At just about 12k on my odometer, i decided to switch to full synthetic 5w20 Mobil 1 oil with the Mobil 1 extended performance air filter. I have a few questions:

I read that 5w30 will give better mileage, but the specification for my car is 5w20. any clarification on this?

I also read that synthetic oil lasts 2x longer than conventional oil. Does this mean I can stretch out the next oil change until 24k?

My friend who bought a GMC yukon with 360k on it told me that it's better to top up the oil instead of doing a full oil change because the engine gets use to the same oil. Should I do the same with my car, and with the synthetic oil that I'm using?

Which filter has better oil flow? the mobil 1 or the K&N? They say K&N is for race cars..just trying to get a wee bit more power out of the engine.

thanks.

 

Oh my. Where do I begin?

5w30 will give better mileage if you were using a THICKER oil like 10w30. But 5w20 is THINNER oil than 5w30. Stay with 5w20.


Yes, you can have extended oil changed with synthetic but I wouldn't go 12k miles on it. 10k maybe but you should get the oil analized to see how long it can last.


Your friend is an idiot and you should ignore any automotive advice he gives you. Fully drain and replace the oil and filter every time.


Get a Hyundai filter. Thay are no more expensive than aftermarket and most aftermarket filters aren't worth the money or can filter as well as the OEM Hyundai filter. About the only 2 I woudl trust are Purolator and Wix filters. But I use OEM filters on all my Hyundais.

 

5w-20 is thinner at operating temperature than either 5w-30 or 10w-30 (which have the same viscosity rating when warm). Tighter manufacturing tolerances on newer engines permit the use of thinner oils which benefit the mileage ratings for the manufacturer. You can use the heavier grades if you wish, just read your owners manual for when the thicker oil is appropriate.

Full synthetics resist oxidation (they don't burn as easily) much better than conventional oils, so yes, they can be used for extended periods. The key is to change the oil filter at the normal service interval and have the oil routinely tested as pointed out by NovaResource. A good documented example of this can be found at:

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/index....topic=48882&hl=

I personally question the cost benefit of this approach over using conventional oil maintained on the severe schedule and I doubt engine wear would be that much different.

I agree with NovaResource's comment on this topic.

The Mobil 1, the K&N, the Royal Purple and the Toyota TRD filters are basically all the same, manufactured by Champion Laboratories. These are the premuim or performance grade filter made by Champion (not the cheaper ECore filter design). The K&N and the TRD have a hex nut welded onto the end of the casing. There is no published data to support individual claims, but all use a synthetic or synthetic blend media that is likely 90+ percent efficient at filtering 20-22 micron particles. All are good filters, but they are also among the most expensive on the market. I doubt any of these are superior to the OEM 26300-35503 filter sold by Hyundai for 1/2 to 1/3 of the cost.

Hmmm, I've never equated oil flow with horsepower. I think this is a silly concept but if flow equals horsepower, then I suggest using the Fram Extended Guard filter. It's cheap and has the least amount of filter material and other "stuff" inside to get in the way of the oil flow.

 

in summary:

- stick with the recommendations in the owners manual.

- filter is a filter unless you're using a cheap bastard like fram

- more oil flow will not help power

- different oil weights make a minimal difference to fuel economy, you won't notice any change.

- ignore your friend, he's a moron. thats a good way to wreck an engine.

a quick tip that i use if you're concerned with filter performance: take apart some old dead hard drives out of a computer. salvage the magnets out of them. toss them on the filter. most of the particles that come through are ferrous, so the magnets help grab some of the smaller crap. just dont remove them until you're replacing the filter, all that crap would be released.

 

I'm curious. Have you cut open a used filter casing to see if the magnets are catching any material?

 

personally, no. i have, however, found just that on the internet somewhere. the guy was testing a product that is magnets for an oil filter and it seemed to make a surprising difference. end of the day, it was too expensive when dead hard drives are free.

the logic is sound, but on the other hand it sure can't hurt anything.

 

Make sure you only use the Hyundai oil filters, and save every reciept when you buy both the oil, and the filters. You must write the date/miles on the reciepts, and keep a log, for warranty reasons. Do not extend oil change intervals while under warranty: it will void it. You have to change it when the owner's manual says to, and remember: if you live where it gets very hot like I do, or near/in a larger city, you must follow the severe duty maint schedule, or the warranty will be void. 5w-20, 5w-30 can be used in these cars, during the summer, I'm going to use 5w-30 in mine, due to my hot climate. Mobil 1 is at Walmart in the 5qt jugs for around $23. After I use my free oil change at the dealer, I will do it myself with M1 oil for less than the dealer charges.

 

I'm sure the manufacturer knows what it's doing, but after years and years of being told to change my oil and filter every 3000 miles I was surprised when I read the manual of my new-to-me 2009 Accent and it says every 7500 miles. I wonder if I am supposed to be using synthetic oil? I don't see anything in the manual that says I have to. I think I'm just going to stick with the tried and true every 3000 mile oil change.

 

No, you don't need synthetic oil. Modern standard oil is MUCH better and modern engines are much cleaner and not as hard on oil. These two reasons make extended oil changes (5,000 to 7,500 miles on regular oil) normal today. Changing your oil every 3,000 miles now is really a waste of natural resources. Get you oil analized and they will tell you exatly how long the oil will last under your driving conditions.

 

Hyundai dosen't care about oil analysis, they only care about times and miles that it's changed. This way, if you wait until you "need to" change the oil, and if you have a mechanical failure in the engine, they can find a way out of the warranty claim, due to failure to "maintain the car according to standards." Do you need to use synthetic oil? Of course not! Any oil will do, as long as the API is SM or higher, and that the weight is of recomended type for the climate, per owners manual. As far as oil filters go, since it's a Hyundai, use a Hyundai filter. On my old car, a 2007 Ford Taurus (unloaded it before the big repair bills), I always used Motorcraft filters, and M1 oil. One time, Pep Boys had a special on M1 oil, and M1 oil filter. I used the M1 oil filter, and soon after, on cold starts, I noticed a second or two of valvetrain noise. I soon changed the filter back to Motorcraft, it never made that noise again. It could be the M1 filter had a faulty drainback valve. Other members on the TCCA website also had the same problem I had with the M1 filters on their cars. Some filters are more restrictive than others, too, so it's best to stick with genuine oem oil filters on any make/model of vehicle.