For many years, oil has been the lubricant of choice in internal combustion engines and equipment with many moving parts. While it still works well, newer synthetic lubricants offer benefits that can extend the vehicle's lifespan and are readily available from a synthetic lubricants dealer or your local auto parts store.
Synthetic Engine Oil
One of the first and most common synthetic lubricants people try in their vehicles is engine oil. Since the oil in most vehicles needs changing every three thousand miles, changing to synthetic engine oil at the recommendation of your local synthetic lubricants dealer is an excellent way to try these newer lubricants.
Synthetic oils are engineered to withstand more heat than standard engine oil, and because of that, they last longer and do their job better. Synthetic oil will often last nearly double the life of standard oil, meaning oil changes can be extended to six or even seven thousand mile intervals safely.
Synthetic engine oil also does a better job of reducing the heat within the engine, so potentially the engine will run a little cooler. If you are not sure which oil to purchase for your vehicle, you can talk with the synthetic lubricants dealer or your local auto repair tech about the options and which oil will work best in your engine.
Synthetic Transmission Oil
Several large lubricant companies are producing synthetic transmission oils that you can use in your vehicle in place of the standard fluid or oil that is in the transmission from the factory. Changing to a synthetic transmission oil requires the old oil to be drained, and the system should be flushed by a qualified transmission technician.
Like the synthetic engine oils, these transmission oils are engineered to work better and last longer. Since the average service interval of a transmission is fifty to one hundred thousand miles, changing the oil to a synthetic oil recommended by a synthetic lubricants dealer specifically for your vehicle could protect the transmission for the entire time you own the vehicle.
Other Lubricants
You can also change lubricants used in other parts of your vehicle to synthetic lubricants to optimize and protect the components. The oil in the differential of a truck is a good candidate, and while the gear oil in the case is heavier than engine oil, the synthetic counterpart can be a little lighter and more viscous, allowing the gearsets to move easier and remain lubricated.
The differential gears will experience less wear, stay cooler, and since they can more freely, you may even see a slight increase in fuel efficiency after going to synthetic gear oil.
Contact someone like an AMSOIL synthetic lubricants dealer to learn more.