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Synthetic Oil
Can synthetic oil be used in all cars or just the ones that call for it? Why would it be bad in some and good in others? I guess I'm just not sure what the pros and cons are with it. Does anyone know what the differences are?
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So would those be better
So would those be better for older engines than fully synthetic oils? Would they be ok since they would be half way in between? I've been using synthetic for seemingly so long that I don't recall the change over.
The main concern with using
The main concern with using synthetic oils is whether they will cause excessive wear and oil consumption, but wear protection has little to do with the base oil type – it's about the additive used (if the wrong anti wear additive is used then it doesn't matter what type of oil it is.) So, a synthetic oil is fine to use in older cars, though the correct oil type for any particular car will depend on a few factors, such as original viscosity specified, engine condition, how often the engine is run, oil consumption and what oil is currently used. If you are concerned with whether you are using the correct oil type for your car, it might be best to check the oil manufacturer's specifications, but if you have been using synthetic oil for so long without any problems, I don't see why you would need to change it. :)
well if you believe the
well if you believe the schmucks down at most quick oil changes places you can put synthetic in anything. I've never really believed it myself. If it were that great dealerships and car makers would sell cars with it already inside them.
I'm not sure I understand
I'm not sure I understand why you wouldn't be able to use it in anything? What's the difference-honestly? I thought they were supposed to do the same job, only synthetic generally did it better.
Synthetic oil generally
Synthetic oil generally provides superior mechanical and chemical properties than those found in petroleum based oils. One disadvantage of it is that it is initially more expensive, and can't be used with some older pushrod engines, plus its lower friction may make it unsuitable for break-in, though many modern cars now come with synthetic oil as a factory fill, so I would say it is fine to use.
You can also get semi-synthetic oils or ‚synthetic blends,‘ which have up to 30% synthetic oil. They're designed to have many of the benefits of pure synthetic oil but without being as expensive.