I know that title got some attention!

Here's the thing, you run synthetic or even semi synthetic oil to make your car run better and last longer. It is most beneficial in winter time for the cold starts, where most engine wear occurs. The slippery synthetic stuff will circulate thru your motor much faster than regular dino oil. BUT, synthetic also makes your car run cooler. Since the car is running cooler in an already cold winter time environment, you wind up with your heater not working as well as it should, because your car is running too cool. Ain't that somethin'?

DW

 

I'd rather be a little cold then hurt my baby.

 

does the engine run with synthetic? If it's only 5 or 10 degrees I wouldn't think it would affect the heater temp too much, would it?

I'll know for sure in a month or so when I switch to synthetic at 10,000 miles.

 

It was -17 here yesterday and my car ran the same temp as it did in the summer once it warmed up. Took about 10 mins.

 

Man that's cold!! We've been lucky, not that cold here...yet.

I've noticed, too, that my Max warms up faster than any other car I've owned. Sure is nice in the cold weather. My wife is jealous..it taked her Camry a lot longer to get heat!!

 

8 degrees here.. and all is well

 

You're kinda on the right track. Your OIL TEMP will run 10-15 cooler with synthetic oil (vs. dino), but your WATER TEMP is regulated by a thermostat and should be consistent year round. Granted, there will be a slight variation at extreme cold and hot temperatures. Since your heat is based on your water temp, running synthetic oil will not effect how warm and toasty you are in the cabin.

Yes, you got my attention

 

The temperature of the motor is regulated by the cooling system, not the lubrication system. The thermostat regulates the coolant temperature, and coolant flows through the heater core which provides heat. I'm really not following you when you say the heater is not working as well.

Synthetic oil is superior in every way, shape, and form. It will flow better in the cold and protect better in the heat. The price of it, however, is not justified of use in a Maxima imho.

 

Gee Frank it only costs about $17 for Mobil 1 and its your baby we are talking about here.

This is the blood that keeps her alive.

Nothing is too good for her. imho

 

Aha! You're probably one of those dudes who feeds your dog Eukanuba too, eh? I do the Pro Plan myself.

Rhetoric doesn't keep the motor running nor does it cause it to seize. Life is full of choices and often our eyes are bigger than our pocketbooks.

 

I run synthetic year round, and changing it and the filter every 6k (instead of 3k) offsets the increased price of the oil. I like how it flows at colder temperatures (for cold starts) and the insurance it delivers in case of accidental HOT temperatures. (blown radiator hose, etc)

I would think it would be almost mandatory in cold climates. Well worth it's cost, anyway.

It's your money, spend it however you like!

Good Luck!

 

Yeah I know the are 2 separate systems. But they both travel thru the cylinder block. One must affect the other, even though the amount of the effect will be small. What I mean by the heater not working well is that it doesn't produce as much heat in the cabin as it normally does. I do remember noticing that a few times I ran regular dino 10-30 in my car, the heater was ferocious. With synthetic, it was just hot. This was not a scientific survey, just a cold butt dyno feeling.

Am I saying synthetic is bad? No. It's just that with these brutally cold temps we've been experiencing, I like every ounce of heat I can get

As for you Jime, I gather you're Canadian. For expertise in the cold, I would tend to turn to you. I mean, do you even know what summer is? Just kidding

DW

 

The heater core works by having engine coolant circulating through it. The thermostat is the main thing that regulates the coolant temperature... especially in cold weather.

Any difference in heater output when using synthetic or conventional oil is purely imagined.

 

thank you for that addition of sanity, oil temp has nothing at all to do with heat temp.

 

How about a new thermostat?

 

Yea, why would you put synthetic oil in a car that's from a company that typically resorts to practices such as desigining cars with prop rods instead of hood struts, and fake dual exhaust systems? I mean, that's Geo Metro **** right there.

Sorry Frank, I couldn't resist

If anything, a minutely small effect. Maybe something else has changed related to your coolant system and/or heater core that's making the heater not as toasty.

 

I'd rather have oil to my bearings on cold mornings than any very minute(if any) differences in heater temp.

 

Your heater/water temperature is controlled by the thermostat, not your engine oil.
Very entertaining