I have used synthetic oil for years and don’t see a difference, other than the synthetic last a lot longer. Curious to find out the answer to this.

I’ve run synthetic oil in various cars from big v8s to little 4 cylinger turbo engines. I’ve never seen an noticeable difference in gas mileage. I’ve used synthetic oil for two other reasons; it keeps the engine cleaner by better absorbing carbon, and other dirt that can cause varnish buildup and shorten engine life. Second, synthetic oil breaks down at higher temperature than natural oil and thus can help turbo bearings last longer. Theses days, it seems like most car manufacturers who build engines with turbos recommend synthetic oil. Back in the late 80s and 90s before the manufacturers recommended synthetic oil, I always ran it and never had any turbo problems.

My car originally used normal oil, but during my last two trips to jiffy lube, they started putting synthetic oil in it. It is more expensive, but I do not think it has been getting me better gas mileage. I think it just takes better care of the engine.

I use synthetic oil in my 2005 Smart CDI. Synthetic is better and will make your engine last longer. Mileage? I already get around 55mpg (US gallon) so an extra mile or so doesn’t really matter to me.

Hi All,
Thanks for the responses. It doesn’t appear that synthetic oil is for increased mileage.

On older cars there’s a potential gain when you go from a heavy 20W50 oil to a 0W50 that not available as a conventional. New cars running on 5W20 or 5W30 likely won’t see any gains.

The advantage of synthetic oil is the lifetime. It doesn’t break down as quickly so it’s much cleaner.

Increasing gas mileage is alot like building horsepower. Many times what you would do to increase will, also increases the other. For example, using synthetic oil may increase gas mileage by a tiny amount. But add that to using a higher quality spark plug that is properly indexed and using a higher quality air filter that is less restrictive on airflow and you may see a 2 mile per gallon increase. The problem is being able to test it. Things like ambient air temperature, humidity, elevation, driving habits and traffic play a major roll as well. The only way to be able to truely test it would be to empty the gas tank, and out in a measured amount of full. Put the car on a dyno machine and run the gas out, noting the distance traveled. Then make the modifications and put in the same amount of gas in agree repeat the procedure. You would also have to do it in similar weather also noting begining engine temperature, as this plays a role as well.
Sorry is this was to long of an answer. Just thought I would put in my two cents worth.

The only difference you’ll see with synthetic is that it your wallet is lighter, it has virtually no impact on the life of your engine, unless it’s a high compression model (Sports car, or a Dual Overhead Cam on a Honda/Toyota), worse still, switching to synthetic will actually clean out the sludge on the gaskets and seals.

Yes, thats a bad thing, because the sludge that piles up there can actually seal leaks that get cleaned by synthetic and then you’ll need major engine repairs on the old car that might have gotten you another 80,000 miles otherwise.

The five most cost effective ways to save gas:

If your spark plugs and fuel filter are over the 100,000 mile point, replace them. (You don’t need new spark plug wires, don’t let them talk you into it)

Replace the air filter every 10,000 miles.

Use the cruise control wherever possible.

Dump any excess weight you can, weight means more fuel used.

Vote for politicians without ties to big oil.

Great comments. Thanks everyone for stopping by and sharing your opinions.

The main reason to use synthetic oil is to better protect the engine. Any increase in mileage will likely be so small as to be undetectable.

Syn Oil works out to be approximitly the same $$ as mineral oil. Due to longer oil chnge intervals.

Cons: must use better oil filter for extended use. It would not be good for filter to go into bypass mode.
Higher initial cost.

Pros: you will get better gas mileage: if you are in very cold climate, if you shutdown and start engine frequently. Other words “extreme conditions”. Regular driving would not derive a measurable gas savings.
But, you have added protection if engine overheats - this fact alone justifies it’s use. IMHO

I started using synthetic oil on my first oil change in my 2006 Frontier. But, it was not so much for better mileage as for better engine protection and longevity. Sure, it cost more, but that raises a questions. Since I can go longer between oil changes with synthetic, will not following the maintenance schedule in my Frontier’s book void my warranty? As it is, Ithe oil changes are supposed to be every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first and I’ve changed at 3000 mile intervals, even with the synthetic which doesn’t need changing until 6000 miles or more. If I changed the oil every 3 months as they recommend, I’d be driving less than a 900 miles between changes.

There is no ifs, ands,or buts. Synthetic oil will not only increase your gas mileage but will pay for itself because it will safely allow you to go to the maximum manufacturer’s drain interval even under hard usage. You will get 3% to 5% better gas mileage. It is imperative that you break the new car in on a brand name full synthetic and stick to that brand. Mobil 1 and Castrol Syntec are the best in my books and I have been using synthetics exclusively since 1978. I will not take delivery of a new car (and I have had about 10) without the original oil and filter being removed and the synthetic being installed. My 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer (2.0 Litre) gets 6.8 litres/100km under hard driving. My 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander V6 gets 33 MPG (Imperial) or 26.4 MPG (US).

Upon getting a new vehicle take this to heart. Don’t take delivery until you have delivered, personally, the required amount of full synthetic oil and the appropriate synthetic filter (99% pass rate) to the dealer to install. Installing full synthetic ATF or manual transmission oil will cut your costs as well. With an SUV/CUV you should also replace the transfer case lubricant with full synthetic if it isn’t already. Be sure to check with the manufacturer directly and don’t take “no” for an answer. Don’t listen to the bull sh*t that you can’t break in an engine on full synthetic. Corvettes, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, Lexus, etc. have been doing it for years.

All the Indy winners for the past 30+ years and virtually all of the NASCAR winners are running full synthetics all around. Should you use it in your car? DUH?

I let Consumer Reports do all the testing so check it out there. They tested it on NY taxis

Hi,
If you really want to increase your gas mileage I would suggest that you try Ethos fuel saver. They actually offer you twice your money back if you are not satisfied with their product. Visit

http://increaseyourmileage.wordpress.com/

[...] Synthetic Oil - Does It Increase Gas Mileage? [...]

Hi there, I work at an oil change. There is not one down side to using synthetic oil! It costs more only because it costs more to make. Made by the guys in white coats! It does EVERYTHING better than conventional oil. IMHO it comes down to how long you plan to keep your vehicle, 200,000+ miles? Go synthetic! Just google it, infinte info.

I have used Synthetic Oil in my 1998 E 150 since it was 50,000 miles old. That’s when I got to start driving it or the company. I carried well over 1,000 lbs in it - had to have the suspension beefed up. At 292 K it was in for a head gasket. My son (the Mechanic) said,”Dad we might as well do rings and bearings since it’s this far down”. I said yeah, great idea. Later he called me and said “Dad, you gotta see this!”. I went in and looked at the bearings - they had no wear - they looked like they were pulled at the end of the break in period. No joke - I was as shocked as he was.

BTW I have pounded this vehicle all over northern California cities and ighways, mountains and byways, it has taken a lot.
That is fully loaded 1,000 lbs plus.

Now as my own vehicle it has over 402,000 miles. It is loaded less than it used to be, but still kind of heavy. Still runnin’ good. Of course it has had many repairs, but the engine seems to bear out the benefits of Synthetic Oil.

It is a 4.2 liter 6 cylinder. My old boss, in his infinite wisdom thought he would save money. Well, the vans I rented with V8s got better gas mileage with much more power. I don’t know about gas mileage benefits with synthetic oil, but I do like the idea of taking care of the engine. Oh yes, oil and filter changes are at 10k, give or take a couple thousand.

PS - I used to work on military aircraft engines. What kind of
oil do you think they use? You got it Synthetic. Believe me they know what oil works best - they study the heck out of everything!

Can we run our car with water and gas?
Can anybody tell me is the HHO Gas is real working or is another scam?

Can we run our car with water and gas?
Can anybody tell me is the HHO Gas is real working or is another scam?

hi there,

i use water to fuel a car as a supplement to gasoline. In fact,
very little water is needed, only one quart of water provides over 1800
gallons of HHO gas which can literally last for months and significantly
increase your car fuel efficiently, improve emissions quality, and save
money.I found the way through this site http://www.runcarsinwater.us
i really recommend it to everybody, it’s a nice ebook where you can find
the instructions on how to do it! take a look

Under certain conditions I think synthetic oil can save a measurable, and practical amount of gas. I did not always believe this, and was very skeptical so I decided to do my own test:

2003 Dodge Caravan. Fall of 2005. I first tested my mileage (using my on board mileage meter) with regular oil. I did this in a very controlled fashion. I have a 5 mile trip to work, with no stop signs, or lights, I developed an exact routine as to starting engine, engaging engine, running/ speed, etc. As I passed a certain mark, every day I would note the exact mileage as measured to that point (to the tenth of a gallon). I ran this test every morning for about 30 days. Now, here is the key: I also noted every day the exact ambient temperature as I started the trip. I then plotted mileage/temperature on a chart, and as expected, the mileage was less as the temperature was lower.

Finally, I switched to Synthetic Oil (MObile 1), but the same weight/viscosity as the previous oil. I continued to do the exact same measurements and continued plot the results. The results were clear: There was (on average) an almost 2 mile per gallon improvement with the synthetic oil. (When compared with equal temperatures) I cannot remember the exact numbers now, but I believe it was average of about 21 mpg with synthetic and 19 with regular oil.

Here is why I think it is different: Synthetic oil is known to flow better when it is cold than regular oil. Thus, the engine would not be losing so much when it is cold to the increased friction of having to pump and move oil that is not yet at its ideal viscosity. Now, if I am right, then i do NOT believe that synthetic oil would give improved mileage on a warmed up engine, but it makes sense that it could with a cold engine.

Finally: I remain skeptical of my own results for two reasons: Frist, the test was not blinded (I did know which condition I was driving, and though I tried to keep the driving technique exact… who knows, I may have fallen victim to the placebo effect) Second, there is no way that a total of sixty tests (30 each) is sufficient to prove the hypothesis, one would need to run a much longer test and with different vehicles to be sure.

My conclusion, however, is that it is very likely that for the first few miles, especially in cold weather, one can save some gas. I now believe it for two reasons: It is logical, given the differences in the oil when cold, and my at least reasonable attempt to set up a test did show a measureable difference.

Most people who don’t notice a difference in fuel mileage probably are not keeping accurate records. I bet I am in the minority of drivers who actually write down the odometer and gallons at each fillup. Yes, a 1mpg difference may not be much, but it is the combined benefits of synthetic oil that make it attractive: less wear, cooler operation, extended oil changes, better for the environment, outstanding performance in ultra-hot and ultra-cold climates.
If you combine the benefits of synthetic lubrication with properly filled tires, alignment, tune-up, and a change in the way you drive (coast to redlights, for example) you may see several mpg improvement as I have.

I have a 2005 Ford Focus ST in which I use Motorcraft 5W-20 semi-synthetic. I don’t really know how it effects mpg, but I get longer change intervals, which is a time saving at a minimum.

I read through the comments and apologize to anyone that may have mentioned this, but I didn’t see a mention of speed and how it influences mpg.

When I first got the Focus, I drove it with speeds up to 70 mph and got 28 mpg overall. I have the gas receipts for that, so the info is not just a testimonial.

I have tried a number of things to increase mpg, including:

non alcohol regular, maybe +2 mpg - about a break even depending on price, 40 lbs in tires, etc.

The single biggest factor, however, has been my willingness to slow down. At first, I tried reducing my maximum speed from 70 to 60 mph. I did this for several tanks to get an honest feel under all the actual conditions that I drive and the result was a 32+ mpg overall. I was so impressed with the 4 mpg jump that the next step was obvious to me.

I tried reducing the top speed to 55 mph and again after several tanks, the result was an increase to just under 35 mpg. OK, what about 50 mph?

I have been using the 50 mph cap (there are a few exceptions for short periods of time) for several months now and here is an example from the most recent time period. Aug 1 to Aug 22 I drove 974 miles (3 fills, all conditions in Omaha metro area) and used 25.39 gal for 38.36 mpg, not highway or city, but overall. I’m really happy with that considering the windows sticker say 31 MPG highway.

I did try a short fill a month or so ago (about 150 miles and mostly highway) along with coasting down hills, turning off the engine when it looked like I was stopped for a minute or more and traveling at no more than 45 mph and got 43.1 mpg. That was even extreme for me, fun, not practical.

Over the course of the last several months, I have been using the same station and same pump so that I can get as consistent readings and filling as possible. I put the pump on the slowest auto fill setting and do not fill any after it shuts off.

While I agree with Ryan 6-8-08 about the weight being carried around, at least in my case, it’s how fast I’m trying to drag that weight around that has the most influence on mpg.

Bottom line here is… How many of us are willing to slow down to be more efficient? You can and should try all of the good suggestions previously posted, but I believe most of us could get some great savings out of our vehicles if we would just slow down. You don’t have to slow to the extreme I have, but why not try it for a short while. You might find it addicting.

Heh John,
Last month my wife and I took a 200 mile trip and most of the road was a single lane averaging about 55 mph. We got stucl behind a convoy of Army vehicles and were forced to maintain the speed limit. I normally average about 28 mph on the highway. But to my amazement got a whopping 36 mph.

Ron;

That kind of confirms what I’m thinking. If all of us would, when we could, slow down a little, we’d do ourselves a favor. That is burn less fuel and thus save money. This might also have the added effect of causing a downward pressure on fuel costs with the additional supply being available. All of this would take some months to several years to develop.

What… SLOW DOWN? That just isn’t American is it?!

Say, I’m seriously considering changing my oil to Mobile 1 0W-20. There’s a great test study written about synthetic longevity at the website:

Both Mobile 1 and Amsoil are each tested in a personal car for a year and tested at 1000 mile intervals, with both oils lasting well over 10000 miles without change.

I’m hoping for better mileage with the 0w-20 during those very cold starts during the several months of western Iowa winter.

Addendum:

Opppps! I forgot the above mentioned website.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html

Hi John,
Thanks for the link.

Yes, there is a definite improvement in mileage. I keep records of my gas usage, and have seen a 4-5 mpg improvement.

I have a 2001 Chrysler Sebring sedan with the 2.7L V6. It would reliably get 29 mpg (no more) on the freeway. Right around 55k miles on the odometer, I read about how the 2.7L engines have a relatively short service life (there were problems with engine failures between 60k-80k miles), so I switched to Mobil-1 synthetic. I kept the same weight (5W30). After the switch, I reliably got 32-34 mpg on the freeway, depending on speed. I have 110k miles on the odometer and still get right around 33 mpg.

I also have a 1994 Dodge Dakota… it’s a basic 2wd, V6, stick shift pickup truck. Without synthetic it reliably gets 22 mpg. With synthetic… if I drive 55, and granny shift, the truck gets 27 mpg.

Because of the number of miles I drive, it’s cheaper for me to use Synthetic than normal oil.

In cars that have low aerodynamic drag and drivetrain losses, Synthetic will show a larger increase in economy because the engine is the component with the most drag, and synthetic reduces that drag. In cases where it’s a truck and you always carry a heavy load, the drag is provided by the driveline and synthetic won’t show as much difference. (Having said that, if you use synthetic gear oil in the rear-end and tranny of the truck, you may show some improvement.)

Synthetic oil is huge in the diesel truck business. Big rig trucks are expected to get a million miles before a rebuild. That’s right……1 million miles! Now I did see many trade-ins with paperwork stating a rebuilt engine at 750,000 miles. Let’s face it, that’s a bunch of miles. Now with Caterpillar they expected their engines built for the medium duty business to go about 400,000 miles before a rebuild. You back it up with a really good filter because you will still catch carbon from the combustion. That carbon turns the oil darker and makes it less effective. So if you want to change less often then catch more crud with a better filter. One nice thing is that synthetic is slicker than snot. So start ups in dead cold are easier on the oil pump, starter and battery. The guys in Canada with 60 below winters can vouch for that. Synthetic handles the heat better too! So I have used synthetic for the past 9 years. I go twice as long between changes so I bet my engine will be lasting longer than the suspension.

Synthetic lubricants are a superior choice when it comes to motor oil. You can offset the cost by extending your service interval, aswell as increase your fuel mileage.

An important fact to take into account is that not all synthetics are equal. There are different base stocks to synthetics and only 2 synthetic oils use the highest grade base stock Mobil 1 and Royal Purple Synthetics. This base stock is labeled as a PAO 4 base stock. From there the only difference is the additive package. I drive a Toyota Camry and run 5 w 20 and have seen a significant increase in MPG. The 4 cylinder is rated at 31 mpg on the highway and over an extended period and may miles I can average 33.5 going 70+ miles per hour. My reccomendation is to use 1 of the two before mentioned products if you want to see fuel mileage improvement.

I drive a 1994 2door toyota camry, and i have seen nothing but good things with synthetic oil. I am currently doing a paper on controversial claims by big companies such as, airborne, 5 hour energy, and of course, synthetic oil. I used it several times and have seen nothing but a positive outcome on my gas milage and my wallet. On average i get 58 miles to the gallon. so kudos to this oil

Synthetic motor oil alone generally results in a small increase in fuel economy. Now combine that with synthetic fluids in your transmission and differential and you should see a somewhere in the vicinity of a 2% - %5 increase in fuel economy. Along with the fuel economy increase you will extend the service life of your vehicle. Although synthetics cost a bit more up front you actually save a good deal of money in the long run.

Amsoil is the leader in synthetic oil technology. Amsoil uses PAO 4 base stocks and then custom tailors the additive package for every lubricant they produce, Automotive, diesel, motorcycle, small engine, etc. This provides consumers with the very best protection for every application. Combine these oils with the Amsoil full synthetic media oil filters and you have a combination that can’t be beat. You will extend the service life of your vehicle by reducing wear and deposits. You will also save time, money and the environment by reducing the amount of oil changes performed on your vehicle.

My vote is for increased fuel milege, increased power and longer engine life. One of my cars, a 1998 Lincoln Cont., has been using synth oil since it’s first oil change. I bought the car from my neighbor and he started it on synth although I understood it was recommended to allow a break-in period first.. Anyhow, I’ve heard stories before of large cars getting unreal mpg, and really never believed any of it. Well my Lincoln gets close to 30mpg on the highway and a solid 22 in city/mixed driving. When I try hard, I can get that mileage up to about 25/26 and this is a heavy car with an 8 cyl engine. I don’t doubt your disbelief, I really wouldn’t believe it either had I not been experiencing it. I have no proof why, but I suspect it is the synth oil and the 100K miles of break-in using this oil.

I did see a demo once of how synth oil prevented a clamp device from holding on to a steel triangular shaped wedge while with regular oil you could clamp the angled side of the wedge. With the synth dipped wedge, you couldn’t get a bite on the metal to metal contact to clamp it. It convinced me that synth oil is slippery and that’s a good thing with so much metal to metal contact in an engine.

I use the synthetic oil in my Lincoln, motorcycle, and boat. I’m a believer.

Ron,

I manage a large fleet of tractors for a Fortune 100 company. We are working though the synthetic ideas right now as they relate to diesel engines. Many of the commenters pointed out the conflicting information about true MPG savings. There are so many factors such as climate, road grade, tire pressure, etc. It is my hope that I can send this to a testing lab and have a truck run on a machine with and without synthetic oil. Much of the discussion as centered on OEM (original equipment manufcaturer) and whether or not synthetic oils can void the vehicle warranties. This is another consideration for each consumer out there.

Thanks for all of the additional information. It is appreciated.
Regards, Ron

Thanks for all of the additional information. It is appreciated.
Regards, Ron