Part 8 - Synthetic Oils Offer Greatly Extended Drains
There you have it. If this "little" article doesn't at least get you thinking about switching over to synthetics, I'm not sure what will convince you. I know that this article is a little less technical than it could be. There are many other differences between petroleum and synthetic oils which were not touched on here, but if we had covered those too, this article would have been 50 pages long. Most of the information presented here was meant to deal strictly with the concept of extended drain intervals and why they're possible. If you'd like to learn more about the technical aspects of automotive lubrication and filtration, you might want to consider purchasing "The Motor Oil Bible".
There are a couple of companies out there that are probably good for extended oil drain intervals. I'll speak more about the specific companies in the next chapter. However, since many people use Mobil 1 and believe it to be the best synthetic available (mainly because it is the most recognizable name), I thought I might spend a little time touching on that particular company.
In my opinion Mobil 1 oils are most likely good for 10,000 to 15,000 miles, but the company does not make that recommendation. I have known of many people who do very well running Mobil 1 for these intervals, but it has not been designed specifically for extended drain use. Moreover, the company probably would not back you if you had any mechanical problems resulting from such extended drain use, since they only recommend "manufacturer recommended change intervals".
In light of the information above, I would like to leave you with a few notes of importance. If a synthetic oil is not specifically recommended for extended drain use, and you choose to attempt extended drains, you do so at your own risk. Extended drain synthetic oils must be formulated with special long-life additives and blended basestocks so as to maintain their lubricating properties for an extended period of time.
In addition, in order to get the full benefit from extended drains, it is most beneficial to be using high efficiency oil and air filtration as well. If you are using traditional filtration methods, you will likely have to change your oil more often and will end up with reduced engine protection. If you're going to do it, do it right. It will cost you less in the long run, and probably in the short run too.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpted with Permission from "The Motor Oil Bible" eBook Copyright 2000 Michael Kaufman ("The Motor Oil Bible" Author) Download it from: http://www.motor-oil-bible.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Part 7: Efficient Oil Filtration Recommend - Very Few Companies Offer Extended Drains Part 9
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