Is It Worth It?

[Mark Koback]

My 2005 Ranger is due for it's 1st service in a couple of days, and I've been reading alot about synthetic oil. My question is if it's worth the extra price. Royal Purple is a popular item, but is Mobil 1 or Valvoline just as good? I really hate to spend that kind of extra money unless I can justify spending the difference. Any input is appreciated.



MK ..... The "other" Mark

 

[Buck Henry]

Ahh, the age old argument of synthetic versus dino-oil. I have had several cars go well over 250K miles on the original engine using just plain old dino-oil. I am not saying that snythetics are not good, they are. But will they make your engine last longer: the jury is still out on this one I think.



PS: Go half way like me! I use a Motorcraft synthtic blend in my 05 F-150, which is what Ford is putting in them when they leave the factory.

 

[Bill Ellis]

I've tried Mobil-1, Havoline Syn, Valvoline Syn and Motorcraft Blend. Best mpg was with Valvoline, Motorcraft is next best. Difference is .2 mpg which can be atrributed to everything but the oil. From what I've read, oil analysis has shown no real difference between the qualities of Motorcraft Blend vs the full syns. So, at $2 less per qt [$10 per oil change] I've decided to use the Motorcraft oil from now on. Lots of opinion on this topic and not much in the way of independent testing. Fact is, no matter what you use, as long as it meets Ford specs it will be fine in your engine. That is a fact that no one can disprove. Have 31K on my 04 and when I drain the Motorcraft after 5K miles, it still has enough additive in it that it cleans the crud of my hands [from removing oil filter] and wipes very clean just like new oil does.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I have used Moble 1 Synthetic for years. I swear my mileage increases as well as the engine just sounds good...

 

[Todd Z]

Through all the testing we did at college we found the Synthetic oil better than the regular oil. But if you are religious and change the regular oil at or before 3K you should have no issues.

I use the synthetic because it quited down my S10, and on my mustang when i tore the motor down at 60K for a serious upgrade, you could still see the crosshatch in the cylinders, no wear on the cam and no buildup on the heads..

So i use the Mobil 1 or the valvoline ...

Todd Z

 

[Johnny O]

Jug of Mobil 1 at Wal-Mart for $20 is a tough deal to beat. I did get used oil analysis from my wife's Taurus comparing Mobil 1 0w-20 (since replaced by 5w-20) and Motorcraft 5w-20 over 5000 miles and the results were nearly identical. For what it's worth, the Motorcraft oil is made by Conoco. I figure if I use syn the Arabs get less of my money. Just for kicks you can get a used oil analysis kit from Blackstone Labs. They'll send you the kit for free, send one back with your used oil and $20 and they'll tell you what's up. I had a 4.0 SOHC Ranger before, it liked Mobil 1 5w-30, the wear metals were very low. Once I tried Mobil 1 0w-30 in the winter and the wear numbers were worse. Just an example of what you can find out with a UOA, also it will tell you if there is antifreeze in your oil, sign of a bad head gasket.