In our article about Synthetic vs Regular Motor Oil, we covered many of the benefits of synthetic motor oil such as:
- Resistance to temperature extremes
- Lower friction
- And potentially extended service intervals
But there are other benefits to using synthetic motor oil.
Synthetic Motor Oil Pros
Additional pros of using synthetic motor oil include benefits like cleaner operation, less deposits and lower oil consumption.
Synthetic oil is also impervious to issues that plague conventional oil, therefore synthetic motor oil delivers less consumption and much cleaner engine internals over regular motor oil. These benefits stem from the fact that synthetic base oils are less volatile.
With conventional oil’s molecules being of varying sizes, the smaller molecules tend to be the first to boil off. Conventional oils also contain the viscosity index improvers to resist thinning at high temperatures. These additives along with waxes and other impurities tend to shear down and boil off as well. All of these factors tend to contribute to oil consumption and depositing.
Cons of Synthetic Motor Oil
Some consider cost to be the main downside of synthetic engine oil. However, if you consider the benefits of synthetic motor oil and how long one intends to keep the vehicle, the cost can become much less of an issue. If one does not intend to keep the vehicle for much longer or if the vehicle has extremely high mileage, synthetic motor oil may not make economic sense. But if your vehicle does not fall into these categories, one must consider the fact that even a synthetic engine oil change is a relatively small cost when weighed against other ownership outlays.
Synthetic Oil vs High Mileage Engine Oil
Most motor oils marketed as “High Mileage” oils tend to have additives that reduce the possibility of leaks and oil consumption. This is achieved through the use of seal swelling agents that reduce leaks and thicker oil viscosity which can curb oil usage in some situations. Most quality synthetic engine oils contain seal swelling agents to curb leaks. The inherent lower volatility and resistance to viscosity breakdown also curbs consumption. If your car’s odometer has been around the block a few times and if you have a significant oil consumption issue, synthetic oils may not be for you. It may be worth your while to try one of these high mileage motor oils.
Will Synthetic Oil Cause Leaks or Usage
That May Not Occur With Regular Engine oil?
Synthetic motor oil will not cause leaks and will not compromise seals in any way. In fact, some synthetic base oils have the inherent ability to condition seals to prevent oil leaks. Modern motor oils contain seal conditioning agents that keep seals from degrading or shrinking.
What About Synthetic Motor Oil Consumption?
As for oil consumption, as synthetic oil is much less volatile compared to conventional motor oils, oil consumption is actually less likely to occur with modern synthetic motor oil. The bottom line on this topic is that if an engine is not using oil or leaking with conventional oil, it will not start losing oil when changed over to synthetic motor oil.
Is Regular Oil and Synthetic Engine Oil Compatible?
Another pro of synthetic motor oil is that modern conventional and synthetic engine oils are completely compatible. You can change back and forth between the two products or add synthetic oil to regular motor oil and vice versa.
Learn More About the Pros and Cons of Synthetic Motor Oil?
Oil Depot is a licensed Amsoil Dealer specializing in AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil products.
To learn more about the pros and cons of synthetic motor oil or to find answers to specific questions you may have, please contact our synthetic motor oil experts.
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