Most people don’t remember to get their oil changed until well past the date that is favored by most car manufacturers, since a busy schedule often makes this event easy to forget. But unfortunately this leads to more bad habits, as the rush to find a shop will many times result in a cheap oil change for the car. Unless the driver is somewhat knowledgeable about cars, he can be talked into getting the wrong type of lubricant.
A relatively new development is called synthetic oil, and has been shown to help reduce the amount of friction in the motor. It is actually one of the smartest investments that a consumer can make for his car since this is probably the premier quality of oil for any engine.
However, since not all vehicles were designed to be used with synthetic oil, then it is a good idea to find this about before agreeing to this procedure. Synthetic oil is the brand of choice for most of the new models of cars since it has a custom formulation designed by automotive engineers and chemists to provide the best possible engine lubrication.
Most people don’t understand the importance of oil for their motor. The car engine has a number of moving parts which must be constantly lubricated in order to reduce the friction and heat that can build up and cause failure of the internal components. A natural motor oil is often referred to as a conventional type and is made from distilling crude oil. The newer kind — synthetic has been chemically altered to produce a more uniform molecule that will meet the more exacting specifications of the higher performing engines being manufactured today. It also may contain additives to help prevent the build up of sludge and dirt inside the motor. These can cause excess friction and will lead to an internal breakdown of a vital component.
The newer blends help to guard against poor engine performance and keep a motor in good shape despite any bad driving habits of the motor vehicle operator. Since this engineered lubricant has been chemically altered to improve performance, there is less need to change it quite so often compared to conventional oils. This can save money on oil changes — whether they are done at home or taken into the dealership or local mechanic to have this service performed.
A synthetic oil will cause the engine to operate at a much more efficient level, since the flow through the motor itself is much better. A synthetic motor oil can be a great idea for the do it your selfers since it doesn’t take any more work. The money saved by doing the oil change at home can pay for the difference in cost between synthetic and conventional motor oils as well. The difference in engine performance is noticed almost immediately, since this type of lubricant is far superior for almost all new engines. And since the oil will hold up longer between breakdown periods, the number of changes will also be significantly reduced during the year too. This is good news for those guys who don’t mind crawling under their cars, but hate the thought of another oil change. The difference is about 5000 miles for conventional versus 10,000 for synthetic oil.
At roughly a 2 to 1 ratio, there are definite advantage to using a synthetic blend. Of course there are drawbacks as well. Price was mentioned earlier, since on average it does cost twice as much as conventional brands. But since it will last twice as long should negate this factor completely for most users. This could play a heavy influence on most consumers who need an oil change. Whether it is done at a shop or at home, there are now some differences to evaluate. The best option may depend on the car itself, but an upgrade is definitely not out of the question.