i have a 2000 with a little under 130k on the odo and i have to change the oil tomorrow. i put between 1,500 and 2,000 miles on it a month and i live in florida so i'm wondering if i should/could put synthetic in it or just keep it conventional. i don't know what the PO used before.

 

From my understanding on the whole synthetic / conventional debate ... When breaking in an engine you use conventional oil for the 1st 500 or so miles to let it bond to the internals, after that you use synthetic up to about 50,000 miles .. and then after that it really doesn't matter any longer .... my odometer is at 121,141 and I use the cheap Wal-Mart brand ($11 for 5 quarts)and Fram oil filters and she runs great. 37-41 mpgs ...

So i guess my opinion on the matter is, "Don't waste your money on synthetic and buy the conventional brand you prefer" ...

 

How long is your OCI?

 

Also keep in mind that here in Florida, it is better to have a heavier weight oil. Most places when you get your oil changed, will give you 5w10, and you'd be better off using 10w20 or 10w30. Oil gets thinner as it heats up, and with how hot it gets here in Florida, thicker oil is better.

 

i always use 10w30 when i change my oil.. have any ideas on how to get a stripped drain plug off? the PO took the car to a lube place to have the oil changed and the idiots used an impact wrench to tighten it

 

Vise grips have worked for in the past .... I stripped the hell out of mine when I owned my El Camino .... Vise Grips will do a bit more chewing to it so just make sure you have a new one waiting to go in ...

 

Tonight the temps are going down to 41 degrees .... record lows!!! time to pull out a sweatshirt for the Friday night cruise ....

 

Thinner oils will still work fine in warm weather, contrary to popular belief. I've run the crap out of my Mustang in hot weather (100°F+) with either 0W-30 or generally 5W-20, as hot pavement plus sticky tires and a full suspension = fun, lol, and the pressure and internal wear was not affected by it in any way. As for the stripped oil drain bolt, vice grips or one of those "extractor" sockets.

 

I know, it's 40 degrees out here in Palm Coast right now. But at least we don't have a foot of snow! But it makes me glad I kept my warm, lined leather jacket, that's for sure.

 

Hi,
I am the technical manager at Fram. The answer really lies in how you drive. If you do lots of short trip driving were the engine may not get to full operating temp, stick with inexpensive dyno oil and good quality but inexpensive filter, change every 3k to avoid sludging issues. If you do combined city and highway driving and the car usually does get to full operating temp with every trip, you can extend drain intervals by using synthetic oil and a larger capacity filter. Our Tough Guard filter has capacity to 7500k miles, our Extended guard filter has capacity to 10k miles. The costs are really the same because you do not need to change oil as often, you can also pickup slight gains in both performance and fuel economy using synthetic oil.