This topic has been beat to death.

Synthetics are good for two things: longer change intervals and better cold starting performance. Beyond that, conventional oil is perfectly adequate.

Nothing wrong with 5w-20. You can use 5w30 is if makes you feel better. There are millions of vehicles out there with 100k+ miles on them ran with 5w20.

5w-20 is basically the "new" 5w-30. 5w-30 is like water after the engine is hot.

 

Ok here we go, this is one of my strong suits for I have done MANY OIL STUDIES with my Evo over the last 8 yrs and have done COUNTLESS VOA's (virgin oil analysis) and UOA's (Used Oil analysis) over the years.

First, know this. Your Hyundai Sonata Came from the Factory with Quaker State 5/20 Synthetic as factory fill. I know this from an oil vendor that works for the company that provides the oil to Hyundai.

Second, Hyundai states "7500" mile drain intervals in "normal" driving. Well, we ALL have our own variation of what "normal" is. To me normal can be bouncing off the rev limitor all day long you know? So everyone has a their own opinon on that. The manual gives a guide to what they consider "normal" but who ever reads that?

Third, I like to stick with an oil that was used when the engine was being developed. Quaker State was used when the engine was developed, so I'm sticking with it.

Synthetics have many advantages, but the debate now is not Dino Oil is better or worse than Synthetics, but are the Synthetics that you are buying really "synthetics". All "synthetic" oils have Group 4 or Group 5 base stocks which are true synthetics. Group 3 base stocks are "legally" described as synthetic but are not. They are just highly refined dino oils, aka hydro cracked.

Does our Sonatas need the "real" synthetic oil? Yes and No. Yes, if you have the Turbo. That is a whole other story, but Synthetics are best in very hot conditions and very cold conditions as well as longer drain intervals.

You could use any oil you wish, and I feel that the 5/20 is more than adequate for this motor (non-turbo). IF you change the oil every 3000 miles dino oil is more than adequate. What the synthetics do is allow for you to go that 7500 miles no problem weather its "severe" or "normal" driving. Since 95% of Sonata owners I am sure don't drive the **** out of their car, the Group 3 Synthetics (most over the counter oils) are very capable and will keep the engine clean while providiing max protection in heat or cold.

you can PM me for more details, but I can go on and on, not to mention Oil tests that show which oils break down quicker than others, and what not. In my Evo, where it was making over 200hp per liter it was crucial to have the best in there. The Sonata engine is not that stressed and doesn't need an oil like Amsoil or Redline (true synthetcs, except Amsoil 7500). Sure you can use it and there is nothing wrong with that but I think your just wasting your money.

My Money is going to Quaker State Full Synthetic 5/20. Its what came in the car from the factory, its what Hyundai recommends (brand wise) and the synthetic is just cheap insurance. Lets not get into the whole "Quaker State Paid Hyundai" arguement. That is beating on a dead horse and is NOT TRUE. Its what Hyundai engineers CHOSE to use out of all the oils out there. LONG Story on that, so believe what you want, and will. I have my sources and I believe them.

Anywayz, Hope this helps you, and if you need some other info just PM me. This is going to start an oil war or something silly. Its not meant to. Its just how it is. People though will believe whatever they will.

Quaker State Dino Oil every 3K miles = GOOD
Quaker State Synthetic every 7500 miles = GOOD

I will do some oil analysis once the engine is broke in. My friend that is the "vendor" tells me QS Synthetic can EASILY go 7500 miles in the Sonata 2.4L



Jeff

 

My dealer gives free oil/filter changes and warrenties the engine/drivetrain for as long as the original owner owns the car, even past the factory warrenty. The owner must have it changed every 3,500 miles or 3 months. I think it's overkill but hey, sounds good to me.
They use a Hyundai filter and Pennzoil 5W-20 synthetic blend. I figure if they will give that kind of warrenty, they must have confidence in that type and weight of oil.

Don

 

Well said, Jeff. You must hang out on BITOG alot.

 

Thank you, Jeff; very informative.

I had kinda expected some 'this has been beat to death" comment, but since I've just recently gotten the Sonata, and just recently gotten on here, I thought I would try to familiarize myself with the needs of this particular car. Besides, the search feature is very vague in results.

Having working for car dealers in the past, I never felt secure about the future of an engine, when I saw the drain plug pulled on a hot engine, and it looked like water coming out. Maybe that's OK on today's engines; that's what I needed to know. I never felt that a 5W-anything engine oil would give the "cling" that a 10W would, that film on parts that prevents dry starts. And, on a small displacement engine, with a lot of aluminum parts, this could be critical.

As far as synthetic preference, if it's not needed, then Quaker State is fine with me. I usually change the oil about every 3-4000 miles anyway. Several years ago, I read a report that said many of the 'Pennsylvania' oils were superior to other oils, because of their 'base'. After having raced for many years, I was pretty much partial to them anyway.

I still shudder when I pop the hood and see that 5W-20 on the oil filler, but that's just me; and if the factory is willing to stand by their vehicles with that oil, fine.

 

:beathorse:

EDIT: I use Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20

 

QUOTE (Smoke1991 @ May 20 2011, 06:56 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=448702

:beathorse:

EDIT: I use Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20

+1

And that's all I ran in my Mazda.

 

QUOTE (dfeicke @ May 20 2011, 08:35 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=448432

when I saw the drain plug pulled on a hot engine, and it looked like water coming out..

The straight SAE 50 we use in our air cooled Cessna aircraft engines looks like water, too . :thumbsup:

 

how often would you change the oil, using synthetic, if you were only driving 10 minutes to work each day? Would you consider that extreme driving and change it at 3,750, as the manual suggests?

 

QUOTE (ckholmes @ May 20 2011, 10:46 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=448769

how often would you change the oil, using synthetic, if you were only driving 10 minutes to work each day? Would you consider that extreme driving and change it at 3,750, as the manual suggests?

No way. Syns are proven to be good for 7000+ miles. Anything less and you're wasting money.

 

Going in for my 1st oil change today (1st one is 3k miles). Dealer says 1st one is free, however I asked what type of oil they use and he said regular. So I will pay the difference for synthetic because I'm not running conventional oil for the 7500 miles the manual suggests.

 

QUOTE (ckholmes @ May 20 2011, 11:46 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=448769

how often would you change the oil, using synthetic, if you were only driving 10 minutes to work each day? Would you consider that extreme driving and change it at 3,750, as the manual suggests?

It may not seem "extreme" but there is a problem associated with short trip driving. If the engine doesn't get hot enough to burn off all of the moisture that's in the air in the cylinders, the remaining moisture will condense on the cylinder walls and eventually drain down into the oil and, over a period of time, dilute the oil (even synthetic). If it were my car, I'd change it at 3,750 miles.

Don

 

QUOTE (sngldad @ May 19 2011, 06:17 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=448174

This topic has been beat to death.

SNIP

Nothing wrong with 5w-20. You can use 5w30 is if makes you feel better. There are millions of vehicles out there with 100k+ miles on them ran with 5w20.

SNIP

A FWI, I traded-in a 2000 Toyota van in March on my Sonata and it has over 146K miles on it. Before I traded it at the dealer I had CarMax give me an offer. Since the V6 in the van was on of Toyota sludge engines CarMax checked it and they told me that it was one of the cleanest engines they have seen. Except for the first free oil change at the dealer the van has had synthetics exclusively, mostly Mobil 1 and some Pennzoil and Valvoline 5w20s. Changed the oil every 5000 to 6000 miles. For most of its life it lived in Northern Va with hot summers and cold winters van pooling 25 miles one way with up to seven people twice a week.