I used synthetic oil for every single oil change on my 2001 Saab 93. When I sold it recently it had 279,000 miles on it. I just bought a new Subaru Outback, should I use synthetic oil in that? The dealership said no but I wonder if the synthetic oil contributed to my Saab’s long and healthy life.
But, you have no control to compare it to. I think it’s possible that you would have still gotten over 279K miles out of regular oil.
People on this forum have had several vehicles go past 300k miles on non-synthetic oil.
Carefully Read The Owner’s Manual For The Oil Specification. See If It Requires Conventional Or Synthetic. If No Mention Then You Are Free To Use Either As Long As It Meets The API & Grade Requirements.
I use strictly synthetic as our cars’ manufacturer recommends (in the OM) it as an oil that can meet our extreme temperatures without the need for seasonal grades (viscosities) switching .
Modern cars, modern oil.
CSA
I believe the '01 Saab was spec’d for synthetic oil, likely due to the fact it was a turbocharged motor. I see no reason why a Subaru dealer would nix synthetic oil. If the Subaru is turbocharged it might spec synthetic oil also. If you want to use synthetic oil, it can’t hurt.
I had an '00 Saab 93 and from memory Saab’s recommended oil change interval was long, like every 10K miles. Perhaps a Subaru wouldn’t recommend such a long oil change interval even if you used synthetic.
Exactly
You can use synthetic oil if you like, but you still need to adhere to Subaru’s standard oil change interval, which is a maximum of every 7,500 miles.
If you live in an area where winter temperatures typically go below 15 degrees, you will have a much easier time starting the engine if you use synthetic oil, but that is really the only significant advantage to synthetic.
My advice is to save your money and use “conventional” motor oil with reasonable change intervals.
Personally, I would not go beyond 5k miles between changes. As Mountainbike, one of our most helpful members likes to say, engines are very expensive, and oil is relatively cheap. The idea is to extend the life of the engine, not to extend the oil change interval.
It depends on how you are planning on using the car.
If your 279k miles were purely on the highway, 150 miles a day, and you changed the oil every 3k miles, then your engine would have done just as fine using conventional oil as it did with synthetic oil.
If your miles were mostly stop and go driving in a big city, where you have repeated bursts from 0 to 45 and back to 0 again, plus short trips in wildly swinging temps, and 7k mile change intervals, then your synthetic oil probably protected your engine better than the conventional would have.
Finally, if those 279k miles contained twice monthly trips to Laguna Seca, Miller, and Mid-Ohio during your 7k mile oil change intervals, then the synthetic oil was the right choice, as the conventional oil wouldn’t have been able to take the abuse that the high stress, high heat conditions that a true road course track puts onto a turbo charged engine.
Blindly assuming that conventional oil is fine for everyone, is faulty.
Blindly assuming that everyone just drives to and from work, and then once to the grocery store is also faulty.
I know my cars get used to not only get me to and from work, and to the grocery store, but they also get used to put a smile on my face that doesn’t go away for hours, and sometimes to pull trailers that contain other highly stressed vehicles to the racetrack, so that I can do even more smiling.
For me, and others like me, synthetic oils work better than conventional oils.
BC.
279k miles in 9 years is 85 miles a day.
7k in 3 months.
OTOH I drove about 36k in those 9 years.
If you live in an area where winter temperatures typically go below 15 degrees, you will have a much easier time starting the engine if you use synthetic oil, but that is really the only significant advantage to synthetic.
Don’t forget about slugging. Synthetic oil is much less prone to slugging. It can handle much higher temperature ranges then regular dyno oil.
I think you are convinced that the oil type “contributed to your SAAB’s long and healthy life”.
I agree… the mention of oil change interval is of greater importance. I have yet to see any studies showing any advantages to longevity of synthetic over any API certified with correct SAE viscosity regular oil when the interval was less than 7500 miles. Exceptions might be in heavy use including towing, excessive idling and extreme temperatures. If you live in the frozen north, and lubrication during start up is a problem, maybe in the winter. Otherwise, I would save my money and put what ever you saved into body maintenance including wash jobs, rust prevention, waxing and minimizing sun exposure. That’s where the real savings is.
All things equal, an engine will last just as long with regular motor oil as it would with synthetic. It just doesn’t matter.
Regular oil changes based on driving habits and time is the important factor.
I wouldn’t bother putting synthetic oil in a Subaru. It doesn’t do a thing to help the head gaskets. Regular oil seems to be pretty good these days. There are so many things that can go wrong with a Subaru that I think it’s a waste of time to try to preserve the mechanical parts of the engine. Those parts seem to be relatively bullet proof when compared with the rest of the car.
Since You’re Happy With The Synthetic You Used In The Saab, Why Would You Want To Use Conventional, Now ? If Your Owner’s Manual Allows A Choice, Go Synthetic. The Price Difference Isn’t Worth Worrying About.
CSA
If your Subaru is a turbocharged model or the owner’s manual specifically states that synthetic is required, you should use it. Turbocharger bearings have to deal with VERY high temperatures as well as high speeds (they can sometimes spin over 100,000 RPM). Conventional oil is well beyond adequate for most normally aspirated engines. You would have to get on the Autobahn and run 130 MPH for a while before you would run into conditions that would require synthetic oil.
Hmmmm…I have to admit that I have never been punched (or slugged) by motor oil.
I didn’t even know that motor oil was likely to attack people!
;-))
If the manufacturer doesn’t call for it, I’m just not convinced synthetic vs. conventional makes any real difference. Just from reading this site, the three major causes of engine failure are: 1) not changing timing belts; 2) never/rarely changing oil; 3) never checking oil level.
I Think It Was A Typo. I’m Pretty Sure That Mike Was Referring To Sludging (You’re Just Having A Little Fun), Not Slugging, But Have You Seen The Oil Advertised On TV That Blows Your Hair Back ?
CSA
Yes, I’m sure that it was a typo, and yes, I was just having a bit of fun.
The oil that blows your hair back?
Is that Vitalis?
Brylcreme?
;-))