Why Does Synthetic Motor Oil Last Longer Than Conventional Oil?

by admin on April 14, 2010

Who cares if synthetic motor oil lasts longer than conventional.  Just change your oil more often you lazy bum!

No really, synthetic oil carries a heafty price tag and changing synthetic motor oil every 3,000 miles becomes very cost prohibitive.  So if the oil really does last longer than a conventional oil then the benefits of additional engine protection and performance can be obtained without spending extra money (maybe even saving money)

What is synthetic oil and how does it last longer than conventional oil.

Synthetic oil has basestock oils that have been “synthesized” from component molecules (or heavily processed depending on the manufacturer).  It really boils down to eliminating native contaminants from the base oils and isolating the specific molecules of oil that provide the base viscosity, lubricating properties, and resistance to breakdown.

What that all means is you have a pure starting point.  In your engine you lose protection from oil when it either breaks down, gets contaminated, or both.  Synthetic oil can be engineered to prevent breakdown and subsequent self contamination while maintaining its base lubrication properties for longer.  Some conventional oils on the other hand are more prone to oxidation sludging and other depositing that changes the lubricating properties of the oil (as some say because they are not pure).

Certain synthetic oils will last longer in the tough environement of your engine as compared to conventional oils.

This really is an oversimplification of a complex topic but the point is in many cases the extra money spent on synthetic motor oil can be offset by extending the change intervals.  There is an optimum point where the extended oil change interval continues to provide superior engine protection while reducing the overall operating cost of the vehicle.

So you can save money and protect your engine if you select the right synthetic motor oil for your application.

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