Synthetic Oil Change

It’s Never Too Late For Your First Synthetic Oil Change

Or perhaps we should say, it’s never too late to switch to synthetic oil. You may have been hearing that you can’t switch to synthetic oil if you’ve been using conventional oil for years. Well, it’s just a myth. If you have been putting conventional oil into your car, you can try synthetic oil when it’s time for your next oil change. You just can’t add synthetic oil when you already have conventional oil in your engine. It needs to be drained first. And if you’ve been using it all along and are a newcomer to the Parkside BC area, we invite you to come to our state-of-the-art facility when you need a synthetic oil change. We are Harris Oceanside Chevrolet Buick GMC in Parkside, and we’re but a short drive from Qualicum Beach, Nanaimo, and Nanoose Bay.

How Often Should You Change Your Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic oil doesn’t have to be changed as frequently as conventional oil for two reasons.

• Number one, this is because being developed in a lab, it contains no organic compounds that break down into grime and sludge that gum up the engine. So it lasts longer.
• Another reason is that the stability of synthetic oil’s molecular structure isn’t affected by temperature changes.

These qualities allow auto manufacturers like General Motors to increase the interval between recommended oil changes for cars using synthetic oil. And this takes us to the question of how often you should change your synthetic oil. Most automakers recommend intervals of anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000. The reason for such a broad estimate is that change frequency depends on the conditions in which the car is driven. If you drive in “unfriendly” conditions such as construction areas with lots of dust or on unpaved roads, your tires will stir up debris and dirt that will find its way into the engine. And so you should adhere to the more frequent intervals. This is also the case if you use your truck for towing. However, the actual distance is vehicle-specific, so you should consult your Chevrolet, Buick, or GMC owner’s manual. You can also ask one of our knowledgeable service advisors when you visit for your next scheduled maintenance. And by the way, if you’re in a rush, we offer an express service wherein our certified technicians can perform your synthetic oil change while you wait in our comfortable waiting area and enjoy a complimentary coffee and snack or grab it to go.

What’s Synthetic About Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic oil is made up of man-made chemical compounds that, depending on the brand, may or may not include chemically modified petroleum compounds. However, virtually all use a distilled oil base. However, these base oils are of a higher quality than conventional oil. Because of these high-quality base oils, synthetic oils have more chemical stability, maintain their lubricating ability longer, and are less prone to oxidation or acidification.