Conv or synthetic in my situation

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I'm curious in my 2.4 dart if it would be ok to run a conventional oil over synthetic and follow the olm. I change it when olm hits between 20-10% I usually run 5w30 synpower in it and that seems ok. I'm going back to college so I'll only be working part time so if money can be safely saved I'm all for it. If not that's also ok. What do you guys think?
 
Seriously if you buy full Synthetic on sale with a rebate convention oil is going to save you very [censored] little. You will likely be driving you car in server service going to school. You have to deal with two Max oil changes a year. Do yourself and your car a favor stay with the full synthetic! Look for sales and rebates.
 
Its pennies to the dollar. Even at Menards their FVP synthetic is 3.49qt. I'd stay with a synthetic, you will not save anything and might lose a tiny fuel economy benefit.Sounds like you will only break even.
 
Sometimes, synthetic oil is even cheaper than conventional -- Mobil 1 & Pennzoil run rebates that bring costs down to as much as $12 per 5 Qts. Even without rebates, Walmart's own brand SuperTech is usually priced lower than competitors', also Castrol GTX MAGNATEC full-synthetic costs about the same as the SuperTech.
 
VWB vs. Synpower is $5 difference per jug in my neck of the woods. The only situation where I'd follow the OLM with conventional oil in one of the more power-dense, modern engines is if I was doing 90% highway driving - otherwise, the insurance of a full syn if surely worth the few bucks more every few months.
 
The cheapest name brand conventional oil run to the olm will work fine for well over 100k miles. As last ng as t to s api rated and the specification calledout by the mfg,

Supertech conventinal is fine. Are synthetics better, yes. But you can switch to a cleaning oil later and clean out any light varnish that may build up.
 
Isn't SuperTech full synthetic usually priced pretty low?

Basically if you are willing to be brand agnostic then you can find something in your price range, even before rebates.
 
How many miles a year? How many short trips? How many trips to red line
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How many miles on the car now? Is it starting to rust anywhere?

Where will you be working part time (employee discounts...)?

Do you have any friends in the lube business?

There is no proof anywhere in a professional paper that synthetics lube better than dino's. There may be some benefit for track days or very cold engine starts. Over the road truckers go 20~25,000 miles between changes on dino oil and their engines last a million miles.

I know it's generally said here on BITOG that synthetics are better, but no one has any proof. They have engines that have lasted very well on synthetics and they say that is proof... But, they do not have an identical "control" on quality dino to show that it would have done worse.

I have had more than a few vehicles including turbo cars that went well upwards of 200,000 miles on the original engine on straight dino.

Yes, there are some cars that need synthetic like my last Saab, but that was a design criteria. The put the first CAT right next to the pan adjacent to the oil pump pick-up. CAT heat would cook/coke all but the best synthetics and lead to oil starvation when the pick-up clogged. I'm pretty sure you do have any such a need ...

Just keep it full. Change it once a year. Get your education. Much more important than some mundane oil debate
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Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Isn't SuperTech full synthetic usually priced pretty low?

Basically if you are willing to be brand agnostic then you can find something in your price range, even before rebates.


I prefer “brand infidel”
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Want to save money? Buy SuperTech Synthetic. Want to save more money where you will actually see a difference? Simple: don't visit fast food and cook your own food from veggies and other ingredients from WalMart or Aldi. That is the actual difference you will see. But the $5 per 5000-7000 miles will not be noticeable at all! Be realistic and save money on your daily routine stuff, instead of saving $5 on oil in a 6-12 month period.
 
Use Supertech Synthetic. It is good oil. Use the Supertech filters. Even the new ones should be OK. Don't smoke. If you do you might as well just buy the most expensive oil you can to continue on being stupid with money. Make your own meals. Don't eat out. Don't drink. If you really want to save money do everything you can to get by as cheap as you can. Make your own coffee. Better yet don't drink coffee. IF you do these things you are serious about saving cash. Then one day when a real money crisis comes up you can be ready for it. Meanwhile you have to save EVERYWHERE you can. If your dates want you to spend lots of cash on them they aren't worth going out with. The dates who understand being tight with money are the ones worth dating. Good luck in college.
 
Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian
Be realistic and save money on your daily routine stuff, instead of saving $5 on oil in a 6-12 month period.

Nailed it.
Things like easing off the skinny pedal can give you 10x as much as oil savings can. Money saving possibilities are endless.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Originally Posted By: MRtv
Use Supertech Synthetic. It is good oil. Use the Supertech filters. Make your own meals. Don't eat out. Don't drink..


Don’t drink?
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Blasphemy!
 
Some folks don't care or have time for rebates. I don't see any problem with his possible plan. Mobil Super 5000, Havoline, Chevron Supreme are all between $9-$11 pee jug right now on Amazon and Wal-Mart websites. If that's your desire, OP, go for it and congrats on your return to school.
 
What's your OCI per the OLM?

Honestly, though typically viewed as cheap insurance, I think Id consider keeping the oil filter for two OCIs than cheaping on the oil. Honda has allowed this (15k life) since at least the mid 90s. Im sure there will be flames for that, but just a thought.

What specs does your car take? Does it require synthetic, or are you running it as a best practice?
 
The olm is usually 7000-7500 and the car calls for 0w20 I do not run that however. I run 5w30
 
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Seriously if you buy full Synthetic on sale with a rebate convention oil is going to save you very [censored] little. You will likely be driving you car in server service going to school. You have to deal with two Max oil changes a year. Do yourself and your car a favor stay with the full synthetic! Look for sales and rebates.


x2

With a little effort, name brand synthetic can be had for less than or equal to name brand conventional.

If you really feel like saving money, use ST conventional and run the OLM to 0-5%.
 
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