How To Compare Synthetic Oils |
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Steve Tarini
25 October 2009
After being in several forums over the past few years reading all the debates out there about which synthetic oil is best, I have come to the conclusion that most people really are not taking the time to actually compare synthetic oils properly.
It's great that everyone has their favorite oil, but most comments that come out of these forums are biased to the user's own favorite oil when in fact they haven't used or tested other products.
If someone is really interested in testing two or more synthetic oils, it's really not that hard to do. Blind studies are always best, but sometimes that isn't always possible.
If you're looking for better performance then the first test should be a simple fuel mileage comparison. Before you install the first oil pull an accurate fuel mileage off your next two tanks of fuel. Switch your vehicle over and repeat the two tank test and record your results.
We won't get into a full discussion here about oil analysis, but for further proof of an oil's serviceability an oil sample should be taken. Some oil analysis companies sell these for about $20.00 and worth the investment.
Your fuel mileage test should reveal quite a bit about how good the oil is. I have seen test results vary by as much as 2 mpg. The bottom line here is the better the fuel mileage the less intra-fluid friction there is associated with the oil.
Less friction (better fuel mileage) means less heat, it's as simple as that. Checking fuel mileage cost you nothing and an oil sample is a very inexpensive test to further separate any oils that you test.
Warning! Beware of the big oil companies that do a lot of outside advertising such as getting naming rights to a football stadium. This is a sure fire sign that most of their money goes towards marketing an inferior product instead of investing in the technology to advance their product line.
Have you ever noticed that smaller more specialized companies always make better products? You know the ones that hardly ever advertise and stick with a very narrow niche and perfect it. These are the types of companies you want to do business with.
Put brand names aside and just run a simple fuel mileage test on every brand you can and make your decision based off of scientific test and not what an uninformed biased person on a forum says. You can use forums to exchange ideas, but when someone starts bashing one product in favor of another then chances are they have never used the product they are bashing.
We have tested over 10 different synthetic oils over the years and it's really a lot easier than it sounds. The real benefit once you decide on the right oil is reduced engine wear. With the oil we currently use we have seen engines well into the 500,000 mile mark without any overhauls. This is pretty amazing especially when we have witnessed several friends either having to buy a new car or have their engines rebuilt after 150,000 miles.
We hope this will settle the debate over which oil is best. Don't take everything so serious with all the information that is being passed around the internet. Do your own testing and decide for yourself.