E92Vancouver

I am coming up to my first oil change. The vehicle currently has petroleum based oil. An oil change is $60 for petroleum based and $113 for synthetic.

I run synthetic with my Bimmer and get 15,000 miles or 25,000 km between oil changes.

The Acura dealer says that if I run synthetic, I still have to change the oil every 4,000 miles (7,000 km) based on my driving habits (lots of short distances).

Is synthetic worth it? The dealer says with synthetic you get:

1. Quieter running engine.
2. Better fuel economy.
3. Better acceleration
4. No sludge build up (you get sludge with mineral oil).
5. Less wear and tear.

To those running synthetic, what has been your experience?

Please let me know if you run petroleum based or synthetic?

Spike TL

I but the normal Acura 5W20 in them all, and I have not seen any sludge build up at all. That's from ones that are brand new to ones that have 100,000 km's (62, 000 miles) on them. I work at a Acura dealership, and we do have some customers that like to run the Synthetic.

It's really up to you if you want to use it or not, but it's not going to hurt anything except your wallet a little more.

EL_PIC

Speaking of wallet ... the $60 and $113 qouted by OP is about twice what a change should cost. Those are inflated dealer costs and dealers are like politicans... they often say half truths like ...

The dealer says with synthetic you get:

1. Quieter running engine.
2. Better fuel economy.
3. Better acceleration
4. No sludge build up (you get sludge with mineral oil).
5. Less wear and tear.

Use a top rated Dino oil brand and get it done it the independent corner oil 10 minute oil change - but watch them !
They lie too (often say u need to replace xyz).

AllenR

The service reminder doesn't know petroleum from synthetic and will come on at the same time to tell you to change oil (around 7,500 miles based on temperature, etc.). Modern petroleum-based oils are pretty good at keeping sludge at bay, and with a 7,500 mile change interval, you won't get junk floating around.

Save your money for good tires.

mrgold35

I switched Mobil 1 in my TSX after about 10,000 miles (have about 75,000 miles now). I did notice my MID combined average mpgs when up about .3 -.5 after the oil change (depending on the % city and/or hwy driving). The engine is stock except for a K/N drop-in filter. I still don't use a drop of oil between my 5,000 oil change intervals. I will keep my TSX for my son when he is ready to drive in about 3 years and I hope he keeps the car until he starts college. I figured if Mobil one helps just a little, it is worth the investment to my +200,000 mile goal.

Other than price, syn oil seems to meet or exceeds reg oil in a side by side comparison. Switching to Mobil one (or other syn oils) is about the cheapest upgrades you can make to improve and protect your investment.

I usually purchase my oil from Wal-Mart for about $20 and take it the oil change place. That should cut your cost in half for an oil change.

larso1

Synthetic does exceed the performance of regular oil and resists breaking down, especially when the motor is subjected to elevated temperatures. It also "clings" to bearing and shaft surfaces for longer periods of time after you shut the engine off. So when you start it up, the rotating surfaces are better protected.....cams, crankshafts, etc. It's why our company uses only synthetic oil in all of the diesel locomotives we operate. Of course, we also send in oil samples from our locos to a lab in Denver to check for metals (from bearings), etc. That let's you know if anything is going bad internally.

There's a sensor that counts the crankshaft revolutions in our Acuras, and that is what prompts the "oil change service is due" light to come on. So it wouldn't matter what oil you use....doesn't measure the oil quality or contaminant level or anything else.

E92Vancouver

I went to get my oil changed today at the dealer. I asked for synthetic. The service adviser talked me out of it. Said that if I change the oil when the maintenance minder comes on, the engine would stay clean. The shop foreman then advised me against synthetic saying it was not worth the cost. The mechanic and dealership owner then told me the same thing.

I found it odd that they advised against synthetic when they would have made more money off of me.

I got conventional oil and left confused.

moto94536

Is synthetic worth it? The dealer says with synthetic you get:

1. Quieter running engine. Not True.
2. Betterfueleconomy. Not true.
3. Better acceleration Not true.
4. No sludge build up (you get sludge with mineral oil). Not true.
5. Less wear and tear. Not true.

oldsnail

the dealer i take it to indicates its an option..

mdx requires conventional oil whiole other cars like the rdx requiest synthetic.

i still put syn in my mdx because i want it to drink a better glass of wine..i even put syn in my ep3 civic..

since u r in van.. i dont recommend richmond acura. best service i got was from north shore. eventhough i bought a few acuras from richmond, it was a mistake

csmeance

Synthetic oil is great in performance cars that need the extra protection and the MDX's motor falls somewhat into that category. BMW recommends it because they CAN stretch the free oil changes to 15K. My 760 has one usually every 8-12K miles by the CBS maintenance system.

On the MDX using synthetic oil is beneficial if you use a good one.

To answer your questions:
1. Yes, the engine can be quieter and smoother if you are using a really good oil like redline or amsoil.

2. Better fuel economy to an extent, as petroleum oil breaks down it leaves sludge behind which can increase friction, temperatures and drag and cause lower MPG. With synthetic it's much less prone to sludging up and keeping fuel economy up. Also if you use a good quality synthetic, you may notice a minor increase in MPG as there is less friction when the car is cold (maybe .1MPG).

3. Better acceleration, to an extent. Like I said before synthetic oils will allow for a little less drag and temperature (as well as temp. dissipation to aid in cooling) and can provide a better acceleration. Will your butt dynometer feel it, nope.

4. Sludge is possible with synthetics! If you use a cheap one which isn't a REAL synthetic but a blend of some synthetic and regular petroleum oil, it's the same risk of sludge as regular oil. However, if you use a GOOD oil like redline or amsoil that is pure synthetic, your risk of sludge drops dramatically!

5. Yes, with synthetic you will have less wear on the motor because it's a bit better in keeping with lubrication under severe stress and as well over time vs. regular oil. This is VERY apparent esp. if you don't get an oil change frequently as regular oil can become acidic after being 1 year old (sitting in the car).

If you drive your car hard or want to keep it till the tires fall off 30 years from now, the price of synthetic will be justified and well worth it. If you are a typical "spirited" driver, an oil like redline will be overkill but dino will be very iffy, a synthetic oil like Mobil 1 will work good. However if you are going to keep the car say to 100,000 miles or 150,000 miles, regular dino oil is fine.

E92Vancouver

Thanks! IS Mobil 1 a good oil? This is the one I am thinking of using.

db22

There is a thread on the 2nd Gen RL page 1 called "Motor Oil" regarding the same discussion. On that thread I repeatedly asked if anyone has ever had a problem with their cars attributed to oil. Nobody replied with a yes. I still maintain that the car will outlast your ownership if you use the recommended oil and that synthetic is great on the track but superfluous on the road. The decision to use syn is financial: if you buy it you spend more and the manufacturers make more - it depends if you are a user or a manufacturer as to who benefits.