The best high mileage engine oil offers a lot of benefits to cars. Although it could be helpful to any vehicle, it provides great benefits to vehicles that have run 75,000 miles or over. But it also improves the efficiency of old car models that have run below the said distance.
With the vast array of benefits, high mileage engine oils could provide, you may be wondering what makes up the best high mileage engine oil. Here is an article to help you identify the qualities of the best high mileage engine oils:
1. High Viscosity Index
Viscosity or resistance to flow is one good quality of an engine oil, as it provides a thick film of lubrication. Generally, engine oils become thinner when the temperature increases, when this happens, the engine oil protection becomes subpar.
In choosing an engine oil, you may consider the product’s viscosity index as it tells you whether or not the engine oil could maximize its lubricating properties. This means that the more viscous an engine oil is, the better it lubricates the engine. You may need to carefully select from the best oil brands for high mileage engines.
2. Thermal Stability
This quality allows the engine oil to start in the polar opposites of temperatures, so the engine could start even in freezing temperatures. Because of this, car engines are less likely to stall, especially during winter trips.
On the other hand, the ability to function even in high temperatures allows engines to run, even during scorching weather. This way, the engine oil helps in decreasing the chances of overheating. If neglected, it could even lead to oil leakage, heavy thumping sound, and reduction of engine power.
3. Stable Oxidation
You need to choose the best high mileage engine oil that doesn’t react much to oxygen as much as possible. For this purpose, you could select from oils with stable oxidation. These products could decrease the dirt and sludge buildup, which may affect the engine performance in the long run.
Ignoring sludge buildup may result in the blocking of oil passages, which could lead to oil starvation. In turn, this may increase the possibility of damaged bearings and crankshaft journals. On the other hand, oils that allow excellent oxidation slow down the corrosion of the engine parts.
4. Slow Reaction To Corrosion
Although oil and water contact could be the most significant cause of oxidation and corrosion, the quality of engine oil still contributes to these processes. Because of this, you should consider picking the best high mileage engine oil that takes a long time before reacting to water-based substances.
In addition, a top-notch high mileage engine oil could provide anti-corrosion protection for your engine. This is because it slows down the filing up of dirt and rust in the machine’s underside.
5. Leak Resistance
Many high mileage engine oils contain additives and seal enhancers that quicken leak reduction. To pick which suits your engine well, you could compare the products and read reviews. This way, you’d identify the best high mileage oils that could work better on your engine and its parts. You could change the oil more often when your car engine has leaking issues for better results.
6. Oil Additives
You may also consider the oil additive that comprises the high mileage engine oil. The most exemplary types have seal swells, antioxidants, and conditioners that prevent leaks. In addition, they also have detergents and additives that give extra protection against wearing out. Top-quality engine oils could help the engine and its interior parts retain their original and excellent shape.
7. Long Oil Change Intervals
Changing oil is one of the car maintenance you need to do regularly. However, if you’re using high mileage engine oils, you have the option to have longer oil change intervals than the others. Except for cases when the engines need to address leaking issues, high mileage engine oils could be replaced every 7,500 to 15,000 miles.
However, it’d help if you still consider changing your oil on time because it may lead to further damages if it takes long intervals. You may need to manually check your engine oil once in a while to see whether it has gone entirely dark and thick because of debris.
In addition, you may also consider the following points:
- If your engine starts to burn your oil, you may need to change your oils as soon as possible.
- You could also prepare for a quick oil change if you have run a compression test.
- Lastly, you may need to replace the oil if you were using a filter of subpar quality as it may have collected a lot of residue and sludge buildup.
8. Reasonable Price
The pricing of the engine oils generally serves as the tiebreaker, especially if most oil products provide the same qualities. You may begin comparing the products with the same prices as which has the best and proven product features, such as higher viscosity and non-corrosion qualities.
You may also list down the cons and pros of each engine oil. This way, you could pick the product that gives the qualities you’re looking for in an engine.
9. Type Of Engine Oil
Each type provides you with a unique set of features that makes up an excellent engine oil. In considering this point, you may look closely into the following:
- Full Synthetic: This product has high-quality engine oil coupled with a cluster of additives that clean the engine’s interior and improve the car’s performance.
- Synthetic Blend: This could be a mix of two high-quality oils or a combination of one high-quality and one low-quality oil.
- Conventional: These oils have no extra additives to address leaks and corrosion. Yet, they’re cleaner than synthetic blend.
In A Nutshell
When it comes to extending the lifespan of a car engine, the quality of engine oil plays a major role. Fortunately, for old and used cars and vehicles that have reached 75,000 miles, there’s a range of high mileage engine oils to select from. If your vehicle has earned this milestone, you may consider choosing the best high mileage engine oil for your car. You may refer to this article for insights that could help you narrow down your choices and pick what suits your car engine best.
