Synthetic oil is an oil product that contains additional chemical ingredients that are not present in crude oils. These additional ingredients are synthesized or created artificially and added to petroleum as a means of meeting specific needs for lubrication.
Fully synthetic motor oils contain non-conventional, high-performance fluids and a system of additives that helps prevent wear, keeps engines clean, flows easily, maintains viscosity performance, prevents rust and reduces friction.
Using synthetic oil has many advantages associated with it. The addition of artificial ingredients also helps to ease the burden on diminishing crude oil reserves, making it possible to use natural oils much more efficiently. Using a synthetic product often minimizes the oil sludge issues in your truck especially in older vehicles. Synthetic oils also have a higher tolerance to heat and aging.
A major benefit of using synthetic oil is a more efficient performance when your trucks engine is started in cold weather. Petroleum-based motor oil thickens in cold temperatures, requiring the starter and battery to work much harder to start a cold engine. Synthetic oil is not as affected by low temperatures and begins to lubricate all the working parts much more quickly and efficiently than crude oil products would, thus lowering your chance of gumming and unnecessary wear on your trucks individual engine components.
Synthetic oil was originally developed as a way to deal with the shortage of crude oil products and is used more frequently today due to the better performance. During periods when the price of crude oil rises significantly, synthetic oils may also be a less expensive lubricant option to go with.
Advantages of Using Synthetic Oil:
- Better low and high temperature viscosity performance
- Improved fuel economy in most engines
- Decreased evaporative loss
- Better lubrication on cold starts
- Resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown and oil sludge problems
- Oil changes are not needed as often because synthetic is more durable
Disadvantages of Using Synthetic Oil:
- The cost is usually 2 to 4 times more than petroleum-based oils
- The lower friction may make them unsuitable for break-in period
- Potential decomposition problems in certain chemical environments
- Potential stress cracking of plastic components like polypxymethylene (POM) in the presence of polyalpholefins (POA’s)
- Synthetics do not hold lead in suspension as well as mineral oil
- Synthetic oils are not recommended in automotive rotary engines
Please Remember! Never dump your used motor oil in the trash, on the ground or down a sewer or storm drain!!!
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