Today’s roads are populated by more and more aging vehicles, a phenomenon that mirrors the world at large, where more people are pushing the boundaries of longevity and making up an increasing segment of the total population.
When the First Nationwide Transportation Survey was conducted in 1977, the average age of household vehicles was 6.4 years and the average pickup truck, even shorter at 5.6 years.
Fast-forward forty years later; the 2017 Nationwide Transportation and Housing Survey showed revealing figures: the average age of cars jumped to almost double at 10.1 years. It’s a trend shared by vans, pickups and even SUVs with a current average of 10.4 years.
There are a lot of reasons why people are keeping their cars longer. There’s obviously the economy as vehicle prices have continued to go up in an economy that has undergone serious fluctuations.
Then, there’s the much-improved automotive technology. Time was when keeping your car running beyond 100,000 miles on the odometer was rather unthinkable. Even if you wanted to, your car may just as well quit on you.
The technology has been a big game-changer so much so that today’s vehicles routinely break the 200,000 – 300,000 miles mark. It isn’t just the car itself that has drastically improved; it’s also what we put into it to maintain its shape and age gracefully. We’re talking about important stuff like engine oil for cars.
Let’s make a simple analogy here: the baby boomer stands to risk much and gain little by taking a vitamin supplement formulated for a millennial.
It doesn’t take rocket science to conclude that needs, bio-availability, nutrient absorption, and the like will vary according to one’s age. The same can be said of an automotive engine. Oil for cars will have to change with age.
And here’s where high-mileage engine oil for cars comes in. Some oils can be of more benefit to an aging engine if it has seal conditioners and enhancers that are gentler and even rejuvenating to internal seals and gaskets which become brittle and shrink with age.
Not much different with aging knees and joints, right? Sure, high-mileage engine oil for cars can be more expensive than a standard one but if your car’s engine isn’t leaking or burning oil due to intact seals, it’s worth it in the long run.
Many high-mileage engine oils are also formulated with detergents that remove sludge deposits – oxidized oil that build up and drastically affects engine performance. Kinda like taking antioxidants to combat your body’s free radicals if you think about it.
Moisture can get mixed into the oil and this can further contribute to sludge build-up and this is why some high-mileage engine oils also have dispersants added.
Finally, depending on the brand and formulation, there are even high-mileage engine oils that incorporate additives to further combat wear and tear, sort of like chromium supplementation to improve joint health.
If you want to keep driving your aging car for many more years down the road, do your diligent research. Find out what types of seals your car uses so you can match them with the high-mileage engine oil for car with the right additives. Your aging car will thank you for it.
