What are the Different Kinds of Motor Oil?

There are several different kinds of motor oil that serve a range of different purposes. Here are some of the different types of motor oil you may run across:

Conventional Motor Oil

You'll see conventional motor oil a lot, as it's a standard when it comes to engine oils. There are two kinds that we will mostly run in to: 5W-20 and 5W-30. There is also a third type of conventional oil, 10W-30 that is more common in places that have a climate with a fairly high baseline temperature. With these oils, you'll likely be looking at an oil change every 3,000 to 5,000 miles or every 3 to 4 months. Make sure to call our specialists in our auto service department in Rochester, MN to get specifics on what oil type and change frequency your vehicle needs.

Synthetic Blend Oil

Synthetic Blend motor oil takes two different types of oil and meshes them into one, very useful, motor oil type. Synthetic blend oil is used primarily in situations where you have a heavier load on the vehicle's engine, such as a pickup truck like the Ford F-150 or a sports utility vehicle such as the Ford Explorer. With a mixture of synthetic and regular oil, the synthetic blends help your engine run even cooler, offering more protection.

Full Synthetic Motor Oil

Full synthetic motor oil is often used for vehicles with intense tech built into the engines. These vehicles are usually luxury vehicles that require special features and cooling abilities that only synthetic oil can provide. Often, synthetic motor oil comes with a higher price tag, which is why it's uncommon to see this kind of oil used in most standard vehicles.

High-Mileage Oil

If your vehicle's odometer clocks in at over 75,000 miles, this is likely a motor oil type you'll be using. This type of oil helps with leak prevention and more specialized cooling that's needed in older engines, preventing additional wear on the motor.