Oil Change: A Switch To Synthetic

There has been a lot of discussion in the past few years about new lubricants and the shift from mineral to synthetically engineered materials. Traditionally automotive applications used a liquid derived from crude and that has begun to be supplanted by oil change technology that is a chemical compound created from a variety of sources and sometimes from petroleum based materials. The choices can be daunting but there are resources to find out how it can be advantageous for a person to make the switch to this sometimes more costly but often more durable lubricant.

Synthetic first became widely available for automotive applications in the seventies. A company early in the decade released a new option for an oil change that was not conventional petroleum and forty years later we are still puzzling over what to choose. On the one hand drivers have the experience of sufficient performance and protection from the traditional liquids. On the other we wonder if this is pretty good performance what would it be like to get great protection. The answer is not simple. With the more costly option there is an opportunity for increased protection and better performance. The issue comes down to the fact that the engines in cars today are smaller and more efficient than ever before. This is all happening in components made from lighter and often less resilient pieces. We also have used digital technology and manufacturing techniques to make the tolerances, that is the space between moving parts, smaller and smaller. On top of that with everything in a smaller package pumping more power the engine requires even less lube. This means fewer margins for error and more damage if something should go awry. Essentially the fluids of the car are doing more work with less liquid at a higher temperature.

Fortunately modern automotive designers are able to create these high efficiency vehicles because they know that when the owners of these cars go in for an oil change they will have the option of utilizing these advanced formula materials. Whereas traditional petroleum bases become sticky and thick at low temps the synthetic runs the same at a much higher range of temperatures. This means that modern engines with their tight clearance spaces and lightweight, high horsepower engines can run smoothly with the use of synthetic in a way unimagined with outmoded fluids.

Finally, because of the low rate of breakdown and high rate of consistency it is only necessary to replace this material about every 15,000 miles. That is up to five times longer than the standard traditional oil change lasts. So while it may cost a little more it is going to go a long way and improve the performance the whole way.