[KYLE'S FORTE]

I WILL BE DOING MY FIRST OIL CHANGE SOON.
I WAS WONDERING IF I SHOULD GO SYNTHETIC.
I KNOW I MUST MAINTAIN SYNTHETIC AFTER, BUT WAS JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE IS USING IT. AND WHAT KIND.
THANKS.

 

[silveradohd39]

oil

I spoke with my service rep at the Kia Dealership the other day, and they highly recommend synthetic oil. He said you can also run 5w-30 instead of 5w-20 as it is more readily available.

 

[CorsaKoup]

" KNOW I MUST MAINTAIN SYNTHETIC AFTER,"

This is one of the thousands of wives' tales regarding oil. I don't know why you'd want to do it, but if you so desire, switch back and forth to your heart's content. It won't hurt a thing. Viscosity and quality are your two biggest concerns.

Synthetics are superior in cold flow and heat resistance, but conventionals have really closed the gap in the last 10 years. I'm sure you'd be fine using a good quality conventional, but for extreme conditions and longer drain intervals (while still staying withing the guidelines of your owner's manual), syns are still superior.

 

[Silver2010]

I WILL BE DOING MY FIRST OIL CHANGE SOON.
I WAS WONDERING IF I SHOULD GO SYNTHETIC.
I KNOW I MUST MAINTAIN SYNTHETIC AFTER, BUT WAS JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE IS USING IT. AND WHAT KIND.
THANKS.

I don't think synthetics are necessary on the Forte engines. And it's pure myth that you can't go back to conventional oil...I've done it on several cars...after having moved back from high altitude mountains (-20F at times) to more normal temp areas.

 

[KYLE'S FORTE]

Thanks for the info guys!
Why spend money if i don't have to.

 

[Silver2010]

Yeh, save synthetic oil for turbo or other high performanace engines...

Although I always used synthetic oil on my sport bikes because they redline at 12k+ rpm. I wouldn't even think to use it on a 4 cyl Kia(Hyundai) engine.

 

[xSilverX9x]

Dealer charges me $20 USD for an oil change (5w-20 and filter)... can't beat that.They use Castrol "Syntec Blend"...

 

[GrYph0n]

Also just tossing it out there that the manual recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles or 12 months. Not every 3,000 miles or 3 months as most places (including the dealership) will tell you or recommend.

 

[XXXSpeed]

5W 30 works best for me!

 

[Titanium]

Nothing but synthetic in Most of Canada when the temp drops to sub zero the poor rate on synthetic is better.
Leave 1 container of Synthetic and 1 of Non syn out in 20 to 40 below weather overnight then go do the poor test and see which one you want in a cold starting motor.

 

[MFury]

yup 5w20 amsoil is what I use for the -35 Celsius temps we get here in winter. Still been too lazy to change my transmission to amsoil also. Gotta stop slacking since it is coming soon.

 

[ForteSX2.4]

Nothing but synthetic in Most of Canada when the temp drops to sub zero the poor rate on synthetic is better.
Leave 1 container of Synthetic and 1 of Non syn out in 20 to 40 below weather overnight then go do the poor test and see which one you want in a cold starting motor.

I think in your case that would be considered an "EXTREME" condition and warrant the expensive synthetic...LoL

 

[Boom_King]

Also just tossing it out there that the manual recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles or 12 months. Not every 3,000 miles or 3 months as most places (including the dealership) will tell you or recommend.

In Canada, the manual recommends oil and filter change at every 8,000 kms or 4 month intervals. I wonder why there is such a discrepancy in the recommended intervals. There is no difference between the USA and Canadian model engines that I know would be significant enough to warrant a difference in oil change intervals. I'm also pretty sure the engine oil we get in Canada is of the same quality and grade as that in the USA. Even with the recommended intervals in the manual, these are in ideal driving conditions so it might be safe to change it a little before you reach those limits.

Personally I don't believe these engines require synthetic. I asked my dealership's service manager last time I did an oil change out of curiosity and he said that conventional oil is fine.

 

[MFury]

In Canada, the manual recommends oil and filter change at every 8,000 kms or 4 month intervals. I wonder why there is such a discrepancy in the recommended intervals. There is no difference between the USA and Canadian model engines that I know would be significant enough to warrant a difference in oil change intervals. I'm also pretty sure the engine oil we get in Canada is of the same quality and grade as that in the USA. Even with the recommended intervals in the manual, these are in ideal driving conditions so it might be safe to change it a little before you reach those limits.

Personally I don't believe these engines require synthetic. I asked my dealership's service manager last time I did an oil change out of curiosity and he said that conventional oil is fine.

It's not something you do because a dealer recommends it, it's something you do for easier starts and smoother running engine in cold weather. Not sure how far north you are in Canada (and not in BC those wussies barely get cold weather) but on the cold days it is nice not having to worry if you engine is going to turn over or not. It isn't fun trying to get a boost in freezing weather because your battery died trying to turn over the sluggish engine with the thick conventional oil in it.

 

[jcbel]

The only way to know for sure how your oil is holding up under the conditions you drive it in is to drain a sample of oil during your next oil change and get it sent to a lab for analysis - once you have that data you'll be able to make informed decisions regarding type of oil and how often to change. It costs about $20-30 for the analysis.

Here's a company I found and used through another forum:
Blackstone Labs

P.S. If it's your first oil change that data is probably going to be skewed from all the bits that fell off during the engine's break-in period!

 

[ryude]

I've been using Valvoline SynPower 0w-20 Full Synthetic. It has good viscosity and 4 ball wear test results. Going to change to Amsoil after this though, it's just the best oil you can buy.

 

[Boom_King]

It's not something you do because a dealer recommends it, it's something you do for easier starts and smoother running engine in cold weather. Not sure how far north you are in Canada (and not in BC those wussies barely get cold weather) but on the cold days it is nice not having to worry if you engine is going to turn over or not. It isn't fun trying to get a boost in freezing weather because your battery died trying to turn over the sluggish engine with the thick conventional oil in it.

I'm in central Ontario so I've never really had a problem with an engine failing to turn over as you might get in Edmonton in the dead of winter. Like I said, I have my own personal thoughts on synthetic oils. These thoughts are based on my own experience with cars and driving them around locally. I'm sure a person living in more extreme conditions would have a different experience and develop different personal opinions. Just out of boredom and curiosity I asked the service manager. I'm not sold on the fact that these engines require synthetic, at least not in the climate I'm in. Although I don't doubt that synthetic gives better optimal performance in certain conditions as others have claimed. If you can afford it, then make the switch to synthetic if not for a clear evident need then at least for peace of mind. For me, I don't feel I need it so I'd rather keep my money in my pocket especially with the current economy. I've driven cars straight to the junkyard and I have never had any issues to the engine because I used conventional oil or experienced any noticeable decrease in performance. Usually something else goes on the car first.

 

[KiaTech]

The point needs to be made here that even oils referred to as 'conventional' are not just 100% dinosaur rot. Kia Canada has a national account with suppliers in every dealer's markets to supply a "synthetic blend". We have Quaker State here, and I'm sure that if you check with your dealer you'll find they use a "semi-synthetic" oil which is truly the best of both worlds.

As for the rather large difference in oil change intervals, Canada as a whole is considered "rough service" or "extreme" environment for vehicles so our fluid changes in general tend to happen more often with all manufacturers. In Alberta we'll see -40F this winter, and nearly 100F in the summer, so yeah... we need to be a bit more diligent with our fluids.

Synthetic or not, a good way to tell if you're overdue for an oil change is to simply pull the dipstick and look at the oil. Does it look caramel coloured and can you see the stick behind the oil? Or is it so dark it's like black paint on the stick?

This is a perfect example of "good and not-so-good".

The top one is from a 17,000 km engine with about 3,000 kms since it's last service. The bottom one is overdue, period. Doesn't matter how old the engine or oil is, it's been too long.

 

[WandersX]

Not sure if it was mentioned but if you don't go to KIA directly for service and oil I hear it might potentially void your warranty... I think I read this in my owner manual.

 

[ryude]

Not sure if it was mentioned but if you don't go to KIA directly for service and oil I hear it might potentially void your warranty... I think I read this in my owner manual.

That would be a lawsuit I'm afraid... It's illegal for a warranty to require you to use a certain type of oil, or to get it changed at a specific place. All that is required is that you follow the manual's oil change interval, which for the Kia of America is 7,500 miles.