OVERVIEW

With the winter months fast approaching, have you considered the benefits of upgrading your engine oil into a more robust synthetic product? There are advantages in moving from a conventional 15W-40 heavy duty engine oil into a full synthetic 5W-40 engine oil, and these advantages can far outweigh the additional costs from the lubricant.  Full synthetic 5W-40 offers better start up protection during cold weather winter months, as well as better heat resistance, and enhanced durability when compared to a conventional 15W-40, 10W40, or 10W-30 product.  Keep reading to find out what the 12 benefits to switching to 5W-40 engine oil are.

COLD PROTECTION

How does it offer better protection in cold weather?  

The most vulnerable time for your engine is during start up, when the oil has settled out.  At that time, there is no oil protecting the critical parts of the engine, but when you fire up that engine it starts the pumps and gets the oil flowing again. The amount of time it takes for the oil to warm up and flow properly through the engine is the same amount of time that the engine is experiencing increased wear. Synthetic products flow better and protect the engine faster at lower temperatures.  Synthetic oil base stocks are dewaxed as part of the formulation process, thereby giving them naturally lower pour points than conventional products.  

The pour point of a liquid is the temperature below which the liquid loses its ability to flow. 

HIGHER VISCOSITY

Due to the complex refining process, synthetic oils also have naturally higher viscosity indexes, improved resistance to oxidation (heat), and fewer chemical impurities.

WHAT ARE THE 12 BENEFITS TO SWITCHING TO 5W-40 ENGINE OIL?

Therefore switching to a full synthetic 5W40 can offer the following benefits: 

1. Better start up protection during the winter

2. Better heat resistance

3. Enhanced durability 

4. Reduced sludge and deposit formation

5. Improved high temperature performance

6. Reduced engine wear

7. Improved oxidation control

8. Longer oil change intervals

9. Reduced maintenance/labor costs

10. Reduced equipment downtime

11. Longer lifetime on parts

12. Fuel Savings of 1.5%

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of factors to consider when switching from a conventional product to a full synthetic, besides the upfront cost. In the long run, paying a little more upfront can save a lot down the road.