Mobil 5w40 turbo diesel syn.

[dmccarty]

What type of truck do you have? My meter in my F250 is pretty accurate, I check it randomly with a calculator. My mileage has gone up so far about 1 mpg.

2002 F350 7.3L TD 6 speed manual tranny, single rear wheels, Crewcab, with a long bed.

The LieOmeter is usually 1MPG OVER reality. SOMETIMES it guesses right. Sometimes it is a couple of MPG over the hand calculation. I don't think it has ever been under what the real MPG.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

F-250 with 6.4 Powerstroke says 10K miles per oil change unless you use it as a truck and then they recommend 5K miles. I go for the 5k change interval and use dino oil that is fully approved. I don't think I would save $ by using any synthetic I know about. Does anyone get enough increased fuel economy to pay for the difference in the oil cost? I don't think I would.

Pat

I don't think the extra MPG from a synthetic pays for the oil but you add up the extra MPG AND not having to run an engine block heater in the winter it certainly gets close to paying for the extra dollars in oil. And I don't change the oil at 5K like the manual says too which saves money and more importantly my TIME. My last change I ran to 12K on the oil. The lab said got to 15K. There was nothing wrong with the oil. Plenty of TBN left in the oil. Nothing bad in the oil. No wear.

A dino oil might be able to go 12K but I have not done it in my truck with my driving and done the tests. The JD 0w40 and Shell 5w40 oil has been in the truck and tested. For what I am doing the synthetic does save me TIME and money.

For MY kind of driving which has very little stop and go this works. City driving with stop and go would be a different story.

Later,
Dan

 

[patrick_g]

My most recent MPG check (today) was made under less than ideal conditions (cold weather, I always get worse mileage in cold weather) and I only got a trip average of 54.xMPG. I get free oil changes as long as I own the vehicle and the dealership is in business (they've been around for generations and sell many different brands but out of different showrooms.) Given the above, do you think I should start using synthetic oil?

Pat

 

[deerefan]

My most recent MPG check (today) was made under less than ideal conditions (cold weather, I always get worse mileage in cold weather) and I only got a trip average of 54.xMPG. I get free oil changes as long as I own the vehicle and the dealership is in business (they've been around for generations and sell many different brands but out of different showrooms.) Given the above, do you think I should start using synthetic oil?

Pat

If you have the 6.0 Ford Diesel, many folks recommend it. I have noticed a difference, especially @ start up.

 

[patrick_g]

If you have the 6.0 Ford Diesel, many folks recommend it. I have noticed a difference, especially @ start up.

My F-250 with PSD is an '08 with the 10K mile oil change interval (unless you use it as a truck and then it is 5k miles or less)

The 54.x MPG was with our '04 Toyota Prius. (No recall on this model.)

Lets see if I got this right... You get about 1 mpg better mileage. I get from 8-10 working it hard or even less puttering around the ranch and 15-17 or so cruising on the highway at 65. Lets say with round numbers I average 15 across multiple tanks. Would synthetic save enough fuel to even come close to paying for itself with increased mileage? I don't think so.

To make it pay I'd have to derive some other benefits, in significant cost reductions. Is synthetic better at leaving a lubricative film to prevent dry starts after vehicle is let set for a significant time without starting? Startup is touted as maybe 1/2 of your engine wear and drives some fleets to using pre-lubers. I have never worn out an engine. I did a valve job on a 1943 Jeep and did a long block on an '89 Dakota (bought third or fourth handed) but never have ever had to "go into" any other truck I have bought used or new diesel or gasser (all Fords except '97 Dodge-Cummins Ram 3500 and the used and abused Dakota) How many miles would I have to add to the life time of the engine via synthetic oil to pay for the oil? Can't say, I have never worn out any of my trucks. I was driving a 1964 until 1987 (propane only, not set up to use gasoline) and in 1987 bought a used '84 Ford 3/4 ton diesel which I kept till buying the '97 Dodge.

Maybe I'm not a good poster child for synthetic or maybe I just haven't done the analysis appropriately. I'd consider any rationale that puts $ in my pocket without requiring a lot of time or effort to be involved.

Pat

 

[dmccarty]

My most recent MPG check (today) was made under less than ideal conditions (cold weather, I always get worse mileage in cold weather) and I only got a trip average of 54.xMPG. I get free oil changes as long as I own the vehicle and the dealership is in business (they've been around for generations and sell many different brands but out of different showrooms.) Given the above, do you think I should start using synthetic oil?

Pat

Depends. You say your oil change is free. Is it? How much is your time worth?

The CPS is my engine is wear item in reality but not per the book. Ford got are to recalling the CPS but mine has long been changed out from the original. I did two things when I bought the truck. I first ran to get a bedliner installed and then I went to IH and bought a CPS. I just replaced the CPS a second time. They seem to last about 65Kish miles.

I keep spares in the glove box along with tools in the truck so I can change one on the road if I have too. When the one started acting up a few months ago I stopped at the dealer with my recall notice in hand. They would not just GIVE me a new CPS. No, I had to bring in the truck and let them test it. Duh. Morons. So I would have to come back and leave the truck. I live withing 10 minutes of the dealership. It certainly is easy and quick to get too. But a 20 minute round trip to the dealer, plus time to drop off and pick up.....

It only takes 20 minutes for slow old me to replace the danged thing. And I am sure that I have the tools and know how to change the CPS if I have to on the side of the road.

Sometimes free ain't free.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

....

Maybe I'm not a good poster child for synthetic or maybe I just haven't done the analysis appropriately. I'd consider any rationale that puts $ in my pocket without requiring a lot of time or effort to be involved.

Pat

I used to use a engine block heater on the truck during the winter. 1500 watts for three hours costs me 45 cents. If I do this five days a week for four months that is $36. I do get better MPG but I won't bother to run the numbers. The savings of using synthetic and not using the engine block heater already cover the cost of the oil.

We only get down into the teen and 20s. Sometimes single digits. The truck will start with the cold without synthetic but it is not a happy camper. So I would heat on my diesel engine trucks. Those heaters are not cheap to run.

I don't have time to run to the dealer ship to have them change my oil. I barely have time to change it myself. I run synthetic to cover my fanny in case I can't change the oil on schedule. I don't have much free time and I do not have a barn or garage so I have to work around the weather as well as my "free" time to change the oil. One reason I run synthetic is to give me some added miles on the oil in case I just can't change the oil.

The last oil UOA was 12.5K on the oil. The TBN in my oil starts at 12. After 12.5K the TBN was 8.5. The wear numbers were lower than average for my truck and were at or below averages per the lab's data base of UOAs for my trucks engine. The lab said to go to 15K if I wanted. That would be three oil changes by the book. Maybe you can run that mileage on dino oil. I don't know since I have not tried. Nor will I. But 15K is three oil changes which more than makes up for the price of synthetic.

To change per the manual given how I run my truck and tractor would be throwing away perfectly good oil. And is a waste of time and money. Running synthetic is saving me time and money. If the truck is run in stop and go traffic is certainly a different story.

Later,
Dan

 

[patrick_g]

Depends. You say your oil change is free. Is it? How much is your time worth?

The CPS is my engine is wear item in reality but not per the book. Ford got are to recalling the CPS but mine has long been changed out from the original. I did two things when I bought the truck. I first ran to get a bedliner installed and then I went to IH and bought a CPS. I just replaced the CPS a second time. They seem to last about 65Kish miles.

I keep spares in the glove box along with tools in the truck so I can change one on the road if I have too. When the one started acting up a few months ago I stopped at the dealer with my recall notice in hand. They would not just GIVE me a new CPS. No, I had to bring in the truck and let them test it. Duh. Morons. So I would have to come back and leave the truck. I live withing 10 minutes of the dealership. It certainly is easy and quick to get too. But a 20 minute round trip to the dealer, plus time to drop off and pick up.....

It only takes 20 minutes for slow old me to replace the danged thing. And I am sure that I have the tools and know how to change the CPS if I have to on the side of the road.

Sometimes free ain't free.

Later,
Dan

In nearly 6 years I have personally taken the Prius in for the FREE oil change just one time. My wife takes it in. They also rotate the tires and do any scheduled items like cabin air filters or what ever is on the schedule. She then incorporates the trip into a shopping excursion.

I agree that free is sometimes not free. I bought a lifetime guaranteed rebuilt alternator for my 1984 F-250 diesel. It failed and I replaced it and it failed and I replaced it (lather rinse repeat) until I got tired of changing them. I was getting really good at opening them up and rotating the case half to fit my application. I bought a Delco with standard short warranty and sold the truck to a friend in 1997. It is still gong strong with the same Delco alternator.

I bought a lifetime warranty master cylinder for that truck and had the same experience as with the alternator. After three master cylinders I bought a Bendix brand (NEW not rebuilt) with standard warranty. It is still in that truck and working fine. Turned out that free was not cheap or easy.

Prius free oil changes IS A GOOD DEAL for us.

Pat

 

[deerefan]

I used to use a engine block heater on the truck during the winter. 1500 watts for three hours costs me 45 cents. If I do this five days a week for four months that is $36. I do get better MPG but I won't bother to run the numbers. The savings of using synthetic and not using the engine block heater already cover the cost of the oil.

We only get down into the teen and 20s. Sometimes single digits. The truck will start with the cold without synthetic but it is not a happy camper. So I would heat on my diesel engine trucks. Those heaters are not cheap to run.

I don't have time to run to the dealer ship to have them change my oil. I barely have time to change it myself. I run synthetic to cover my fanny in case I can't change the oil on schedule. I don't have much free time and I do not have a barn or garage so I have to work around the weather as well as my "free" time to change the oil. One reason I run synthetic is to give me some added miles on the oil in case I just can't change the oil.

The last oil UOA was 12.5K on the oil. The TBN in my oil starts at 12. After 12.5K the TBN was 8.5. The wear numbers were lower than average for my truck and were at or below averages per the lab's data base of UOAs for my trucks engine. The lab said to go to 15K if I wanted. That would be three oil changes by the book. Maybe you can run that mileage on dino oil. I don't know since I have not tried. Nor will I. But 15K is three oil changes which more than makes up for the price of synthetic.

To change per the manual given how I run my truck and tractor would be throwing away perfectly good oil. And is a waste of time and money. Running synthetic is saving me time and money. If the truck is run in stop and go traffic is certainly a different story.

Later,
Dan

Exactly my point. Same things apply to my situation. I run synthetic for the easier starts and longer change intervals vs dino.

 

[crashz]

Gee Pat, maybe you are a canidate for synthetics!

What if you were to use and synthetic, low weight (like 0w-20 or 0w-30) oil in your Prius? Since the engine is so much smaller than typical cars of its size, I'm wondering if the combined improvement in viscosity losses and frictional losses would have a more dramatic effect on performance and mileage. Also with the constant start/stop of the engine, would that help improve its durability and lower wear?

Just a theory. Maybe Toyota uses a low weight synthetic already.