Different Types Of Engine Oils: Synthetic, Semi-synthetic, And Conventional

Routine oil changes are important for vehicle maintenance. Changing your oil helps your car perform its actions correctly and helps ensure your safety behind the wheel, by keeping proper lubrication and reducing the amount of heat produced by the car’s engine. The worst-case scenario of using old oil in your car is the engine will constantly heat up and eventually wear down, causing the vehicle to not work anymore. Although, there are a few different types of oil that you can choose from and knowing the difference is crucial.

So, if you’re in the Louisville, Kentucky, area and you’re looking to get your oil changed, our staff at Bachman Volkswagen can take care of your needs.

What Is Conventional Oil?

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Conventional oil is a type of motor oil derived from crude oil. Crude oil, or petroleum, is a naturally occurring resource that comes from underground reservoirs, and it’s a mixture of hydrocarbons. Often, older cars rather than newer cars use this type of oil.

Pros of Conventional Oil

There are several advantages to choosing conventional oil for your vehicle. One advantage is it can cost about 10% less than other oils, which can help you when you’re creating a car budget. Another advantage you may experience with this oil is that it’s more adaptable with older cars, making it easier to decide which oil is best for your changes. For older cars, this oil can help improve the lubrication and minimize the amount of gear grinding that can occur. When gears grind and wear on the engine, it can cause the engine to slow down its performance.

Additionally, this oil is ideal for running a car engine in colder temperatures. So, when the temperatures drop in the late fall and winter seasons in Louisville, Kentucky, your car may perform better with oil type.

Cons of Conventional Oil

While there are advantages to using this oil, there are potential drawbacks to using conventional oil. Unlike other motor oils, conventional oil can stick to parts of the engine as it begins to break down, leaving deposits behind. The oil deposits produced when breaking down are what mechanics and other vehicle experts refer to as sludge or scaling. Sludge can happen with engines that run for a longer time or operate under harsher conditions.

These deposits can also create harmful conditions for humans and the environment. It can create various combustion byproducts, like fuel contamination, metal particles, and water and fuel contamination. However, while these disadvantages can happen, there are recycling programs where you can drop off your used conventional oil for experts to dispose of properly.

If you’re unsure where you can find a facility like this in Louisville, Kentucky, ask one of our technicians specializing in oil changes to recommend where you can take your oil. Although, you can bring your car to our Bachman Volkswagen dealership, and we’ll change your oil and dispose of it ourselves, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

What Is Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic oil is another type of motor oil, but it’s not a naturally occurring compound like conventional oil. During its creation, synthetic oil begins as conventional oil, and then it receives modifications with artificial chemicals. The modifications help make the oil more protective and lubricant elements, while other variations of this oil help increase a car’s performance and increase its life with high mileage. Other blends benefit cars with high-performance engines, and you may improve your car’s fuel efficiency by using special advanced lubricants.

There are two types of this oil, which are synthetic or semi-synthetic and full synthetic oil. Fully synthetic oil uses semi-synthetic oil and adds chemicals to ensure the vehicle’s upkeep. The additives can include polyalphaolefin lubricants, castor waxes, and paraffinic oils. Manufacturers can determine the mixtures and the amounts based on their preferences for protection and performance. With this oil type, it’s helpful to change your oil every 5,000 to 10,000 miles.

Pros of Synthetic Oil

Some pros of synthetic oil include improved lubrication, increased stability, minimized deposits, and reduced breakdowns. Often, this oil type has added elements to improve the lubrication, making it better for your engine, even when the engine reaches high temperatures. Improved lubrication can also help make your engine last longer. You may experience increased stability with synthetic oil because it has a consistent thickness, especially at high temperatures. This means it can help the oil stick to different engine parts, increasing the protection from dry starts.

A dry start is when your car has been sitting and turned off for an extended time. For example, if you go on vacation for a week and come home and leave for work the next day, turning your car on is a dry start. You can also minimize your deposits with synthetic oil because it sticks less to various engine surfaces since it also reduces breakdowns.

Cons of Synthetic Oil

There are some potential disadvantages to using synthetic oil, such as not all cars can process synthetic oil. To determine if your car can take this oil and process it well, consider your vehicle’s engine and year. If you’re unsure, our team can help you determine the right oil for you to choose for the best way option to preserve your car and ensure it operates properly.

Another drawback of this oil is that it’s more expensive than conventional oil. If you can budget synthetic oil into your budget, you may view it as a long-term investment. It may cost more up-front, but it will help preserve the life of your vehicle.

Oil Changes At Bachman Volkswagen In Louisville, KY

At Bachman Volkswagen, we want to help make your life easier with our oil change services for folks around the Louisville, Kentucky, area. You can use our online scheduler to set up your conventional, semi-synthetic, or synthetic oil change today and let us handle the rest. Contact us with any other questions you have, and one of our team members will be happy to get back to you.