When you go to put fresh oil into your car these days, you’re going to have two main options that you can choose from. You can decide to use either conventional oil or synthetic oil in your vehicle. In recent years, there are a lot of people who have chosen to go with synthetic oil over conventional oil. You might be considering it at the moment, too. But before you tell your mechanic to put it into your car, you should learn all about synthetic oil, especially if you’re going to be switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. Find out about it below prior to making a decision on whether or not to use synthetic oil in an older car.
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What Is Synthetic Oil?
Before we start talking about switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine and what you need to know about doing it, it’s important for you to understand what synthetic oil is and what makes it different from conventional oil. There are some major differences between the two that can have an impact on your vehicle when you choose one over the other.
Conventional oil is made using crude oil that is refined through the use of a process that thins out the oil to the desired viscosity. In some cases, there are also additives put into conventional oil, like zinc, that are designed to make it more effective when you put it into your car. Conventional oils have been around for a long time now and were the original type of oil used in vehicles.
Synthetic oil, on the other hand, is a type of oil that is created through the use of a man-made process. It’s often manufactured by taking a byproduct of crude oil and combining it with other chemicals and materials that results in synthetic oil in the end. As a result of the production process that it’s put through, synthetic oil has different properties than conventional oil and is more effective in certain situations.
What Are the Benefits of Using It?
Although conventional oil ruled the roost for many years within the automotive industry, synthetic oil has had a sudden surge in popularity over time, and it’s not hard to see why. Synthetic oil can provide most vehicles with more benefits than conventional oil can. As soon as people put synthetic oil into their vehicles, it doesn’t take them long to experience most of the benefits.
Here are some of the benefits that come along with using synthetic oil over conventional oil:
- It handles temperature changes better than conventional oil does
- It lubricates the various parts in an engine more effectively than conventional oil does
- It removes dirt and debris from an engine quicker than conventional oil does
- It often lasts longer than conventional oil does and prevents the need for oil changes every three months
After hearing about these benefits, you might be even more interested in switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine than you were before. It seems like synthetic oil is the slam-dunk choice for any vehicle really. But you should also think about synthetic oil from other angles prior to making the switch to it.
Is Synthetic Oil Safe to Use in Vehicles?
When synthetic oil was first invented, it wasn’t always seen as a safe alternative to conventional oil. Reason being, most synthetic oils that hit the market were loaded up with esters. These organic compounds that are mixed with alcohol were usually hard on the seals that were found in engines, and because of this, they would sometimes cause these seals to break down and leak oil.
The good news is that today’s synthetic oils have evolved a lot and are no longer as hard on the seals in engines as they once were. As long as people put synthetic oil that is the proper weight into their cars, they shouldn’t run into the same problems that people used to. But there are still some concerns about switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. The jury is still out on whether or not switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine is as safe as it should be.
Is Switching to Synthetic Oil in a High-Mileage Engine a Good Idea?
When people find out about the benefits of synthetic oil and the ways in which the technology used to create synthetic has changed over time, they’re often set on switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. But those with older cars need to be aware of the potential risks that could come along with doing this. The last thing you want to do is put your car’s engine at risk by adding synthetic oil to it.
The problem when it comes to switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine is that the engine in an old car isn’t always going to have seals that are strong enough to handle the additives found in the oil. Synthetic oil is so good at cleaning out the sludge found in many older engines that it can sometimes clear deposits from these engines that are helping to keep them sealed tight. This can lead to leaks form and an engine burning through way more oil than it should in a short period of time.
If you decide that switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine is the right move for you to make, it’ll be essential for you to keep a close eye on your oil level at first. It’ll also be important for you to get into the habit of changing your oil regularly when you begin using synthetic oil. You want to be 100 percent sure that you don’t spring a leak in your high-mileage engine because of the synthetic oil that you put into it. It could make you regret ever coming up with the idea to go about switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine.
How Should You Switch to This Type Of Oil in a High-Mileage Engine?
While switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine isn’t always going to be the best idea in the world, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider doing it. It just means that you’re going to have to be cautious and do it in the right way. You can prevent problems with your high-mileage engine by being careful when adding synthetic oil to it.
First and foremost, you should have your mechanic inspect your car before you start switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. They should be able to give you some idea of whether or not your car is going to be able to handle synthetic oil with ease. You should also allow them to perform an oil change for you when switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine as opposed to doing it yourself since they’ll know how to get the job done.
Additionally, you should be certain that you’re using the right synthetic oil in your car. You should ideally look for something like Castrol EDGE High Mileage synthetic oil that is designed for older cars. By using this kind of synthetic oil in your car, you’ll increase your car’s chances of reacting positively to it.
If you’ve gone above and beyond when maintaining your old car and kept it in pretty decent condition, you should find switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine to be a breeze. You should get immediate access to all the benefits of it and avoid all the possible pitfalls that can accompany making a change to the oil you use in your engine.
What Are the Signs of Trouble When Using Synthetic Oil in a High-Mileage Engine?
If you take all the steps that we just laid out when switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine, you shouldn’t run into any issues at all with your car. You should find that the synthetic oil that you put into it will protect your engine and make it last a lot longer than it would otherwise. You’ll be glad that you made the move to start using synthetic oil in your car.
But there is always a chance that your car might not respond well to synthetic oil, even if you’ve worked hard to maintain it over time. While it’s rare, there are some older vehicles with high-mileage engines in them that will begin to leak when they have synthetic oil put into them. You should get into the habit of looking out at your driveway to see if you can spot any signs of oil leaking from your car.
You should also try to check to see how much oil is in your car every week or two. Oil could be leaking out of your car in places other than your driveway, which is why you should monitor your oil levels to make sure you don’t have a leak that you’re not seeing. Outside of doing that, you should be sure that you replace your oil filter every time you have your synthetic oil changed, too. That’s a key step that you’ll need to take when you start using synthetic oil.
You shouldn’t have to do any of these things forever after switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. But in the immediate aftermath of making the big change, you’ll want to see how your car responds to having synthetic oil in it. Hopefully, everything will go according to plan and you won’t see any signs of trouble at any point.
What Should You Do If Synthetic Oil Causes Issues in a High-Mileage Engine?
In a perfect world, you’ll go about switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine and experience no problems at all. You’ll get to experience everything that synthetic oil has to offer to you, and you’ll find that your car performs better than it has in years. It’ll make switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine well worth it to you.
But of course, things don’t always go this way. And if you experience any issues when switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine, you need to spring into action right away and get them taken care of. It’ll start with noticing a problem and then taking your car to your mechanic to have them take a look.
Your mechanic will be able to assess your vehicle and let you know why you seem to have oil leaking from your vehicle. It could be because you made the move to synthetic oil in your older vehicle, but it could also be any number of other things. They’ll be able to diagnose which specific issue you’re having with your car so that they can get it fixed up right away.
But whatever you do, don’t turn a blind eye to any problems that pop up after switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. If you do, you could be looking at some serious issues with your engine down the line. You might even have to get rid of your car altogether if it doesn’t respond well to synthetic oil. You can avoid having this happen by taking your car to your mechanic at the first sign of any trouble.
Is It Right for Your Older Vehicle?
Now that you know everything there is to know about switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine, you should sit down and think about if it’s the right option for you. If you’re someone who has taken good care of your car over time, making the change could definitely be in your best interests.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your mechanic about how you’re thinking about switching to synthetic oil in a high-mileage engine. They’ll be able to give you a better idea on how effective it’ll be for you. They’ll also be able to shine a light on some other things you’ll want to consider before doing it. It’ll arm you with all the information you’ll need to make a final decision on using synthetic oil in your older vehicle.