I’m not saying synthetic oil is bad, in fact it has it’s place but my opinion is that place is not in your 15 year old Toyota or Chevy. The reasons as explained in the video are that synthetic has different flow characteristics and can actually cause your engine to leak oil and run noisy. It’s perfectly OK to run conventional oil of the correct viscosity and change it on a regular basis. You don’t need to spend the extra money on synthetic oil if your owners manual does not call for it.
I really do think oil changes don’t need to be that often. I’ve had my cars for so many years and there always very old too. But I take care of them and watch the fluids often. I think that is a way more critical aspect of owning an auto.
The technical advantages of synthetic motor oils include:
Better low- and high-temperature viscosity performance at service temperature extremes
Better (higher) Viscosity Index (VI)
Better chemical and shear stability
Decreased evaporative loss
Resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown, and oil sludge problems
Extended drain intervals, with the environmental benefit of less used oil waste generated
Improved fuel economy in certain engine configurations
Better lubrication during extreme cold weather starts
Possibly a longer engine life
Superior protection against “ash” and other deposit formation in engine hot spots (in particular in turbochargers and superchargers) for less oil burnoff and reduced chances of damaging oil passageway clogging.
Increased horsepower and torque due to less initial drag on engine
Improved fuel efficiency – from 1.8% to up to 5% has been documented in fleet tests
Synthetic Oil vs Regular Oil – Disadvantages
The disadvantages of synthetic motor oils include:
Substantially more expensive (per volume) than mineral oils.
Potential decomposition problems in certain chemical environments (predominantly in industrial use.)
The one thing Eric leaves out of this conversation is the fact it is about automotive oils. Do not use synthetics that contain friction modifiers in your bike, it will damage the wet clutch. I’ve switched to synthetics years ago and the results are phenomenal, engine runs cooler and quieter and oil changes can be decreased.
The reasons as explained in the video are that synthetic has different flow characteristics and can actually cause your engine to leak oil and run noisy. It’s perfectly OK to run conventional oil of the correct viscosity and change it on a regular basis. You don’t need to spend the extra money on synthetic oil if your owners manual does not call for it.
The one thing Eric leaves out of this conversation is the fact it is about automotive oils. Do not use synthetics that contain friction modifiers in your bike, it will damage the wet clutch. I’ve switched to synthetics years ago and the results are phenomenal, engine runs cooler and quieter and oil changes can be decreased.