As a driver, you need to know two important things: how to change your vehicle's oil and how to change the tires.
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Changing your vehicle's oil should be straightforward, assuming that you are not dealing with an old vehicle. However, if your vehicle is at high mileage, you need to be very careful about the type of oil you choose to maintain the vehicle and have it last for longer.
Did you know that the average lifespan of any vehicle is about 200,000 miles? Therefore, as a driver, you need to educate yourself on the different types of oils you need to use at different stages of your vehicle's lifespan.
This article provides you with a list of the best model oil for high mileage engines. We also include information about what's so special regarding high mileage vehicles and why they need specific oil types.
What's so special about high mileage oil?
Choosing a good type of oil doesn't matter a lot when your vehicle is relatively new. However, as your vehicle gets older and towards the end of its life span, a specific type of oil is needed to keep the engine going as much as possible, assuming that you had good maintenance over the vehicle's lifespan.
Your vehicle's oil is a very important component to keep your engine moving properly. Your engine consists of many different moving parts, and without enough oil, these parts will create a lot of friction that could cause engine overheating. If you don't know, engine overheating is one of the most complicated problems that result in immediate engine destruction.
The oil is responsible for providing enough lubrication to your moving parts and preventing contaminants built up, leading to corrosion.
When it comes to the high mileage oil, this type of oil has a much larger viscosity, which provides a lot more lubrication than the regular engine oil. The more viscosity the oil has, the more it withstands higher temperature. In some high mileage oil types, it comes with a specific material that seals any internal leaks and cracks within your engine block.
If you don't use a proper high mileage oil for your old vehicle, nonmoving parts like the head gaskets and other components could damage, and we are in tear much faster. As a result, a high mileage oil can increase the lifespan of your engine.
Is my car considered high mileage?
Great question. Usually, automotive experts suggest that a vehicle is considered high mileage if it is 75,000 mileage or more. Keep in mind that one highway mileage is different from a city mileage. Similarly, a “stop-and-go” mileage has a different effect on your vehicle and should not be compared to regular highway mileage.
The highway mileage indicates that you are driving your vehicle at higher speeds where the lubrication gets started. In other words, the longer you drive your vehicle without stopping, you get into the elevated revolution per minute required to have your engine start the lubrication process.
On the other hand, a “stop-and-go” mileage prevents your vehicle from reaching the required revolution per minute to get the lubrication started. Thus, with more stop and go mileage, your vehicle can get damaged much faster, and you will notice a significant decrease in the fuel economy.
Thus, some vehicles might consider high mileage even if they are at a number less than 75,000. These types of vehicles are referred to as prematurely aging vehicles.
The bottom line is while 75,000 miles is a general threshold for a high mileage vehicle versus a regular vehicle, this number can differ significantly based on your driving style as highway mileage or “stop-and-go” mileage.
When shopping for a high mileage motor oil, what should I be looking for?
You need to keep in mind a lot of specifications and characteristics when shopping for a high mileage motor oil. Some of these characteristics include:
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Your engine's age
While we've indicated that 75,000 miles might be a good threshold to consider your vehicle as high mileage or not, you are the best person to judge whether your vehicle is at an aging stage or not.
Another number that automotive experts consider when classifying the age of the vehicles is seven years old. So, if your vehicle is seven years old or at 75,000 miles, you might consider it a high mileage vehicle, and thus, you should be looking for a type of motor oil that provides the most viscosity.
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Temperature and viscosity
The most important characteristic of any motor oil is the viscosity. Viscosity is a characteristic indicating how well this motor oil withstands extreme temperatures. You want to get a motor oil with the highest viscosities. One of the best motor oils that provides the best viscosity rating reads “5W-30”.
It's important to understand what this reading means. The first component of this label, 5W, provides you with how much viscosity is available on this oil as your engine is called. The higher the number, the higher the viscosity. The second portion of this label indicates the oil thickness during normal temperatures.
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Oil additives
Some good high mileage oils might come with extra additives to help your vehicle seal any internal cracks and prevent future leaking. These additives are informed of seal conditioners, detergents, and antioxidants. Read in detail the different characteristics of the oil and see how many additives are there to get the best and protect your engine.
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Cost
Something to keep in mind while shopping for a high mileage motor oil is the price. High miles more oils could be a little pricey, especially if you're looking at synthetic grades versus conventional.
While some people might mention that high mileage oil is not recommended and it's considered a scam, for an older vehicle, you might need to invest a little more in maintaining its lifespan and having it serve you for the rest of its lifetime.
What is the best motor oil for high mileage engines?
If you are still unsure about choosing conventional versus synthetic oils, here is a shortlist of the best motor oils for high mileage engines:
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Mobile 1 5W-30 High Mileage Motor Oil
The first model oil in our list promises to clean up your vehicle, expand its lifespan, provide you with enough additives to enhance your engine's performance.
This type of oil is suitable for both highway mileage and “stop-and-go” mileage.
The only one drawback about this oil is that it's a little bit pricey.
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Valvoline MaxLife 10W-40 Higher Mileage Motor Oil
This semi-synthetic motor oil is recommended by a lot of automotive experts for any old vehicle. It comes with certain additives to enhance and prevent any leakage in your vehicle. These additives can go through any cracks and seal them to prevent future leakage.
The best feature about this oil is that it's not very pricey and provides you with enough lubrication to enhance your aging engine's performance without needing to pay so much.
When it comes to the drawbacks of this oil, several customers complained that it doesn't stand extreme temperatures.
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Pennzoil 10W-30 High Mileage Motor Oil
The third oil on our list is for people who are interested in conventional oil. It has good additives and detergents to enhance your vehicle's performance and prevent leaks. It's great to support thermal oxidation, and it has amazing low-temperature capabilities.
Unfortunately, this motor oil is not recommended for heavy drivers, and it may not be the best option to serve them all the time.
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Castrol GTX 0647 20W-50 High Mileage Motor Oil
Another example of semi-synthetic high mileage oil is here! It comes with fewer phosphorus additives to prevent any damages to your catalytic converter. Using this type of motor oil, you don't have to do an oil change up to 7500 miles.
This motor oil comes with a combination of additives that cleans up the engine and controls the oil getting to the combustion system.
To get all these amazing features from this oil, it's not surprising that it's one of the most expensive oils on this list.
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Royal Purple HMX 10W-30
The best thing about this motor oil is that it reduces oil consumption and provides a great enhancement to your vehicle and the overall fuel economy.
This oil comes with many additives and detergents to seal internal damages in the vehicle and prevent corrosion.
Again, to get these great features from a high mileage synthetic oil, you need to spend a lot more money than conventional oil. Thus, this high mileage oil is also one of the most expensive in the markets.
Conclusion
Your vehicle's oil is one of the most important components that you need to shop for carefully, especially if you own an aging vehicle.
The market is full of high mileage engine oils, and our team conducted an intensive review to provide you with the best motor oil for high mileage engines in the market.
It's important to read through the entire list and familiarize yourself with each one's different aspects before you make your final decision.