The True Dirt About Engine Oil: The Best Oil For Your Engine
Engine oil is just oil, right? Not if you're an auto manufacturer or an auto service that does car tune ups. There are a variety of engine oils available for your car. The right oil to use is based on a number of factors and your owner's manual recommendations. Here are the major types of oil you can expect to see in the auto supply shop and why there are so many to choose from.
Engine Oil Basics
Your engine is a complex assembly of metal parts rubbing against each other. Metal moving against metal creates heat due to the friction involved. Engine oil lubricates surfaces to reduce the friction and the heat generated. If you run your engine without any oil in it, within a few minutes, it will seize up into one big warped and melted mess. Running your engine with less than the recommended volume of oil, or an inferior type, causes it to run hotter, which damages the engine over time. A precise balance of the type of oil and amount keeps your engine running for thousands of miles.
Premium Conventional Oils
The is a step up from the most basic of natural engine oils that have been around since automobile engines were developed. Better filtration techniques and additives have improved those first oil products to create the "premium" oils you'll find at your auto parts store and dealership. These oils vary in weight for use in cold or warm weather and are acceptable in most of the cars on the road.
Full Synthetic Oils
Modern luxury and high-performance cars are made with the newest metals and with higher precision. They require the use of a man-made product instead of the organic oils. Synthetic oils are made to work better at all temperature extremes than natural oil. They also leave less deposits in the engine. These are the most expensive oils and many engines, especially those with high-mileage, do not perform as well with full synthetics.
Synthetic Blend Oils
This oil combines synthetic and organic oils to create a lubricant that works better in vehicles that carry heavy loads. More weight puts stress on an engine, which creates more heat. These synthetic blends keep the engine cooler at these high work loads. They are priced mid-way between the conventional oil and synthetics.
High Mileage Oils
The engine in a car that has a lot of miles on it has loosened up some from the day it rolled off of the line. The distance between the pistons and the sides of the cylinders are greater due to the wearing down of the metal components. High mileage oils do a better job than conventional oils at filling in those extra spaces so your engine is well lubricated.
Since getting the oil changed in your car is an important routine automobile maintenance task, refer to your owner's manual and talk with the auto service shop personnel to find the best oil for your engine.
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