You learn a lot of great things from your father and grandfather. Maybe it’s how to track a deer, change a tire, fix a leaky pipe, and perhaps how to change your oil. While we all learned a thing or two from our grandfathers, they has probably passed on a few myths regarding motor oil to you that we want to clear up. Nothing against your grandfather, we’re sure he was a wise man and he probably heard these myths from someone else anyway.
Myth 1: “You NEED to change your oil every 3,000 miles”
Grandpa’s motor oil back in the day wasn’t like some of the motor oils we’re blessed with in today’s age. Back in his day, yes it was important to change your oil every 3,000 miles. Today’s full synthetic oils are NOT your grandfather’s motor oil. The best full synthetic motor oil doesn’t need to be changed until it reaches the 10,000 mile mark. That’s a far cry from your grandfather’s 3,000 miles. If you’re feeling dangerous (there’s nothing dangerous about it) you can extend the life of your motor oil by adding a Frantz Bypass Filter to your vehicle. Heck, those have been around since your grandfather owned his first car.
Myth 2: ”Additives are snake oil!”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the saying “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” came about the same time oil additives began hitting the market. I’m sure my old man was one who turned his nose up to them back in the day. Understandably, if your motor is running fine, why would you put a foreign substance into the motor in the first place? Even though some additives are designed to fix particular problems, they can open the door for significant performance gains as well. Today’s additives have been proven to increase fuel economy and horsepower, plus provide added protection of engine components.
Myth 3: Stick with the big brands”
A common myth is that the bigger the brand the better the oil. The reality is that these motor oil products from the big brands are nothing but a headache for them. To them, it’s just getting rid of the byproduct of gasoline production and nothing more. There’s not much research and development going on, you’re essentially buying their trash. Smaller, niche brands actually put the time and effort into the product, it’s not just an afterthought to them. At Hot Shot’s Secret, we pride ourselves on being powered by science. We have internal research and development that are dedicated to creating the best product and not just an afterthought. Remember, oftentimes bigger isn’t always better.
Myth 4: “The ‘W’ in the oil name stands for weight”
A very common misunderstanding in the world of motor oil is that the “w” in the name represents the weight of the oil. Some people believe the higher the number at the end of the name, the heavier the oil. For example someone using a 15W40 oil might simply refer to that oil as a “40 weight” oil when in fact, the ‘W’ actually stands for the cold weather viscosity of that particular oil. Oil properties change as temperatures fall, so the last two digits of an oil’s name tell you how that oil will perform, from a viscosity standpoint, during the colder months.
Myth 5: “Don’t spend money on those fancy, expensive oils!”
Much like myth 3, motor oil isn’t all the same. Do your research and please do not put the cheapest oil you can find into your motor. Think about it, this is the lifeblood of your vehicle. Do you really want to put the cheap stuff in it? All motor oils are not created equal, and spending a few more bucks here and there will pay dividends down the road. If you want the best oil money can buy, look into our Blue Diamond line of engine oils. Made of pure poly-alpha olefin (PAO) oils that require a very small amount of viscosity improvers to meet the weight specifications. This allows our diesel synthetic oil to be loaded with more longevity and performance additives, keeping the oil cleaner longer and providing better mileage and horsepower plus the infusion of our patented FR3 Nano-Technology and CK-4 additive package provides unsurpassed levels of longevity and performance.
We can all agree that our grandfathers have been right about a lot of things over the years, and most of us wouldn’t be where we are today without their advice. However, times have changed and the science behind motor oil certainly has too. Some of these myths might have been more true in his day than they are today, but each one of them have clearly been proven wrong.