Going Synthetic....... Maybe.....

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:12 pm

Been tossing around the idea of going with synthetic oil.
I don't know a whole lot about it, other than it's supposed to help a little with MPG
and you can go longer between changes.

I'm familiar with the Amsoil name, Mobil 1, and also Royal Purple.

Anyone using any of these??
What's the difference, if any, between the brands??
Recommendations??
Pros & Cons for any brands??

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:25 pm

Going Synthetic is always a good idea. I don't recommend the longer interval changes unless you’re following the recommended guidelines and taking oil samples to make sure that your oil is suitable. With that being said, I change my oil once per year in my Jeep Liberty and Dodge Ram, which does save a little money. The used oil analysis always comes back good. Amsoil offers 3 different types of oils that meet your driving habits and demands.

1. Amsoil OE - Change at the recommend OE intervals
2. Amsoil XL - 7,500 mile/6 month oil interval
3. Amsoil Signature - 25,000 + mile/1 year oil interval

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:37 pm

Mobil 1 in my last 6 vehicles all went into the 200,000 mile range without issues
My 04 been on fron day one ( well at 1000 miles switched it) 168,000 now

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:21 pm

I have done all three of those and Royal Purple has netted me the smoothest running and then Amsoil and then mobil. I run the amsoil and Royal purple for 10k and the mobil for 6500. I have noticed the filter you use makes a big difference. So amsoil or wix all the way in that respect.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:29 pm

audiboy86 wrote:

I have noticed the filter you use makes a big difference. So amsoil or wix all the way in that respect.

Amsoil has better filtration than WIX. So If you choose one, I would choose Amsoil.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:43 pm

For $25+ for each they want for those amsoil filters I'll pay $4 for a filter(Napa Gold/WIX after my discount) that filters 0.0001 microns less sized particles.I'm all about quality and willing to pay for it but $25+ for one filter is just stupid when it get's changed every 2-3 months not to mention those dang filters cost more then the oil I use.

infernicus · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:03 am

I've been using ASMOil for the last 80k miles.
I haven't had any issues.
I've also used Mobil1 and it was just fine.

My AMSOIL oil filter only costs me 11$ so not much more than the next guys.

I've used the 25k rated oil, but changed it much earlier. On the last change I used the 7,500 interval, but I will change before that a bit.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:48 pm

I use the high mileage oil in most of my applications. In my opinion, the additive packages in those oils are sometimes worth the extra cost and yield excellent UOA’s. Since I have 3 vehicles, I don’t put a lot of miles on any of them over a course of one year. From the 3 vehicles that we have, my Dodge truck logs the most miles driven in one year (usually 12,000 miles). I run the Amsoil 5W30 Heavy Duty Diesel oil and my UOA’s are better than people who are running Rotella 15W40 who are changing at 5,000 mile intervals. A better oil that lasts longer seems logical and practical.

When you consider the price of fuel, the extra cost of good filters and oil seems like a drop in the bucket. 2 gallons of fuel can cost more than a quart of good synthetic oil.

nsliberty · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 9:34 pm **Posts:** 36

I normally use Pennzoil platinium with a napa gold filter and change every 6 months or 10k, km. I have also used amsoil and left it in for a year for 21k, but did not feel comfortable doing so. I feel better with a 6 month oci. Any decent name brand synthetic should be able to go 10k though, take your pic.

Smetna · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:57 am

Castrol Edge Synthetic w/ Wix filter
OCI - 5k miles

Boomerang · **Joined:** Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:46 pm **Posts:** 184

Tried Amsoil and didn't get good mileage, switched to half synthetic and did better. Also I had bough one of those Amsoil air filters and my mileage went down 5-6 MPG because of it. I suspect not enough air flow for the KJs engine.. Tossed in a cheapie Fram and got that MPG back. I figure that living in the Seattle area, we don't have a lot of dusty conditions even on the trails and the air quality is overall good so not worried about less filtration.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:43 pm

Boomerang wrote:

Tried Amsoil and didn't get good mileage, switched to half synthetic and did better. Also I had bough one of those Amsoil air filters and my mileage went down 5-6 MPG because of it. I suspect not enough air flow for the KJs engine.. Tossed in a cheapie Fram and got that MPG back. I figure that living in the Seattle area, we don't have a lot of dusty conditions even on the trails and the air quality is overall good so not worried about less filtration.

That doesn’t make any sense. Fuel improvement when switching to synthetics is theoretical improvements. There would be more of a factor when switching from a 5W30 to a 0W30. The amsoil filter could not have dropped your mileage down 5-6 miles per gallon. There are dozens of us on this forum who run the Amsoil air filter who have not had the same experience that you have. For example, my KJ gets 17-19 mpg running 70 mph with the Amsoil air filter and Amsoil 5W30. I average 19-21 mpg when running 55-60 mph. You have other problems or you’re watching your overhead which gives out false readings.

dejesu · **Joined:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 7:47 pm **Posts:** 96

i've been using Mobil1 synthetic as of mid March, and i have noticed my Jeep runs a lot better (07 KJ). if i were you i would go synthetic

Randy B · **Posted:** Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:43 pm

I have used Mobil One since new. I have changed the oil and filter every 6,000 miles. I know there are claims you can go 10,000 or more between changing with synthetic's. Which ever one you go with, use the proper weight , and a good filter. Yes I could go longer between changes, but I would rather spend the extra money doing oil changes than paying for a new engine. :2cents:

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:18 pm

Pulled the trigger today. :pepper:

As of 6:00pm, the Liberty is running "Royal Purple" synthetic engine oil.

Gonna run it for about 5000 between changes.

If it goes well, I'll be swapping out the trans fluid next, then the diffs..... when i do the gear change.

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

only reason i put in synthetic last time was i knew i'd putting alot of towing miles on it in the coming months and had a coupon that brought 6qts of synthetic to oly $2 more than regular oil. otherwise i've run regular dino fills in most of my vehicles, and all the 200k+ mile ones are still going strong. 3k changes and napa/wix gold filters.

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:11 pm

Do not I repeat do not use anything except ATF 4 in your transmission. You will have all kinds of issues if you use anything else especially with the 545RFE. The diffs some people say use synthetic some people say use only Dino.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:45 am

audiboy86 wrote:

Do not I repeat do not use anything except ATF 4 in your transmission. You will have all kinds of issues if you use anything else especially with the 545RFE. The diffs some people say use synthetic some people say use only Dino.

I use Amsoil Universal ATF in my trany with no problems. Also, a good synthetic will outperform dino in the diffs. Take an UOA and see for yourself. :wink:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:02 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

audiboy86 wrote:

Do not I repeat do not use anything except ATF 4 in your transmission. You will have all kinds of issues if you use anything else especially with the 545RFE. The diffs some people say use synthetic some people say use only Dino.

I use Amsoil Universal ATF in my trany with no problems. Also, a good synthetic will outperform dino in the diffs. Take an UOA and see for yourself. :wink:

In the last year I've sent 2(1 42RLE,1 545RFE) Jeeps to trans shop for a new trans due to being fryed using amsoil.One was still in warranty(23k miles and 2 years old) but Chrysler told them to pound sand after testing teh ATF and it did not come back as ATF+4.

If using syn gear oil make sure you change it every 15,000 miles,dino you can go at least 100k.Many company's are now going back to dino gear oil as the synthetic junk is not worth it anymore.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:55 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

In the last year I've sent 2(1 42RLE,1 545RFE) Jeeps to trans shop for a new trans due to being fryed using amsoil.One was still in warranty(23k miles and 2 years old) but Chrysler told them to pound sand after testing teh ATF and it did not come back as ATF+4.

Was it verified that the Amsoil was the cause of the problem? Otherwise, it could be a host of many other problems. There's a lot of guys running Amsoil ATF in their 42RLE transmissions with no problems and with lots of miles, so it doesn't make sense to me. I called Amsoil last year and asked again about using their ATF in the 42RLE. They said they haven't received any reports that there was a concern, and that their Universal ATF met or exceeded Mopar's ATF+4 specifications.

I'll pull a UOA from my KJ 42RLE Amsoil ATF and send it off and report back the findings.

tjkj2002 wrote:

If using syn gear oil make sure you change it every 15,000 miles,dino you can go at least 100k.Many company's are now going back to dino gear oil as the synthetic junk is not worth it anymore.

I’ve only seen the UOA’s for the Dodge Cummins front and rear differentials. The Amsoil Severe Gear has shown to outperform some of the dino’s by as much as doubling the mileage. From the UOA’s I’ve seen, the dino gear lubes can’t handle extreme heat for long periods of time without breaking down whereas the Amsoil Severe Gear holds up better under extreme heat. The guys taking the UOA are hauling heavy loads, up to 18,000 - 21,000 lbs.

Going Synthetic....... Maybe.....

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