Synthetic Lubricants
Synthetic lubricants can save time and money in many ways. Reduced wear and maintenance, extended oil change intervals and better fuel economy head the list of benefits. An oil change for a typical 4 cylinder car using synthetic oil only costs about 15% more than using conventional oil, but the oil can last up to 5 times longer. Conventional oil needs to be replaced at 3,000 mile intervals, whereas synthetic oils can go for much longer periods of time – 10,000 or 15,000 miles. Fewer oil changes means less downtime for the vehicle and more money in your pocket.
Synthetic oils are specifically designed for their application, which means better performance. Most of the wear on your car occurs during a cold start. A cold start is anytime the engine has cooled to ambient temperatures. All the oil has drained to the bottom of the engine. This means the engine actually runs for a tiny amount of time with no oil, as it takes a second or two for oil pressure to build. The colder it is outside, the longer it takes the oil to flow. Synthetic oils do not have this problem, as they will flow properly at very cold temperatures. Synthetic oils also have numerous other technologies to help reduce wear while the engine is running.
Conventional oils contain various additives to help keep the engine running properly. However, they are all limited by their conventional oil base and its properties. Synthetic oils are designed for a specific application from the ground up, giving them fewer limitations. As such, they can use additives that do not break down as fast. This is why synthetic oil can safely be used for much longer intervals.
Happy Jap’s is an authorized Amsoil dealer and we stock and use Amsoil lubricants in customer and our own vehicles regularly. Benefits of using Amsoil products are better outlined at their web site. A direct comparison of various synthetic oils and conventional oils can be found here.
Themocracy
I’ve long been a user of synthetic motor oil. But I’ve always heard, mainly from the “chain” oil-change joints, that they are good for about 6000 miles – not the 10,000 to 15,000 miles you mention. Are they saying this just to get my to come in more often? For conventional oil, they quote the same 3000 mile timeframe.