as long as i can remember ive always used conventional oil in my car, but its using up quite a bit. but then again i drive it hard. i was wondering it be a good idea to switch to synthetic oil since its molecules are harder to breakdown. i have a4 2.8 12v

 

yes synthetic is better

 

I've heard that if you're a long-term conventional oil user, and switch to synthetic - you could develop small leaks. Something about old seals with cracks in them being plugged (good) due to conventional oil build-up, then loosening w/ the swap to synthetic or something about synth being thinner, etc.

my two cents.

 

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...ics/Myths.aspx

 

www.bobistheoilguy.com

^ much better reading than mobil...

You can use synthetic just fine if you want to do long OCIs. I'm using Q Torque Power in my 12v with a wix 51333 filter. I like this setup and haven't noticed any leaks. I DID do an AutoRX treatment before I started running with synthetic though.

Depending on your driving style you can make dino oil last about 5k with a good filter, and synthetic go 10k.

 

synthetic isnt thinner, it just has better cleanig properties. If you have cracked seals being held together by sludge from conventional oil, they should be replaced anyway.

 

my cousin switched to full syn on his 2.8 with 105000. He says he instantly noticed a difference, smoother running, more power and better gas mileage from reduced friction on the internals. As for being thinner the oil is not thinner but smoother it flows much better. Oil viscosityis what it is. 5w40conventional is the same weight as 5w40synthetic. So it wont slip through the cracks any easier. Switching to synthetic wont make new oil leaks . Any leaks should be fixed anyway. If you drive the engine hard I wouldn't pass 5000 miles otherwise8000 should be OK. The man made base stocks in syn oil resist thermal breakdown much better giving the longer drain intervals. Also because of the extra cleansing agents the oil will become dirty fairly quickly as it cleans the sludge and deposits. The oil doesn't breakdown it justs gets dirty. So be aware after 500 miles the oil will look dirty. In my opinion switch to synthetic and keep running it.

 

yup, synthetic is the only oil I use for my car....

 

i use regular 15w40 on mine 99 1.8T with 130,000 miles and it seems to work for me just fine.