No car can continue running smoothly without regular maintenance, and few maintenance tasks do more for vehicles than oil changes. Motor oil lubricates your engine, keeps heat under control, cleans engine components, and prevents corrosion and rust from building up. But because even the best oil will eventually break down and get dirty, frequent oil change service is a must.

Of course, some types of oil will better meet your car’s specific needs than others. Here is a comprehensive guide to the oil types you can choose from (and advice on when to schedule oil changes for your vehicle).

What Oil Type is Best for You?

If you’re already planning for your next oil change, here are some popular oil types you’ll want to consider.

Conventional Oil

Also known as regular or standard oil, conventional oil is sourced from crude mineral oil (which is partially refined before reaching store shelves). This oil type is more popular than any other, and it’s not hard to understand why — it costs less than other oil products. On the other hand, conventional oil won’t protect your engine as effectively as full synthetic oil would, and you’ll need to schedule oil changes more frequently while using this product.

Full Synthetic Oil

In contrast to conventional oil, full synthetic oil is created in a factory or lab setting. As a result, this is a highly refined form of motor oil that can easily stand up to high temperatures and deliver a lengthy service life. However, even though full synthetic oil provides the best possible engine protection, these performance benefits come with a higher price tag.

Synthetic Blend Oil

If you want to enjoy the benefits of full synthetic oil while saving money on your next oil change, synthetic blend oil may be right for you. This product blends full synthetic oil and conventional oil; because of that, it sits between those two options in terms of pricing, performance, and life span.

High-Mileage Oil

Has your engine been in use for 75,000 miles or more? If so, it has an increased risk of issues like engine corrosion, leaking gaskets, and faster oil burn-off — but high-mileage oil can help. This oil type includes a mix of seal conditioners, cleaners, anti-corrosion agents, and viscosity modifiers designed to help aging engines deal with these problems.

Diesel Engine Oil

Though each oil type described above can get the job done in gas-powered vehicles, they aren’t intended for use in diesel engines. These engines collect more dirt and grime than gasoline engines, so they need a shorter oil change interval — and a specific type of oil. Thanks to its specialized mixture of additives, diesel oil is well-equipped to meet the challenges diesel engines face.

Creating an Oil Change Scheduleman checking his car’s oil change levels

By considering the pros and cons of each major oil type, you should be able to choose the right product for your vehicle. However, that alone won’t be enough to help you get the most out of your oil changes. You’ll also need to establish an oil change schedule, which involves more thought than simply following the 3,000-mile/three-month standard.

Consider things like the following when you’re putting together an oil change schedule.

The Oil You Use

As you know, different types of oil have different service lives. For example, if you use conventional oil in your vehicle, you’ll need to set up oil changes much more often than you would while using full synthetic or synthetic blend oil.

How You Drive

Being a severe driver can result in needing oil changes more often than you might expect — and there’s a surprisingly good chance that you fall into this category. Severe driving describes any type of driving that puts added strain on your vehicle, such as:

  • Traveling on dirt roads
  • Regularly towing a trailer
  • Driving long distances slower than 50 mph

While habits like these can put extra pressure on your vehicle, they aren’t outright dangerous. Still, you’ll need to compensate for them by making auto maintenance a higher priority (and that includes extra-frequent oil changes).

Your Vehicle’s Mileage

As a vehicle’s age and mileage increases, issues such as debris build-up can prevent it from using motor oil as efficiently as it once did. Additionally, newer engines typically benefit from recent advances in automotive design. Due to these two factors, older vehicles will almost always need oil changes more regularly than newer cars.

Get the Area’s Best Oil Changes

Once you’ve decided what oil type your vehicle should use and how often you need to take care of this service, there’s one more thing you’ll need to consider: where you’ll go for oil change service. When trying to find a reputable auto shop for oil changes and other maintenance tasks, Euless/North Richland Hills, TX-area drivers should look for businesses offering:

When you stop by Parra Car Care for an oil change, you’ll get all these benefits and more. If your vehicle is ready for this service, get started by scheduling an appointment online today!