Engine oil is a necessary component for a healthy vehicle. Keeping your car’s oil clean and full helps the engine run smoothly and safely. You already know that an oil change is a routine part of vehicle care, but how much do you know about the different types of oil available? Both synthetic and conventional oil help keep your engine lubricated and effective, but there are key differences between the two products. Learn more with our guide on synthetic vs. conventional oil: what’s the difference?

What Is Synthetic Oil?

Conventional oil—the traditional engine oil product—comes from refined crude oil. Synthetic oil, on the other hand, is a man-made product that consists of chemical compounds and other components. As a result, synthetic oil replicates all the best features of conventional oil while eliminating contaminants and other unwanted components.

How Different Oils Affect Your Engine

Conventional oil is an effective lubricant to keep your engine running smoothly, but it isn’t as clean or as refined as synthetic oil. As a result, conventional oil can leave a more significant buildup of sludge and contaminants faster than synthetic oil. Synthetic oil also performs better in both low and high temperatures. All in all, synthetic oil leads to a smoother engine with fewer contaminants and better overall performance than conventional oil.

Following Engine Oil Best Practices

While learning the difference between synthetic vs. conventional oil is important, it’s even more essential to learn how to take care of your engine’s oil. Routine oil changes help keep your oil levels full and your engine clean of contaminants no matter what type of oil you use. Conventional oil needs changing around every 3,000 miles, but synthetic oil will last until around 6,500 miles.

Shopping for auto parts and products online makes it easy to keep up with routine maintenance. You can buy oil filters online at Auto Value, where our collection of oil and oil-related products will help your engine run cleanly and smoothly mile after mile.