QuakerState (don't go into the parifine in the oil, it's not true, most crude oil is parifine oil) and change every 5000 in both of my cars (Vibe GT and 2001 Neon ES). But, I am thinking about going to Amsoil and changing them every 10K. I also would like to change the air filters to Amsoil filters in both cars, but can't find the part numbers on the website.

[johnsoax]

Well I compared costs and using what I use now (5 quarts of Quaker State and a purolator filter) costs me $12.95 every 5000 miles. So that is $25.90 per 10k. Amsoil costs 29.75 just for the oil and another $11 for the filter for the vibe. so that brings up the cost to 40.75 every 10k. I don't know if it is worth it or not. I'm not going to do extended drain times past 10k, just not going to happen. So should I go with a different kind of oil, or just keep what I am doing now?

[johnsoax]

Is that for them changing it? I change my own oil. I like the satisfaction that it brings.

[mu_ohio]

quote:How does synthetic oil affect the GM warranty? Do they allow a longer period between oil change if you use synthetic oil?The Corvette comes off the line with Mobil1. I'm due this weekend for my first oil change. I'm going with Mobil1 and a K&N filter. I plan on changing oil and filter every 6k.That's pretty much what I do with the exception of using AMSOil which is actually cheaper at to go with at the local oil change place. At that rate, I change it twice a year which isn't bad.

[87iroc]

Fram Oil filters! Egads!!!http://minimopar.net/oilfilterstudy.html#fram-ph8aI use either AC Delco or K&N Oil filters...Amsoil is good too.Our vibe went Mobil 1 at 3500 miles. I plan on changing it every 7500 because of my wifes 35 mile interstate commute to work.

[threekrows]

I use castrol and gm filters.I don't push any oil on anyone,just make sure you change it at the right interval.I change at 3000 miles.In the long run it may cost me a few bucks,but so what.It's my descision.I don't see where you can do excessive maintaince

[Caretaker]

Yup, Mobil 1 every 6,000 miles. That way I don't have to lap it up off of the driveway as often as fossil fuel....he, he, he

[bishc21]

here's an interesting link that provides info on how micron evaluation is done.. http://www.fram.com/tech/FluidFilterRating.pdfpretty much shows how micron filtering ratings is company specific depending on how they test them. so who knows which filter is really the best.. kinda up to individual IMHO.

[bus driver]

I change oil every three months period. 90% of the time I'm well below mileage (ex instead of 5000k i'm at 3135k and 675k wern't mine) I thought using the synthic oil instead of reg would be just wasting cash, Could use savings for beer.What I do do is throw half bottle of Lucas Oil Treat in with it as I'm really impressed with the results I had with my last car. Yeah I know it's not the other product that I've seen here. Bottom line just change oil on reg bases and car should live for long time........Hopefully

[hman33]

i've used castrol gtx in all my vehicles with no probs. had a '88 daytona with 100,000 mi. a '92 daytona with 150,000 mi. and my wife's '94 sunbird with 90,000 mi. i try to change the between 3,000 and 5,000 mi. i also use fram oil filters.

[Flip-Side]

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Well, I took the plunge and had Amsoil installed in my truck last Saturday. Welcome to the amsoil team. Had mine switched about a month ago now. Already have about 1,500 miles on it. Haven't noticed a difference yet because its warm here in South Carolina now, and i have not gone on any highway trips. Will try to change the filter AND oil every 10,000 miles or so.

[bellwilliam]

just got back from Walmart. with Mobil-1 oil and Fram filter. they also vaccum the interior !!! all for $30.

[Mr.D]

I did my first oil change at 3k, went with Mobile 1 5/30 and a Toyota brand filter for the Matrix. I plan to change the oil from now on at 7.5k intervals using the same Mobil 1 and Toyota filter.

[huskerpt]

I think this is one topic no one will ever completely agree on. I have used both. The one thing that I can say is after a switch to synthetic oil I have a oil leak on a 2001 Dodge dakota. I never had to add oil in the truck until then. I'm sure the AMSOIL guy will post that changing to synthetic did not cause my truck to leak, but is seems like to much of a coincedence to me. If he doesn't believe me he can look at the spots on my driveway. I have yet to decide what I am going to use on my Vibe. I think the main thing is consistent maintenance and dino or synthetic will keep our Vibe's running for a long time.

[P POPPR]

Quote, originally posted by huskerpt »I think this is one topic no one will ever completely agree on. I have used both. The one thing that I can say is after a switch to synthetic oil I have a oil leak on a 2001 Dodge dakota. I never had to add oil in the truck until then. I'm sure the AMSOIL guy will post that changing to synthetic did not cause my truck to leak, but is seems like to much of a coincedence to me. If he doesn't believe me he can look at the spots on my driveway. I have yet to decide what I am going to use on my Vibe. I think the main thing is consistent maintenance and dino or synthetic will keep our Vibe's running for a long time. From what I understand, leaks are not uncommon when changing over to synthetic from dino unless it is done fairly early on. I'm sure someone will supply many reasons as to why this happens, but the bottom line is that leaks do occur. It has nothing to do with specifically Amsoil or any other brand of synthetic. I decided to use synthetic with a K&N filter. My main reason is that I have another vehicle that came from the factory with Mobil 1 and I have no problems there. I considered Amsoil but found the mail order issue to be too inconvenient and I refuse to accept their "extended interval" factor. You can beat the numbers to death in an effort to substantiate one oil over another, but it most likely makes very little difference which oil we choose. Either Dino or Synthetic would be fine if one maintains a proper maintenance interval. In the past I've changed oil at 3k, but I'm changing at 6k on the Vibe with Mobil 1. Here's a little food for thought http://forums.corvetteforum.co...msoil& http://forums.corvetteforum.co...59570Check out post #34 by "mountainmotor"

[kcinmi]

I believe I read somewhere that if you swith to a synthetic oil in a motor that has a few miles on it you will develop leaks. This is only because Synthetic oil molecules are much smaller and have a consistent size. A motor with miles on it will undoubtedly have seals that are worn a little, and while the regular oil doesnt leak out, synthetic will. I changed over to Mobil 1 at 400 miles, 1600 miles now and no problem.

[AJ_'04 Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by d_m_kolb »By law you can not lose your warranty for doing extended oil changes or for using a different weight oil. If a dealer trys to tell you, you must use a certain weight oil and type by law the vehicle manufacturer must provide all the oil the vehicle will ever need and do the maintenance for you. Surprising how much a dealer service department lies to people to make a buck isn't it.I'd like to know where you got this info. (The link you gave is dead.)Maybe you can't "lose" your warranty, but let's say you spin a bearing in your car with 32,000 miles on it and you want it fixed under warranty. If you've been changing the oil every 10,000 miles when GM says to change it at 7,500 miles, there's a very very VERY good chance they will not honor the warranty because you failed to maintain the vehicle according to the manufacture’s maintenance schedule. Same with an extended warranty (which I also purchased). If you don’t follow the manufacture’s schedule, you’re leaving a HUGE door open for them to slam in your face later on. That’s not a chance I’m willing to take. I paid ~$1,500 for that warranty. You think I want to take the risk of them not replacing/rebuilding my engine because I “thought” I could go longer on my oil changes than what GM says? :rolleyes:Not trying to step on any toes, but I feel your information is inaccurate, regardless of the source.

[cspmeinkc]

I have 1700 miles on my 05 GT.I will plan to use syn. oil, just not sure what brand yet?Sorry, but i have to say 25,000+ mile oil changes is nuts, even with syn, oil. In past cars i have used Castrol GTX, with Wix filters.My 1998 Dodge Neon R/T had over 100,000 miles on it when i traded it off. No problems at all, no noise. Ran just as good as new. I never even had any oil leaks in that car!! (If you own a Neon you know what i mean, they are leakers!)

[jdub]

I bought my vibe used, having 5401 miles at delivery. Previous owner had mobile1 oil and filter. Will continue to use synthetic and change at 5K.

[synthetic oilman]

Amsoil would not void any manufacturers warranty. It allows you to go up to 25,000 miles or 12 months without changing the oil. It is 100% synthetic unlike most brands that say they are but actually are not. Amsoil just came out with a new oil filter that also only has to be changed every 25,000 miles. Check out http://www.amsoil.com and use referral #1218864 if you want to order anything.

[synthetic oilman]

Using Amsoil actually can save you money because you only have to change the oil every 25K miles or 12 Months. You should save around $50-$60/year this way. The benefit of Amsoil is that it cleans the engine as it is being circulated and gets rid of the carbon deposits in the engine. Check out http://www.amsoil.com and use referral number #1218864. I have been using it for a couple of years and my cars run smoother and cooler, starts better in the winter and I am not under my car every 2-3 months.

[synthetic oilman]

Using Amsoil does not cause the leak, the main thing with Amsoil is that it cleans all the carbon deposits left behind that are clogging up you seals. Amsoil constantly cleans as it goes. I changed over to amsoil at 40K and had a leak. I finally sold my truck at 180K with no further leaks. Ran like a top! Good luck!

[synthetic oilman]

You can change over to synthetic right away now. It is old school thinking that tells us not to. Amsoil is by far the best that I have used. I changed my truck over to Amsoil at 40K miles, I finally sold it at 180K miles and no problems other than I had to replace the alt. once. I have changed all my vehicles over to everything Amsoil including the transmission. It cleans as it works and never stops cleaning. Check out http://www.amsoil.com and use referral #1218864. I recommend it to everyone I know.

[BlueCrush]

Just switched to Mobil 1 this morning at the dealer but only got charged for a regular oil change. Score one for the home team!

[Vettephil]

Quote, originally posted by P POPPR »quote:The Corvette comes off the line with Mobil1. I'm due this weekend for my first oil change. I'm going with Mobil1 and a K&N filter. I plan on changing oil and filter every 6k.The Corvette also has a scheduled oil change interval of 25,000 miles. Having owned 4 Corvettes in the past and run Mobil 1 in every single one of them, I can vouch for beautiful results. My Vettes were a bit older, so I only pushed changes to once per year which was about 8,000 - 12,000 miles. Still have to check for leaks and fluid levels on a constant basis to protect yourself from running dry.Cheers!-PHIL

[tahoan]

I plan on using synthetic when I hit about 10k miles. Some recommend that you wait this long for the break in period so the rings will seat properly. Synthetic oils don't cause as much friction which is what helps the engine break in. Don't know if this is right, but that is what I have heard. I also have a 2000 dodge stratus and I improved my gas mileage by about 10 percent when I switched to synthetic a few years ago ( about 26 to 28 mpg with my every day driving). I'm not making any claims, just relaying my experience.

[brbo]

This is directly our out of the Factory S!2000 Manual

Attached files RecommendedFluidsandLubricants.doc (41 KB) 

[tnpartsguy]

What about Semi-Synthetics? I use Valvoline's DuraBlend 5w30.

[the1stacekiller]

Everyone (on the net) says semi-synthics are garbage.. you can blend your own 50/50 mix and it would be 100% better then semi-synthetics.. but oil studies have said that semi-synthetics or your own blend are no better than dino-oil.. I use Mobil 1 100% Sybthetic on 3 cars in my family almost 500,000 kms with NO ENGINE PROBLEMS WHATS SO EVER.. I have even extended oil changes to 15,000 kms in some cases.. NO PROBLEMS.. oil analysis at blackstone labs say you can use Mobil 1 to 25,000 kms with no problems.. but I would never extend an oil change till that time.. and yes I know I should post links to the info.. but trust me if you do a search and go to Bobtheoilguy.com all this info is there..Cheers & happy Synthetic oil changes

[capachkid]

Royal Purple is the shiznit!

[dkim1]

do you work for mobil-1...i agree...buy the mobil-1 oil filter, it will last 7,500 miles then change both oil and filter @15,000 miles.or you can check out amsoil.com if you drive 25,000 miles per year.

[dkim1]

i would use amsoil but because i don't drive 25,000 miles per year, i use mobil-1. amsoil will last 25,000 miles (not racing miles) or 1yr, after that the oil breaks down. the oil filter lasts 12,500 miles or 6 months, after that the filter element breaks down.i drive a little bit more than half that a yr. so i use mobil-1 5-30 for 15,000 miles and change the mobil-1 filter every 7,500 miles.yes, synthetic is better no question about that. my opinion, it runs better than new and the engine will run that way when you keep using synthetics. you can switch at anytime from regular to synthetic and vise versa. i have done it before because the car i had before was getting pretty old so i put it up for sale and used regular oil until it was. there is also alot of differences in oil base stocks companies use to produce their oils. castrol, valvoline and other high end brands use better oil stocks. that's why their regular oils cost so much.do your research and put synthetic in your vibe. if the 5-30 synthetic boggs your engine down (because there will be very little breakdown if any at all), try 0-30 or even 5-20. i hear royal purple is quite nice too.

[Cue-Ball]

Being an Amsoil dealer I guess I would have to say synthetics all the way.Honestly though I run Amsoil 5w-30 in the vibe and 20w-50 in my Jeep with a stroker engine, and they run great.When I first switched to Amsoil I left it in the jeep for just over 25,000 miles and never changed the filter. After changing the oil I sent a sample in for analysis and they said I could have ran it a little longer even.On my stroker I do samples every 4 weeks rright now to make sure there are no issues.

[Tubaryan12]

I don't know what's in my Vibe now (I just bought it a couple of weeks ago), but I do know this:My last car was a 2001 Hyundai Elantra 5 speed.I always drive nice and easy and have gotten between 28 and 34 mpg under various conditions.In June, 2006, with over 100k miles on the engine,I used my first full synthetic oil. Walmart brand. The gas mileage on my next 3 tanks with heavy a/c usage were as follows:36.5mpg, 36.99mpg, 36.4mpg.With a 10% increase in what was my average mileage (33mpg for most tanks) I will be only using synthetic in my Vibe and I hope I see the same results.

[AKLGT]

when i had my VGT, i used mobile 1 full synthetic.in my LGT now, i've started using Royal Purple. we'll see how it does after I've used up the 5 gallon jug

[WifesGT]

Both. I use Castrol synthetic blend 5w-30

[bjman71]

I just traded in my 2000 Ford Focus to get my 2003 Vibe. I had 150,000 on the Focus and never had an engine issue (in fact the only issue I ever had with it was that the brakes didn't last very long). I used either a cheap dino or the ford brand of oil (since Wal-Mart carried it anyway). I'm not saying that dino is as good as synthetic, however just because one has a car with a lot of miles w/o engine issues does not mean that synthetic is the only way to do it. Dino worked for me and was cheap. I have now changed over to running synthetic (penzoil in my vibe and mobile 1 in my Venture) as the studies do show it to be higher quality overall. But with the quality of all oils these days I don't think it is as big a deal as some make it out to be.By the way, and oil change on the Vibe is as easy as anything out there! Gotta love that!

[Cougar Vibe]

I've got about 13,000 miles on my '05 Vibe; first four oil changes (yes, 4!) were all Mobil 1. Latest oil change was with Walmart Synthetic and a little VSOT for moly content. After I get out of warranty, it'll be back to Mobil 1 and Pennzoil Platinum.BTW: I'm "down" to about 120 quarts of oil now. Got to love those "Buy three, get three" Mobil 1 coupons from Pep Boys last year! And the $15 Pennzoil Platinum rebate was pretty sweet too. Well hell, jugs of WPP/Walmart Synthetic at $10.24 aren't bad either. Cougar Vibe

[mathteacher'04vibe]

I know this is an old thread, but I too am a firm believer in synthetic. I haven't changed the Vibe's oil yet, but I will use either Castrol Syntec or Mobil 1--I am leaning toward Mobil 1 since I can get it cheaper than Syntec and it is more readily available at my local WalMart for $20/5l.As far as filters, I have always used Fram sure grips-no filter wrench needed.I always change every 5k miles--it makes it easier to remember when to change it. 45k, 50k, 55k, etc.

[Cougar Vibe]

There are rumors that Mobil 1 is now being formulated with Group III basestocks, which means it will no longer be a "true synthetic" like Amsoil, Redline, or German Castrol Syntec 0w30. Don't get me wrong: Pennzoil Platinum, QS Full Synthetic, Castrol Syntec, and Walmart SuperTech Synthetic are all excellent quality Group III oils...and priced correctly compared to Group IV/V PAO's. But if the rumors about the new Mobil 1 are true, I won't be buying it when there are other options (like those I mentioned earlier). Mobil shouldn't charge PAO prices for Group III oils...BTW: It's sort of hypocritical that Mobil will continue to label Mobil 1 "synthetic" considering they sued Castrol to stop them from calling their Group III Syntec "synthetic."

[Cougar Vibe]

Just a note: Wallyworld is carrying QS "Torque Power" 5w30 Synthetic for $3.99/qt. QS is offering a $15 rebate on five quarts...making it $.99/qt. You can't beat that for a Group III synthetic! I've picked up ten quarts so far...

[DopeVibeGT]

Castrol Syntec, please. Dealer recently switched from Mobil 1 to this, which I've put in the Grand Am myself for years.

[trtlflwrs]

just thought i'd put my 2 cents in for synthetic oil...ran my '97 civic on synthetic from 52k-98k miles before i sold it. changed it about every 7500, new filter every oil change (i didn't realize some people don't do that!) i'm a speed demon and noticed an overall ease of the engine and repeatedly got 40mpg after the second batch of syn (that's mostly 1/2 city, 1/2 hghwy).i'll be up for my 1st oil change in about another week or 2. i'd like to run synthetic in my '07 vibe, looking at the penzoil plat. since it was so good to me in the civic. any thoughts?p.s. i also heard recently that the engines in the '06 vibes are pontiacs, but the '07 vibes and matrix's are the exact same toyota engine. anyone know if this is true?

[tnpartsguy]

I decided I'd try 100 % synthetic on this car, since it was new, and I'd make the change ASAP, so at 500 miles, I started using Pennzoil Platinum 5W30. I was going to go with a 0W30, but it's kinda rare and still a bit expensive. The Pennzoil was on sale 2 for 1, so it won. Did the 1st real oil change today, (3,500 miles), now I'll be going every 5K between changes, at least until 3 yr/36K is up. The oil came out a very nice colour, about the clor of an Amber Bock, or a Killian's Red, and I'm guessing most of that colouration is due to cleaning the engine of trash and such from the manufacturing process. Next Update, probably March....I don't plan anymore 2,500 mile trips soon!

[VivaVibe]

Anyone that can address these issues, your opinion would be appreciated.1. I've been told when you switch to synthetic oil, you cannot go back to regular. Does anyone know if this is true?2. Also, I expect you would need to do a flush and clean the first time. Afterward, you could probably do the change yourself. Correct?3. Does the age of the engine (miles) matter in regards to better performance? Or advisability of making the switch? In other words, is there a 'forgid-aboud-it' point?4. Everyone says it increases fuel efficiency (MPG). Are there any figures for how much it helps? What is your experience?

[Ol' Timer]

Quote, originally posted by VivaVibe »Anyone that can address these issues, your opinion would be appreciated.1. I've been told when you switch to synthetic oil, you cannot go back to regular. Does anyone know if this is true?False!Quote, originally posted by VivaVibe »2. Also, I expect you would need to do a flush and clean the first time. Afterward, you could probably do the change yourself. Correct?NO! The Synthetic Oils are fully compatible with Dino Juice. You're wasting time and money with those engine flushes.Quote, originally posted by VivaVibe »3. Does the age of the engine (miles) matter in regards to better performance? Or advisability of making the switch? In other words, is there a 'forgid-aboud-it' point?You are not going to get any significant performance increase by switching to a Synthetic Oil. It will give you better protection over the long haul under severe operating conditions. And you can safely extend your drain and fill intervals after the warranty period ends by a few thousand miles.I don't think there is a "forgid-aboud-it" point. I have heard that some older engines might leak oil from the engine oil seals when switching to synthetics. But your results may vary.Quote, originally posted by VivaVibe »4. Everyone says it increases fuel efficiency (MPG). Are there any figures for how much it helps? What is your experience?All things being equal, I doubt a 5W-30 Synthetic will not give you any measureable increase in fuel mileage over 5W-30 Dino Juice.I recently switched to Pennzoil Full Synthetic because with the rebate it only costs $2.50 per quart. With Dino costing me about $2.00 per quart, I figure it's worth it for an extra $2.50 per oil change.

[VivaVibe]

Thanks for the reply Ol'Timer. I just got my 04 Vibe with 36k, but am considering synthetic when I do an oil change. This vehicle has to last me a long time, and I've heard that synthetic could help. I'm not a "hard" driver. Changing twice a year, and possibly cleaner engine are attractive points. Just not sure yet whether the added expense will be worth it.

[n2ho]

Quote, originally posted by tahoan »I plan on using synthetic when I hit about 10k miles. Some recommend that you wait this long for the break in period so the rings will seat properly. Synthetic oils don't cause as much friction which is what helps the engine break in. Don't know if this is right, but that is what I have heard. I also heard this opinion about 10k miles. Sounds kinda weird? Or this is what should be done?George

[Strobo43]

I have been using Mobile1 since first oil change and everythnig is AOK since then. 55k and mechanically everthing is just like the day I drove my new vibe out the door.

[WD0AFQ]

I am with the "other" old timer. I think he is pretty much right on. I am still using dinasour oil after 36 years of thinking about switching to synthetic.