Oil Change Options: Conventional Vs. Synthetic

It is a little too much of a truism to say that the lubricant running through an engine is the lifeblood of the car, but it is something to think that those little quarts from the auto part store are the difference between cruising down the freeway and having a smoking block of magnesium sitting in a metal shell with leather seats. There is a lot of debate about whether to go with conventional or synthetic when having an oil change. There is also a lot of discussion about whether accidentally, or purposely, mixing them will cause problems. So the time has come to shoot from the hip and look at these two options and the potential benefits each has to offer.

Conventional is refined from the millions of years old carboniferous remnants of plants and dinosaurs. That crude liquid is then refined and additives are added to improve its qualities for engines. Before this process the heavy and light components are separated and contaminants are removed until eventually one of the thousands of chemicals and raw materials derived from this Texas tea becomes something that can be bottled and sold for motors.

On the other hand there is synthetic. This lubricant is made from a number of different chemical compounds. Some of them are undoubtedly petroleum based but they are put together in a way that they would never naturally occur. These cocktails are designed to improve fuel efficiency, wear, regulate temperatures and generally extend the life of the things they lubricate. Scientists in laboratories design a wide variety of these fluids for every imaginable application. They make airplane, tractor, automotive, and industrial lubricants. Because these things are entirely man made they offer a few inherent benefits. For one thing they are created not culled. That means there is no chance of any sort of contamination from any sort of other material. Because they are so pure they are also absolutely top notch when it comes to reducing friction and also operating at a wider range of temperatures. Additionally, because they are manufactured there is a specific formula that can be used at your oil change to precisely suit the demands of your vehicle and driving conditions.

Because there is such a high range of temperatures we drive in, it is difficult to put one type of conventional lubricant in at an oil change. That is where the number on the side of the bottle comes in. It shows the spread of viscosity for different temperatures. Without going too deeply into the science, the farther apart those two numbers are the more extra stuff is in the liquid. More stuff means less pure and less pure means shorter life. Synthetic for your oil change has a higher range of temperatures in which it operates efficiently, it can be used for up to three times as long as conventional, and they can improve fuel economy.