Does full synthetic make your car run better ?

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My temp gauge in my Trailblazer seems to have dropped a few degrees now that I'm using PP. Pretty crazy. Usually it sat right at 210 with PYB, but now it's just outside of the 210 mark and usually stays there even with the AC on and at red lights.
 
Here's another question.

So if synthetic and dino cost the same price, some would pick the dino? How about if it were only 50cents more expensive?

I find that a lot of people's justification dino really always come down to cost. But they don't discount that synthetic does no harm.

Yet with the price gap relatively small (the cost of a burrito), basing the choice on cost seems to be a false choice to me.
 
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Originally Posted By: RISUPERCREWMAN
My Harley V-Twin runs cooler with Syn oil this I can see on the oil temp gauge!



You know that means the oil is absorbing less heat right,proven by the oils lower temp,since the engine is shedding the same heat it always does because of combustion and friction.


Synthetic lasts longer in service but its still just oil.
At 5000 mile intervals for conventional and 10000 for syn in the same engine I will bet there is no difference whatsoever in wear or cleanliness.
And truth be known I've found conventionals to run smoother and more quiet then their synthetic counterparts.
 
Originally Posted by DaveInIreland
I have a pair of 30 year old Universal Japanese Motorcycles, and can say with some certainty that changing to synthetic to get the 5W grade at the bottom end paid dividends in eliminating cold clutch drag and it also lets the engine rev more freely, of that I'm sure.
Butt dyno says it's a little bit better, but who knows - these things are totally subjective and I could be feeling something that I'm looking for.
The other benefits of synthetic in an air-cooled engine; greater resistance to heat breakdown and (hopefully) shear resistance will make themselves known in the next few months. This is my first fill of synthetic and I'm waiting to see how it pans out.
Currently I'm running a diy blend of 1L 5W/50 Champion Race Synth (to get some of the extra ZDDP) and 2L 5W/40 Pennasol (re-branded as Lidl synth) and according to this, I have a viscosity of 97cSt
http://www.lubebase.com/cgi-bin/graph/calculate-blending-vg?desired_vg=97&visc1=88&visc2=118
The overall result is pleasing; no cold clutch grab and gearchanges are nice and smooth, although the quality of gearchange might deteriorate as the oil ages. Clutch slip, while not totally absent, only shows when provoked and isn't a problem, as such.


Thought I'd just update that above.
The clutchslip became a little mor frequent over the next few thousand miles, but never enough to prompt me to replace it. I eventually replaced the clutch as a clean-sweep when I had the top end and barrels off to refresh the top and fix an inevitable bottom-gasket base leak the GS850 Suzukis all suffer from.
On examining the old clutch and springs, there was nothing wrong with the plates, save a bit of glazing - no discernable wear thin-ness but the springs were all weak. Standard factory springs from 1980. I replaced with new plates and a mix of 3 HD and 3 new factory springs, and it's now perfect. The old clutch had done at least 80K miles and likely a lot more.
I'm sure if I de-glazed the old plates they'd probably do fine in another engine used purely as a second-line bike.
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by DirtyMoe21
Better starting in cold weather is all ive noticed.


In TX? You got jokes,huh?


It was in the 20's this week. We get the occasional cold snap here and there lol
 
Originally Posted by RISUPERCREWMAN
My Harley V-Twin runs cooler with Syn oil this I can see on the oil temp gauge!


Absolutely! I noticed the same thing - a good 10-15 degrees cooler on a hot day.
 
I have never noticed a difference in how a vehicle runs based on what oil is in it.
A lot of the butt dyno improvements are justification for spending more.
I know of no butt calibration device to be able to qualify "improvements".

I am not saying there are not benefits to synthetic, because there are, but have never personally seen, felt or heard difference base on syn vs dino.

Main reason I use synthetic is it is cheaper that conventional when you find it on sale/clearance/rebate.
I don't do long intervals and have no specialty vehicles that "require" it, and could use the cheapest "dino" oil (which is all a syn blend now anyway) and have the same results.
 
Originally Posted by GMBoy
Originally Posted by RISUPERCREWMAN
My Harley V-Twin runs cooler with Syn oil this I can see on the oil temp gauge!


Absolutely! I noticed the same thing - a good 10-15 degrees cooler on a hot day.

Yep. My 2 Fords and Ram Van run cooler on synthetics (highway running). The 4Runner doesn't change.
 
Can not say if my 02 jeep runs better but I will state this fact. At minus -20--40 using (5W30 Pennzoil platinum high mileage with a fram ultra will start without an oil pan or block heater where synthetic blend or conventional 5W30 will not.
 
Only thing i've tried regular oil and synthetic is our 7.3L diesel van. the 5w40 starts and runs vastly better than 15w40 in anything other than the hot summer months. All my other stuff i don't even consider a non synthetic.
 
Ive never been much if a synthetic guy. Ive tried several over the years but just went back to dino for whatever reason. Mobil 1 in my Suburban made the piston slap sound much worse.

Ive kinda changed my mind. Ive got a 2012 4runner that calls for 10k oci on syn. That is the first vehicle ive consistently used it in. Im gonna switch my CRV over to ST full syn next oil change. The prices between dino and syn are so close now, to me its a no brainer.
 
No difference, but I am able to run extreme OCI's with synthetic (ie: 60k+ miles). Which I don't think would be a possibility with dino.

GM 3.1L LH0 V6 engine.
 
Originally Posted by DirtyMoe21
Better starting in cold weather is all ive noticed.

Me, too.
 
Synthetic oils are more resistant to shearing under pressure and high temperatures while still remaining in grade with very cold startup temps. Will it make a difference on a GM3800 being driven to the supermarket and Sunday services in a temperate climate? No not really. Will it make a difference in a F20C or VQ37 or LS1/2 being driven hard on long mountain roads without adding any oil coolers? (CoolAid Man voice) Oh Yeah. Beyond that synthetics can reduce down time and "BS". A 5-6k OCI's with Mobil1 EP or Valvoline M.E. or PUP or (insert your favorite synthetic engine oil here) and a good filter means you will never be dealing with valve train clatter, sludge, clogged OC rings or carbon issues.
 
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