Synthetic oil !

1231ChaseB

Well-known member
Hi All ! Today i went to Wally world and bought some Mobil 1 fully synthetic turbo diesel oil for my 2009 Duramax diesel drw 4wd ! I hear so many good thing's about it i thought i'd give it a try ! Just wondering what others experience's are with it ? I'm not sure i believe some of the thing's that are said about it like better mileage but we'll see !
chaseb
 

sjs731

Well-known member
That is the oil I use too. I can't say that I noticed any mileage increase. Where it really shines in the winter starts here in WI. My truck sits outside and it turns over easily even when it is below zero.


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Steve and Carrie
HOC# 2252
2007 GMC 2500HD Duramax
B&W Companion Hitch
2012 Sundance 3300CK
 

scottyb

Well-known member
Some swear by it. Personally, I don't feel like it is worth the extra cost. All of my diesels have gone high mileage (185K - 250K) w/o failures.
 

azdryheat

Member
Aren't all synthetic oils for Diesels the same? I haven't seen anything that proves one oil is better than another.
 

ramdually4100king

Well-known member
I also use Synthetic but another brand in the truck. I change it every 6 months or 10000 miles which ever comes first. I use 5W-40 Synthetic in my motorcycle (Honda VTX 1300R) and it runs like a champ even after 8 years. I use Synthetic in the DW's car and change the oil every 6 months vice 3 and it is still running after 5 years and it was still clear (darker than new though) after 6000 miles.
 

DJH

Member
Hi All ! Today i went to Wally world and bought some Mobil 1 fully synthetic turbo diesel oil for my 2009 Duramax diesel drw 4wd ! I hear so many good thing's about it i thought i'd give it a try ! Just wondering what others experience's are with it ? I'm not sure i believe some of the thing's that are said about it like better mileage but we'll see !
chaseb[/QUOTE

I was told that once you use synthetic oil in a diesel, that you can't go back to regular oil! So you might want to think about it. I use synthetic in mine and haven't seen any difference.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
"I was told that once you use synthetic oil in a diesel, that you can't go back to regular oil! So you might want to think about it. I use synthetic in mine and haven't seen any difference."

I use synthetic blend, so how does that work???
 

marvmarcy

Well-known member
My truck has used Rotella T 15W40 and has 825,000 miles on the original engine with no major engine repairs. I change the oil every two years ( around 20,000 miles) and the oil analysis is always excellent. A dyno test about 40,000 miles ago showed it still met new engine specs for hp, torque, compression, blow by, and oil pressure. The truck has no preheater, glow plugs or ether but still starts easily after sitting several days in below freezing weather. The truck and trailer weigh around 32,000#, and I get consistently around 9.5 mpg.

My point: most oil today is excellent quality, and there is little difference between synthetic, blend or petroleum oils - except for cost. (My truck holds 11 gallons, so oil and filter change can cost around $175 - $200 with Rotella.).
 

marvmarcy

Well-known member
I was told that once you use synthetic oil in a diesel, that you can't go back to regular oil! So you might want to think about it. I use synthetic in mine and haven't seen any difference.

I think you were misinformed.
 
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JanAndBill

Well-known member
I use Motorcraft in my Ford, not because of brand loyalty but because it is good oil (synthetic blend) at a comparable price to other oils. For years I ran Delo 15/40 in our over the road trucks and always had good results. Can't say the same with Rotella and some other brands tried. On my Ford I change out the oil at 5,000 miles. Primarily because it receives a combination of heavy and light use. On our big trucks we experimented at change levels from 15,000 to 20,000, and finally settled in at 18,000. Our goal was to get a million miles on an engine without opening it up.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
I have used Rotella for the last 20 years in both my company and personal vehicles. I graduated to Rotella T when the particulate filters became a fact of life. We use Rotella, Delo and others in our fleet of trucks, dozers, loaders, motor graders and excavators. We would never consider using synthetics due to cost. It really doesn't matter what oil you use as long as it meets the spec. More importantly is that it is changed according to it's service duty. Our equipment sees some of the most severe duties, due to dust and heat.
 

Sumo

Well-known member
Synthetic oil cost more, but I change oil and filter the once a year in the spring, 6 mths later I change the filter and add a quart. Saves me time and money. I drive about 20,000 miles a year. I us the Amsoil 25,000 mile synthetic.
 

szewczyk_john

Well-known member
I swear by Amsoil and I have sen reports, both by amsoil and independent testing that show synthetics out perform petro oils in all categories. Yes synthetics cost more but they last longer so you do not have to do as many oil changes when using synthetic. For me it is added insurance that my truck will last. My truck has been completely switched over to all amsoil synthetics to include lubes. I believe that it protects my hefty expense to by a cummins powered dodge.
 

mobilcastle

Well-known member
I say each to his own-I run Delvac and change according to manufactures instructions. Most people do not keep their trucks 300K.
 

GlenStMary

Well-known member
I've used synthetics for years on all my trucks and I can say it works. I traded a 10 year old Ford 6 cylinder in on a Dodge 1500 10 years ago and the mechanics swore the Ford had a motor swap done when they took it in trade. That engine had 130,000 miles on it and the compression, etc was as good as when it was new. The Dodge got traded in on my current 350 Ford and it was purring like a kitten when I took it to the dealer's mechanics. The 350 has always gotten synthetic and it's now pushing 120,000 miles and running just fine. As far as mileage goes, the 350 DRW gets 14.7 - 15 mpg even when pulling a trailer so I can't complain.
 

dave10a

Well-known member
The important thing is that oil meets or exceeds the mfg. specs. The change interval is dictated by the soot build up or other contamination as well as lubricating ability. Oil sample testing is the only way to tell if the oil should be changed. The rail roads and others use re-refined oil that is built up with chemistry to meet their soot requirements. Oil is another part of cost of ownership and one can spend a lot of money that can significantly increase the cost with little or no benefit. Synthetic oil has no advantage over a good quality motor oil like the major brands sell other than extreme temperature range increase that most people will not experience. Alaska cold and the Death Valley hot is in those extremes where synthetic oil could be justified-- in addition to racing. In short simply follow the mfg recommendations they do a lot of testing to derive them. You trust them to design and build the truck so why not trust them as to service recommendation.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I bought and now use an Amsoil/Donaldson 25,000 mile oil filter, and usually use Castrol Synthetic blend (with a logo of a semi tractor on it) which WalMart stocks, as that is where I usually get my oil changes done. What is the opinion on using a higher cost, longer change interval filter like this?

BTW, you CAN bring your own filter to WalMart and they will reduce the oil change cost.
 

Lynn1130

Well-known member
You can switch back and forth although I would wonder why you would want to do that. My synthetic brand says that you can even mix them if you do not have synthetic and need to add oil. I use synthetic in all my engines and in transmissions, differentials and transfer cases. In most cases it extends time between changes, holds up better under high temps and provides better lube. BUT, do some research on which oil. Some do not provide the engine protection that they claim.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
I do use synthetic oil in my Onan and the 26 HP Kohler engine on my mower. Neither are water cooled, and both only use a couple quarts.
 
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