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I used to think that Synthetic was the best choice (Mobil 1 etc.) but recently read that an Ester based Synthetic is even superior (AMSOIL, Motul etc.). What is the word on this? What are the pros and cons of running an Ester based Synthetic vs a Regular Synthetic?
The one reason I have heard is that Ester based Synthetics cling to metal much more so they offer more cold start protection and in the event of an oil failure will continue lubing the engine for a while much more effectively!
I haven't read up on Ester based synthetic oil but I've also recently read that even today's non full synthetic oils are quite good and can be used to replace full synthetic in many applications.
Ester based oils, if there were any, would offer only a miniscule amount of lubricity over a normal based oil. It will not give your engine any more life and it does not come without issues. In particular, any ester based oil does not handle moisture like cold start up condensate. It's quick to go to sludge as it can't handle moisture. So for the folks in the far north, it's going backwards to use it over a conventional based oil. It does a great job at supporting the additive package unlike most other synthetics that require a binder to make it work together.
You mentioned Amsoil for one. Amsoil is a GpIII "fake synthetic" as some would like to label the crude refined Gp III base oils. The base oil comes from Mobil/Exxon and the additive package comes from Lubrizol. Amsoil makes nothing, they are a blender meaning they buy the parts and assemble it, then bottle it....putting it in terms you might better understand. For a conventional engine, if you NEED extended oil changes, Amsoil is the ticket. If you have a direct unjected engine, NEVER attempt exxtended oil changes as fuel dilution will kill the engine and the warranty.
Redline by Gas Chromotography is 12% polyol ester. It is not an ester based oil despite advertizing BS. Advertising hype is how the big oil companies make their money. They make you believe you are getting a terrific product at cheap prices. NO base oil yields an advantage over any other. Any additive package that yields an advantage can also be made in all base oils yielding the exact, identical results. The ONLY advantage a synthetic brings to the game is SOME, but not all, provide more stability for the additive package. As an example, ASTM 5800 is a test that tells how an oil reacts to high heat. The oil is heated to 250C which is 478F for one hour. The fluid is then weighed to see how much of the volume was lost or cooked off. This is stability of an oil. Mobil One will come in at 10.1% cooked off, Castrol Edge at 11.1% and Lucas at 14.5%, all are synthetic based oils. Yet a common conventional, Pennzoil Yellow Bottle, yeah, the cheap stuff, comes in at 6.5%, all assuming a 5w-30. Obviously, the lower the number the better. So where's the "protection" everybody wants to throw out as a reason to buy a synthetic? The only "protection" is to the financial security of the oil company as they milk the unknowing from their money.
But to answer the question about ester based oils, there aren't any. The only one that WAS an ester based oil was G Oil. But their just about out of business and their quality and QC are pretty much in the dirt. Too bad, it was a great product and well worth the bucks even if you only used it once a year. Esters are fabulous at solvency and using an oil like G Oil would be like using a great oil with a great detergent package which would leave you with one clean engine inside. But that horse has broken out of the barn.
What are the pros and cons of running an Ester based Synthetic vs a Regular Synthetic?
For normal driving on a normal car the stuff is expensive and a waste of money IMO. What are you trying to achieve by putting this stuff in your car? As normal synthetic oil with a proper oil change interval will take your car to over half a million miles.
I actually tried this supposed super oil in an almost new Subaru back in the early 90s the result contrary to what was claimed had the stuff leaking through gaskets and engine seals and had to be replaced with normal oil within a month.
Good write up on the stuff from the guy who actually talked me into giving the stuff a try. http://www.ivtecdaily.com/maintenance/engineOil.html
OEM's tend to spec synthetic oils where they want extended oil change intervals, and occasionally in certain high performance applications where a conventional oil just doesn't hold up. So for purposes like that, a synthetic oil is demonstrably 'better'.
But in run-of-the-mill vehicles that we commute to work in? There isn't really any benefit unless you want to roll the dice on extended oil change intervals. Not worth it to me.
I like changing oil... because oil is cheap and easy to replace. Unlike engines.
As for 'group III' vs. ester? I seriously doubt anyone would notice a difference outside of some pretty specific testing. There have been group III oils shown to perform better than comparable ester oils and vice versa. That's going to come down to brand preference and personal judgment... nothing concrete.
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