Synthetic vs. Conventional Oil

Your car’s engine oil goes a long way towards ensuring that it’s running efficiently and safely. Therefore, it makes sense that the drivers around Pensacola, Crestview, and Fort Walton Beach are all asking about synthetic vs. conventional oil. What are the differences? Which is better? Which should I use in my car?

That’s why our team here at World Ford Pensacola created this guide for our customers. If your vehicle needs an oil change, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with our service department.

What Does Engine Oil Do?

There are tens of thousands of moving parts inside a typical gas-powered, internal combustion engine. All of that movement can cause an insane amount of friction—and, if it wasn’t for some type of lubrication, that’d be a destructive level of friction. Oil, both synthetic and conventional, serves as that necessary lubrication, making sure that your engine can run properly without breaking.

Synthetic Oil, Conventional Oil

So, if both conventional and synthetic oils will keep your engine running smoothly, then what are the differences between them? Both types start in the ground. They initially come from organic sources, such as petroleum-based hydrocarbons. However, after that point, that’s where they start to diverge.

Synthetic Oil. It’s refined, distilled, and broken down into the most pure molecules possible. Such a process effectively removes a ton of harmful impurities that would otherwise prevent it from best serving the demands of high-tech, modern engines. The result? Better protection and performance.

Plus, it’s often enhanced with a variety of additives that can contribute to your engine’s longevity and durability. These usually include an antiwear additive, plus dispersants that prevent it from clumping.

Which Is Better for My Vehicle?

As we mentioned above, synthetic motor oil is typically better for advanced, modern car engines. How?

• Cleaner: As conventional oil circulates throughout your engine, it collects a lot of debris that cause it to sludge up. Synthetic oil anticipates this problem and works hard to keep itself clean.
• Protective: Synthetic oil also won’t break down as quickly as conventional oil, which means a significantly boosted engine life. It even protects the engine better at higher temperatures.

Synthetic oil also flows better in lower temperatures, targets critical turbocharger parts, and certainly doesn’t need to be changed as much as conventional oil. For example, certain brands of synthetic oil only require a change every 15,000 miles (as opposed to every 3,000 to 5,000 miles for conventional oil).

Schedule Your Oil Change Appointment Today at World Ford Pensacola

Our expert automotive technicians are big fans of synthetic engine oil. We’d highly recommend going down this route with your vehicle. However, even if you’re running conventional engine oil, we’ll work with that, too. Regardless of your circumstances, schedule your oil change appointment with us now.

We’re just a few minutes away from Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Pensacola, and there are several different ways to set up your appointment now. You can fill out a form on our website, call us, or stop by today.