ENGINE LUBRICANTS: SYNTHETIC OR MINERAL? THE BETTER CHOICE DEPENDS ON VEHICLE USAGE.
There seems to be a lot of uncertainty over what type of lubricants one must use in vehicular engines, transmission, and gears.
While synthetic lubricants have a longer usability and fuel efficiency than the usual mineral-based lubricants, there are technical nuances to keep in mind while choosing them for your vehicle.
Engines
If the concerned engine is of an off-highway vehicle that is involved in intermittent driving, that requires the shutting and starting of the engine at short intervals, then, that increases the water content in your engine lubricant, leading to its weaker performance over time. This requires you to change your engine lubricant more frequently, which directly undermines the need for long-term synthetic lubricants. Thus, in these cases, using mineral-based lubricants is sensible. Off-highway vehicles are those that usually used in agriculture, mining, and construction, and include tractors, cranes, backhoes, forklifts, certain SUVs, and the like.
In the opposite case, on-highway vehicles that are involved in longer, continuous driving, do not have engines that suffer from too much water contamination and, hence, don’t require too many lubricant changes. These engines need lubricants with longer drain intervals, better fuel efficiency, and, therefore, less changes, which contribute to reducing the costs of maintenance. That’s why synthetic lubricants are used for the majority of vehicles, and that’s why they are priced higher than mineral-based ones.
Gear & Transmission
The same principle applies to lubricants for gear and transmission. If the system is intermittent instead of continuous, it will have more water dilution, and you will need cheaper mineral-based lubricants that are changed quickly. If the system is the other way around, you will benefit from synthetic ones.
Other advantages of synthetic lubricants
Synthetic lubricants are artificially created as per certain manufacturer requirements, and therefore are purer, refined versions of simple, mineral-based lubricants.i As such, their performance is more uniform and controlled, and they can operate well in extreme temperatures. They maintain viscosity and resist oxidation at higher temperatures, and are fluid enough in cold temperature environments, helping with start-up and wear protection. Synthetic lubricants are also effective in inefficient worm gear sets, as they deliver better frictional performance and energy efficiency. This better frictional performance and efficiency is due to their superior viscosity film strength and higher base numbers.ii
How Synthetic Oil is Made
