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Is Synthetic Oil Better For High Mileage Cars – Not sure if you need a high mileage oil in your car? You are not alone. If you searched the internet for “high mileage oil,” you would find over 66 million results. You might see advertisements, price options, a few dozen brands to choose from and thousands of forum posts.
The problem is that there would be very little information about what makes oil “high mileage,” when it should be used or even what the differences are in the brands and various options. The purpose of this article is to answer as many questions about high mileage oil as possible.
Is Synthetic Oil Better For High Mileage Cars
High mileage oil contains additives and seal improvers that reduce leaks (both internal and external). It is possible that after an oil change or two, the flow may stop. This has the potential to reduce oil stains in your driveway and on oil burn in older engines.
Mobil 1 High Mileage Advanced Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5w 20 (1 Qt)
How do they work? High mileage oils contain seal conditioners and additives that cause o-rings, gaskets and seals to swell. In some cases, older valve-guide seals in engines can reduce leakage. This can result in lower oil consumption. Many high mileage motor oils contain detergents and claim to be designed to remove sludge from engines.
Most mileage oils are formulated to benefit vehicles with 75,000 miles or more. When to change is ultimately your decision to make, but you should educate yourself to make better decisions. If you are experiencing blowby, loss of power, cylinder slapping, strange noises, etc., you likely have mechanical failure that should be addressed. These types of problems are not something a high mileage oil will fix.
On the other hand, if you have a high mileage car that has been well maintained and are trying to lower engine wear with realistic expectations, a high mileage engine oil could be the right choice for you. Just don’t think that a high mileage oil will be a “silver bullet” for putting mechanics in your engine.
There are no definitive guidelines on what should be considered high mileage. With the technology available today, standard road cars can last up to 300,000 miles or even 400,000 miles.
Shell Helix High Mileage 15w 50
It is commonly understood that highway miles are less taxing on an engine than city miles, and research seems to support this. Freeway miles have fewer starts and stops. The engine can also reach a steady temperature and operate at peak efficiency for a long period of time.
Driving in the city is just the opposite. Therefore, an engine with 80,000 miles may have the same life as an engine with 150,000 miles. It all depends on how the car has been driven and maintained.
Some people might consider changing to a high mileage oil at 200,000 miles, while others may want to change to a high mileage oil at 80,000 miles. For the average driver, anything with more than 100,000 miles can safely be considered a mileage car.
Since most additive packages look very similar, it can be difficult to distinguish any real differences between many motor oils. Even with high mileage oils, the additives don’t seem to vary much at all.
Accidentally Put 1 Bottle That Was Not For High Mileage Will My Engine Be Fine?
Additive concentration is most likely the main distinction. Motor oil formulations are treated as trade secrets, so finding specific additive quantities and quantities is nearly impossible. Safety data sheets typically only identify a range of additive percentages, and all additives may not even be included if they are inactive.
When it comes to the difference between high mileage and “normal” motor oil, marketing plays a big factor, as certain additives on the market come with all kinds of claims. Most of these additives are intended to minimize the facets on metal surfaces by filling these microscopic voids and creating smoother mechanical surfaces.
Several studies have shown promise with this approach, but more research is still needed to determine the best way to stabilize these nanoparticles in oil suspensions.
While this appears to be a simple question, more than one answer may apply. Depending on what you read or who you listen to, you may receive conflicting advice.
Triax Protection Plus 5w 30 High Mileage
One side of the debate states that more frequent oil changes will be needed as an engine’s mileage increases, because tolerances will not be as tight, allowing for blowby and soot.
The other side says that you should be able to extend your engine oil changes because any wear-in has already been done and you won’t have to worry about voiding your warranty. To say that either side is right or wrong would be a mistake.
An engine that has been properly cared for, with all scheduled maintenance performed, should be able to withstand longer intervals between oil changes. As an engine is broken in, the sharp edges and rough surfaces are polished down, allowing the surfaces to cross better and reducing the chances of metal-to-metal contact (assuming full-liquid separation at operating temperature).
A warning should be when there is wear in the cylinders and on the rings, which can allow blowby. If you know what you are looking for, a comprehensive oil slate test may not be necessary. A simple spot blotter test may be enough to determine if you have fuel dilution or coolant in your engine oil.
Valvoline Introduces High Mileage Motor Oil For Older Cars
To help you decide if your high oil mileage interval could be longer, consider these tips:
If changing from a conventional mineral oil to a synthetic oil, you may have problems with leakage depending on the synthetic used and the type of seal in the engine. This could be caused by sealing incompatibility or the accumulation of residues that have been cleaned from the area where it previously sealed a leak. Synthetic oils have advanced over the years, and motor oil manufacturers are taking this into consideration, so this problem is becoming less of a problem.
To create a global standard for motor oils, a joint effort was made by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and the American Auto Manufacturers Association (AAMA), made up of representatives from DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors.
The International Lubricant Standards and Approvals Committee (ILSAC), in partnership with API, ASTM and SAE, developed the Motor Oil Licensing and Certification system. Now, when you look at a bottle of motor oil and see that starburst symbol or the API service symbol (the donut), you know the oil bottle has been formulated, tested and approved by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
Quaker State High Mileage 5w 30 Synthetic Blend Motor Oil For Vehicles Over 75k
As fuel-economy standards change and new engine technologies and metallurgies are introduced, the classifications for motor oils must change as well. With this in mind, it is important to read the label on the oil you purchase for your vehicle.
The latest API service classification standard for gasoline engines is SN or SN Plus. For four-stroke road vehicles powered by diesel engine oil, the most current category is CK-4. For low-sulphur diesel engines manufactured in 2017 or later, you may need a motor oil classified as FA-4. This classification indicates that these oils have been specially formulated to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
These new motor oil classifications are backwards compatible, so using a new oil category on an older vehicle should not create any problems. But what can cause problems is operating a newer car with an old engine oil service category.
It is always best to check your owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for your vehicle. Using a high-mileage oil in a new car would be wrong, as no manufacturer recommends this type of oil for a new car.
High Mileage With Maxlife Technology Synthetic Blend
Would it hurt your engine? Most likely not, but it would be better to adhere to what is specified in the owner’s manual, at least until the warranty expires.
With exact formulations not accessible, it may be helpful to examine the oil manufacturer’s safety data sheet for mileage oil. The information compiled below is based on data obtained from SDSs for 10W-30 oils from nine of the most popular motor oil manufacturers.
Group I base stock contains less than 90 percent saturated and/or greater than 0.03 percent sulfur. They have a viscosity index greater than or equal to 80 and less than 120 using the test methods specified in the table below.
Group II base stocks are greater than or equal to 90 percent saturated and less than or equal to 0.03 percent sulfur. They have a viscosity index greater than or equal to 80 and less than 120 using the test methods specified in the table below.
Petromerica Semi Synthetic High Mileage Sae 10w 40 Motor Oil
Group III base stocks contain greater than or equal to 90 percent saturated and less than or equal to 0.03 percent sulfur. They have a viscosity index greater than or equal to 120 using the test methods specified in the table below.
Group IV base stocks are polyalphaolefins (PAOs). They can be exchanged without further qualification testing as long as the exchange PAO meets the original PAO manufacturer’s specifications for physical and chemical properties.
The following key properties must be met in the replaced stock: kinematic viscosity at 100 degrees C, 40 degrees C and -40 degrees C; viscosity index; NOACK
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