Whats the deal with synthetic vs. oil blends?
Dear Car Talk:  I really like the way you support us older gals who have to deal with car repair issues in a male-dominated industry. My question concerns how to keep my 2005 Ford Expedition, with 160,000 miles on it, running at its best well into old age. My usual oil-change place has recommended synthetic oil for quite a while, and I assumed that was best for an older vehicle, even though its more expensive. However, I recently tried out the Ford dealers Quick Lane oil-change option and asked for synthetic oil. They told me that they use a blend of synthetic and regular oil, and the bill was surprisingly low. This made me worry that in exchange for a lower price, I was shortchanging my vehicle by using mostly regular oil (since I didnt ask how much synthetic is in the blend). When I asked about it, I was basically given the dont worry about it, little lady response. Advertisement   Cowgirl Sue  Stick with the full synthetic oil, Sue. Synthetic oils outperform traditional oils in pretty much every performance category  including the all-important areas of viscosity and fluidity at colder temperatures. And while they cost more, they not only perform better and offer better protection to your engine, they also last longer, so you change your oil less often. So if youre interested in such things, youll also be disposing of less waste oil, which is better for the environment. If you had asked the Quick Lane guy to tell you how much synthetic oil is in the blend they use, hed probably have no idea. Dont worry about it, little lady is your clue that he doesnt know. Oils are not required to list their ingredients on the side of the container like salad dressings. So youre right to suspect that a low price probably means less of the good stuff. So unless the Quick Lane offers a genuine, full synthetic oil as an extra cost option, Id go back to your old guy and keep using the synthetic. Thatll give you the best chance of keeping your Expedition running well into old age  its old age and yours. Post questions online at CarTalk.com. (c) 2020 by Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman  Distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc.