What Oil To Use For Vehicles: Conventional vs. Synthetic Oil

What is conventional oil?

Conventional oil is the old-age standard oil used for older models of vehicles. This type of oil is derived from refined crude oil. Its most significant advantage is its cost, compared to synthetic oil, conventional oil is much more pocket-friendly.

You can also expect longer intervals in changing oil, reduced engine drag, more predictable oil effectiveness, and quicker engine start time when you use synthetic oil for your vehicle.

While it is true that most cars these days are using synthetic oil, you must note that older vehicles are built for conventional oil use.

• Traditional oil flows slower than its synthetic counterpart, which means it offers more protection and better lubrication for trucks with older engines.
• Although conventional oil offers great things for older vehicles, there is also a reason why it is not advised to use this kind of oil for modern types of trucks.
• As years progress, machines also improve, and some parts of the new engines are built with tighter tolerances than older engines.

Additionally, conventional oils are more susceptible to wear and chemical degradation when faced with harsh conditions, such as low or high temperatures. Conventional oils have a higher viscosity which means proper circulation is significantly reduced when used in newer engines, it can even become clogged in small areas of your truck’s engine.

What is synthetic oil?

You might be wondering where synthetic oils are used. Back in the day, synthetic oil was once only used in high-performance trucks. But in the present, you can see even mainstream vehicles using this type of oil.

But before you use synthetic oil for your vehicle, you must first know the two types of synthetic oil. Synthetic oils are classified into a synthetic blend or semi-synthetic and full synthetic oil.

1. Mixing conventional and synthetic oils will produce synthetic blend oil. 
2. This type of synthetic oil works just like traditional oil, but it offers better protection for your vehicle’s engine. 
3. On the other hand, a full synthetic oil uses synthetic oil as a base and additional chemicals to ensure that your engine will run at its highest performance. 
4. Polyalphaolefin, castor waxes, and paraffinic oils are just among the additives used to create a full synthetic oil.

Additives, such as mentioned above, can be mixed in various proportions depending on the manufacturer's preference for performance or protection levels. But most companies prefer an equal additive mixture.