Discover the expert in you.
Many car enthusiasts have strong opinions about what oil is better: synthetic or natural. Each type of oil has its benefits and will do the job depending on the person and her needs.
Maintaining the life of a vehicle requires a routine oil change. Learning a few key facts about synthetic oil will help determine how often your car needs an oil change.
Castrol oil makes a variety of synthetic oils, including SYNTEC and EDGE. Synthetic oil has become more popular in recent years, but many car owners still have questions concerning its proper use.
When you take your car in for an oil change, you will probably be asked which type of oil you prefer. Even if you do it yourself, the shelves in the auto parts aisle are packed with a wide variety of conventional motor oils and synthetics. The type of oil you choose to put into your engine is entirely a matter of preference, as both conventional and synthetic oil will do the job. However, there are some advantages to using synthetic oil.
Oil makes your car do what it does best with regards to its engine, transmission and motor parts. It is the fluid lubricant that allows all the parts to keep working with each other without grinding or chipping to a nasty halt. Given technology, synthetic oil has been developed with has produced better results and greater product longevity before needing fluid changes. In some cases it can last longer than mineral oil (traditional petroleum based oil), but in other cases the frequency change limits are the same.
Synthetic oils were specifically designed to help engines run cleaner in an effort to extend the useful life of the engine, but the largest advantages to using synthetic oil are realized once the engine has logged extensive mileage. If you don't plan on keeping your vehicle beyond 100,000 miles, you can save a few dollars by switching from synthetic oil to regular oil.
Car owners who want the very best for their vehicles commonly turn to synthetic motor oil, although this choice sometimes comes at the objection of natural oil enthusiasts who see no benefit to synthetic lubricants. While synthetic oil is somewhat more expensive than natural oil, and some debates about its benefits persist, synthetic oil holds a number of advantages over its natural counterpart.
AMSOIL is a synthetic motor oil used in vehicles, and was the world's first synthetic motor oil to meet the American Petroleum Institute standards. Synthetic motor oil is man-made and is a superior lubricant to natural motor oil. Synthetic oil reduces friction and wear on engine parts, functions in extreme hot and cold temperatures, and lasts longer than conventional oil. Although synthetic is more expensive than regular motor oil, it can last twice as long.
Unlike regular oil, synthetic oil is man-made. Synthetic oil is more stable at extreme high and low temperatures and is a superior lubricant, which prevents cold starts. Vehicles using synthetic oil reportedly can go more than 5,000 miles before requiring a new oil change, compared to regular oil that should be changed every 3,000 miles. The change from regular to synthetic oil is a simple process, but one should evaluate whether or not the car it fit for synthetic oil.
Oil is the life-blood of your vehicle. Changing the oil less frequently than you should can lead to a host of automotive problems, whereas regular oil changes will increase the lifespan of your vehicle. Changing synthetic oil, in particular, is not difficult to do.
The frequency of which synthetic motor oil needs to be changed will depend on the manufacturer of the vehicle and the type of synthetic motor oil that is being used. Check the directions on the synthetic oil with advice from a certified master mechanic in this free video on auto repair.