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What Type of Motor Oil is Best For My Vehicle?

Motor Oil Formulations Made Easy

Let's start at the beginning.

Every bottle of oil regardless of brand starts with the base oil which makes up the largest portion of of the volume of the oil in that bottle. Once the base oil has been determined the manufacturer will introduce various chemical additives that determine the properties of the oil such as viscosity, detergency (ability to keep engine components clean) and oxidation protection.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) classifies base oils in a range from Group l to Group V.

Group 1 base oils are the least refined. They are usually a mixture of different hydrocarbon chains with little uniformity and are used in less demanding applications.

Group 11 base oilsare common in conventional non-synthetic oils and offer decent performance when it comes to wear protection, volatility, flash/fire point and oxidation stability but only fair performance in the area of pour point, viscosity retention and cold-cranking viscosity.

Group 111 base oils are composed of reconstructed molecules with good uniformity and stability (often called synthetic blend oil) that offer improved performance over a wide range of areas.

Group lV base oils are made from chemically engineered synthesized molecules called polyalphaolefins or PAO's that have excellent stability and molecular uniformity providing enhanced performance. PAO base stock are used in full synthetic oil.

Group V base oils are chemically engineered oils that are typically composed of esters, polyglycols and silicone. They are considered to be full synthetic oils but some Group V oils are not suitable for automotive use.

Oil quality can't be judged on the basis of its base oil only.

The more the crude petroleum is processed the better performance it provides. However because motor oil isn't just the base stock the final product may not match the performance one might expect when just considering the base stock group of a particular bottle of oil.

Some oils formulated with Group 111 base stock may outperform some Group 1V oils because the final formulation's combination of base stock and additives determines the total performance of any given bottle of oil.

The most important consideration when choosing any lubricant is that the base stock and additive combination has been formulated with the best available raw materials.

Being a privately owned and operated company AMSOIL isn't limited to any single supplier and sources raw materials from whoever is able to provide those of the highest quality with the performance characteristics desired for the particular application the lubricant is being designed for.

You need look no further than AMSOIL synthetic lubricants for an oil to meet the special requirements of your particular vehicle. Shop for motor oil here.