Synthetic Oil

[Wiess]

Is there a benefit to using synthetic oil in a 2010 Forester. It is less
than one year old and it has just over 40,000 km already. I figure it will
be out of warranty by the time we own 18 months. Will synthetic oil help
with the longevity? I do a lot of driving in sub-zero temperatures.

Any thoughts on purchasing extended warranty? Is it worth it?

TIA

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Is there a benefit to using synthetic oil in a 2010 Forester. It is less
than one year old and it has just over 40,000 km already. I figure it
will be out of warranty by the time we own 18 months. Will synthetic oil
help with the longevity? I do a lot of driving in sub-zero temperatures.

It's certainly not going to hurt. Now, I don't know, but don't the newer
cars come from the factory with synthetic?

I have been using synthetic in my '05 Scion since I bought it in '06, but
I don't drive it in the winter. It only has 31,000 miles on it...

Any thoughts on purchasing extended warranty? Is it worth it?

Once the factory warranty is up. Try to find a reputable company. A lot of
these are either Fly By Nights, or get overextended and go bankrupt. I
thin GE offers extended warranties, and I don't expect them to go out of
business any time soon...

 

[clare]

Is there a benefit to using synthetic oil in a 2010 Forester. It is less
than one year old and it has just over 40,000 km already. I figure it will
be out of warranty by the time we own 18 months. Will synthetic oil help
with the longevity? I do a lot of driving in sub-zero temperatures.

Any thoughts on purchasing extended warranty? Is it worth it?

TIA

Sub-zero F temps, go with synthetic. It costs more, and you still need
to change it on schedule, but it does not turn to thick syrup in the
cold.

I use it in my PT Cruizer year round, but not in my wife's old
Mystique.

 

[Frank]

Is there a benefit to using synthetic oil in a 2010 Forester. It is less
than one year old and it has just over 40,000 km already. I figure it will
be out of warranty by the time we own 18 months. Will synthetic oil help
with the longevity? I do a lot of driving in sub-zero temperatures.

Any thoughts on purchasing extended warranty? Is it worth it?

TIA

I'd say if you're willing to take the risk, don't buy extended
warranties. They are high profit items for the sellers. Why do you
think they keep pestering you to buy them?

With your high mileage, I'd probably go synthetic. I don't because my
mileage is low and I normally change oil by time, not miles.

I can't quickly google an answer but I would speculate that multigrade
oil would thin with time as the additives responsible for increasing
viscosity with temperature would probably degrade.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Is there a benefit to using synthetic oil in a 2010 Forester.  It is less
than one year old and it has just over 40,000 km already.  I figure it will
be out of warranty by the time we own 18 months.  Will synthetic oil help
with the longevity?  I do a lot of driving in sub-zero temperatures.

Any thoughts on purchasing extended warranty?  Is it worth it?

TIA

The general thought is, put the money the warranty would cost in the
bank and hope you don't need it for a repair. If you feel you MUST
have an extended warranty, only get the Subaru one as many folks have
had 'issues' with 3rd party warranties.

I use synthetic oil. If you do your own changes, expect syn oil to
look darker - particularly on your first change -as it keeps 'varnish'
in suspension/dissolved better than regular oil. So, on your first
change, it may very well remove varnish from your initial regular oil
use and look very dark. I use the Walmart syn 5-30 in winter, the
Shell Rotella syn 5-40 in summer here in Texas. I buy my filters from
subarugenuineparts.com and, if I put a lot of miles on my vehicles, I
would consider a Fumoto oil pan valve.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

The general thought is, put the money the warranty would cost in the bank
and hope you don't need it for a repair. If you feel you MUST have an
extended warranty, only get the Subaru one as many folks have had 'issues'
with 3rd party warranties.

I use synthetic oil. If you do your own changes, expect syn oil to look
darker - particularly on your first change -as it keeps 'varnish' in
suspension/dissolved better than regular oil. So, on your first change, it
may very well remove varnish from your initial regular oil use and look
very dark. I use the Walmart syn 5-30 in winter, the Shell Rotella syn
5-40 in summer here in Texas. I buy my filters from
subarugenuineparts.com and, if I put a lot of miles on my vehicles, I
would consider a Fumoto oil pan valve.

WAL MART SYNTHETIC?!?!?!

Do you know who makes it, by any chance?

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

WAL MART SYNTHETIC?!?!?!

Do you know who makes it, by any chance?

They might know over at bobistheoilguy.com . It may depend on what
part of the country you're in and the contract may change
occasionally. Best guess seems to be either Penzoil or SOPUS (Shell)

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

They might know over at bobistheoilguy.com . It may depend on what part of
the country you're in and the contract may change occasionally. Best guess
seems to be either Penzoil or SOPUS (Shell)

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

I went Googling after reading the OP. Seems it's usually Pennzoil/Quaker
State, Texaco or Shell. Fine with me. All the analysis of the oil come up
at least as good as the stuff you buy at AutoZone.

For $2 more...

 

[Big Jim]

The WALMART Syn is priced well and meets current API so use it. Benn
using it for years in my Outback . Will likely use it in my next
vehicle too

 

[basia]

Is there a benefit to using synthetic oil in a 2010 Forester.  It is less
than one year old and it has just over 40,000 km already.  I figure it will
be out of warranty by the time we own 18 months.  Will synthetic oil help
with the longevity?  I do a lot of driving in sub-zero temperatures.

I've heard/read many opinions that synthetic oil in
differentials is something to seriously consider as
it easily pays for itself with improved gas mileage.

It's difficult to gauge, as the change is small, seems
to be in the order of 0.5-1 mpg improvement, or that is
what I noticed when I switched my Impreza. I change
it every 15-20k miles and consider it worth the added
expense.

Engine oil? For cold climates, extremely hot weather,
high speed or high rpm driving, definetely a good idea.

For regular driving maybe, maybe not? Who knows.

I am under the impression (have no proof) that more frequent
oil changes with regular oil could be better for longevity under
normal driving than using a synthetic. There was some info a
few years back about a NYC cab driver who supposedly changed
oil weekly with regular, and made a million miles or so. Taxis
make fewer cold starts so its really difficult to say anything about
how it would work for the rest of us, if we were to change oil say
every 1000, or 2000 miles. It is a big hassle. With synthetic
and good filter you can go 5000 miles between changes.

That's nice.

Basia

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

I've heard/read many opinions that synthetic oil in
differentials is something to seriously consider as
it easily pays for itself with improved gas mileage.

It's difficult to gauge, as the change is small, seems
to be in the order of 0.5-1 mpg improvement, or that is
what I noticed when I switched my Impreza. I change
it every 15-20k miles and consider it worth the added
expense.

Engine oil?  For cold climates, extremely hot weather,
high speed or high rpm driving, definetely a good idea.

For regular driving maybe, maybe not?  Who knows.

I am under the impression (have no proof) that more frequent
oil changes with regular oil could be better for longevity under
normal driving than using a synthetic.  There was some info a
few years back about a NYC cab driver who supposedly changed
oil weekly with regular, and made a million miles or so.  Taxis
make fewer cold starts so its really difficult to say anything about
how it would work for the rest of us, if we were to change oil say
every 1000, or 2000 miles.  It is a big hassle.  With synthetic
and good filter you can go 5000 miles between changes.

That's nice.

Basia

Yeah, modern oils of ALL types are very good, and usually have decent
additive packages. And engines I think may, in general, be better
designed for lubrication than in the 'old days'. So, making a case for
the 'average' user for syn vs 'dino' oil is difficult. I think if you
really pushed the syn to its max, (7500 miles or more) and/or skipped
filter changes to every alternate oil change - a good case could be
made for saving $ and, if not extending engine life, at least not
sacrificing any. Personally, I can afford it, I find it convenient to
just do my changes twice a year, that may mean the Outback HAS gone 5
or 6K, but my WRX wagon maybe only 4K or so miles. I also feel, if I
had some emergency and had to delay an oil change for a few weeks, it
would be fine. I do my own oil changes so, I figure the $$ I save with
my own labor, I could put into, arguably, better fluids.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

The WALMART Syn is priced well and meets current API so use it. Benn
using it for years in my Outback . Will likely use it in my next vehicle
too

After this discussion, and what I have read about it on the Web, lloks
like a safe bet...