# Switching to synthetic oil



## scoobydoo55 (May 21, 2006)

Hi guys i know you guys are going to get tired of me real soon but here goes
I was thinking bout switching to synthetic oil for my 01 altima
i've already searched the forums for answers but none fits my questions perfectly and i know u guys are so smart
we have a lot of stop and go driving here in the Bahamas (small roads) . i want my car to run as good as possible without major repairs so is it a good idea to switch to synthetic oil. synthetic oil is better right?
if i do switch to synthetic is it as simple as a regular oil change or is there some other steps

can i switch back if synthetic oil becomes to pricey for me to continue

all of the shops here dont sell synthetic oil, so if i need to just pop in a quart can i use regular oil when synthetic is not available

p.s we have one brand of synthetic here ( Castrol Synthetic)


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## Darktide (Jul 29, 2004)

Switching the synthetic oil should do you just fine. There isn't anything special that you need to do. My only suggestion is to use a higher grade oil filter as you can go longer between oil changes but at least with my altima it was always dirty.... even with normal oil though. Don't mix oils. Only use synthetic with synthetic, regular with regular. Switching back and forth is doable and without consequence but I wouldn't consider it a smart idea to continually switch back and forth. Castrol Syntec is a good brand.

Synthetic oil is really helpful in colder weather. I'm not entirely sure how great it is in hotter weather. I would definately run a higher weight oil down in the Bahamas. 

Hope that help.
Darktide


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## LONDONDERRY (May 19, 2004)

Switching to syn. is fine, but don't believe in the mystical properties of it. Because of your driving conditions, I would change it every 3000 miles and use the superior Nissan filter. Engine oil has come a long way so you can switch back and forth between syn and conventional. Just be aware that syn have strong cleaning agents in it, so if your engine starts a small oil leak you'll know why, I'v experienced this since the switch. Now if your a real motor head, you can always get an oil analysis of your engine. If you like a more in depth answer on syn. email this Nissan forum user, Bror Jace. He's the most knowledgable person in my opinion on oil. I think he runs "the oil Guy" website, but I'm not too sure.

Frank

ps. Hey Jay, looks like the weather in NH is going to be good this weekend


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## scoobydoo55 (May 21, 2006)

just the bad news i was hoping for, i read somewhere that synthetic oil expands the seals in the engine and potentially cause an oil leak in the engine, i think ill just stick to regulat oil and try to change it frequently
by the way the price of one quart of syn oil in about 10.65 per quart here, lol

ps. just for the sake of it should i change my distributor cap ( just wanna get my car as good as a newbie DIY can )


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## Darktide (Jul 29, 2004)

Do the rotor while you're under there and check for any oil in there. It may be a bad day but at least it won't just break down on you. You may want to invest into an auxiliary oil cooler though, it may help out a little bit with the breaking down of your oil due to the insane heat.

As for oil prices. You might just find yourself better off having people buy it up in the states for you and shipping it down for that price. Most full synthetics are only ~$5. I hope that don't gauge the prices that badly on normal oil.

As far as synthetic oils causing leaks... My car always ran petroleum oil and around 70k I switched to synthetic and have had absolutely no issues. I'm switching back to regular oil now because I found that my oil is still dirty and its just not worth it as I'm doing some serious highway driving and chewing through the miles. 

Darktide


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## LONDONDERRY (May 19, 2004)

scoobydoo55 said:


> just the bad news i was hoping for, i read somewhere that synthetic oil expands the seals in the engine and potentially cause an oil leak in the engine, i think ill just stick to regulat oil and try to change it frequently
> by the way the price of one quart of syn oil in about 10.65 per quart here, lol
> 
> ps. just for the sake of it should i change my distributor cap ( just wanna get my car as good as a newbie DIY can )



Syn oil doesn't cause oil leaks as some believe. If you have an oil leak its because of the age of the gasket, not the oil. Its the cleaning agents in the syn that remove the slug build up. I'm sure conventional oil has good cleaning agents as well. However in your situation where its $10.65 US per a quart, I would stay with conv. oil.

remember that just because the oil come out black doesn't mean its dirty. I'v changed oil in my car a couple of times at 1500 miles and it came out black. Like I mentioned before an oil anylisis will tell you whats going on inside the engine.


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## scoobydoo55 (May 21, 2006)

thanx guys, i guess i'll just stick to conventional oil, i'll just change it more frequently


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