Synthetic oils provide better protection to car engines than mineral onesAn increasing number of manufactures are recommending the use of synthetic oils for your engine. It is for the simple reason that these are superior in quality over mineral oils. These oils have a longer life and drain periods are longer. Synthetic oils have higher viscosity index i.e. they do not become too thick in cold temperatures or too thin at high temperatures. This allows easier cold weather start of engine. Most important, the molecular structure of the oil is consistent; as such it reaches the remotest and critical parts of the engine to provide lubrication. This reduces engine wear.

During warm-up periods, Mineral oils circulate slower, allowing friction between un-lubricated parts, leading to excessive wear. Synthetic oils are more free-flowing and start circulating immediately. This provides increased engine protection.

Synthetic oils also improve improve fuel efficiency. During the warm-up period, especially early mornings, mineral oils are thicker and circulate slower, making the engine less efficient and thirstier, consuming more fuel.

Synthetic oils are also more “green and clean’ these help cut emissions.

Conventional mineral oils contain large amounts of impurities like sulphur, reactive and un-stable hydrocarbons and other contaminants that cannot be removed by the other refining of crude oil by existing methods.

Since synthetics oils are “green and clean” they leave a lower amount of sludge deposit in the engine. A spark plug that has been firing in an engine using synthetic oil will be cleaner than a mineral oil lubricated engine. It is for this reason that the drain period has been extended up to 10,000 km as opposed to 5,000 km for minerals oils.

Tests have shown that if you had two identical cars and operated one on mineral oil and other one on synthetic oil for 1,00,000 km. the synthetic oil; lubricated engine would be “cleaner”, used less spark plugs and give better fuel average with lower emissions.

One of the most important things to understand about synthetic oils is that because it is synthetic, it is tailor-made and the molecular structure is uniform. In mineral oils it is inconsistent, not uniform. This hinders lubrication.

Synthetic oils are made using advanced refining technology and are therefore, of a higher quality and purity. The “made-to-order” molecules provide higher levels of protection and all-around performance.

Synthetic oils are expensive. A litre of synthetic oils costs Rs1,000 per litre. A litre of mineral oil is about Rs300 per litre.

According to a myth, do not top up with conventional oils if you have synthetic oil in the engine. Wrong! It can be done but you will dilute the properties of the synthetic soil. Because then it becomes a “blend”.

According to another myth, stop-start driving is not good for your car. Not if you use synthetic oil, as it starts lubricating the engine 15 seconds faster than conventional oils.

At least 90 percent of the wear and tear of an engine is in the first 90 seconds start. Synthetic oils help cut out on this wear and tear.

So what should we use, synthetic or conventional mineral oil? The choice is yours. However if you have an expensive car (plus 15 lakh) and you intend to keep the car for an extend period you may not have much of a choice but to opt for synthetic oils.