What is Synthetic Motor Oil
When you go to the auto store or you have your oil changed you may see or be told that synthetic motor oil is being used. Do you know what synthetic motor oil is? Do you know what the advantages or disadvantages are with using this type of oil? A lot of people use this type of oil and never give it a second thought, but you may want to learn a little bit more about it to be sure that you are making the right decisions for your vehicle and the performance that you would expect from it.
Synthetic motor oil is basically an oil that has different chemical compounds than were originally found in crude oil. These compounds are artificially made, which is why the oil is known as synthetic. This type of oil was first made to replace the use of petroleum motor oils or petroleum based oils. Oddly enough, synthetic motor oil is usually a lot more than petroleum based motor oil. The reason that this type of oil was first made was because there was an increase in the price of petroleum, and the increase made the motor oil almost unaffordable. The synthetic blends were simply a way to save money for the average consumer. Today man made oils are more expensive than the petroleum oils, which is why you will find that they are often ten times more expensive despite the fact that they were created to be the more affordable option!
It was not until the 1960's that the first 100% synthetic motor oils were first introduced to the market. In fact, it was Chevron that introduced a wide range of different synthetic motor oil choices. Before it was offered to the general public synthetic motor oil was used in other means of transportation such as with airplanes and even some boats.
There are many advantages of using synthetic motor oil. One of the best things about using this type of motor oil is that it provides better lubrication on cold starts and also lends itself to improved fuel economy in a lot of different vehicles. In addition, there is measurably better low and high temperature viscosity, there is better chemical and shear stability, and a decreased loss in oil due to evaporation. In addition, synthetic motor oil is more resistant to oxidation, thermal breakdown, and has less of an issue with oil sludge problems that are common with petroleum based lubricants.
The most obvious disadvantage to using this type of motor oil is the cost. Generally speaking, you will find that this type of motor oil is about four times more expensive, though it can be up to ten times more expensive than other products. Of course, the benefits are why a lot of people continue to use synthetic motor oil even though it is much more costly.
One of the biggest issues with synthetic motor oil is that there may be decomposition problems in chemical environment. When the oil breaks down over time it can cause a problem in the way that the vehicle runs or it may not protect the vehicle parts like it usually would. It is important to make sure that you are keeping up with your oil changes to avoid the breakdown that can occur with synthetic motor oil.
Most people that understand synthetic motor oil do not like using it when they first buy a car. When you first buy a car you want to break it in to cause a bit of healthy wear. The oil provides less friction so it will not give you the break in wear that you are looking for in a new engine.
