Let’s Talk Motor Oil, Part 3

So you all survived Part 2 of our motor oil discussion…are you ready for more?  I thank those whom have written in asking,” When will you be posting again?”  I will try my best to make this a weekly update, unless I am on vacation, which I will be at some point this summer.  Hang on folks, here comes Part 3!

After having discussed viscosity and the importance of following your owner’s manual, we also discussed API, ACEA and OEM Approvals.  I believe we should start with a brief discussion on Conventional and Synthetic oils.  This topic alone gets people heated and fired up similar to a political discussion on the GOP vs. the Democrats.

My first recommendation is what folks? That’s right. Follow the recommendations required by the auto manufacturer.  If the motor came from the factory with synthetic oil, you must stay synthetic.  Many BMWs, AMG Mercedes, all Corvettes and Vipers plus a whole host of other vehicles come straight from the factory with synthetic oils in the crankcase.  I am sure that there are several car and truck makes that come with conventional oil in the crank case as their initial fill.

“So Uncle Vinny, what’s so special about synthetic motor oil?”  Well we first must discuss what makes up “a motor oil” regardless of whether it’s conventional (aka Dino oil) or synthetic.  Both oils are basically made of two parts, its base stock and its additive package.  Conventional oils are made from crude oil that is extracted and chemically “tweaked” to become motor oil.  Conventional base oils are mixtures of thousands of different chemicals.  They are true petroleum products.

Synthetic oils are different in that they are synthesized from relatively pure chemicals specifically manufactured for a given performance characteristic. Most synthetics start as petrol oil and are chemically broken into 10 carbon units.  Three of these units are chemically connected back together.  These oils building blocks are called Polyalphaolefines or PAOs for short.   Another synthetic oil building block is the ester molecule.  This is a lab synthesized molecule created by reacting an alcohols and acids.  Esters may be made from vegetable, mineral or animal fatty acids.  These ester molecules are also called diesters, polyoesters, polyesters and complex esters.  The more esters synthetic oil has in its base, the more expensive the quart or liter will cost the consumer.

There is yet another group of “synthetic” oils that use hydrocracking or Isodewaxing.  Mobil took Castrol to court on this in 1997 and ultimately lost its case.  Mobil’s argument was that breaking a petrol molecule and reworking it was not truly a way towards making a full synthetic oil.  This method allowed for a less expensive way to fabricate a “synthetic oil”.  This made it difficult for Mobil 1 to compete on a price point with Castrol SynTec.

Most oil purists, especially yours truly, are a big believer in PAO based synthetics fortified with ester molecules.  Esters increase low temperature flow characteristics and are very high heat stable.  Oils used in modern jet engines are ester based.  To name a few high quality synthetic oils that contain higher levels of esters are Amsoil, Motul and Redline.  All have excellent reputations and have their cult following (including moi).  You will pay more for these “Boutique”synthetics than those “Garden Varieties” found on most car parts shelves.   Finding these “Boutique Oils” outside of the internet may be difficult.  Look to Speed and Race shops to stock these oils on their shelves.

So remember when I said that there are two parts to oil, its base stock and its additives.  Additives fortify the base stock and improve its performance. Motor oil additives include detergents and dispersants  to keep engine parts clean.  Manufacturers also add anti-wear agents and extreme pressure additives.  To round out the additive package the manufacturer adds Oxidative inhibiters, Anti-foaming agents, rust and anti corrosion agents, Viscosity Index improvers, Pour point Depressants and Friction Modifiers.   And you thought it was “Just Motor Oil”!

Hey Uncle Vinny….you said nothing about Conventional Motor Oils and zip about Synthetic Blends”. Do you remember when I said that the topic of oil can get people heated?  Can conventional oil do a good job? The answer is “yes” as long as it is specked for by the manufacturer.  Synthetics are better as far as durability, heat and cold responses and especially engine cleanliness. These Blends or Synthetic Blends are synthetic fortified conventional oils and offer a middle of the road approach, hopefully improving on conventional oil’s performance but with less cost than full synthetic oil.

But does using a full synthetic oil make my engine last longer? I do remember that old Mobil 1 commercial that touted” after 200,000 miles virtually no engine wear”.  The only article I had read was back around the millennium done by Consumer Reports magazine.  Its conclusion was that a frequently changed conventional oil proved as strong in Taxi Cabs as a more expensive synthetic. They saw no increase in repairs or break downs with their test vehicles running conventional oil.  Is the difference in performance seen in 5,000 miles or after 50 or 100,000 miles.  How many people actually keep a vehicle past 100K?

So where are we?  Remember to stick with what your auto manufacturer has recommended for the vehicle.  If it came from the factory with conventional oil, you can certainly upgrade to a Blend or a full synthetic.  Keep in mind that the extra cost for synthetic may be $3-5 more per quart so that’s $15 to $25 more per a 5 quart oil change.  If, however, you can go say 5-6000 miles on the synthetic vs. 3,000 miles on the conventional, you are moving toward a more economical choice and reaping all of the benefits of a full synthetic (better engine power, fuel economy, cleanliness, etc.)  You will also be helping the planet (a Think Green Note, a first here!!!) by creating less used oil.  Remember to find a recycling center, too, for your used motor oil. Some towns will take it at their recycling centers as well as many Auto Parts chains like Advance Auto, AutoZone and Strauss to name a few.

I think we’ll take a break from motor oil for a blog or two.  I am open to your suggestions.  Perhaps a nice chat on maximizing gas mileage and prepping a car or truck for that family vacation would be fun and timely!

Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Stay safe out there!!!!

Uncle Vinny