Re: Regular Oil vs Synthetic Oil -EricTheCarGuy

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Stay dirty

ETCG

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[howardbardsley]

From this old retired mechanic, what you say is absolutely true. Your statement about the best thing that you can do for your engine is to change the oil often is what I used to preach. Good Show!

[MrBer]

Also included in regular oil changes are good quality filters. I’m 76 Yrs old farmed all my life had many trucks, tractors, combines, cotton pickers and never had too overhaul a engine. I know that maintenance is what did it. Oil is a lot cheaper than metal. Just started watching you’re presentations and enjoyed it, also subscribed. Thank you.

[DasArab]

"Changing your Oil is the number one thing you can do to extend the life of your vehicle period, bar none"

Spot on!!!

[syd_luna]

Years later, looking at these comments, this still remains being a "controversial" topic when in reality, it comes down to how often you change your oil, whether you want to run on synthetic or conventional.

Biggest takeaway, to reiterate, change your oil regularly!

[aseriesguy]

Synthetic vs. "regular" engine oil is just the latest controversy for engine lubrication. Most of you are too young to remember the even greater controversy between detergent, non-detergent, multi-weight and straight weight oils. Back in the day when detergent oil became popular what Eric said about old engines and better oil was really critical with straight weight oil. I saw it happen in 1964 when a friend had a 1956 Pontiac V8 that ran OK buy had a bit of lifter clatter. He poured in a bunch of STP which was the same as switching to detergent oil. The engine literally came apart. We pulled the pan and found most of the piston rings in there. The only thing that had been holding that engine together was all the carbon from years of straight weight non-detergent oil. A guy I worked with in 1970 had a 1958 Chev 6. He was a firm believer in straight weight oil. He went to work one afternoon in Minnesota. By the time we got off work at midnight the temperature had dropped from 45 degrees to 10 degrees. He didn't get that car to start for a week. The same thing happened to a neighbor with his 1968 VW Microbus.
I have been using synthetic oil exclusively for at least 30 years. Besides my cars I use it in my lawn mower and snow thrower. I put synthetic in several used vehicles I bought with 20K to 40K miles and I never noticed any negative effects but I also never had any engine issues or performance problems. I usually drove all those cars well over 100 K miles. I used to do all my own oil changes but in this stage at age 74 and able to afford new cars I let the dealer do it. That's another issue. I always have my vehicles served at a franchised dealer service department.

[donnareed]

My dad use to say. If you don’t do anything else. Change your oil. It is the life blood of your engine

[Caf]

Like you properly timed oil change is best, regardless of type of oil used. Respectfully done, Sir.

[greenspiraldragon]

Any oil is better than running your engine with no oil.

[gregnixon]

I love synthetic oil. After I started using it, my headlights got brighter and my tire pressure remained constant.

[franciscoespinosa]

Can’t believe this went live 9 years ago! I remember watching this video as if I watched it last month!!! Thank you Eric the car guy!!!

[SeerTrulth]

Hey Eric, I'm a chemist, and the best way to talk about viscosity is whether you can push the fluid around, or whether when you step on a puddle of it, it splatters. It's about how the liquid bonds to itself as a puddle or a drop or a pool. Flow and viscosity are not the same parameter (that is, scientific measurement), but they are closely related, and they correlate almost identically, meaning that if you have one, you have the other doing the same thing.

[johnbeeck]

Project Farm did a great comparison of major engine oils, including cold flow performance - worth watching! Thanks Eric for a pragmatic discussion on engine oil maintenance and products!

[JDMaya]

ERIC YOU SHOULD CONTINUE MAKING VIDEOS. I am glad seeing your video.

[RobertDIY]

I went to full synthetic at 189, 000 miles. After I changed the breather system and a leaking rear main seal. Now going strong at 291, 500.

[michaellong]

Synthetic will last longer and not break down but it gets dirty just like conventional oil.
Dirty oil causes wear to engine parts. End of story!
Change your oil people!

[chrischery]

I CHANGE MY ENGINE OIL ON TIME, AND EVERY TIME IT APPEARS ON DASH OF THE CAR AND SAYS CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON, I ONLY USE FULL SYNTHETIC ENGINE OIL, AND I CHANGE MY ENGINE OIL EVERY THREE MONTHS OR 3000 MILES, AND IT'S AN 08 GRAND MARQUIS, GOD IS BLESSING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

[mp]

I have owned and maintained my cars for over 50 years. I have driven every car I owned to over 100, 000 miles and one to 350, 000. I have never had a mechanical problem with any of my engines. I regularly change the oil between 3, 000 and 4, 000 miles. I use inexpensive regular oil. Change your oil regularly and you won't have mechanical problems.

[Commissar]

I use synthetic because it gets really freaking cold here... and synthetic handles the extreme cold better

[sem]

Leaks : Conventional oil will sludge, sludge clogs leaks. Changing your oil & filter will clean some of that sludge out and take it to the filter. Synthetic oil will loosen more sludge up then conventional oil. Once that sludge is gone, like you said, once it starts leaking, it will always leak. I ran synthetic oil in one of my vehicles from 3000 miles on, after 90, 000 miles and 7 years no leaks. With that vehicle, i dumped oil & filter every 4 months whether I needed to or not, most dumps were between 3000 to 4000 miles. I would have kept that car, but my job sent me over seas, where unleaded was hard to find at the time.

[brandonsteel]

Thank you Eric...for being so specific about switching back to conventional oil...breaking the myth that ; once you use synthetic you need to stay with it exclusively. Very detailed and comprehensive. Excellent explanation from previous video confusions. Great Job!