4 Common Advantages that Synthetic Oils Offer Over Conventional Motor Oil

When you change your car's engine oil you have a lot of choices, including synthetic or conventional oil. Most people wonder what the benefits are of using synthetic, and if it's really worth the money. 

Conventional motor oil is a lubricant that is derived directly from crude oil. Synthetic oil actually begins its life as conventional oil and is modified to improve its protective and lubricant properties. One of these modifications is to restrict the oil molecules to a smaller, uniform size. This results in better surface area coverage. This is also how the oil becomes essentially finer and can introduce oil leaks that weren't present before using synthetic oil.

The most common advantages that synthetic oils offer over conventional motor oil are:

• Improved Lubrication - Most synthetic oils have added lubricants that increase the ability to keep engine parts slick, especially at high temperatures. This decreases wear in the long term, and may make your engine last longer.
• Better Stability - Synthetic oils are specially engineered to maintain their viscosity (thickness) at higher temperatures and over longer periods of time. This helps you prevent engine wear in several ways. It allows the oil to "stick" to engine parts more readily, providing better wear protection, as well as doing a better job protecting your engine from cold starts.
• Reduced Breakdown - Synthetic oils are less likely to break down, which means that many synthetic oils don't need to be changed as often as conventional oils. The additive package (Detergents, anti-foaming products etc.) is built to hold up to an extended oil interval.
• Fewer Deposits - As conventional oils break down, they often leave deposits on engine components. Mechanics refer to this as "sludge" or "scaling." This is common in engines that run for long periods of time, are driven hard or driven under tough conditions. As conventional oil breaks down, it sticks to different surfaces in the engine and "bakes on" just like cooking oil would in a frying pan.

Although the properties of synthetic oil are definitely superior, conventional oil will protect your vehicle's engine just as well if you follow the proper oil change intervals. At ArborMotion, we’ve always taken the stance that it’s best to change oil every 3 months or 3,000 miles for conventional oil and 5 months or 5,000 miles for synthetic oil. Vehicle manufacturers have been extending their oil intervals well beyond that. BMW/Mini for example suggest a 15,000-mile interval! We find that the vehicles that come in at that interval are low on oil and the oil is very dark.

Do your vehicle a favor by choosing the right oil and interval and follow that routine as closely as possible. As we like to say, it's cheap insurance!

Schedule an Oil Change Today with Foreign Car Repair Specialists in Ann Arbor

At ArborMotion, we specialize in foreign car repair in Ann Arbor. All our technicians are ASE certified and three have ASE Master Technician certifications. If you want a reputable technician who specializes in your brand of vehicle, schedule an appointment with us today.

Welcome to "Hitting the Apex!”

Welcome to "Hitting the Apex!” This is the first monthly blog where you’ll hear from me, Nick Pott, the Shop Operations Manager at Arbormotion. I’m the General Manager of Rennstatt Racing, the performance division at Arbormotion. We focus on high performance vehicle maintenance and repair, specializing in the Porsche marque. 

As the title of this blog represents, racing, specifically auto road racing, is a huge part of my life, and my first life passion. "Hitting the Apex" refers to the practice of putting your car in the best position on the race track when going through a turn. Hitting apexes equals speed and good lap times. I have missed many apexes in my racing career, and I have the lap times to prove it. This blog will not be solely focused on racing, rather a variety of information, thoughts, rants, inside info in car repair, and general musings of all things related to cars and car repair. 

Hope to see you the next lap around!

Department of the Month – Porsche Technicians

We’re slowly making our way through ArborMotion folks! 

We have technicians who work in the main shop but we also have two who work on Porsches in the back of our shop. This month, we’re going to focus on the Porsche techs! ArborMotion takes pride in our Porsche techs and customers. For more than forty years, ArborMotion has been servicing the Ann Arbor area with fantastic service not only your brand-new Porsches, but your vintage cars, racing cars and your daily driving vehicles. 

Many of our customers know that Nick Pott is in charge of our Porsche Department. But most people don’t know who is actually working on their vehicle. Who are the guys in the back making sure that your summer car is ready to go right when you are?

Let us introduce you to Tyler Berry and Joe Planck. These are the two Certified Porsche Technicians at ArborMotion. 

Joe Planck

Tyler Berry

If you read the newsletter two months ago, you might remember Joe Planck’s Buick Car of the Month. Joe has been working on cars practically his whole life! His grandpa had Porsches growing up and he would help him fix them. Joe went to school at Washtenaw Community College, where he studied Automotive Technician Repair Maintenance. He’s also Steering, Suspension, Electrical Systems and Electronics ASE Certified. Joe loves finding new things to fix and learning how to fix them on his own. No job is too big or too small! 

Tyler Berry has always been interested in cars but the mechanical side of things didn’t come until he was a senior in high school when his dad bought a 1964 Chevy 2 Nova that they transformed into a drag racing car. Since his dad was interested in classic American cars, Tyler decided to narrow his focus of interest to Porsche. Tyler loves working on engines and transmissions; the list of engines and transmissions that he has built is slowly growing every day. 

Everyone who brings their Porsches into ArborMotion can walk out knowing that their vehicle is in the best hands! The time and care that Joe and Tyler put into your vehicles always result in your vehicle leaving in better condition than when it came in. If you have a Porsche (or know someone with a Porsche) and you’ve being searching for a place to take fantastic care of your vehicle, look no further. ArborMotion takes great pride in our Porsche department and we have the best technicians to back that up. Next time you’re in, ask about the Porsche Department and take a look at the Porsches we have stored in the back! 

Porsche Service in Ann Arbor: Schedule Service Today with an ASE Certified Porsche Technician!

Our craftsmanship is driven by our expertise and dedication to the Porsche brand. Our facility has the right tools and equipment to work on everyday drivers or classic investments. Our team is prepared to service almost any Porsche in almost any condition. Call today to schedule Porsche service in Ann Arbor.

Mercedes Service in Ann Arbor

When looking to get your Mercedes Benz serviced, look no further! ArborMotion has been servicing Mercedes Benz for more than 30 years. Our technicians are trained to use the Mercedes Benz specific scan tool technology to diagnose and repair your vehicle. 

We use only Mercedes Benz OE and equivalent parts. As a result, we can warranty all repairs for two years with unlimited miles! 

Choosing ArborMotion to repair your Mercedes Benz gives you the following – 

• 2- year unlimited mile warranty on all repairs
• Certified Mercedes Benz technicians
• Mercedes Benz and OE parts
• Complimentary Mercedes Exclusive inspection
• Complimentary hand car wash with every service
• Complimentary daily door to door shuttle service
• Complimentary loaner vehicle by appointment
• Convenient Mercedes Benz service A & B 

ArborMotion has technicians and service advisers who go above and beyond the ordinary to make sure your vehicle leaves running better than when it came in. Our Mercedes Benz work is no exception. We’ll make sure to give it the luxury treatment that it deserves. You can count on technicians who care about every vehicle, so next time you need service, don’t hesitate to contact us! Feel free to talk to our service advisers about all the great things that come with a Mercedes Benz service appointment! 

We look forward to helping you properly repair and maintain your Mercedes Benz. Call (734) 761-1088 or schedule your Mercedes repair in Ann Arbor online.