Why choose AMSOIL Synthetic Oil over Conventional Oil - Select Synthetics - AMSOIL Authorized Dealer

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Benefits of Synthetic Oil and Lubricants

Your vehicle is usually the second biggest investment that you will ever make. The oils, filters, greases, and other fluids that you use to maintain it protect that investment.

Synthetic Motor Oil is superior to Conventional Motor Oil and significantly outperforms it on all counts.

Synthetics deliver superior protection and performance in temperature extremes (hot or cold), keep your engine cleaner by significantly reducing the formation of sludge and varnish, resist oxidation and acid formation, and provide unsurpassed friction reduction and wear protection for extended drain intervals.

Furthermore, many vehicles today leave the factory with Synthetic Oil installed as the initial fill.

Conventional lubricants

Conventional lubricants are refined from crude oil. Contaminating elements such as sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen and metal components such as nickel or vanadium are inherent to crude oil and cannot be completely removed through the refining process.

Some of the substances in crude oil are detrimental to lubrication. Paraffin (wax), for example, is a common conventional oil contaminant that causes motor oil to thicken in cold temperatures. Sulfur is a naturally occurring inorganic element that readily reacts with oxygen molecules and is detrimental to oil performance.

The oil refining process separates the various types of molecules in the oil by weight, leaving molecules similar in weight but dissimilar in structure. Since the refining process cannot distinguish such molecules, the result is a lubricant with a wide assortment of molecules of different shapes and sizes.

Because the assorted molecules of refined lubricants are of different shapes and sizes, the lubricant surfaces are irregular at the molecular level. As lubricant layers flow across one another during the lubrication process, these irregularities create friction, which consumes power, reduces efficiency and increases heat and wear.

Synthetic lubricants

Synthetic Lubricants, on the other hand, are chemically engineered (synthesized) from pure chemicals rather than refined from crude oil.

Synthetic lubricants contain no contaminants or molecules that don't serve a designed purpose. Their components are chemically reacted to produce finished products with pre-designed performance characteristics. That gives them significant advantages over refined oils.

They are made from molecules that are saturated with a higher percentage of carbon-hydrogen bonds leaving fewer sites to which other harmful molecules can attach and attack the molecular composition of the oil. In addition, their smooth, uniform lubricating molecules slip easily across one another.

Because of their molecular uniformity, they excel in reducing friction, which improves fuel efficiency and economy, controls heat, and reduces wear. This molecular uniformity also helps synthetics resist thinning in hot temperatures and thickening in cold.

In regard to safety and insurance risks, the flash point for synthetics as a class is always higher, and reduced flammability is a key driver for synthetics' growing popularity in high-temperature applications.

In short, synthetics' versatility and pure, uniform molecular structure impart properties that provide better friction-reduction and wear protection, optimum fuel efficiency and superior film strength, a greater ability to resist shearing forces and viscosity breakdown, and extreme-temperature performance conventional lubricants just can't touch.

High Viscosity Index (VI)

Synthetic oils have higher native Viscosity Index (VI) than conventional oils. So, synthetic oils provide better engine protection across a wider range of temperatures. At more extreme temperatures (hot or cold) the benefits becomes even greater.

Low Temperature Properties

The ease of starting an engine depends not only on the condition of the battery, ignition and fuel quality, but also on the flow properties of the motor oil.

If the oil is too viscous (thick) at starting temperatures, it will impose enough drag on the moving parts that the engine cannot be cranked fast enough to start promptly and keep running.

Wax is a large hydrocarbon molecule that prevents oil from flowing at colder temperatures. Cold, thick oil is more difficult for the engine to pump, resulting in less protection at start-up. Because Synthetics do not contain wax, they remain more fluid at lower temperatures than conventional oils.

Since cold temperatures thicken all oils, an oil for winter use must be thin enough to permit adequate cranking speeds at the lowest anticipated temperature. It must also be fluid enough to quickly flow to the bearings to prevent wear. In addition, the oil must be thick enough, when the engine reaches normal operating temperatures, to provide adequate protection.

Oxidative Stability

Oxidative stability is the ability of oil to resist breakdown caused by combining with oxygen.

Oxidation is a degradation process that occurs when atmospheric oxygen reacts with organic molecules. As oxidation increases, the oil thickens and loses its ability to control deposits and prevent the formation of sludge & varnish.

Synthetic oil has a much greater ability to resist oxidation then conventional oil.

Efficiency

Due to a more consistent molecular structure, synthetics have lower traction than mineral oils.

Lower traction means less internal friction within the fluid resulting in less heat, improved efficiency, increased horsepower and better fuel economy.

Synthetic lubricants reduce friction and allow engines to use energy more efficiently. The advanced lubricity (slipperiness) of AMSOIL synthetics has been proven to increase fuel economy by 2-5 %.

Emissions Reduction

Each year nearly 600 million gallons of motor oil are burned and exit through the tailpipes of cars and trucks, creating emissions pollution.

Conventional oils volatilize (burn off/evaporate) more readily than synthetic oils, increasing oil consumption and creating more emissions pollution. Because of their lower volatility, synthetic oils are better for the environment than conventional oils.

Extended Oil Change Intervals

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pollution Prevention Requirements, the first step in revitalizing a cleaner nation is pollutant source reduction.

One of the ways synthetics accomplish this is by extending the interval between oil changes well beyond the old 3,000 mi / 5,000 km recommended drain interval.

While conventional oil manufacturers recommend oil changes every 5,000 km or so, AMSOIL synthetic oils protect engines for up to 40,000 km under normal driving conditions (up to 80,000 km in diesel applications), dramatically extending oil change intervals by as much as eight times.

Benefits of Synthetics

Higher Native Viscosity Index (VI)

= Fewer Viscosity Index Improvers (VII) Needed

= Increased Viscosity Stability & Retention

= Longer Oil Life

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

= Broader Temperature Range

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

Superior Low Temperature Properties

= Lower Pour Point

= Easier Cold Starts
= Less Strain on Battery, Starter & Oil Pump

= Longer Component Life

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

= Better Cold Temperature Fluidity

= Faster Oil Circulation

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

= Lower Power Consumption

= Better Fuel Economy

= Energy savings

Lower Traction (Internal Friction/Grip)

= Improved Efficiency

= Increased Horsepower
= Better Fuel Economy

= Energy savings

= Less Heat Generation

= Cooler Running Engine
= Less Oil Breakdown

= Longer Oil Life

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

Superior Oil Film Strength

= Better Component Separation

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

= Better Shear Stability

= Less Oil Thinning

= Longer Oil Life

= Reduced Wear

= Longer Engine Life

Increased Oxidative Stability

= Higher Resistance to Oil Breakdown

= Less Sludge & Vanish Formation

= Cleaner Engine and Oil Filter

= Longer Engine Life
= Longer Oil Filter Life

= Less Oil Thickening

= Better Oil Flow
= Longer Oil Life
= Longer Engine Life

Lower Volatility (NOACK)

= Fewer Emissions

= Better for the Environment

= Reduced Oil Burn Off / Evaporation

= Lower Oil Consumption
= Less Oil Thickening

= Better Oil Flow
= Longer Oil Life
= Longer Engine Life

Extended Oil Change Intervals

= Less Time & Money Wasted

= Easier on Your Pocketbook

= Less Pollution & Waste Material

= Better for the Environment

AAA's Endorsement of Synthetics

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is one of the most recent company to promote the benefits of using synthetics. The popular club recently conducted in-depth testing to determine if it’s worth paying more for synthetic oil over conventional oil.

"Oil protects critical engine components from damage and AAA found that synthetic engine oils performed an average of 47 percent better than conventional oils in a variety of industry-standard tests", said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair.

"With its superior resistance to deterioration, AAA’s findings indicate that synthetic oil is particularly beneficial to newer vehicles with turbo-charged engines and for vehicles that frequently drive in stop-and-go traffic, tow heavy loads or operate in extreme hot or cold conditions."

AAA’s research included eight industry-standard ASTM tests focusing on 'shear stability', 'deposit formation', 'volatility', 'cold-temperature pumpability', 'oxidation resistance' and 'oxidation-induced rheological changes'.

Each test was performed on five synthetic and five conventional oils. The results were published in May 2017.

AMSOIL Synthetic Oils

AMSOIL Synthetic Oils are specially designed to protect engine components, reduce emissions, last longer, and improve fuel economy – all features that help reduce environmental pollution.

They resist chemical breakdown and the formation of sludge and varnish, keeping engines cleaner and significantly extending oil and engine life.

Additionally, AMSOIL oils have superior oil film strength and both low and high temperature properties, providing unsurpassed friction reduction and wear protection and effectively extending engine life.

They have been specifically designed not to oxidize, volatilize or shear, resulting in a motor oil that lasts longer than conventional motor oils.

Using AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants and Filters is an affordable solution that surpasses the use of conventional petroleum oils and filtration products. They provide you with unparalleled protection for your vehicle while saving you time and money. (See also: “What Is Motor Oil?”)

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