Well, the last few oil changes I've been getting synthetic oil instead of dyna. Each time, the service manager keeps asking me "Why!?!?", and I explain that there is a small improvement in gas mileage, etc, and he says "OK, whatever.". Even if there was no benefit to using synthetic, I still think that he wouldn't act so surpised.

Anyway, this morning when I dropped off my car and asked for synethic, we go through the same exhange of "Why?", "Because...", "Whatever". I then explained to him that I've had them use synthetic the last couple of times I've changed oil and he looked back through the records and said that last time they didn't (!!!!), even though I paid for it (just a few bucks). I've read that it can be bad to go back to regular oil after using synthetic, especially if it isn't completely drained. Any truth to this?

Thanks.

 

No truth. But I'd raise a small stink and try to get the next one free

 

why are you taking your car to the dealer for oil changes?

 

Free oil changes... for regular oil.

When I go to pick it up this afternoon, I will verify that I paid for it last time and hopefully will not be charged for it this time.

 

how much more were they charging you for synthetic?

 

Well, apparently they raised the price today... they want to charge $45.37 for the oil. Last time I *know* I paid less than half that. That's the last time I pay for oil there...

 

monotaur - did you switch to synthetic oil before reaching 20K?

According to a few posts here last winter, Nissan techs (at Smyrna, not the dealer's techs) say they feel the engine needs about 20K with dino oil in order to properly seat and fit all the parts before switching to synthetic. They feel this results in the best long-term engine performance. It seems synthetic is so slippery the new engine parts can't seat properly using it.

There are those who say 10K with dino is enough, and it is OK to switch at that point.

Most everyone who has read or studied this feels it is probably not good to start out a new engine on synthetic.

But, back to your point. Synthetic oil can be obtained for only a few more bucks per quart, so, unless you specified some brand costing $5 or more a quart, the cost of four or five quarts should not increase the price of an oil change by more than somewhere around ten to fifteen bucks.

 

You should be fine. I really hope that they are not charging you $45 for synthetic, vs. free for conventional. Since it takes only 4.5 quarts, that's $11.50/quart, assuming that their dino oil is $1.50/quart. That dealership sucks. I'd stop taking that guys sh*t immediately and talk to somebody above him saying that it's your car and if you want synthetic you'll get it, regardless of what this twit thinks you need.