[sandiegotaylor]

any one find that using synthetic oil make any difference in fuel econ?

 

[sloweddie]

Not nearly as much as a lite right foot.
se

 

[hownowcb]

Mine is strictly a non-scientific response, so don't ask me for empirical data. That said, I switched to Mobil 1 about a year ago (for no apparent reason) and have consistently observed a 1-2 mile per gallon increase in my fuel economy. I have always favored fuel economy over other performance parameters in choosing my vehicles and driving them since owning my very first car in 1970, so even though I do not keep detailed records the way someone like IRV does, I am highly conscious of day-to-day fuel economy.

I doubt that saving one or two miles per gallon on fuel recoups the additional cost of synthetic motor oil versus conventional motor oil, but it probably makes me feel better, anyway. I knowingly lost those same few miles per gallon when I installed ridiculously oversized tires on my Element three years ago, so at least perhaps I've regained the original fuel economy specs my Element was capable of in the first place. For me, the tires were worth the fuel economy trade-off I knew they'd produce.

Someone like MikeQBF or Dom.five could reasonably prove many other benefits of using synthetic motor oil, so I humbly defer to them on those points. Perhaps, because I like my Element so much (and fear Elements will cease to be produced in the near future) I seriously do intend to keep mine "forever", and doing all the best things for it seems to be a reasonable means of achieving that goal. That, and I'm old, so "forever" is certainly a relative term here.

Personally, my brain tells me that synthetic oil is overpriced overkill for an ordinary passenger car engine, but now I've confessed that even strictly logical old me actually uses it, why would anyone else resist using it? ;-)

 

[Westy_]

Same applies to me
"Mine is strictly a non-scientific response, so don't ask me for empirical data."
:lol:


I think it would help. From what I understand synth oil can reach further then convent oil and protects better at high temps the convent oil. Making the engine run easier and smoother, which in turn could help fuel econ.


Here is a article I scanned through last week
Synth vs Convent oil

 

[sandiegotaylor]

ya i was just curious because i did my oil change last month and decided to use Mobil one because it was on sale and i have noticed some increase in my fuel econ, but ive been trying to drive alot more conservatively so that may be the reason too

thanks for your responses guys!

 

[tangboy5000]

I use synthetic because my buddy used to be involved in testing it in a lab. He said you could really beat the hell out of it and it wouldn't break down. The claims that some believed to be untrue because of what most were used to with conventional oil, are true. With an oil filter bypass installed most vehicles can go way beyond 10,000 miles with most of the top tier synthetics. (That means you just change the filter not the oil)
I tried the 0W oil and did get improved gas mileage over the 5W, but it seemed like it was too slippery and entering the highway seemed to take more pedal than I was used to if that makes sense.
If you stick to the 10,000 mile oil change schedule with synthetic it will save you in the long run on oil changes and fuel.

 

[sandiegotaylor]

so what your saying is just change the oil filter every 5000 miles or so? and replace the lost oil in the filter?

 

[Bansheezz]

I'm running Castrol Syntec, been getting around 2 mpg better.