At some point in time, every driver will have to take their vehicle in for an oil change: it’s just one of those things we all have to do. It’s pretty routine for the most part—you just sit around and wait for your mechanic to swap out your old oil for a fresh new batch, along with topping off your fluids and testing your lights.
If this is your first oil change or your first time at a particular auto body shop, however, you might be asked a very specific question: “what type of oil do you want?” This question is simple enough, but it caches a number of people off guard!
What types of oil are there? What’s the best type of oil? Is there a wrong answer? All of these additional questions and more are quick to spring to mind! If you’re puzzled and confused by the prospect of picking the oil at your next oil change in Basalt, Co, take a moment to read ahead about the different types of motor oil.
Understanding oil types
When it comes to motor oil for your vehicle, you’ve got three chief options: regular, synthetic and synthetic blends. Each has its own properties and each is an applicable choice for your engine:
- Regular oil: This is the standard for motor oil. It comes in a variety of viscosities, it protects your engine from friction and it’s applicable in just about every vehicle. There are no bells and whistles here—just a reliable product for a reasonable price. Expect this oil to last between 3000 and 5000 miles on average.
- Synthetic oil: It may do the same job as conventional motor oil, but it does it better and with a lot more features to back it up! Synthetic oil is engineered to retain its viscosity longer and provide your engine with better lubrication. Many synthetics also have special properties such as resistance to oxidation or sludge formation, as well as better performance at higher temperature. Expect to pay quite a bit more for synthetics, but also see between 5000 and 7000 miles out of every oil change in Basalt, CO.
- Synthetic blends: As the name would suggest, synthetic blends are part synthetic and part conventional motor oil blends that are designed to give drivers some of the many benefits of synthetic oils, at the cost of regular oil. These types of oils are usually ideal for vehicles that are getting on in years or racking up the miles, that might need a little more help running clean. Synthetic blends offer a good median price point and last, on average, about as long as synthetics.
As you can see from the quick synopses above, there’s really no wrong answer to the question of picking motor oil—it’s all about what you want or what your vehicle needs!
Answering the question
If you’re still paralyzed by the thought of choosing a motor oil for your vehicle, don’t be afraid to ask your mechanic for their opinion at your next oil change in Basalt, CO. They’ll give you honest insight and a recommendation that you can use as you see fit! At the end of the day, just remember there’s nothing more important than keeping up on your regular oil changes.