What does synthetic oil do for my car that regular oil does not?
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Synthetic oil is basically like very refined regular oil…since it’s artificially made they have very tight control over exactly what’s in it and what the properties are. They can match it exactly to what the engine needs (lubricity, viscosity, resistance to forming sludge, etc.) and hit that target with very consistent results.
Natural oil is a mixture of natural compounds…its most the stuff you want but there’s always some other stuff along for the ride that cause it to not be exactly what you want it to be without a lot of extra refining.
Synthetic oil is basically like very refined regular oil…since it’s artificially made they have very tight control over exactly what’s in it and what the properties are. They can match it exactly to what the engine needs (lubricity, viscosity, resistance to forming sludge, etc.) and hit that target with very consistent results.
Natural oil is a mixture of natural compounds…its most the stuff you want but there’s always some other stuff along for the ride that cause it to not be exactly what you want it to be without a lot of extra refining.
Synthetic oil is basically like very refined regular oil…since it’s artificially made they have very tight control over exactly what’s in it and what the properties are. They can match it exactly to what the engine needs (lubricity, viscosity, resistance to forming sludge, etc.) and hit that target with very consistent results.
Natural oil is a mixture of natural compounds…its most the stuff you want but there’s always some other stuff along for the ride that cause it to not be exactly what you want it to be without a lot of extra refining.
Any shortfallings or byproducts of the refining or extracting process as well as natural impurities are essentially eliminated. That snd synthetic will flow and lubricate better at any given oil weight viscosity over conventional. Because it’s it lubricates so well its still advised to not use it for initial engine break in as it won’t let thw parts mate together properly. It also lasts significantly longer because of these anti wear and anti friction properties
Engine oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. These chains of hydrogen and carbon come in varying lengths, and each length brings something different to the party. Shorter lengths are liquid at lower temperatures, but get too thin to lubricate at higher temperatures and long chains are the opposite.
Natural derived oils are a mix. They’re engineered and modified to have the best performance they can, but there’s always going to be stuff that isn’t exactly ideal, chains that aren’t as strong as others and break down, chains that have a wrong atom on them somewhere so they stick to others and turn into sludge.
Synthetic oil is much more consistent in the chains and molecules inside it. Because it is usually made from very short chains (methane) that are bonded together through industrial processes, they know that the vast majority of what’s in the oil will be exactly what they want without any weird stuff.
Think of it like making chocolate chip cookies. You could start with pre-made dough and form it to the size you want, but you don’t have absolute control of the ingredients, so they may be chewier or cakier than you want. Instead, making them from scratch means you get to pick exactly what’s in it, alter the ratios and create the exact product you want.
So why is it “better”? Well, it lasts longer and is much more consistent at a lower viscosity. Lower viscosity (thinner) oil can make an engine perform better because you can make all the components fit even tighter. Conventional oils at low viscosity are prone to breaking down, because of the inconsistency, but synthetics hold up way better because they are much more “pure”.
Most new cars require synthetic because the components are tight fitting and need a thinner oil, but older engines don’t have the same tight tolerances, so they’re not so picky.
Any shortfallings or byproducts of the refining or extracting process as well as natural impurities are essentially eliminated. That snd synthetic will flow and lubricate better at any given oil weight viscosity over conventional. Because it’s it lubricates so well its still advised to not use it for initial engine break in as it won’t let thw parts mate together properly. It also lasts significantly longer because of these anti wear and anti friction properties
Any shortfallings or byproducts of the refining or extracting process as well as natural impurities are essentially eliminated. That snd synthetic will flow and lubricate better at any given oil weight viscosity over conventional. Because it’s it lubricates so well its still advised to not use it for initial engine break in as it won’t let thw parts mate together properly. It also lasts significantly longer because of these anti wear and anti friction properties
In practical terms, it stays nice & runny during our Canadian winters, rather than turning into so much molasses that won’t circulate through your engine worth a damn.
In practical terms, it stays nice & runny during our Canadian winters, rather than turning into so much molasses that won’t circulate through your engine worth a damn.
Engine oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. These chains of hydrogen and carbon come in varying lengths, and each length brings something different to the party. Shorter lengths are liquid at lower temperatures, but get too thin to lubricate at higher temperatures and long chains are the opposite.
Natural derived oils are a mix. They’re engineered and modified to have the best performance they can, but there’s always going to be stuff that isn’t exactly ideal, chains that aren’t as strong as others and break down, chains that have a wrong atom on them somewhere so they stick to others and turn into sludge.
Synthetic oil is much more consistent in the chains and molecules inside it. Because it is usually made from very short chains (methane) that are bonded together through industrial processes, they know that the vast majority of what’s in the oil will be exactly what they want without any weird stuff.
Think of it like making chocolate chip cookies. You could start with pre-made dough and form it to the size you want, but you don’t have absolute control of the ingredients, so they may be chewier or cakier than you want. Instead, making them from scratch means you get to pick exactly what’s in it, alter the ratios and create the exact product you want.
So why is it “better”? Well, it lasts longer and is much more consistent at a lower viscosity. Lower viscosity (thinner) oil can make an engine perform better because you can make all the components fit even tighter. Conventional oils at low viscosity are prone to breaking down, because of the inconsistency, but synthetics hold up way better because they are much more “pure”.
Most new cars require synthetic because the components are tight fitting and need a thinner oil, but older engines don’t have the same tight tolerances, so they’re not so picky.
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