Should I start using Synthetic Oil, Mobil 1?

[Rocket]

You would think. Right? Why would a person change out oil and leave the dirt from the old oil in the filter? Laziness?

Busted I guess. I'm guilty as charged. If the engine blows tomorrow I'll have no one to blame but myself.

On the other hand, no problems so far, and none anticipated for the next 100,000 miles...

 

[mazdadude]

Hey there! Qt. for qt. the synthetics are usually around double the cost of conventional oil.

If you are going to be changing the oil every 3-5k, then the benefits of synthetics are a bit wasted in my opinion. Now if you are intending on going 5-10k, then synthetics would be a good investment. However the math works out the same. (2cents)

I forgot to add:

If you are still within the factory warranty period, I would strictly adhere to the 5000/7500 schedules.

 

[mazdadude]

Busted I guess. I'm guilty as charged. If the engine blows tomorrow I'll have no one to blame but myself.

On the other hand, no problems so far, and none anticipated for the next 100,000 miles...

My late grandfather gifted two vehicles to me, my very first car, and his last car. Both had over 200,000 miles, and both had the oil changed every 5k or less, and the filter changed every OTHER oil change.

 

[DKaz]

I switched to synthetic because dino oil looks like crap after 8,000km. I hope synthetic fares better. Plus whatever, you can get a jug of Pennzoil or Castrol or even Mobil 1 on sale for $25, considering I used to take my car in at $45-$55 taxes in for oil change, $35 taxes in to do my oil change with oil that'll better protect my engine, why not? I think 5W-20 dino is too thin for when we want to push our cars hard, but I want to see of synthetic better holds up to high RPM revs.

I might try using Mobil 1 0W20 fuel economy synthetic oil for the winter time.
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_1_0W-20.aspx

 

[Robotazky]

My late grandfather gifted two vehicles to me, my very first car, and his last car. Both had over 200,000 miles, and both had the oil changed every 5k or less, and the filter changed every OTHER oil change.

Wow. I've heard of people doing it, but I've never heard results. I always apply an old rule I've heard about air filters when I ponder the topic of whether to change oil filters every time I change the oil. Apparently, foam air filters(i.e., ITG) actually filter better as dirt accumulates, up to a point, and then the dirt starts to block air flow. But, paper filters just lose air flow as dirt fills in the space between the fibers. I always have assumed that paper oil filters lose flow as they accumulate dirt and that this would be a bad thing.

 

[codeyell0]

I have opened up many of engines and the ones that were synthetic were beautiful
the regular oil engines get stained synthetic keeps them nice inside
no sludge
I would definitly use mobil 1 i actually use it for 7k and replace the oil filter at 3500
in some cars i use extended thats like 10k oil i get lazy on oil changes

 

[Robotazky]

I have opened up many of engines and the ones that were synthetic were beautiful
the regular oil engines get stained synthetic keeps them nice inside
no sludge
I would definitly use mobil 1 i actually use it for 7k and replace the oil filter at 3500
in some cars i use extended thats like 10k oil i get lazy on oil changes

Mobil 1 is a group 3 synthetic and Mobil 1 EP is a group 4 synthetic, if I remember correctly. If I'm wrong, then Mobil 1 is group 4 and Mobil 1 EP is group 5. EP is a truly synthetic oil. It's much better than regular Mobil 1.

 

[Robotazky]

I put 4.5 quarts like the manual says and it's always dead on. If you don't change the filter it will take considerably less.

I just checked my oil after putting in 4.5Q and it's over the full line. I will check again tomorrow, but it looks like some oil is settling and not emptying completely when it's drained. I would suggest adding 4Q after an oil and filter change and adding to the line after the car is run for a while. I may have to empty a bit to get it back down to the full line. I remember this happened when I first bought the car and it only took a very small amount drained out to get it down to the line. Other changes I put in 4.5Q and it was on the line. Whatever. The gas tank is a PITA also and gives inconsistent result when filling also. No big deal.

 

[Heat]

It costs me about US$32 to change the oil in my Mazda5 with Mobil 1 synthetic:

Mazda Oil Filter: $5.48 ($27.40 for 5, with a free filter wrench, from Med Center Mazda) That's for the cartridge filter, the canister (spin on) filter is a little less, make sure you know which one you need before ordering...

Crush washer: $1.37 (I change this every time, cheap insurance)

Mobil 1: About $22.50 for 4.5 quarts, I buy the 5 quart jugs from Wal-Mart for about $25 after tax.

I could knock off about ten bucks by using normal (dinosaur) oil like Castro GTX which is what I use in my Honda Accord, but I only change the oil every 5,000 miles which is about two times per year, so it's not a huge cost for me.

Anyway, the nice thing about changing my own oil is that it gives me an excuse to pull the Mazda up onto ramps and take a look at the bottom of the car, make sure things look fine.

Also some people use the Fumoto Valve to make the draining easier. Cost is about $40 (including extender) and lets you easily drain the oil. I dont use it but people who use it seem to really like it.

One more thing - in oil change threads there will always be people saying that the Mobil 1 oil filter or another premium oil filter is "best". Do what you want, but my opinion is that if the Mazda dealer uses Mazda oil filters, that's good enough for me.

I just checked my oil after putting in 4.5Q and it's over the full line. I will check again tomorrow, but it looks like some oil is settling and not emptying completely when it's drained...

It did that for me too, it's because the engine has to run for a short amount of time for the oil to get into the cartridge filter. Run the engine for a minute then check it again, it should be fine.

 

[Robotazky]

Actually, I let my girl drive it for the day and it was still high. I had to drain about 150-200 mL to get it down to the line. I'll try 4.3L next time.

 

[Rocket]

Heed Rocket. It's 4.0 with or without a filter change. I've done it 22 times now.

 

[got snake?]

Due to laziness: Do I have a cartridge or spin on filter? I"d like to get what I need before I jack the car up! I have an 08 Mazda 3 2.3L 5dr. ( 60,000 Miles)

Going to be tracking the car one more time this season. So going with Mobil 1 oil filter and M1 5w20.

Not sure which filter I need: MO5505 or M1C-153 ( http://www.showmetheparts.com/mobil/ ) Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[flcruising]

I'm pretty sure you have a cartridge filter. Mine is an '08 and it's cartridge. I'd imagine the 3 ran then same as the 5 during that year.

Why not peek under there? You should be able to see what it is without jacking it or driving up on ramps.

 

[kyoshiro]

http://www.animegame.com/cars/Oil%20Tests.pdf
Good read on synthetic oil decision

 

[flcruising]

Most of those oils are not available in the US. At least, I've never seen or heard of them. Kinda hard to draw a conclusion for me though since the weight is such a broad range(5w30 - 15w50). Different weights have differing additives, and some of those tested are medium weight oils. Our vehicles use 5w20 which is a very lightweight oil. This test is only for the EP properties of an oil. There is a reason why this method is no longer used. Synthetics truly shine when they are heated to operating temperatures of 180*+ F.

 

[OilGuy]

Lots of opinions about oil and brands out there.

For those who would be interested in Mobil 1 0W-20, I just found it for $3.99/qt at Auto Zone with a free M1 filter (or a $12.99 credit towards the $19.99 Mobil 1 cartridge M1C-153 filter - they had to order in from their warehouse). Just the Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy (green cap) had this price for some reason, not the other viscosities.

 

[got snake?]

Oil change done. Feels good to do it myself (kinda... borrowed a friends tools and stuff.)

 

[icpeanuts]

Are there step by step instructions on how to Do it yourself Oil Change?
Thanks for all the comments.

 

[Robotazky]

Are there step by step instructions on how to Do it yourself Oil Change?
Thanks for all the comments.

1. Remove the protective plastic shroud underneath the engine compartment on the bottom of the car.
2. Open your hood and remove the oil filler cap.
3. Remove the drain bolt and when it gets to where it's a very slow drip, put the bolt back in hand tight.
4. Remove the oil filter, or oil filter canister, depending on which type you have.
5. Clean the area that the filter attaches to with a rag.
6. Install a new filter. Either replace the filter element, or put a small amount of oil on the spin on filter's O-ring and screw it back on. About one complete turn after the O-ring touches.
7. Remove the drain bolt again just to let that last little bit out.
8. Torque the drain bolt down.
9. Replace the shroud on the bottom.
10. Fill the car with the amount of oil the manual tells you.
11. Pull the car off your ramps and let it idle for a couple of minutes.
12. Check for oil leaks while it's idling.
13. Shut the car off and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then check the oil level. Add if necessary.

I say let it sit for ten minutes specifically from experience changing the oil on this particular car. The level will go up just slightly between 5-10 minutes.

 

[AO928]

For those thinking of using a synthetic blend, remember there is no standard to determine as to how much regular vs. syn oil they need to use. It could be as little as 0.1% or as much as 99% (making a point here...) It's all marketing. A way for the manufacturer to get a higher price for low-cost item.

If you want synthetic protection, you want full-synthetic. If you don't care about it, then go with regular oil.

Personally I run Mobil 1 and change oil every 10k miles. My driving is mostly (95%+) highway crusing between Ohio and Michigan.