# switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k



## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

hows it going everyone. so my sister just bought a new car and was nice enough to give me her old one! free daily beater! she doesn't know how to treat a car nicely and has neglected it. i believe she got it from carmax when it had about 70k on the clock and it now has 150k. the only services that have been done were oil changes(conventional of course being the cheapest) and minor exhaust repairs. 
it definitely has lost power and is a little sluggish. when started up it idles at 2000rpms and after it warms up it sits about around 1250rpms. 
my question: will i be doing more harm then good by putting synthetic in it to try and clean the sludge out?
thanks for your time!
Nathan


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## VWnoob#1 (May 8, 2009)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*

x2 http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif anyone?


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## hockey57 (Feb 7, 2009)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*

Go with 10-40 max life. Why bother with pure syn. You already have 150k. Do 1 quick change at about a 1k, to clean out old stuff. and drive it.


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (hockey57)*

I'd run some good engine flush and start using syntetic oil.
Lubro Molly has some good products.


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## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (rajvosa71000)*


_Quote, originally posted by *rajvosa71000* »_I'd run some good engine flush and start using syntetic oil.
Lubro Molly has some good products.

when i was working at jiffy lube i learned first hand doing an engine flush on a high mileage engine does more harm then good.


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## saaber2 (Jul 15, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*

If it was mine I would definitely run autorx according to the instructions. You may need to run it twice to get all the sludge out and get the full compression back. It slowly dissolves sludge and deposits. It works and is not snake oil. Once it is all cleaned up, switch to a high quality synthetic oil. google to find it.


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## 1.8Tquattro (Aug 13, 2006)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (saaber2)*

If you are going to do a flush before switching, I'd do a short oil change interval so that you're not driving around with 150K of broken up junk in your oil. 
That being said, unless there is some sort of specific issue that full syn oil is going to fix, I'd just keep using whatever you have been using. 
I'll agree with *gonzotheman2012* in that I've heard about people causing more problems than they solve when flushing out high mileage motors. YMMV


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## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (1.8Tquattro)*

you guys think my best bet would to do 2 or 3 syn oil changes and only run them for about 1000 miles and after that just use high mileage oil?


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## saaber2 (Jul 15, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gonzotheman2012* »_you guys think my best bet would to do 2 or 3 syn oil changes and only run them for about 1000 miles and after that just use high mileage oil?

That is just a huge waste of money and would be completely ineffective


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## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (saaber2)*


_Quote, originally posted by *saaber2* »_
That is just a huge waste of money and would be completely ineffective

what would you recommend my friend?


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## saaber2 (Jul 15, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gonzotheman2012* »_
what would you recommend my friend?


_Quote, originally posted by *saaber2* »_If it was mine I would definitely run autorx according to the instructions. You may need to run it twice to get all the sludge out and get the full compression back. It slowly dissolves sludge and deposits. It works and is not snake oil. Once it is all cleaned up, switch to a high quality synthetic oil. google to find it.


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## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (saaber2)*


_Quote, originally posted by *saaber2* »_


haha o ya!








you don't think that stuff will clean out too much and do harm?


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*

Do the engine flush, use something that's gonna clean it slowly like AutoX, or just use Lubro Molly, there's a site where you can buy a whole "engine renewal kit" http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp
You can either let the car die slowly from all that sludge or take a chance and clean it up.
I would also clean Throttle body.


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## saaber2 (Jul 15, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gonzotheman2012* »_
haha o ya!








you don't think that stuff will clean out too much and do harm?

No all the stuff it cleans goes into and gets caught by the oil filter. It doesn't "shock" the sludge like a chemical flush (such as Gunk, etc.) does. Those chemical flushes can cause sludge to spall off in big chunks which can clog oil passages so I would avoid those. Autorx is the safest method I know of to get rid of sludge and deposits.


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## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (saaber2)*

awesome thanks i'l look into it


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: switching from conventional to synthetic at 150k (gonzotheman2012)*

On another note, if you read current eorotuner, they have a section where they used that Lubro Molly "engine renewal kit" on a higher mileage BMW M3 with good results, they even freed up some HP on a dyno just by using that http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## mekelbreg88 (Jul 13, 2009)

I def would use synthetic oil.
Synthetic oil can cleen up sludge (esp the stuff left behind by the conventional oil) and it provides much better lubrication then conventional oil.


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## mekelbreg88 (Jul 13, 2009)

also u prob should do a tune up. (new plugs, air filter, ect.)


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## gonzotheman2012 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Re: (mekelbreg88)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mekelbreg88* »_also u prob should do a tune up. (new plugs, air filter, ect.)

ya im waiting to do the tune up after i clean up the sludge im interested to see how this auto-rx will work.


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