Synthetic vs. Conventional Oil

Whether you’re trying to change the oil in your new ride or you’re taking your vehicle to our service department for an oil change, you ought to know the differences between synthetic oil vs. conventional oil. These are the two main types of oil your vehicle may be using so it’s a smart idea to understand which oil type your vehicle takes, especially if you’re performing DIY oil changes in your Overland Park garage. Today, we’ll help you compare the differences between synthetic and conventional oil here at Olathe Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and touch on the following regarding these two oil blends:

• Differences between conventional and synthetic oil
• How often to change synthetic oil?
• Can you mix synthetic oil with regular oil?

What is Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic motor oil requires a more sophisticated process of refinement, involving artificially manufactured compounds as the base motor oil. This results in more molecular purity. Many high-performance vehicles and luxury vehicles may require you to perform regular synthetic oil changes for optimal performance on Gardner adventures.

The refinement process for synthetic oil often provides a cleaner product with less friction and fewer impurities so that you can squeeze out every ounce of performance in your vehicle with maximum protection. While the process of refinement results in a more expensive up-front price for synthetic oil, there are a handful of advantages in choosing synthetic oil over conventional oil. These benefits include:

• Keeping your engine clean for your favorite restaurant outings
• Superior function in extreme heat and cold weather conditions
• Better performance and fuel efficiency
• Longer intervals between oil changes
• Improves the longevity of the powertrain

If synthetic oil is too expensive for your Springhill daily driver, you may be able to use a synthetic motor oil blend. This blend includes a mixture of conventional oil and synthetic oil. Before making the switch, however, it’s best to consult your owner’s manual or give our service experts a visit.

What is Conventional Oil?

Conventional motor oil is the more common motor oil blend. Most Olathe drivers will find that their vehicle will use conventional oil. You’ll find that conventional oil is taken from crude oil. That crude oil is refined to be compatible with most automobile engines, producing what we know as conventional or “regular” oil. Since conventional oil is more common, it’s generally cheaper than synthetic motor oil. We recommend you reference your owner’s manual before deciding on conventional oil.

How Often to Change Synthetic Oil?

As we mentioned, when comparing regular vs. synthetic oil changes, you’ll find that synthetic oil changes have a longer interval in between. This is because they often are more refined and have additives to help the synthetic oil be more stable and last longer. So, how often to change synthetic oil? In most cases, synthetic oil changes can be done every 7,500 to 15,000 miles.

On the other hand, compare that to the 5,000-mile oil change interval of conventional oil and it’s clear that synthetic oil lasts much longer. Of course, this is dependent on your specific vehicle. While synthetic oil costs more than regular oil, you can go much longer in between oil changes and enjoy better performance if your vehicle allows it.

Can You Mix Synthetic Oil with Regular Oil?

While conventional and synthetic oils are the two main oil types, there’s technically a third oil type you may have heard of. The third oil type is typically called a synthetic oil blend, which means it has a mix of both conventional and synthetic oil. Synthetic oil blends are typically more cost-effective than regular synthetic oils and have similar properties. However, be aware that not all synthetic oil blends are created equal as some may have more or less conventional and synthetic oil mixes in them.

While synthetic oil blends exist, can you mix synthetic oil with regular oil? The short answer, yes. You can mix synthetic and regular oil, however, this should be done sparingly as it could lead to damage to your vehicle. This is because adding synthetic oil to regular oil will not necessarily enhance the regular oil as it just dilutes the properties of synthetic oil. Additionally, the viscosity between both oils may be different and have different effects on your engine. Even though it’s technically possible to mix synthetic and regular oil, we don’t recommend it.

Get an Oil Change Today at Olathe Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram!

Bring your vehicle in for an oil change at our Olathe service department today! Here, at Olathe Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, we have plenty of service specials taking place – only sweetening your oil change deal. Contact our service department today for oil change queries, and other service advice.