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a guide to motor oil types
When deciding what type of oil is right for your car, there are just a few to consider. In this article we will share with you a guide to motor oil types.
Conventional
First, conventional, organic oil is the most common because it’s usually the cheapest. It’ll get the job done for lightweight cars and older models, or any vehicle with a simple engine. This kind of oil is best for cars with low or average mileage. Many car owners have made the swap over to synthetic. But all of our Prieto Automotive stores still offer conventional oil.
Full Synthetic
Most likely, full-synthetic fluid is the most expensive type of oil you can buy. It’s not quite necessary for most cars, but you may want to consider it if your vehicle is made for high-performance.
To keep high-performance cars operating the way they should, full synthetic oil comes with many benefits. It has higher viscosity levels, fights against sludge, improves fuel efficiency, and is ideal when your vehicle is exposed to extreme temperatures. It’s resistant to oxidation and thermal breakdown, and reduces engine drag which means more horsepower. Basically, there’s a very good reason why this type of oil is as expensive as it is but it’s not always required.
Synthetic Blend
The synthetic blend is becoming the most desired type of oil because it comes with many of the benefits of fully-synthetic oil but at a more reasonable price. As you can probably guess, synthetic blends are a combination of synthetic and conventional properties with a touch of additives. These additives could include resistance to oxidation or higher efficiency in low temperatures. We like to recommend synthetic blends because of all the benefits you get for a decent price.
High Mileage
Lastly is, oil designed for high mileage, which is pretty self-explanatory. This type of oil is mainly used for cars that exceed 75,000 miles since it helps reduce oil consumption, leaks, smoke and emissions.
After you narrow it down to the kind of oil you need, now you should consider additives to further improve the performance and lifespan of your engine.
Additives:
- Antioxidants slow down oxidation and the forming of deposits therefore keeps your engine clean and extends its life
- Anti-wear agents act as a protective layer over parts that are prone to damage and limits metal-on-metal friction
- Detergents prevent deposits, rust, and corrosion from forming
- Dispersants absorb and hold contaminates to keep them from getting to the engine
- Foam inhibitors keep your oil from developing foam or bubbles which could make it difficult for oil to properly coat parts needing attention
- Friction modifiers reduce friction when dealing with high temperatures and heavy loads while maximizing fuel efficiency
- Pour-point depressants allow the oil to flow freely during extreme cold to prevent wax particles from forming
- Rust and corrosion inhibitors protect internal parts to prevent rust and corrosion from forming due to acids and moisture
- Viscosity-index improvers allow the engine to perform as intended despite temperatures
Call any Prieto Automotive service center to schedule an oil change. Just let us know what kind of oil you want and we’ll do the rest. Prieto Locations: Fresno Mazda, Sanger Chevrolet Buick GMC, Sonora Ford, Subaru of Sonora.
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