Should I use them on my 2005-2007 cars? I do my oil change every 3000 miles with the conventional oil. I was told I won’t have to change every 3000 miles, among other advantages.
Read the maintenance schedules that came with the cars. I seriously doubt they call for oil changes at 3,000 miles. Change the oil at the specified intervals no matter what kind of oil you use.
You don’t need synthetic unless the owner’s manual specifies it, and unless you drive a high-performance car you shouldn’t need it.
That’s a common misconception. Synthetic oil itself is less subject to breakdown, but oil is 25% additives to combat all manner of nasties, and those get used up just as fast as in dino oil. That’s why your warranty would be void if you tried to get more miles between oil changes than the MANUAL calls for.
If you operate the vehicles in normal weather (neither arctic or desert) and have mixed highway and city use, synthetic oil changed at 3000 miles is really a waste of money. It won’t make your car last any longer, unless you tow a trailer or operate in extreme temperatures.
In other words, what you are doing now is probably the most cost-effective for long engine life, since synthetic oils can cost 4 times the price of dino oils, but you can only stretch the drain interval by a little bit.
What do you owner’s MANUALS call for, and what model cars are you driving???
I use conventional (regular) oil. I have always change at 3000 miles. So did my father. My cars are 2005 Camry, 2006 Altima & 2007 Versa.
Currently, my cars are 2005 Camry, 2006 Altima & 2007 Versa. I change my oil every 3000 miles using conventional (regular) oil. My friend told me to use synthetic oil & prolong the oil change to 7500 miles, or even 10000 miles to save some money & time.
We’ve had two discussions lately on this you might find helpful:
http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2121972.page
http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2122208.page
The only thing you will save is time. With Mobil 1 at $7+ a quart and good dino oil 1/3 of that, you would go to 9000 miles to break even.
As others point out, synthetic is for extreme use and for cars for which it is specified, like some Volkswagens. Most turbo cars would make good use of synthetic as well.
It seems your father had the right idea; good dino oil changed every 3000 miles is cheap insurance that will make the car last along time and will not void the warranty.
If your driving is highway only you can go 5000 miles with dino oil.
I use conventional (regular) oil. I have always change at 3000 miles. So did my father. My cars are 2005 Camry, 2006 Altima & 2007 Versa.
Cars have changed over the years. Some cars require synthetic oils. Read the owner’s manual and follow the instructions. Some Toyotas can be damaged (sludge) if standard oils are used, even if you change the oil often. The conditions in the engine may demand synthetic.
I don’t follow the computer oil change indicator. I have always use the 3,000 miles interval. My original inquiry was about synthetic oil & it’s advantages & disadvantages. Thanks to everyone who provided many aspects of the matter, I will stick to conventional oil & 3,000 miles oil change.