synthetic-good or bad

samsnead · 07-05-2006, 08:21 AM

I have a 3.2 with just under 78,000 miles. I am considering running synthetic on the engine. I have heard that it may blow the seals, but I know people that converted and had no issues. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks Much

Paulporsche · 07-05-2006, 08:27 AM

I haven't seen any evidence of seals being blown by synthetic use. If you already have a leak the synthetic might slip through a little easier, making the volume of the leak worse. Also different viscosities and even different brands seem to leak @ different rates.

Emission · Emission's Garage

I see you are a new member - welcome to the board.

I suggest doing a search on Synthetic Oil on this board. There are countless threads pro and con, with some good information (and some bad).

Oh, synthetic oil will not blow seals.

samsnead · 07-05-2006, 09:35 AM

Thanks for the info guys, I'll do the search.

Greg

randywebb · 07-05-2006, 10:23 AM

Use the gray button on the upper right

you will quickly gag from the numerous results.

Short Version - use it -- Porsche's chemists & engineers have told you what to use in TSBs and the Owner's Manual. It's Mobil One...

Only if you have reason to disbelieve what they say should you switch -- and if that's the case then a different car might be order.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Got search?

livi · 07-05-2006, 11:45 AM

My 3.2 has lived on fully synth for at least the last 30k miles. No issues what so ever (that I know of

).

S2GART · S2GART's Garage

Not to "argue" with the engineers at Porsche, but I do question their timing. If synthetic oil is what is supposed to be used, now for all engines, why wasn't it factory fill for all these years. My SC had Shell Rotella 15W-40 as a factory fill. The "great" Mobil one has been around longer than my car, why wasn't it the "required" oil then. It's almost as if the engineers are saying ".......whooops, we have been telling you to use the wrong oil all these years. You should of been using Mobil 1 all this time." If Shell Rotella 15W-40 was good enough to be a factory fill, what's wrong with it now? Or does this have more to do with sponsorship, not to be cynical

Emission · Emission's Garage

The use of "Mobil One" (a specific brand) may be sponsor-related, but the benefits of synthetic are hard to contest.

Synthetic is expensive, and not everyone needs the benefits (a NA engine that never sees track time doesn't really "need" synthetic), but for those who need the protection (myself included) it is priceless.

S2GART · S2GART's Garage

Not to start another "which is better" debate, but if Porsche is saying NOW, that synthetic oil is what you should use for all engines going back to even before my SC, why didn't they say that back then. In a few years, if Porsche switches sponsors to say Valvoline, will they then say "whoops sorry guys, you should of been using Valvoline Synpower back in 2006". I can understand that new engines may have tighter tolerances, hence different oil requirements, but what changed about an engine made over 20 years ago that suddenly it should have had synthetic all along?
The old oil debate to me isn't even a debate. Simply put in what ever oil the owner's manual says to use at the time the car was new, hence what is written in the owner's manual. If your engine leaks, then re-seal it or run thicker oil.

rdrr · 07-05-2006, 06:35 PM

I recently switched to Synthetic on my 89 Carrera 3.2. It had no oil leaks but some smoke on startup. After switching I still have no oil leaks, there is significantly less smoke (almost gone) and the car runs great.

Jeff Alton · 07-05-2006, 09:10 PM

Lots of 300k+ mile SC motors around that ran mineral oil............ Not jumping into the "my oil is better than yours" debate but mineral oil has worked fine for lots of folks over the years. Buy the Mobil or other synthetics if it makes you sleep better at night......

Cheers

randywebb · 01:57 PM

Maybe the engineers are saying we were testing those synthetics and now we've completed the long-term tests and it is great stuff (?)

The problem with using what they used to say is that they could get new information.

Have you correlated Porsche or car manfs. oil advice with their sponsorship changes? That might be a way to get at the question of bias.

Kroggers · Kroggers's Garage

I will not confess to have a great deal of knowledge or experience when it comes to this subject, but my SC was running fine with mineral oil for years. When I had it serviced by a local Porsche mechanic last year, he filled it up with Mobil 1 (synthetic), and it was just pissing out of the engine!!! I swapped back to a mineral oil (Mobile S), and things are back to normal again!! I am sure that a synthetic oil is better, but my old SC engine did not like it at all...