is one motor oil really better than the others for your car?

Answer 1

I would only use natural oil. 5W-30 Is great because it has a wide viscocity range. As far as the brand, Castrol GTX is good although there are a few others that are good too. Stay away from synthetics, and especially all those other products like slick 50, duralube, ect. They leave behind a resin that is bad for your engine.

Answer 2

Here is a popular misconception among people and synthetic oils. Back in the day, the old wives tale was that since synthetic oil seemed thinner, it would protect less and find ways to "leak" out of your engine. This is not the case, because any kind of seal that leaks in your engine, is going to leak any kind of oil you have no matter what. So why use synthetic oil?

In order to understand synthetic oil, everyone needs to understand that it is derived from regular motor oil, it's not made from a weird exotic substance. It has additives in it to prevent sludge, this is something that regular motor oil does not have and is the main source of sludge buildup or varnish. Have you ever taken the valve cover off of an older car and notice how the valve retainers, rocker arms, etc are all covered in a copperish/bronzish color? This would be varnish, it inhibits lubrication and doesn't help cut down on friction. Synthetic oil won't do that to your car. Also, getting back to the subject of synthetic oil being perceived as "thinner" this is not the truth. When warmed up to operating temperature, synthetic oil at the molecular level looks very uniform, equal coverage of lubrication everywhere. However, with a regular oil, when it is heated up, some parts of the oil will be more built up and others more thin molecularly, so your engine parts may not all be getting the same protection.

Since synthetic has a more uniform quality, it takes less energy for the engine to work with to get it flowing and moving, this means a small increase in power as well as the ability to get up to proper operating temperature ( a must for long vehicle life) and will difuse heat better. Synthetic motor oils high conductivity properties also mean that it is able to operate efficiently at a higher temperature than regular oils. (perhaps up to 100 degrees higher before viscosity breakdown). So the benefits of a synthetic not only are better in a colder environment, but a hotter environment as well.

You could revel in ages-old thoughts on how synthetic oil isn't worth the money, but the truth is, there is a reason the stuff was made in the first place, increased performance, protection, and longer life, in all reality, synthetics don't have to be changed well past 5000 miles (even the ones that don't advertise that).

It is true that most synthetic oils are derived from some top oil manufacturers, but it is what gets added into the oils after they are bought by the smaller companies that makes all the difference, especially in price.

The class is out on synthetic versus regular oil. If you're using regular oil, you may as well go slap on some bias ply tires instead of radials and throw away your computer and get a typewriter, because you're living in the past

Answer 3

i prefer brand name oils, but independent tests have shown that there is no difference between regular motor oil and synthetic motor oils. As long as you routinely replace the oil and filter as scheduled, your engine will last longer with no great difference in wear. It si still the cheapest and easiest repair to do on an engine with the greatest results in performance and gas mileage.
good luck.........

Answer 4

Of course there is a difference...but in your case a quality oil is always a good choice but what are u looking to do..keep a car with 200k on it running or just keep your new car running good..changing it regularly is the most important part hands down.....check these out http://www.waynesgarage.com/docs/oil.htm
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Follow%20the%20Money

Answer 5

i always use wal-marts oil for high milage cars and have never had a problem. if you read the fine print the major companies make their oil anyway and i have been using it for years with no problem. just dont forget to change it every 3 to 4k.

Answer 6

Yes

Answer 7

all i have ever used and all i ever will use is Castrol GTX. my dad had an '85 Golf with over 400,000 miles on it using Castrol GTX religiously, transmission finally went out and it had a lot of body damage so it wasnt really worth fixing.

Answer 8

i always use 1 kind of motor oil.i use 10w30 high mileage pennzoil.i refuse to use quaker state.its junk.

Answer 9

read http://www.mobilone.com