Regular maintenance is a sure way to keep your car running at an optimal level. Regular maintenance, such as oil changes, can also extend the life of your automobile and save you a lot of money in the long run. But, even auto repair and maintenance is not without controversy. In fact, even if you change your own oil you have to decide whether to use synthetic oil or refined natural oil. It does not take a NASCAR pit crew chief to tell you that synthetic oils are also fairly expensive. Quick oil change outlets are also keen to extol the benefits of synthetic oil, but at a premium. This of course begs the question: is synthetic oil worth the extra expense?

The short answer is: yes, synthetic oil is absolutely worth the few extra bucks. First, a bit of background; synthetic lubricants are manufactured in a lab environment whereas natural oil is pumped out of the ground and subsequently subjected to a refining process. No matter how advanced the refining process, mined oil will contain contaminates that can build up on your engine parts. Because synthetic oils are synthesized in a laboratory environment it has no particulates that can contaminate your engine. Furthermore, the lack of natural substances makes synthetic oil a much more eco-friendly burning process.

In addition to a cleaner engine and environmentally friendly properties, synthetic oil is also generally more viscous than naturally mined and refine lubricants. Viscosity is the relative thickness and robust nature of the oil and largely dictates how well it will protect metal-on-metal contact. Because synthetic oil is manufactured with higher viscosity it will better protect your engine and will usually last longer in your powerplant system than non-synthetic oils.

The benefits of synthetic lubricants have been well known among professional auto mechanics for years. These days, synthetics are readily accessible by everyone and although they are more expensive; they will help better preserve your engine from contaminants and increase the life of your automobile.