Should I Use Synthetic Oil

My husband says he wants synthetic oil used...what are your feelings. Is it necessary except for his Diesel MB? I would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

Ginny Walker

Synthetic oils are superior to petroleum in every way. You can read the article I wrote for maxxTorque magazine comparing synthetic to petroleum oils (click the LEARN button and then select Lube Notes and look for synthetic vs petroleum).

A few years ago, Mercedes USA sent a letter to all USA owners cautioning them not to use petroleum oils made in America and depend on the oil change monitoring system (turns a light on on the dash). The only way Mercedes would honor the warranty, if the light were to be used, was if synthetic oil was used. After replacing engines on warranty the company's investigation to determine the cause discovered that North American standards for petroleum oils was not up to European standards and the oil monitoring system had been designed with European oil quality as the standard. North American synthetics do meet the European Standards so Mercedes came out and required synthetic oils if you were going to use the oil monitoring system. What all of this means is Mercedes is clearly supporting that synthetic oil is superior to petroleum oil. Some synthetic oils like Amsoil offer longer drain intervals allowing you to run the oil for at least 3 times as long as petroleum which turns out to make the Amsoil less expensive to use than the petroleum.

Synthetic oils are the best choice and Amsoil extended drain oils are the most economical oils to use.

FAQ - Engine Oil / Oil Changes