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How Many Motor Oil Types Are There?

Scotty’s Automotive advises that there are four motor oil types on the market from which consumers can choose. The way to determine which motor oil is best for your automobile is to check your owner’s manual first. This manual will list the motor oil type that is recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. In addition to the type, the manual will also recommend the proper oil weight for your vehicle’s engine. Stick to the recommendation for the most part. There will come times when another motor oil type may be better for your engine. Let’s talk more about this below.

Conventional

If you are wondering which oil type is used the most, conventional motor oil wins the prize. You can’t go wrong with conventional oil because it has been on the market for over 100 years. This motor oil is tried and true. It works well in vehicles that are equipped with standard engines. Conventional oil does an excellent job of protecting the engine and keeping it clean for 3,000 miles.

High-Mileage

You can stick with conventional motor oil for quite some time. However, once the odometer turns 75,000 miles, it is recommended that you switch to a high-mileage motor oil. The reason why is that this oil does a better job of preventing gunk from building up inside the engine. In addition, high-mileage oil also helps the engine avoid developing an oil leak inside of it. This is one instance when you may opt for a different motor oil type than what is recommended in your owner’s manual.

Synthetic

Another instance is the freezing temperatures we can get in Montague during the wintertime. Many people switch from conventional to synthetic motor oil in the winter because it stands up to the cold better. If you live in the Southwest where the summer temperatures are above 100 degrees, synthetic motor oil also stands up to the heat much better. In addition, synthetic motor oil is the oil of choice by high-performance vehicle manufacturers such as BMW and Audi.

Synthetic Blend

Finally, you may simply want the best of both worlds, and that’s okay, too. If this is the case, consider putting a synthetic blend in your engine. This motor oil type combines synthetic and conventional so you can have the advantages of both. Its price point is between the two motor oil types.

Scotty’s Automotive in Montague, NJ, would be happy to help keep your engine running safely and reliably with regular oil changes. Call us today to schedule your next oil change.

Photo by vladru from Getty Images via Canva Pro
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