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by Ed Newman
AMSOIL Director of Advertising
This article appeared
in National Oil & Lube News, December 2009
If you spend any amount of
time on the internet you will sooner or later come
across a page called FAQ, which is shorthand for
Frequently Asked Questions. The purpose of the FAQ
page is to relieve tech support people from having
to answer the same questions over and over again,
and to make it easy for customers to find answers on
their own.
Here are some of the typical
questions we’ve received over the years.
Q: What is the difference
between synthetic motor oil and conventional
petroleum oil?
A: Synthetic lubricants are composed of select base
stocks and special purpose additives chemically
assembled with planned, predictable properties.
Whereas petroleum oils are pumped from the earth and
refined, synthetics are custom-designed in the
laboratory, with each phase of their molecular
construction programmed to produce, in effect, the
ideal lubricant.
Q: What are some of the common
misconceptions about synthetic motor oil?
A: It is interesting how some of these myths hang
around for so many years. Some of the most common
were that synthetics are not compatible with seals
(properly formulated synthetics actually extend seal
life), that synthetics are too thin to stay in the
engine, and that synthetics cause cars to use more
oil. Of course there are misconceptions going the
other direction, too. Some people think synthetic
oil is a super oil that will last forever. It is
true that synthetic oils are more impervious to
oxidation, but the additives in synthetic
formulations do get used up over time. A motor oil’s
formulation includes the performance of both the
base stock and additive package.
Q: If a car is factory fill
conventional petroleum, will switching to synthetic
void the warranty?
A: No, it will not. Vehicle manufacturers recommend
using motor oils that meet certain viscosity grades
and American Petroleum Institute service
requirements. Whether the motor oil is
petroleum-based or synthetic will not affect
warranty coverage. The manufacturer is required to
cover all equipment failures it would normally cover
as long as the oil was not the cause of the failure.
Q: Is there any truth to the
notion that cars should be running petroleum oil
during the break in period before switching to
synthetic?
A: A premium synthetic motor oil can be used during
break-in without any trouble. In fact, dozens of
vehicle models come factory-filled with synthetic
oil now. Rebuilt engines may still require break in
oils that don’t prevent wear as well and will allow
rings to seat, but not factory supplied engines.
Since a majority of new
vehicles come filled with petroleum oil, it only
makes good sense to change to synthetic at the first
scheduled oil change interval. New engine components
generate high levels of wear metals and can contain
contaminants from assembly. By allowing the engine
to operate with the petroleum oil until the first
oil/filter change interval, the wear metals and
contaminants are removed prior to installing the
premium product.
Q: Will switching from
petroleum to synthetic result in a plugged oil
filter when the sludge is cleaned out by the
synthetic?
A: This is a common fear, however, switching from
petroleum oil to premium synthetics in routinely
maintained vehicles will not cause clogged oil
filters or passageways, regardless of mileage.
Sludge, which is caused by poor quality oil and
neglected maintenance practices, would have to be
present in significant amounts to plug oil filters
and passageways. If there is an excessive amount of
sludge present in an engine, it is just a matter of
time before oil filters and passageways clog,
regardless of the oil you choose.
Q: Will switching to
synthetics cause my engine to leak oil?
A: In mechanically sound engines, there’s no risk of
synthetic motor oil leaking. In fact, premium
synthetic oils are fully compatible with modern seal
materials, keeping them pliable to prevent leakage.
New engines are built to much tighter tolerances now
than they were in the 70’s and 80’s when that notion
was promulgated, and is not true anymore.
Q: Is there a recommended
procedure for switching to synthetic motor oils?
A. As long as the vehicle has been properly
maintained and the vehicle is mechanically sound,
there are no special requirements. Some oil
manufacturers, however, may indicate specific drain
intervals that should be followed for vehicles that
have over 100,000 miles and are first time users of
their products.
Q: If someone switches to
synthetic can they switch back to conventional oil?
A: Yes, they can, but why would anyone want to?
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