Are you wondering, “should I use synthetic oil in my vehicle?” There are many advantages of synthetic oil that every driver should know about.
The following guide will explain why you should consider adding synthetic oil to your car and tire maintenance routine.
Should I Use Synthetic Oil for My Engine?
Synthetic oils are chemically developed from petrochemicals. The complex process creates the precise molecular qualities needed for motor oil.
The process purifies the crude oil and allows individual molecules to meet the needs of modern engines.
Conventional oils provide decent lubrication but synthetic is much better for your engine overall. Synthetics use higher quality base oils rather than the less-refined base oils in conventional offerings.
The higher quality base oils make them more chemically stable. The oils also don’t oxidize or acidify as easily. They are slower to break down and lose their protective qualities.
Full synthetic oil gives you better engine performance and protection than conventional oil and blend oil. They fight sludge and other buildups. Synthetics also limit wear and protect against high temperatures.
Other Advantages Over Conventional Oils
Synthetic oils retain their wear protection much longer than conventional oils. It increases your engine’s life and you don’t have to change your oil as often.
Synthetics last longer because they’re less contaminable. The oil remains clean which keeps your engine running smoothly while you rack up mileage.
The highly viscous quality of synthetics helps during temperature changes. It stays stable under shifts even in very low temperatures. Conventional oil becomes very viscous when it’s cold which may starve your engine from oil.
The thick and stable oil mass of synthetics ensures there’s total lubrication. So, it combats friction on moving metal parts in your engine better.
Synthetic oils are also less evaporative than conventional. This specific feature offers an environmental benefit. The stability in high temperatures means there is less exhaust stream that gets emitted into the atmosphere.
Some artificial products have a bad reputation for environmental degradation. But synthetic oils were designed to be more eco-friendly than regular oil.
Why Is Synthetic Better for Newer Vehicles?
Automotive manufacturers are producing cars with smaller engines. It’s great for improving fuel efficiency and boosting the power of turbochargers. However, turbocharged engines run much hotter than conventional engines.
The oil inside of a turbocharger often exceeds 400° Fahrenheit. The shaft inside a turbocharger also spins more than 200,000 turns per minute. It’s crucial that oil flows to parts quickly for proper lubrication.
Both conventional and synthetic blend oils tend to break down under extreme conditions. It leaves deposits on different turbocharger components which increases the risk of failure.
Synthetic oils protect those components better for optimal performance. Better protection also boosts your engine’s overall power.
Full Synthetic vs Synthetic Blend
Full synthetic motor oils usually contain the highest quality base oil combination for their starting point. Synthetic blends mix high-quality and lower-quality conventional base oils.
However, some blends use base oils that are all higher than conventional bases. The industry doesn’t have a definition for blended synthetics and it’s often hard to spot the subtle differences.
Switching From Conventional To Synthetic
Making the switch from conventional motor oil to full synthetic motor oil is completely safe. Mobil 1 synthetic oils are compatible with conventional oils and high mileage oils.
You can also change from synthetic blends and other full synthetic brands. Changing oil types doesn’t require that you flush the engine.
Although, you should ease into the switch if your vehicle has a high mileage engine. Your engine is considered high mileage if it’s over 75,000 miles. This is especially important if the engine has never used synthetics before.
Poorly maintained engines that had infrequent oil changes also need a slow switch to synthetics. Easing into extended oil change intervals allows synthetics to clean up your engine.
You should make oil changes more frequently when first switching to synthetics. Try doing two non-extended oil drains in the time you’d normally do one.
These shortened oil change intervals help high mileage engines that have high buildups up sludge. It’s also good for newer engines that lacked proper maintenance beforehand.
Changing Synthetic Oil
You can follow the same standard oil change process for synthetics. First, drain out the old oil and remove the old oil filter. Then, put the new synthetic oil in and install a new oil filter.
Most full synthetics help clean your engine as you drive. However, it will have to work a lot harder if your engine is already very dirty.
It is best to change the oil more frequently in the first several thousand miles if you’ve missed an oil change. Afterward, you can have peace of mind knowing that the synthetic oil is keeping your engine clean and lubricated.
Ready to Switch To Synthetic?
So, “why should I use synthetic oil?” Now you know that synthetics protect engines better and longer than conventional oils. You also know that you can switch to synthetics no matter the vehicle type or previous oil type.
Just remember to ease into the synthetic oil switch if you have an older engine and discuss these things with a professional mechanic.
