If the question in your mind is why should I pay more for Synthetic Motor Oil, let's talk.
Full Synthetic Oil is highly refined petroleum oil with man-made products added in. It is not an oil alternative, as many think. In reality all Motor Oils have petroleum as their base property. But Full Synthetic Oil produces less emissions than Conventional Oil and lasts longer. It is slippier and keeps the engine more lubricated. So if it is so great why aren’t we all using Full Synthetic Oil? This was the question I was asking my techs when I started this article. I got a two fold answer.
One, If you have an older vehicle and you have been using Conventional Oil the car’s whole life then you might want to think before changing to Full Synthetic Motor Oil.
It is not just the age of the engine but the actual aging of the engine that can decide whether you should stick with Conventional Motor Oil or move up to a Full Synthetic. Just like people, an engine, may age well or poorly depending on a lot of factors.
As a car’s engine ages the less tightly the engine is held together. As a consequence of this, Full Synthetic Oil, which is slicker and more able to lubricate all the parts, may tend to leak (in an older vehicle). Thus, Full Synthetic Oil can help lubricate an older vehicle but there may be oil leaking on the garage floor for your trouble.
That leads us to two, what is the hang up, the hook, why haven’t all of us changed over to Full Synthetic Oil?
What I found was the biggest hang up is….price: Full Synthetic oil costs six to ten times the price of Conventional Oil.
So, back to my question. Should I pay more for Full Synthetic Motor Oil?
Everything I have read and learned has led me to answer that Full Synthetic Oil is a better quality oil. It will last longer, help your car start after sitting for long periods, help your car start in the winter, and generally lubricate your engine better. All this and it helps give off less emission, and uses up less natural oil reserves.
Ok, go with me here...I think of it like white bread.
I think by now most of us know white bread isn’t the greatest for us. It has added sugar, they bleach the flour, and originally most whites breads were made for children. We know all these facts, so why do we stick with white bread? For those of us that grew up on white bread and don’t believe the hype about those other breads, we just stick with what we know. I mean come on….rye! But also, I’m not sure you noticed but white bread is the cheapest!
So, what are we to do? Is there a solution? Do I have to sell my car to be able to afford the Full Synthetic Oil for my car?
- I mean six to ten times the price of Conventional Oil-
If only there was a middle ground...well I can only assume the Motor Oil companies heard me and invented the Synthetic Blend Motor Oil.The sticker shock is a lot less obtrusive and it still gives you some of the benefits of a refined motor oil. Synthetic Blend Motor Oil, is a refined Motor Oil and like Full Synthetic Oil has a base property of petroleum but is not refined for as long as Full Synthetic Oil and may be refined differently.
This may not be a shock to you, as it was to me, but Motor Oils have grades...who knew? When Conventional Oil is refined and worked on to be a smoother, slippier lubricant, the automotive industry gives it a grade and that grade often decides the price and whether it is considered a Synthetic Blend or a Full Synthetic. These grades help us all decide and weigh our options when choosing Motor Oils.
To Sum It Up!
So, if you have an old engine that is barely holding it together and that Synthetic Blend and Full Synthetic Oils are moving onto the garage floor. Then perhaps choose a Conventional Oil.
Or a brand new, straight off the line, vehicle, made in a factory that makes all engines for Full Synthetic Oil use. Stay with your manufacturer recommendation of a Full Synthetic Oil.
Or a vehicle and budget somewhere in between, then perhaps you want to try a Synthetic Blend Oil.