By Benjamin Jerew / Originally Published October 18, 2016 / National Automotive Parts Association / You probably already know you should change your engine oil every 3,000&hellip;{"id":9161,"date":"2016-10-26T09:28:17","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T16:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=9161"},"modified":"2016-10-26T11:26:11","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T18:26:11","slug":"oil-change-does-oil-quality-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/26\/oil-change-does-oil-quality-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil Change: Does Oil Quality Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5>By Benjamin Jerew \/ Originally Published October 18, 2016\u00a0\/\u00a0National Automotive Parts Association \/<\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You probably already know you should<\/span> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/knowhow.napaonline.com\/warning-skipping-an-oil-change-harmful\/\" target=\"_blank\">change your engine oil<\/a><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, and it\u2019s a job that even a green DIYer can do in about 30 minutes. It seems like such a simple job, and maybe you don\u2019t even think twice about what parts and supplies you\u2019re using. If you visit a mechanic for an oil change, what kind of parts and supplies may he suggest? Does oil quality matter to your engine or only to your wallet? Can\u2019t you just use whatever\u2019s on sale?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>How Does Oil Quality Differ?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can use any oil that meet the industry standard API class required by the manufacturer of\u00a0your car, but there are better options to protect your engine and help it last even longer. Engine oil is specially formulated to lubricate, clean and protect in an extremely harsh environment. Temperature can vary from -50 \u00b0F to near 300 \u00b0F in a matter of minutes. Oil is pumped through the system at up to 60 psi, squeezing through spaces as small as 0.0005 inches \u2014 just 12.7 \u00b5m or a quarter the width of a human hair \u2014 at which point the pressure skyrockets to hundreds of psi before dropping to zero and draining into the<\/span> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/napa\/en\/p\/STPGMP74A\/STPGMP74A?cid=social_blog_052016_oilpan\" target=\"_blank\">oil pan<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are dozens of engine oil brands and each carries a range of varying oil quality. Whether it\u2019s the cheapest conventional oil or most expensive synthetic blend, all engine oils are the product of specialized refinement. Additional processing gives each oil specific qualities \u2014 some engine oils contain up to 30 percent additives \u2014 such as higher resistance to oxidation (sludge) or improved stability in extreme temperatures. It\u2019s only logical that more refining and processing adds to the price of each quart of oil that you put in your engine.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Kind of Oil Should You Use?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When comparing oil quality, take note of its intended application and how you use your vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If your vehicle requires a synthetic oil, stick with what the manufacturer recommends.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If your vehicle doesn\u2019t require synthetic oil, conventional oil will do, but practically any engine can benefit from the detergent and lubricant qualities of synthetic oil.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you drive a high-performance vehicle, choose a high-performance oil.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If your engine is turbocharged, look for an oil rated for turbocharged engines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If your vehicle is older \u2014 the average vehicle in America is over 11 years old \u2014 consider a high-mileage formulation to improve lubrication and prevent deposits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As always, make sure you change your engine oil and oil filter regularly, depending on vehicle recommendations and how you use your vehicle. Using the right oil, you\u2019ll keep your engine running for years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For more information on oil quality and the best for your vehicle, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local<\/span> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/FindLocation\/find-a-location.aspx?target=autocare\" target=\"_blank\">NAPA AUTO PARTS store<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Photo Credit:\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freedigitalphotos.net\/images\/motor-oil--photo-p457482\" target=\"_blank\">Motor Oil<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">by<\/span> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freedigitalphotos.net\/images\/view_photog.php?photogid=2617\" target=\"_blank\">Naypong<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">(<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freedigitalphotos.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\">FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, National Automotive Parts Association. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more<\/span>\u00a0<\/i><strong><i><a href=\"http:\/\/knowhow.napaonline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">automotive tips and stories<\/a><\/i><\/strong><i>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">from NAPA, or here for more information on<\/span> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/event-info\/car-show-hours-dates\/\" target=\"_blank\">the next Pomona Swap Meet &amp; Classic Car Show<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":9162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[805],"tags":[3056,3475,5138,5136,5142,5133,3728,5140,88,3491,3026,5132,95,5139,3730,5141,4446,5137,5135,5134,5131],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Motor-Oil-by-Naypong.jpg?fit=894%2C468&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9nnZN-2nL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9161"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9161"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9163,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9161\/revisions\/9163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}