SYNTHETIC ENGINE OIL VS CONVENTIONAL ENGINE OIL. When you change your cars engine oil you have a lot of choices, including the use of synthetic oil or conventional oil. Most wonder what the benefits are of using synthetic vs. conventional oil. And if its really worth the money. Conventional motor oil is a lubricant that is derived directly from crude oil. It has excellent properties that allow it to provide lubrication at high temperatures, as well as maintaining its stability over long periods of time. Synthetic oil actually begins its life as conventional oil and is then modified to improve its protective and lubricant properties. Some blends of synthetic oil are designed specifically to increase the performance and life of high-mileage cars. Others are meant specifically for high-performance engines. Others actually have the ability to increase your cars fuel mileage by using special advanced lubricants. Here is a quick overview of the most common advantages that synthetic oils offer over conventional motor oil: Improved Lubrication - Most synthetic oils have added lubricants that increase the ability of the oil to keep engine parts slick, especially at high temperatures. This decreases wear over the long term, and may make your engine last longer. Better Stability - Synthetic oils are specially engineered to maintain their viscosity (thickness) at higher temperatures and over longer periods of time. This helps you prevent engine wear in several ways. It allows the oil to stick to engine parts more readily, providing better wear protection, as well as doing a better job protecting your engine from dry starts. A Dry Start occurs when your car has been sitting for an extended period of time. Gravity pulls the oil down to the bottom of the engine, allowing the components at the top of the engine to lose lubrication and run unprotected. By helping the oil maintain viscosity, synthetic additives decrease the effects of dry starts. Reduced Breakdown - Synthetic oils are less apt to break down which means that many synthetic oils dont need to be changed as often as conventional oils. The more durable properties of synthetic oil also means that your engine is protected better through the whole service interval. Fewer Deposits - As conventional oils break down, they often leave deposits on engine components. Mechanics refer to this as sludge or scaling. This is especially common in engines that run for long periods of time, are driven hard or driven under tough conditions. As conventional oil breaks down, it literally sticks to different surfaces in the engine and bakes on just like cooking oil would in a frying pan. Synthetic oils are less apt to do this. In fact, some conventional oils are available that actually have the ability to remove some of these deposits. The properties that separate conventional oil from synthetics affect your engine in many important ways. But remember that these types of oils are in no way absolutely necessary. Although the properties of synthetic oil are definitely superior, conventional oil will protect your vehicles engine just fine. The most important thing you can do to keep your car running smoothly is to follow your vehicle manufacturers recommended service intervals.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:19:24 +0000
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