How Does Synthetic Motor Oil Differ From Standard Motor Oil?

Changing your vehicle oil on a regular basis is key to maintaining your engine and lubrication system. But when it comes down to purchasing the oil, which one should you choose: the less-expensive conventional oil or more costly synthetic oil? This article will explain the differences between the two.

Motor oil is essentially the lifeblood of any car. Motor oil helps keep the engine's working parts lubricated and moving. Oil also transfers heat away from the engine, keeps parts from corroding and helps seal the engine in order to keep debris from entering the combustion system.

Conventional Oil

Traditional motor oil is made of petroleum and contains carbon and hydrogen. It comes in several grades, depending on the viscosity level of your engine. Viscosity is the amount of resistance it takes for the oil to flow at a standard temperature. So if you have a high viscosity engine, your car will require oil that is denser. Since traditional motor oil's viscosity changes at higher temperatures, it is important that you pick the right oil type. Conventional motor oil often has detergent additives that help keep the engine clean.

Over time, conventional motor oil will begin to break down and lose viscosity power since it is constantly lubricating and cleaning the engine, filling the oil with debris and residue. The oil itself isn't what breaks down; it's the additives used for cleaning and anti-corrosion. It is recommended that, for most vehicles, you change the oil every six months or 3,000 miles. If you don't, your engine could be continuously cycling dirty oil throughout your car. That's like drinking contaminated water.

Synthetic Oil

Synthetic motor oils are made by a chemical synthesis that mimics the lubricating, sealing and cleaning properties of traditional oils. There are two types of synthetic oils: Group IV, made of simple chemical structures; and Group III, which are made from leftover processed mineral oils. Essentially, synthetic oil's base stock is the same as conventional oil, except there are less contaminants and the molecules are uniformly the same size and smaller. With smaller molecules, they create a better contact surface for working inside the engine parts. They also help synthetic oils maintain viscosity levels at higher temperatures and maintain good flow during low temperatures.

Synthetic oils differ from conventional oils not only from their make-up but their quality. Synthetic oil engineers are able to fine-tune the needed oil characteristics for specifics. For example, race cars with high engine temperatures benefit best from synthetics in Group IV oils since they are made from simple chemical compounds. Mobil 1 Extended Performance Synthetic Oil is guaranteed by the company to provide better performance and protection for 15,000 miles. According to carcraft.com, the Castrol Formula SLX synthetic oil flows seven times faster than conventional 5W-30 oil at start-up.

The Difference?

So what's the real difference? The difference is paying for the high quality and performance of synthetic oil. Although Synthetic oil contains less contaminants, the cost can be up to five times more than your traditional quart of oil. Yet you will change it less often and have more consistency since it has virtually no change in viscosity regardless of the operating temperature. If you drive a high-performance vehicle, synthetic oil is better designed to meet engine standards. For traditional cars, it all depends on how long you plan to keep it. You stand a better chance of extending your engine's life by using synthetics. Just make sure to check your car's engine specifications to see if it can handle synthetic oil.

Resources

• Life Study of Synthetic Oil