Conventional vs. Synthetic Oil: What's the difference and why you should care

Both start with thick, dark crude oil that has to be refined to remove nasty, engine-damaging components. How it is refined is the difference.

1. ; Conventional oil: the old method

Conventional oil is refined by weight to produce a base stock used for oil and lubricants. Because it is refined only by the weight of its components, the oil retains some contaminants and loses some benefits: it is not a precise process. These contaminants can form harmful sludge and other by-products in your engine as the lubricant breaks down over time: ;

2. ; 100% Synthetic oil: an improved refining process

Synthetic oil is cleaner because it is divided into its components by molecular structure instead of by weight. This method removes more impurities and keeps more beneficial properties that can be also be tailored to specific applications. This is the key to superior performance in the lab and on the road. Blended synthetic oil is simply a mixture of conventional and synthetic oil, bringing the quality down and adding contaminants back into the oil at an unknown ratio--not necessarily 50/50. This is done solely to reduce the price, not to improve the product.

3. ; The value of Synthetics: keep your engines running better and your vehicles lasting longer

Let's be honest: synthetic oil is more expensive than conventional oil...because it's made of different stuff! ; Synthetics are worth it to protect engines that are only running hotter and demand more: ;

More info can be found at: https://www.amsoil.com/about/synthetic-versus-conventional.aspx/?zo=5029194