Your Guide to the Different Engine Oils Available

There are three types of engine oil: mineral oil, semi-synthetic oil and fully synthetic oil. The latter two have been engineered to help vehicles cope with adverse conditions and also to keep pace with evolving engine complexity. As a general rule, classic cars are more suited to mineral oil, while modern ones are likely to use either semi-synthetic or synthetic. Although mixing the different oils isn’t advisable, you can switch between them if necessary (subject to manufacturer recommendations). Below is a bit more information on each oil type as well as an explanation of viscosity ratings.

 

Mineral Oil

Also known as conventional oil, mineral oil is natural oil from the ground. It tends to be the cheapest form of engine oil. While the lower price is obviously a positive, mineral oil needs to be changed more frequently than semi-synthetic or synthetic.

 

Semi-Synthetic Oil

Also known as blended synthetic, semi-synthetic oil is a mixture of mineral oil and man-made additives. It tends to be more expensive than mineral but cheaper than fully synthetic. Semi-synthetic oil offers some of the engine-protection, engine-performance, and oil-life benefits of fully synthetic oil, though not to the same degree. That said, it’s been suggested that semi-synthetic oil offers the “best of both worlds”, in terms of price and benefits.

 

Fully Synthetic Oil

Fully synthetic oil, as the name suggests, is completely man-made. It tends to be more expensive than semi-synthetic or mineral. Fully synthetic oil is designed to protect your vehicle’s engine, ensure it delivers the best possible performance and also to ensure that the oil itself lasts longer. Fans of fully synthetic oil would argue that it is actually no costlier in the long run due to saving you money on repairs/replacements.

 

Viscosity Ratings

Your owner's manual (and possibly the oil reservoir cap on the engine) will state which sort of ooil the manufacturer intended to be used with your vehicle. Oil containers have viscosity ratings such as "5W30" or "10W60". The first number indicates how well the oil flows when the engine is cold, while the second number indicates how well the oil flows when the engine is running normally. The smaller the number, the better the flow. However, low-viscosity oils and high-viscosity oils both have their place. Low-viscosity protect the engine when it's cold, while high-viscosity protect it when operating at high temperatures.

If you use the wrong engine oil in your vehicle, you risk reduced performance, increased engine wear and nasty side effects such as copious exhaust smoke and oil leaks.

 

We Have the Engine Oil You Need!

At Auto Parts Supply in Southport, we stock a wide range of premium-quality Petronas engine oils - mineral, sime-synthetic and fully synthetic - and diesel engine oils. Check out our online store, and feel free to ask us if there's a certain product you're after that you don't see listed. You can phone Austo Parts Supply on (07) 5503 0169 or send an enquiry via the form on this site.