Your Engine, Your Baby
By Michael Walker, Tue Dec 6th
One central argument between car enthusiasts and on Internet carforums alike is what oil is better for your car, synthetic orconventional. Before synthetic oils became available for regularautomobiles, the argument centered solely on brand types andweight. But now, with the advent of these synthetics all overthe market, what is truly the best choice for your engine? Let’sexplore both of these worlds to find out.
Conventional oil is rated according to a SAE system. This scaleis used so that you know what type of oil is best for your cargiven the environmental conditions (temperature, city driving,etc.) of where you live. The first number, for example on 10W30motor oil, is 10 followed by a “W”. This “W” indicates that thenumber before it is the viscosity rating of the oil. The lowerthis number, the better the oil is for colder climates. Thehigher the number, the better it is for hotter drivingconditions.
Synthetic oils, on the other hand (before their commercialrelease) were used in many military vehicles and fighter jets.Airlines also use synthetics in their engines. The synthetic oilhas been designed not to break down as quickly and can tolerateextremities in temperature and weather (hot to cold).
One of the major differences between conventional and syntheticoils is that synthetics are treated with more additives thatprotect your engine for a longer amount of time before you haveto change it. And, while we don’t want to get into all themolecular chemistry involved in the making of these oils, weshould mention that they also last longer in hotter conditionsand won’t “gel” in colder ones, like conventional oil. In otherwords, synthetics have more additives, which greatly protect thecar from viscosity breakdown. They are designed to withstandtemperature extremes. It may be safe to say that extreme drivingconditions call for the use of synthetics.
On the financial side of the matter, synthetics cost a whole lotmore; up to three or four times as much as regular conventionaloil. But, the wonderful thing is that you don’t have to changeyour oil every 3,000 miles; recommended with conventional oiluse. In fact, you may not have to change it until well after25,000 and up to 50,000 miles as long as the oil filter ischanged every 10,000 miles. So, the cost at first might scareconsumers away, but the long-term benefits of synthetic oil useare substantial.
However, you will still have to be responsible for your car’smaintenance check-up every 3,000 miles or so. With regularoil-changes, you are automatically checking over the car forother problems (or if you don’t an inspection mechanic does). Itmight help you find a problem that could be dealt with, thatcould’ve gone unchecked. Also, you’ll want to check thesynthetic oil every now and then to be sure that it isn’tcontaminated and/or that there isn’t any moisture build-up.
With normal everyday driving, perhaps conventional oils workbest for you. You aren’t driving in extreme conditions and youswear allegiance to regular oil. That may be fine. Synthetic
