I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with 102K miles. Would it be ok and a benefit at this time to change to synthetic oil? Would this hurt the engine at this time if I did?
Thanks
It will not hurt and it will slightly reduce wear on the engine. It likely would allow you to extend engine oil change intervals, but since I have not seen data, I would not recommend it.
The fact is that modern motors as far better than they were back when I bought my first car. Likewise standard oils are better. IMO there is little or nothing to be gained by using synthetic oils on your car. There will be a little improvement in fuel economy, but I doubt if it would pay for the difference in cost of the oil.
Back when I bought my first car in 1965 a worn out engine was a common reason for a car to end up in the junk yard. Today you will find few cars that end up there due to worn engines.
Would not hurt but would not necessarily help. I use synthetic in one vehicle because the car is hardest to change oil in, and I prefer the extended change interval (7500 mi vs 5000 mi I normally use). There are some slight advantages in using synthetic, but I am not sure the benefits are so obvious that you should jump on the band wagon. If you do a lot of towing the synthetic would provide some level of benefits. If you don’t have any issues with the truck, keeping up with what you have been doing would be a reasonable course of action.
My two Ford trucks owner’s manuals are insistent on a 5K interval, regardless of whether conventional, synthetic, or semi-synthetic is used. Since they are not hard to change oil in, I stick with the Ford 5K mile recommendations and don’t use synthetic in them.
It won’t hurt anything, but I fail to see how you’d benefit.
You can’t extend the oil change interval, and synthetic costs more, therefore you’ll spend more.
Stick with whatever you’ve been using for the first 102K miles.
Do you have to add oil between changes? If not, your oil is doing it’s job and you should follow the practices you have in the past.
I have to agree with the others on this one. It won’t hurt anything but there will be no benefit either. Use the oil that you have used in the past. You will be money ahead.
It won’t hurt anything but there will be no benefit either. Use the oil that you have used in the past. You will be money ahead.
Unless you use it under the only sensible reason to do so …reach beyond the break even point in miles/time. Then you’re money ahead of alternatives.
There is no such thing as magic oil.