{"id":572,"date":"2019-02-15T14:52:54","date_gmt":"2019-02-15T14:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/?p=572"},"modified":"2019-02-15T14:52:55","modified_gmt":"2019-02-15T14:52:55","slug":"different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Different Cars Need Different Types of Oil: How to Choose the Right Oil for Your Oil Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Regularly changing your oil is one of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/wonderopolis.org\/wonder\/why-do-you-change-the-oil-in-cars\">important parts of car maintenance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Modern engines have thousands of moving parts. If they aren&#8217;t properly lubricated, you can cause serious damage.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve never worked on a car before an oil change is a great place to start. It&#8217;s easy to figure out and requires just a few tools.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s dig a little deeper into oil changes and how you can figure out what types of oil your car can use.<\/p>\n<h2>What Oil Weight and Type Means<\/h2>\n<p>If you walk down the engine oil aisle at your local auto shop, it can be a little overwhelming. The modern system of engine oil numbering measures an oil&#8217;s viscosity and ability to work under different conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Pick up a bottle of oil and you&#8217;ll see a number on the front in a format like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>5w-30<\/li>\n<li>10w-20<\/li>\n<li>etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The first number refers to the oil&#8217;s low-temperature&nbsp;viscosity. The lower the number, the better it will perform during a cold crank at low temperatures.<\/p>\n<p>The second number refers to its viscosity at operating temperature. The lower the number, the thinner the oil is at operating temperatures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Synthetic vs Conventional Oil<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest decisions to make is whether to use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/cro\/news\/2015\/07\/when-should-you-consider-synthetic-oil\/index.htm\">conventional or synthetic motor oil<\/a>. Both are petroleum products, but there are significant differences in their properties.<\/p>\n<p>Conventional oil has been used in cars since the&nbsp;car&#8217;s&nbsp;invention. It provides good lubrication but has a shorter lifespan than synthetic oils.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Synthetic oil is great for high-performance vehicles. It&#8217;s also recommended in areas with either very hot or very cold temperatures.<\/p>\n<p>This is because its viscosity maintains its properties longer than conventional oil. If you have an older vehicle, it also helps prevent sludge and other deposits from building up.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the type of car you drive, you may be <em>required<\/em> to use synthetic oil. In general, though, synthetic is two to three times more expensive and should only be used if required.<\/p>\n<p>There are also blends of conventional and synthetic oil. These give you some of the benefits of synthetic oil at a lower cost.<\/p>\n<h2>Common Types of Oil<\/h2>\n<p>Your car&#8217;s manual will tell you the exact grade of oil you should use.&nbsp;Within the actual grade of oil there are a lot of other choices to make.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the age and condition of your car, you may want to switch to a high mileage variety. These are designed to provide the best viscosity and function for older engines.<\/p>\n<p>They help prevent engine crud buildup and can reduce wear.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you always follow your manufacturer&#8217;s recommendation for how often to change your oil. The old &#8220;three months or 3000 miles&#8221; rule isn&#8217;t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/151\/oil-change-frequency-is-it-really-every-3000-miles\/\">accurate for every vehicle<\/a> these days.<\/p>\n<h2>Always Perform Regular Maintenance<\/h2>\n<p>Changing your oil on a regular basis is essential for engine longevity. Choosing the right types of oil for your car is an important part of this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you liked this guide, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/category\/diy-auto-repair\/\">other useful articles<\/a> on engine maintenance and repair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you ready to get an oil change but got a new car? You&#8217;ll need to know the types of oil it likes and dislikes. <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17,4],"tags":[86],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.2.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Different Cars Need Different Types of Oil<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you ready to get an oil change but got a new car? You&#039;ll need to know the types of oil it likes and dislikes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Different Cars Need Different Types of Oil\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you ready to get an oil change but got a new car? You&#039;ll need to know the types of oil it likes and dislikes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TheUSAutoRepair.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-02-15T14:52:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-02-15T14:52:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/types-of-oil.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Auto Repair Help\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TheUSAutoRepair.com\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/TheUSAutoRepair-New-Logo.png\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":150,\"caption\":\"TheUSAutoRepair.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/\",\"name\":\"TheUSAutoRepair.com\",\"description\":\"Auto Repair Info for the US and beyond\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/types-of-oil.jpeg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1333,\"caption\":\"types of oil\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/\",\"name\":\"Different Cars Need Different Types of Oil\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-15T14:52:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-15T14:52:55+00:00\",\"description\":\"Are you ready to get an oil change but got a new car? You'll need to know the types of oil it likes and dislikes.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#\/schema\/person\/79722d9fdb7f4c0e9cb47007104ce118\"},\"headline\":\"Different Cars Need Different Types of Oil: How to Choose the Right Oil for Your Oil Change\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-15T14:52:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-15T14:52:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#webpage\"},\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#primaryimage\"},\"keywords\":\"types of oil\",\"articleSection\":\"Auto Maintenance,DIY Auto Repair\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/572\/different-cars-need-different-types-of-oil-how-to-choose-the-right-oil-for-your-oil-change\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#\/schema\/person\/79722d9fdb7f4c0e9cb47007104ce118\",\"name\":\"Auto Repair Help\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8da275ce1ff43c1d14a05eeb0ac442e1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Auto Repair Help\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":579,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions\/579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}