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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Cars / March 2007

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synthetic oil

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Tracey - 06 Mar 2007 16:23 GMT
If I have been using synthetic oil for oil changes in my 98 dodge
durango, can I swithch back to regular oil?

Thanks,

Tracey
Ron Seiden - 07 Mar 2007 02:12 GMT
Yes.

> If I have been using synthetic oil for oil changes in my 98 dodge
> durango, can I swithch back to regular oil?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tracey
Hachiroku ハチロク - 08 Mar 2007 22:53 GMT
> If I have been using synthetic oil for oil changes in my 98 dodge durango,
> can I swithch back to regular oil?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tracey

Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not.
Why do you want to switch? $$$?
Abby Normal - 09 Mar 2007 02:03 GMT
The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil so
often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the synthetic for
2-3 times longer.  My next oil change will be to synthetic because I do
change my own oil and with 4 vehicles to maintain it makes for a long day
when I do them all.  I need to put space between those days and that alone
is worth the money.

1998 Dodge Dakota, 5.2L V8, Club Cab
2000 Dodge Dakota, 3.9L V6, Regular Cab
2000 Dodge Neon, 2.0L 4 cyl.
2002 Dodge Intrepid, 2.7L V6

>> If I have been using synthetic oil for oil changes in my 98 dodge
>> durango,
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not.
> Why do you want to switch? $$$?
clare at snyder.on.ca - 09 Mar 2007 03:23 GMT
>The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil so
>often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the synthetic for
>2-3 times longer.  My next oil change will be to synthetic because I do
>change my own oil and with 4 vehicles to maintain it makes for a long day
>when I do them all.  I need to put space between those days and that alone
>is worth the money.

Don't count on it. The only reason to use synth, in my opinion, is if
you are running extremes of temps. Does't thicken as much when cold,
doesn't thin as much hot. The extended drain properties are
overstressed.

>1998 Dodge Dakota, 5.2L V8, Club Cab
>2000 Dodge Dakota, 3.9L V6, Regular Cab
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>> Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not.
>> Why do you want to switch? $$$?

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nunya - 13 Mar 2007 01:31 GMT
>>The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil so
>>often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the synthetic for
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>>> Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not.
>>> Why do you want to switch? $$$?

for better or worse the truck that is my daily work truck has been a guinea
pig for extended oil changes.  it is a ram 4x4 w/360.  i started it out from
the first oil change with castrol 20-50 syntec and use only k & n oil
filters.  the service interval is every 10,000 miles.  i drive a lot and
have four other trucks to keep serviced so i wanted to see how far i could
push one of them.

this truck pulls my camper, trailers with tractors, motorcycles and cars.
it has a load put on it almost every day.  during the summer it sits and
idles while i am out of it working so that the cab will still be cool when i
get back in.  that means it runs at least 8 hours a day during the summer
here in georgia.

after 260,000 plus miles it is still running strong.  it has had 4 fan
clutches, two water pumps and about a half dozen serpentine belts put on
since it was new.  i have cleaned the throttle body twice and replaced a few
batteries.  at 215k i had to put in a new tranny.  it had one transmission
fluid change at 60k to synthetic fluid.  other than brakes there have been
no other repairs necessary.

i believe that 260k of hard work with a 10k service interval is a good sign
that synthetic oil does its job.  when i drop the oil it is black but still
has that slippery feel.  when the engine finally dies i look forward to
tearing it down just to see what it looks like on the inside.
michael

p.s.  i also put sythetic gear oil in the differentials and they have held
up well thus far.
Abby Normal - 13 Mar 2007 02:09 GMT
Mine has synthetics in the transmission and rear axle but not the engine -
until the next change.  Just did the water pump with ease and success.  My
2000 is getting read to be traded in on a 2006/7 Dakota though.  I really
like that body style.  I see a lot of other manufactures do too because they
modeled their vehicles after it's body lines.  As I said before, the next
oil change for any of my vehilces will be to synthetic.

260k miles is a lot for any vehicle but if it is taken care of properly it
should last.  You've done very well and I commend you.

>>>The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil
>>>so
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
> p.s.  i also put sythetic gear oil in the differentials and they have held
> up well thus far.
nunya - 13 Mar 2007 15:10 GMT
> Mine has synthetics in the transmission and rear axle but not the engine -
> until the next change.  Just did the water pump with ease and success.  My
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> 260k miles is a lot for any vehicle but if it is taken care of properly it
> should last.  You've done very well and I commend you.

<snip>

at present i have.

1972 dodge dart 318 w/auto, a/c, power steering, power brakes.
unknown miles.  it is fixing to be torn down and recieve a 383, 727, dana 60
and paint.

1969 dodge camper special 383, 727 dana 60 posi unknown miles and may become
the donor vehicle for the dart. (unless i decide to shoehorn one of the
spare hemi's around the shop into the dart)

1991 dodge dakota 2wd, v-6, auto, air.
odo broke years ago at 177,000 miles don't have any idea how many actual
miles.
5,000 mile service interval with conventional castrol 20-50

1993 dodge dakota 4x4, v-6, manual, air
215,000 miles
5,000 mile service interval with castrol 20-50 semi-synthetic

1996 gmc topkick, caterpillar 3116, allison auto, 40' high ranger bucket
278,000 miles
5,000 mile service interval with rotella t

1997 dodge ram 4x4, 360, auto, air
260,000 miles
10,000 mile service interval with castrol 20-50 full synthetic

2001 dodge ram 4x4, cummins diesel, auto, air
150,000 miles
5,000 mile service interval with rotella t

2 1970's h-d flh's
lots o miles
3,000 mile service interval with castrol 20-50 full synthetic

2007 h-d road king
6,000 miles
3,000 mile service interval with h-d brand 20-50 full synthetic

i get lots of miles out of everything i buy.  i don't trade vehicles, i just
buy new ones as the need arises and the older ones just get passed down into
lighter duty service.  by the time i get through with them the trade in
value isn't worth getting rid of a good truck.  except for the one gmc
(dodge doesn't offer a 26,000 lb gvrw truck) all of the 4 wheeled vehicles
are dodges.  i have not have a single major except for the 215k tranny
replacement in the 97 ram.  i cannot complain as all of these trucks are
have been worked hard.  eventually i am going to have some engines fail and
when it does i am going to tear them apart just to see what they look like
inside and try to determine what role a particular oil played in their
lifespan.
michael
Hachiroku ハチロク - 14 Mar 2007 15:50 GMT
>> Mine has synthetics in the transmission and rear axle but not the engine
>> - until the next change.  Just did the water pump with ease and success.
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
> played in their lifespan.
> michael

I hope we all live long enough!   ;)
James Goforth - 13 Mar 2007 19:06 GMT
I talked to an old farmer here in the midwest and he changes oil
according to mfg. specifications (7,500 miles) and uses regular oil, not
synthetic.
 He's been doing this for years and years, and his vehicles run as long
as anything else does, well into the 200k range -- and these are farm
vehicles no less.
 I'm inclined to wonder how anyone 'knows' that you should change oil
more often than the manufacturer dictates, since pretty much no one ever
lets it go anywhere near that long anyway.
 If I was running a turbo I might consider a synthetic if it afforded
less coking.
Abby Normal - 14 Mar 2007 02:16 GMT
My rule is to change it only when it's so dark that I have trouble reading
the hash marks on the dip stick.  I never have problems where oil is
concerned.  My miles will vary greatly on each vehicle too.  I am going to
synthetic on the next change though just to see if it does last as long as
they say.  As I said I have 4 vehicles (all Dodge) and I do my own oil
changes.  After one of those shops cross-threads a drain plug on you - you
never go back.  I would like more time between changes and synthetic oil may
give that to me.

>  I talked to an old farmer here in the midwest and he changes oil
> according to mfg. specifications (7,500 miles) and uses regular oil, not
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>  If I was running a turbo I might consider a synthetic if it afforded
> less coking.
James Goforth - 14 Mar 2007 03:47 GMT
Abby Normal wrote: "My rule is to change it only when it's so dark that
I have trouble reading the hash marks on the dip stick. I never have
problems where oil is concerned. My miles will vary greatly on each
vehicle too. I am going to synthetic on the next change though just to
see if it does last as long as they say. As I said I have 4 vehicles
(all Dodge) and I do my own oil changes. After one of those shops
cross-threads a drain plug on you - you never go back. I would like more
time between changes and synthetic oil may give that to me."
*********************************************
 If you just go by whether the oil is dark enough to see the hash marks
on the dipstick -- and the synthetic stays clean longer than
conventional oil -- that wouldn't exactly be a plus IMO, for obvious
reasons. :-)
 It will be interesting to see if that's the case, though.
 Post the results if you think of it.
miles - 09 Mar 2007 13:01 GMT
> The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil so
> often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the synthetic for
> 2-3 times longer.

Thats an old argument that just doesn't make much sense.  It is true
that synthetic does not break down as easy and thus would last longer.
However, dirt still builds up in synthetic just the same.  Keeping oil
clean is every bit as important.
Hachiroku ハチロク - 09 Mar 2007 22:05 GMT
> The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil so
> often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the synthetic for
> 2-3 times longer.  My next oil change will be to synthetic because I do
> change my own oil and with 4 vehicles to maintain it makes for a long day
> when I do them all.  I need to put space between those days and that alone
> is worth the money.

I use it in my new car only because it's supposed to have better
lubrication properties. I did set the reminder for 4,500 miles, however.
The factory sets it at 7,500! (2005 Scion tC)

The rest of the cars, '88 Supra, '89 Mazda 626, '86 Camry and '85 Corolla
GTS (Hachiroku...) get 3.5 quarts of Castrol GTX and 1 quart Marvel
Mystery oil. The '85 has been getting this mixture since new and has NO
smoke and good oil pressure considering 259,000 miles...

The longest change on the Corolla was 5,500 (of a recommended 7,500
interval) cause it was COLD!!! All the rest were 3,000 to 4,000 miles.

NO repairs have ever needed to be done to that engine!

> 1998 Dodge Dakota, 5.2L V8, Club Cab
> 2000 Dodge Dakota, 3.9L V6, Regular Cab 2000 Dodge Neon, 2.0L 4 cyl.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>> Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not. Why do
>> you want to switch? $$$?
clare at snyder.on.ca - 10 Mar 2007 02:22 GMT
On Fri, 09 Mar 2007 22:05:20 GMT, Hachiroku ???? <Trueno@AE86.gts>
wrote:

>> The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil so
>> often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the synthetic for
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
>NO repairs have ever needed to be done to that engine!

What weight GTX are you running, and where? I used to use 10W40 in the
winter and 25W50 in the summer here in Southern Ontario on Toyotas and
had EXCEPTIONALLY good servive from all 600+ I maintained. ANd I
didn't use MMO - I've had good luck with MMO freeing up stuck rings
and noisy lifters - used to use Rislone for the same problems and it
worked well too.

>> 1998 Dodge Dakota, 5.2L V8, Club Cab
>> 2000 Dodge Dakota, 3.9L V6, Regular Cab 2000 Dodge Neon, 2.0L 4 cyl.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>> Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not. Why do
>>> you want to switch? $$$?

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 10 Mar 2007 18:18 GMT
On Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:22:44 -0500,  wrote:

>>> The only reason I see running synthetic is not having to change the oil
>>> so often.  The price is about 2-3 time more but you can use the
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> MMO - I've had good luck with MMO freeing up stuck rings and noisy lifters
> - used to use Rislone for the same problems and it worked well too.

Generally 10W-40. In the '85 Corolla for the past few years I've been
running 20W-50, cause it's getting old and the Oil Pressure isn't quite
what it used to be.

For the synthetic I use 5W-30 like the Owner's Manual says.

And, in the Mazda is a 3-vavle per cylinder engine with hydraulic lifters,
so I use the MMO trick in that car. On really, REALLY cold days they still
tick, but not once it's above 20 Degrees F.

Where in S. Ont? I used to go to Oshawa a couple times a year, and hung
around Toronto a lot.

>>> 1998 Dodge Dakota, 5.2L V8, Club Cab
>>> 2000 Dodge Dakota, 3.9L V6, Regular Cab 2000 Dodge Neon, 2.0L 4 cyl.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>>> Some folks in the Toyota group say no, but I don't see why not. Why do
>>>> you want to switch? $$$?
clare at snyder.on.ca - 10 Mar 2007 21:44 GMT
On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:18:59 GMT, Hachiroku ???? <Trueno@AE86.gts>
wrote:

Waterloo / Elmira area. Half wat between Toronto and London

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 12 Mar 2007 03:26 GMT
On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:44:02 -0500,  wrote:

> Waterloo / Elmira area. Half wat between Toronto and London

OK! Been there just twice.
 
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