Used Corvette
New vehicle owners often wonder if they should be using synthetic oil. There are many advantages synthetic oil has over regular oil: it lubricates more effectively; withstands high temperatures; is relatively pure; and usually won’t turn into sludge even with heavy abuse. These clear benefits cause many people to assume synthetic oil is the obvious best choice. However, much of it comes down to how well you take care of your vehicle.
To start with, do you change your oil regularly? Oil needs to be changed before it breaks down and puts your engine at risk. But if you’re good at changing your oil on time every 3-5k miles, you’ll never experience one of the benefits of synthetic oil. Synthetic is resistant to breaking down, even after extended use. For instance, if you forget an oil change, or even if you just put one off for a few weeks, synthetic is the best oil to have in your engine. But if you’re changing your oil regularly and at the proper mileage, you’ll never be in a situation where your engine is at risk from worn-out oil.
One of synthetic oil’s biggest perks is that it doesn’t deteriorate until after a long time. Regular oil starts to break down after 6 months, and all oils should be replaced after 5K miles. If you’re someone who drives less than 5K every 6 months, then mileage-wise, you’re replacing your oil more often than you need to. Using synthetic oil will let you change your oil less frequently, so you can get greater mileage out of each oil change. This might save you some money, and definitely will save you on time.
Synthetic oil can withstand heat better than regular, which is one of the most common reasons people have for switching to synthetic. Regular oil starts to break down as the temperature increases, and continues to deteriorate as it gets hotter. If you regularly put your engine into situations where it will be in high heat, synthetic will help protect your engine against damage. Idling your engine for long periods of time and driving in high temperatures or altitudes will overheat your engine. Hot climates and thin mountain air won’t cool your vehicle’s engine very well, so people living in these climates should definitely consider synthetic oil. High performance vehicles will also benefit from synthetic oil.
There are lots of people who will recommend synthetic oil to you, even if you don’t need it. For instance, synthetic is recommended for drivers who have to drive in stop-and-go traffic. However, almost everyone drives in this type of traffic at some time, and not everyone needs synthetic oil. It’s really only necessary if you’re stuck in stop-and-go for long periods of time, and on a regular basis. Synthetic might also be recommended to people who only drive on short trips, as a means for protecting the engine. But only driving for short trips will damage your engine regardless of what oil you choose, so the recommendation is redundant. Your engine is designed to perform for 20 minutes or more. There might be a slight benefit to running synthetic for short trips, but the difference is negligible.
If you’ve recognized yourself in one of the above situations and have decided to opt for synthetic oil, be careful when you go to make the purchase. You may be offered a synthetic “blend” instead of pure synthetic oil to save money. However, you probably won’t know exactly what’s in that blend. It could be equal amounts of synthetic and regular, or you might even be getting almost entirely regular oil with a splash of synthetic. If you’re going to go synthetic, it’s best to go all out and get the real thing, or not do it at all. Of course, if the blend is provided and produced by your vehicle’s manufacturer, then it’s probably safe to use - but that’s the exception.
Most car manufacturers will tell you that “any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” For most people, normal oil will be absolutely fine. As long as they are maintained regularly and cared for, most new cars won’t need synthetic oil to perform well for a long time.
