Automotive Journal

People often wonder if they should be using synthetic oil in their new vehicles. Synthetic oil is better than regular oil for many different reasons: it’s a better lubricant; maintains integrity at high temperatures; is fairly pure; and rarely turns into sludge, even when it’s abused. To many people, the obvious benefits of synthetic oil lead them to conclude they should start using it ASAP. However, despite synthetic oil’s benefits, it really depends on how you take care of your car.

To start with, do you change your oil regularly? Oil needs to be changed before it breaks down and puts your engine at risk. But if you’re good at changing your oil on time every 3-5k miles, you’ll never experience one of the benefits of synthetic oil. Synthetic is resistant to breaking down, even after extended use. For instance, if you forget an oil change, or even if you just put one off for a few weeks, synthetic is the best oil to have in your engine. But if you’re changing your oil regularly and at the proper mileage, you’ll never be in a situation where your engine is at risk from worn-out oil.

Synthetic oil can last a long time without deteriorating. If you’re changing your car oil based on mileage, then switching to synthetic could save you money. Regular oil needs to be replaced after 6 months or after 5K miles. If you drive less than that distance in 6 months, then you’re not getting the full mileage out of your oil. Switching to synthetic oil which lasts for a longer amount of money will help you get the most out of each oil change. You might save money by having to change your oil less frequently, and you’ll definitely save time.

Other than synthetic’s breakdown resistance and long life, there’s one other common reason you should consider using synthetic. As natural oil gets hot, it starts to breakdown. The longer it stays hot, the worse the breakdown. So if you regularly operate your vehicle in such a way that the engine temperature is always high, you should run synthetic. Letting your vehicle idle for hours at a time, such as on a jobsite, will overheat the engine. So will driving in high ambient temperatures, like in the desert, or altitudes of over 10k feet. As a rule, high temperature desert air doesn’t cool your engine very well, and neither does “thin” mountain air. If you live in these areas, consider running synthetic oil. Finally, synthetic oil is often used in high performance vehicles. If you are utilizing your vehicle like a high-performance car (high speeds, fast turns, you know who you are) then synthetic is a smart choice.

There are lots of people who will recommend synthetic oil to you, even if you don’t need it. For instance, synthetic is recommended for drivers who have to drive in stop-and-go traffic. However, almost everyone drives in this type of traffic at some time, and not everyone needs synthetic oil. It’s really only necessary if you’re stuck in stop-and-go for long periods of time, and on a regular basis. Synthetic might also be recommended to people who only drive on short trips, as a means for protecting the engine. But only driving for short trips will damage your engine regardless of what oil you choose, so the recommendation is redundant. Your engine is designed to perform for 20 minutes or more. There might be a slight benefit to running synthetic for short trips, but the difference is negligible.

If you’ve decided synthetic oil is right for you, use caution when buying synthetic oil. Many places try to sell synthetic “blends” as a cost-saving measure, but the contents of this mixture aren’t always the same. You could be getting regular oil with a little bit of synthetic thrown in for a higher price. The best thing to do is to buy either pure synthetic oil or not bother with it at all. The exception to this is if the blend you’re buying is coming from and made by your vehicle manufacturer.

Most car manufacturers will tell you that “any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” For most people, normal oil will be absolutely fine. As long as they are maintained regularly and cared for, most new cars won’t need synthetic oil to perform well for a long time.