I own a 2006 MDX and drive roughly 1500/2000 miles (60% city/40% freeway)every 3 months. Additionally, I live in Phoenix, AZ so I’m running the AC six months of the year. I am weighing up whether to change over from Dino oil to synthetic oil. My reasons include increased MPG (myth or fact?), oil changes every 6 months rather than every 3 months and in general, synth lubes better(??). I’m pretty prompt in changing out my oil but I’m curious if synth oil would benefit my driving conditions. Thanks for any feedback and go easy on me, I’m a novice at this car stuff!
increased MPG (myth or fact?
myth
oil changes every 6 months rather than every 3 months
What’s stopping you from doing it every six months now?
The benefits of synthetic oil can be found in cars that are designed to use synthetic oil. I think you should save your money and change your oil every 5,000 miles. You are over-thinking this.
If you have to pay someone else to change the oil four times a year it is not worth it. Twice a year is better because it keeps the tech’s away from your machinery. They can ruin it a lot faster than the oil can.
Syn oil does last longer that regular dino oil. You could technically have it changed at longer intervals cause it doesn’t breakdown as fast as regualar oil. Though you are driving in pretty extream conditions with extra load of the a/c. Follow your owners manual, choose the correct weight motor oil and whatever type your wallet can handle. Personally, I’d use any motor oil that is API certified. Now, I would not go cheap on a filter. Don’t use walmarts finest or fram. I use a wix or purolator filter, this is probably more important than what kind or brand oil you plan on buying. As for the gas mileage, go easy on the skinny pedal and obey speed limits. That will help way more than simply using syn oil. And whatever oil you use, I would change the filter every 3k miles or 3 months, whether you change the oil or not.
Now, I would not go cheap on a filter. Don’t use walmarts finest or fram.
There is nothing cheap about Fram filters. You won’t win that argument here.
2-3 times/year change is fine whether you choose synthetic or dino.
The important thing is to check it once in a while and actually change it.
90% of the true factor with engine oil/filter is not brand or type but actually changing it in a reasonable interval (6 months is) and making sure it is topped off.
If you look in the owners manual, nowhere does the manufacturer of your vehicle make a distinction between synthetic oil and regular oil as far as oil change intervals. That’s because no matter what oil you use it gets just as contaminated with combustion by-products. That’s why the manufacturer recommends this interval so these contaminates can be removed when the oil is drained. If it were found that synthetic oil did allow for extended oil change intervals, that would be reflected in the owners manual. But it’s not.
Synthetic oil is more application specific. That is, it’s more stable under severe conditions. This includes if you’re racing with the vehicle, doing heavy towing with the vehicle, operating the vehicle under severe heat or cold conditions, or if the engine is turbo-charged. So unless you operate the vehicle under these conditions you won’t see any benefit with the use of synthetic oil.
Tester
Now, I would not go cheap on a filter. Don’t use walmarts finest or fram.
You’ll find several people here including myself who has put several hundred thousand miles on more then one vehicle using nothing but Fram filters with 0 problems.
If there were problems with Fram as you say…then since Fram outsells Purolator and Wix combined you’d be seeing thousands of engine failures every year…I’ve NEVER heard of any engine self destructing because of a filter…Could you please show me the engine(s) you know of that were destroyed because they were using Fram or Wallmart filters???