What Kind of Oil Does My Car Need?

Oil and filter replacements are essential to keeping the internals of your engine running smoothly, providing lubrication and cooling to the various metal components. Over years of use, the oil in your system will take on contaminants and break down due to the extreme heat, lessening the lubricative properties and allowing harmful friction to occur in the engine.

Oil changes are important for this reason, as they flush out the contaminated and damaged oil that could lead to damage and overheating, replacing it with the proper type of oil to best protect your engine. 

Oil changes are often the first automotive DIY anyone tries their hand at, and for good reason, as they’re generally quick and easy services that can be completed with limited tools. However, picking out the right oil to replace it with is just as important as doing the service in the first place, as improper oil choice can leave your motor without the full protection it needs. 

In this article, we’ll go over the various types of oil, the differences between each, and which you should pick up for your next at-home oil change. 

Oil Weight

Oils differ in more ways than one, with multiple different factors having a large effect on how the oil interacts with your engine’s internals. One of these important differentiators is oil weight, also referred to as grade or viscosity. Weight is graded on a scale developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and denotes the thickness of the oil.

Different vehicles require different weights of oil. For instance, 5W-20 is one of the most common oil grades for modern vehicles. 

The first number, 5W in this case, refers to the oil’s properties in cold temperatures (hence the “W” for winter). The lower the number is, the easier time it will have flowing in cold conditions, while the higher numbers denote an oil that won’t flow as efficiently at these temperatures. 

The latter number instead represents the oil’s viscosity at normal operating temperatures. The higher this number is, the more viscous it is when at higher temperatures. 

Fortunately, finding the proper oil weight for your vehicle isn’t too difficult. Most times this information will be labeled on the oil filler cap or in the owner’s manual. The manufacturer will likely also have their recommendation available to find online. Using the correct oil weight is essential, as using improper oil can cause the engine to overheat and potentially lead to irreparable engine damage.

Oil Types

Oil weight is only one factor that plays into choosing the right oil for your vehicle, as you also have to consider the different types of oil and their pros and cons. While all oil is meant to accomplish the same task, not all oil is formulated the same way, and each method has upsides and drawbacks that may influence your decision.

Conventional Oil

Conventional oil is the traditional formulation of oil, produced from crude oil that has been refined to remove some of the contaminants and mixed with various additives to further protect your engine. 

While conventional oil is refined, it tends to degrade quickly and saturate with contaminants, lessening the protective properties of the oil and potentially leading to engine damage if left to linger. This is why consistent oil changes are so important, especially for conventional oil which wears the quickest of the three oil types. 

The largest advantage of conventional oils is the price, as it’s the least expensive option of the three for oil replacement. However, choosing a conventional oil is a real case of “you get what you pay for”, as the quicker degradation means you’ll be replacing it sooner than a synthetic or synthetic blend. 

Synthetic Oil

Contrary to what the name suggests, synthetic oil isn’t completely formulated from synthetic compounds. Rather, synthetic oil is initially formulated from the same crude oil that makes up conventional oil, just with an extensive refining process and synthetic additions that ensure the molecules are a consistent size. This molecular advantage and a higher-quality base oil mean that synthetic oils provide superior protection and resist oxidation far better than their conventional counterparts. 

The major downside of synthetic oils is their high price tag. Synthetic oil changes can run as much as 2x-4x the cost of a conventional option. However, the long-lasting properties of synthetics mean you won’t need changes as frequently, potentially saving you money down the line. 

Synthetic Blend

Striking a balance between price and longevity, synthetic blend oil combines both synthetic and conventional oils to create a hybrid of the two. While synthetic blends won’t last as long as full synthetics, they will outperform conventional oils despite being only slightly more expensive. In most modern vehicles, manufacturers recommend synthetic blends as the minimum oil quality for use. 

Oil Services at Borst Automotive

No matter the vehicle you drive, choosing Borst Automotive for your oil services gives you peace of mind that you’re receiving the proper type of oil for your vehicle. We use high-quality oil options to ensure your engine is always best protected from contaminants and overheating. Don’t let old oil linger and harm your engine’s internals, give us a call or schedule online today to secure a spot at one of our four locations in Tucson, Mesa, and Phoenix!