Types of Oil: What You Need To Know

What Kind Should Your Car Use?

Getting a regular oil change is an important part of taking care of your vehicle. Most car and truck owners know this, but many do not know what the types of oil are. This means that they don’t have a lot of insight into what is going into their engines. Learning the types of oil can help you to maintain more control over your vehicle and to potentially save money.

Types of Oil

There are four major types of motor oil. Your owner’s manual will indicate which is the right type for you.

Conventional Oil

Conventional oil is extracted from the ground using traditional methods. It is effective at lubricating engine components. However, it is less capable than synthetic oil. The main advantage of a conventional oil is that it is significantly cheaper.

Full Synthetic Oil

Synthetic oil has some manmade parts in it. It is made from base oil, additives, and carrier oil that helps ensure even distribution of the additives. It is more effective than conventional oil, especially at high temperatures or otherwise extreme conditions. Furthermore, it lasts significantly longer. While conventional oil may need to be changed every few thousand miles, a full synthetic can usually last two or three times longer. Despite the name, full synthetic oil is not fully manmade. Instead, “full” is more like a grade. It is made with a conventional base but has more synthetic components than a synthetic blend.

Synthetic Oil Blend

As the name implies, a blend is somewhere between full synthetic and conventional oil. It has a larger amount of naturally extracted oil in it and fewer additives. It does not offer the same performance as full synthetic oil but is cheaper.

High Mileage Oil

This is a special type of synthetic oil that is designed for vehicles that have a lot of miles on the engine. Typically, vehicles with over 75,000 miles could benefit from this. It is not required by many vehicles but can be helpful in a lot of cases.

Schedule Your Oil Change

If you need an oil change in the San Antonio area, come to Chad Miller Auto Care. We are an experienced team that is as dedicated to providing great customer service as we are to excellent auto care. Schedule an appointment or come to our De Zavala Road location.