When should I switch new car to synthetic oil?

[LoneRanger]

Currently running Mobil Clean 5000 in my new HHR, put it in @ 1000 miles going to change it out when odometer hits 5000.

I have some Quaker State Q-Horsepower I just bought (chose this synth mainly due to almost free after rebates).

Should I put in the Q-Horsepower synthetic at the 5000 mile oil change or would you wait until 9000 or 10000 mile oil change to switch to synthetic?

 

[mgm13]

Get it done there is nothing to gain by waiting.

 

[dwendt44]

What he said.

 

[wavinwayne]

Why waste money on synthetic in a vehicle that doesn't require it?

 

[lazaro]

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Why waste money on synthetic in a vehicle that doesn't require it?

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it is not a waste of money, a new engine has no deposits to clean out, using synthetics in a new engine will extend the oil drain interval to the maximum.
the engine over it's life will have less oil compsumption and will be cheaper to operate due to a cleaner engine, improved MPG will be the biggest factor.
using conventional oils will need AutoRX and you will realise poor MPG and have to have it service more often due to deposits left over from conventional oil changes.
My dads 2006 toyota van has 48,000 miles on its 3rd oil change, uses no oil between 25,000 mile drain intervals.

 

[tripleM]

Quote:

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Currently running Mobil Clean 5000 in my new HHR, put it in @ 1000 miles going to change it out when odometer hits 5000.

I have some Quaker State Q-Horsepower I just bought (chose this synth mainly due to almost free after rebates).

Should I put in the Q-Horsepower synthetic at the 5000 mile oil change or would you wait until 9000 or 10000 mile oil change to switch to synthetic?

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That's what I did: @ 1k, changed out the factory oil with dino then switched over to synth @ 5k for good.

 

[LoneRanger]

Quote:

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That's what I did: @ 1k, changed out the factory oil with dino then switched over to synth @ 5k for good.

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Great minds think alike.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Quote:

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Quote:

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Why waste money on synthetic in a vehicle that doesn't require it?

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it is not a waste of money, a new engine has no deposits to clean out, using synthetics in a new engine will extend the oil drain interval to the maximum.
the engine over it's life will have less oil compsumption and will be cheaper to operate due to a cleaner engine, improved MPG will be the biggest factor.
using conventional oils will need AutoRX and you will realise poor MPG and have to have it service more often due to deposits left over from conventional oil changes.
My dads 2006 toyota van has 48,000 miles on its 3rd oil change, uses no oil between 25,000 mile drain intervals.

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Please....

I've never used Autorx. Had plenty of engines go well past 200k and one past 300k and they are still running, passing smog, never been apart and get better than average gas mileage.

My 2005 gets the SAME or better MPG (over 46mpg this month) using conventional oils. I've run both Syn and conventional.

Sales of oil that slow?

Most cars go fine without syn and if you WANT it, great. But please don't scare people with stuff that is not true.

This board started with people posting facts. Lets keep it that way.

Bill

PS: Oh, your Dads 2006 warrenty is shot with Toyota.

 

[Papa Bear]

"When should I switch new car to synthetic oil?"

Never ..

 

[CBDFrontier06]

5000 miles is fine. 1000 would have been fine as well.

 

[Lonnie]

Your new car was probably carefully broken in by the saleman trying to impress a potential buyer by telling him to 'hit-it' and feel the power. You can be sure that for the demo ride the car was carefully warmed up from the parking place all the way out to the street. And if the time between the build date and your purchase is a while you might want to do an oil change when you get home. You should wait a couple of hundred miles before you switch, a few thousand just to be sure. To use synthetic is a choice you have to make, but it's a choice not a requirement.

 

[Pablo]

OTOH there are some really dirty engines, down on power, up on grunge and sludge using conventional oil since day one and using max+ mfr recommended OCI's (with an occasional forget). Synthetic oil may cost more, and it is a choice, but it does it's job well.

 

[Lonnie]

I would not run a car I own without synthetic oil. I do my own changes and most of my own maintenance and I know that conventional oil is good enough. Still, I use synthetic oil. I think it is a small premium that is worth the investiment. I tend to keep a car that I like and have a 23 year old Civic heading toward 400k miles and an 11 year old Volvo and even the Civic gets synthetic.

 

[LoneRanger]

Quote:

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Your new car was probably carefully broken in by the saleman trying to impress a potential buyer by telling him to 'hit-it' and feel the power. You can be sure that for the demo ride the car was carefully warmed up from the parking place all the way out to the street. And if the time between the build date and your purchase is a while you might want to do an oil change when you get home. You should wait a couple of hundred miles before you switch, a few thousand just to be sure. To use synthetic is a choice you have to make, but it's a choice not a requirement.

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LOL that's a possibility. My HHR sat on the lot for about six months, accumulated only 100 miles during that time. Which is one reason I changed the factory fill out @ 1000.

It runs like a striped ape, though, for a 2.2 liter motivating 3100lbs anyhow. Maybe those test drives helped seat the rings. I test drove several 2.2's and this one had noticably better acceleration than the others. Maybe it was a factory freak (strong runner out of the box).