# Synthetic oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ram, dodge, 1500\ **Created:** [January 28, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353 "2010-01-28T16:11:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wvra00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wvra00](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wvra00)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/1 "2010-01-28T16:11:09Z")
I have heard many good things about using synthetic oil instead of the conventional refined oil. I just want to clear up some of the negative things I’ve heard. First I’ve heard that if you go to synthetic oil, you can never go back to regular oil or you will develope oil leaks. I’ve also heard that you should not convert to synthetic oil if your car has more than 80,000 miles on it. Is there a mileage limit where you should not change to synthic? Are there a down-side to using synthetic oil, aside from expense? I changed my oil to synthetic in my 2001 Dodge Ram 4 X 4 with 51,000 miles on it and it seems to run so much smoother. Might be all in my head but I think it was a good decision anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/2 "2010-01-28T16:16:45Z")
Synthetic oil does not make your car run smoother; it may give you slightly better fuel economy because it is so incredibly slippery, and in extreme climates, make your engine last longer. You can change back and forth from synthetic to regular oil any time you want. Where I live I use regular oil in the summer and often synthetic in the winter to ease those -30 cold starts. If you put synthetic oil in a WELL WORN engine with resultant loose tolerances and perhaps leaky gaskets, your car will use a lot of oil and that gets expensive. That’s why even mechanics often don’t recommend someone with an old clunker change to synthetic; it’s very wasteful. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/3 "2010-01-28T17:36:07Z")
That pretty much sums it up. I’m amazed that these myths are still being perpetuated. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/4 "2010-01-28T17:42:16Z")
Have you tried the “search” feature of this board?? There are dozens of LENGTHY oil threads… Once you drop off the edge into complete oil obsession, you can drift over to [www.bobistheoilguy.com](http://www.bobistheoilguy.com) and REALLY get lubed up… ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/5 "2010-01-28T19:43:07Z")
- First I’ve heard that if you go to synthetic oil, you can never go back to regular oil or you will develope oil leaks. Not True - I’ve also heard that you should not convert to synthetic oil if your car has more than 80,000 miles on it. Not True - Is there a mileage limit where you should not change to synthic? Are there a down-side to using synthetic oil, aside from expense? No - I changed my oil to synthetic in my 2001 Dodge Ram 4 X 4 with 51,000 miles on it and it seems to run so much smoother. Might be all in my head but I think it was a good decision anyway. It may run a little smoother, may not. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/6 "2010-01-28T20:11:42Z")
Don’t undervalue the placebo effect. If you think it’s running smoother, that’s good enough reason to use it. If a sugar pill stops a headache, is the headache not really gone because the sugar pill was a placebo? The only caveat to those reading is to be sure your owners’ manual does not require synthetic before switching to dino. If your manual does not specify synthetic, you can go back and forth to your heart’s content. PS: I know you guys are gonna beat me up on my headache analogy. I’m just playing with your heads a little. ---
**Author:** ![wvra00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wvra00](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wvra00)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/7 "2010-01-28T20:25:22Z")
I agree with you about the placebo effect. Call me loco but I feel my truck runs better when it’s washed and waxed. But thanks to all of you for your advice. It’s all very informative. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/8 "2010-01-28T20:41:42Z")
We locos have to stick together. ---
**Author:** ![mshugna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@mshugna](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mshugna)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/9 "2010-01-28T20:44:23Z")
of course you truck runs better after a wash/wax…less air resistance. ---
**Author:** ![wvra00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wvra00](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wvra00)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/10 "2010-01-28T20:53:32Z")
Yea I’v heard that theory and it’s probably true but I meant it feels like it runs better even if I’m at a stand-still with just the motor purring. You got to understand, my wife thinks I’m overattached to my truck. I need one of those sticker on my bumper that reads “A Man and His Truck,Ahhhh, It’s a Beautiful Thing”\> ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/11 "2010-01-28T21:43:46Z")
As Col. Hogan (of Hogan’s Heros) said to Schultz: “A clean car is a happy car!” ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/12 "2010-01-29T01:15:41Z")
If synthetic oil is “so incredibly slippery”, and can give you better fuel economy, presumably due to reduced friction between internal engine parts, why wouldn’t it make your engine run smoother and quieter? I also noticed my engine running smoother when I switched. ---
**Author:** ![geeaea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@geeaea](https://community.cartalk.com/u/geeaea)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil/43353/13 "2010-01-29T02:32:55Z")
Oddly, as much as most of what’s being spewed here is true, there ARE tonal qualities to different base stocks. I kid you not. I thought it was bunk too, but there’s authoritative substance to it. Most attribute any change in smoothness or “noise at idle” to strictly viscosity. It’s just not that simple anymore.