Should you use synthetic or conventional motor oi? That is a question that is very common, and it is understandable that you would have it to ask. Why pay all that extra money for synthetic oil, isn’t oil oil? How is it that it can be that much better, if it even is any better? Is synthetic motor oil just a marketing ploy? The few following words give a hint or two to the differences.
Synthetic motor oil is just that; a man-made substance that operates like oil by lubricating metal on metal parts and reducing friction, which in turn reduces wear. The truth is that synthetic oil takes longer, much longer in many cases, to break down, thus having a longer life and keeping your engine parts protected for much longer. So it is always better to use synthetic oil for your car instead of conventional oil, right? Would not that always be the case? Well, not so fast. It is not always better to use synthetic oil in your car, just because it is synthetic oil. There are cases, and there are exceptions to the “synthetic oil rule”, and you need to be aware of them so that you don’t put your self in a bad situation just going on hearsay.
First, know that for a newer car with reasonable low miles, synthetic oil is going to be a good choice for you, generally speaking. If you are someone that has bought a used car that has low miles, and it is not smoking, then you are a good candidate for synthetic motor oil. Of course, if you are buying a used car, you should always have it checked out by a qualified auto repair technician. This is always true, but in Austin, Tx you need to be especially careful. It is always a good idea to pass on a vehicle that has ever towed anything, because you never know if the previous owner put too much strain on the motor and transmission, causing damage that might not show up for a while. This is the case with synthetic motor oil as well. If you have a car that has some ring damage from too much strain being put on the motor for too long, then synthetic oil is going to pass the rings easier, making you lose oil faster. Older engines with higher miles are susceptible to this as well, just because the ring wear is greater.
So, then, the question becomes not “Is synthetic oil better than conventional motor oil?”, but “what application is the best to use synthetic motor oil for?”. This is a better question, because you start with the understanding that not all car situations are the same, and auto repair professional or not, anyone can recognize that. If you understand that your car needs are not going to be the same all the time, you can take a better angle with your selection of synthetic motor oil or conventional motor oil, and know that you are making the right decision for your car.
Generally speaking, in light duty cars, you are going to obey the age rule. If your car is newer and has fewer miles, usually fewer than seventy-five thousand miles, then you can use synthetic motor oil (I would definitely run it by your local car repair professional first!). Keep in mind that your oil change frequency goes down as well with synthetic motor oil, since it does not break down as fast. This helps you out with the initial cost of synthetic motor oil, which can be a bit pricey.
