Has anyone tried using synthetic oil or K & N Air Filters in a 3.5 Liter V6? I already get great gas mileage. I use premium or mid range gas to take advantage of the timing advance sensor feature and get 36mpg Highway at 70 mph.

What are your experiences; or do you have any advice?

thanks

 

Synthetic oil works well! Try Mobil 1.

If you are writing about the K&N oil mesh filters, some people love then others don't.

Issues of the MAF sensor becoming oil coated and tripping a trouble code, nil HP gains, ongoing maintenance.

Doubt it this type of filter can clean better then an OEM one. Have worked with these types of oil mess filters on other equipment and always change to a paper filter if possible.

 

Thanks Toyomoho. I looked at the K & N website and what you say makes perfect sense. It looks like the mesh and the oil would soon turn to MUSH. I will stick with factory OEM replacemenets.

As to Mobil 1, any improvement in gas mileage? I cannot extend the drain interval due to warranty in my "09 and I only drive 4000 in 6 months. Fuel economy would be only reason to use it since these engines last 200,000+ on dino oil. Internet postings are all over the map on this so I was wondering if anyone had direct experience with this in the same engine I have. Thanks again.

 

Would say no, or not enough to make it worth wild from a MPG standpoint.

One other issue is 4k miles per 6 months is not a lot.

What type of driving? Oil picks up moisture from the air. Getting the oil temp up the boiling point of water evaporates it something that may not happen on frequent short drives. The oil also picks up acids from combustion. Both can cause cause corrosion.

Synthetics are great oils, superior corrosion protection, bla, bla, bla and your car is NEW.

If your 8K per year will be an ongoing issue, might think about using synthetics just for the added protection.

The oil is $4-5 qt times 2 changes = $50 year minus the cost of dino oil.

If you had a used higher mileage car or drove the typical 15K per year (or more) would state dino oil is just fine. It may be fine for your situation do not really know.

Personally in your situation I would go with a synthetic oil, it is the best you can do under your situation.

 

Thanks Joey. Based on your advice, I plan to use Mobil 1 at my 8000 mile oil change next week (I don't care about the extra cost) unless you think the alleged problem some people have posted on the Internet that gasket seals will start leaking down the road as the result of lack of sludge build up in the seals - the sludge supposedly makes the seals tighter - has any validity. I think the seal issue has no validity in my situation - Do you agree?

The reason I think it does no apply to me because they way I drive, I don't think there would be any sludge build up in my case anyway based on the fact that although I am a low mileage driver, I rarely make those short trips that cause sludge build up becasue the engine does not reach normal operating temperature. 50% of my drinving is on the Interstate. I used Pennzoil 5W30 at the 4000 mile oil change and had it poured in from plastic bottles by the dealer and I watched them do it. My oil remained almost crystal clear for the first 2000 miles and right now - at almost almost 8000 miles (4000 miles since last oil change) the oil has some color to it but it is still so clean looking it doesn't even looks like it needs to be changed.

 

How many miles on the engine now! How often do you drive the car?

The issue with the seals is apparently it cleans too well. Cleans the debris off the seals which helps seal them. It is typically higher mileage cars with this problem.

Pennzoil is very good oil.

 

The car has 7940 miles today and was purchased April, 2008. It will probably have 8200 miles on it when I take it in next week for it's second "6 month" oil change. The six months hits a couple weeks early from the one year anniversary date of the purchase of the car because I brought the car in a couple weeks early for its first 6 month checkup at 4050 miles. I drive the car usually 6 days a week. We use wife's '02 ES300 on Sundays (my wife loves her heated leather seats for cold weather and her moon roof for warm weater) and anytime it snows and there is salt on the roads. I am trying to avoid getting any salt on the car for at least three years because at this rate of putting on only 8000 miles a year, I'll probably keep it over ten years and I want to avoid the unlikely possibility of rust. Of course, when I take it to the car wash, I always pay the small amount extra to do the underbody wash.