Oil Change: Types of Oil

Going green is the buzz of the decade, and even oil companies are beginning to get in on the trend. You may have heard commercials touting a product that is better for your car and better for the environment, but what is really the truth? Synthetic, recycled, and regular oils are all out and available for purchase today. To make the right choice for you, you only need to know a few characteristics of each before your next oil change.

Synthetic. The marketing technique used for this type focuses on emissions, being green, and longevity. Synthetic promoters not only claim that you can go longer between changes with this product, but they also explain that the actual making of the product is safer for the environment. Lay people may never the level of truth behind these claims, but what we do know is that, aside from those of us who live in extreme climates, synthetics may benefit race car drivers, but the basics uses are the same. There are still emissions, and even though you can go longer between maintenance’s, doing so will eventually caused equally harmful emissions as more regular changes. This option, because of its claims to be better for the environment undergoes a more difficult and longer process to make. This passes the costs onto the consumer.

Lately the work “recycled” in any product name is a great promotion, and fifty percent recycled oil has recently hit the market. Sure anything that you can recycle or reuse is better for society, but again emissions are emissions. The bottom line is what is best for your car, and the truth is that all oils no matter how expensive, how carefully made, or how assumable environmentally friendly, they all serve the same purpose for your car. Recycled products also cost more, a fact, if much thought is put toward, makes little sense at all.

Regular, good old stand-by oil does the same thing for your car as any lubricant you use in an oil change. It keeps the moving parts of your car moving with ease, and as previously stated, regular oil change, no matter what type you choose, are better for the environment than emissions caused by synthetics that are not changed frequently. Regular oil costs less as well.

It is impossible to do everything recommended by go green gurus to save the environment, but you can make one or two changes to make your contribution. If you feel synthetic oil is your contribution, and then go for it keeping in mind that perhaps the best contribution would be a regular oil change using synthetic products.