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by Nerd Thuggery awakens. on March 3rd, 2009

Nerd Thuggery awakens.

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Considering an oil change at a quick lube place costs about 3x more when I opt for synthetic over conventional oil, is the advantage of synthetic worth it? (I put heavy miles on car in Florida and change oil about every 8,000 miles.)

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Answers. 3 helpful answers below.

  • by Old School on March 3rd, 2009

    Old School

    There are two ways to look at this question.

    It is true that synthetic oil IS superior to conventional oil and provides somewhat better protection.

    However, unless you are using your car under extreme circumstances (racing, heavy towing, heavy traffic in desert heat, etc.), the extra protection may not make that much difference to you.

    Consumer Reports did a test where they had New York taxicabs run about 75k miles (with regular oil changes), some with conventional oil, some with synthetic oil. They then tore down the engines and compared wear levels. CR said that the difference were not significant.

    Lots of info here:

    http://tinyurl.com/adoqru

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  • by douchebarge on March 3rd, 2009

    douchebarge

    A friend of mine drives a tow truck for a living, and he cautions everyone he meets against these quick-lube joints. Apparently it is fairly common for them to fail to torque the drain plug properly, so that it works itself loose and dumps the engine oil out on the road.
    In a situation like that, the extra cost of the synthetic oil would definitely not be worth it.
    Shop around and you will likely find a better price at a garage near you. A professional mechanic is likely to do a better job and remember to replace the drain plug properly!
    The downside is that it's likely to take longer. You may have to make an appointment ahead of time, or possibly leave your car at the garage for a day.
    Synthetic oil is better, but depending on the age of your car and the duty cycle involved you might consider changing the service interval. If you go that route, you might find that the increased cost of the synthetic oil is not worth it, since one of the advantages is its longer service life.

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  • by Mink90 on March 3rd, 2009

    Mink90

    Synthetic provides better lubrication which reduces engine wear and slightly reduces temperature. It also lasts longer.
    I'd recommend a synthetic or partial synthetic oil over the conventional stuff but I'd shop around to see if you can get it done for cheaper, even if that means buying it yourself and having somebody (yourself, neighbor, local shop) do it.

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