by Tammy Williams
VehicleMD Staff Writer
Originally published in Summer 2010 Issue

As vehicles age, they change just like people do; so, it is important to take special care of an aging car. There are many vehicles on the road today that have more than 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them, and the average car on the road is more than nine years old.

One way to take special care of older vehicles is with high mileage motor oil. It is recommended to start using high mileage motor oil when the odometer clicks past 75,000 miles (120,000 km). For those motorists who like to get the top level of performance, there are full synthetic high mileage motor oils available.

One of the main functions of motor oil is to cool the engine. So, oil must to be able to withstand high temperatures. If the oil can’t take high temperatures, it will break down and form deposits in the engine, making the engine temperature rise.

There are also some unique problems that high mileage vehicles experience as opposed to newer vehicles. They tend to suffer from oil consumption.

Oil consumption can be caused by a number of factors such as shrunken engine seals or worn engine parts. Oil consumption can show up in a couple different ways. You may see spots of oil on your driveway, or you may see nothing. You may just find that when it comes time to change the oil, the oil level is down a bit.

A few decades ago, motorists would check their oil level at every tank fill up. Now, almost nobody looks at the oil level until it is changed. So, it is much more critical to use an oil that helps reduce consumption to ensure you’re not running low. Oil consumption puts strain on the oil. If your engine level is a quart low, there is a lot more stress on the oil.

“The oil circulates through the engine, and it gets some time to rest and get away from the heat when it gets down into the oil pan,” said Thom Smith, technical director for Branded Lubricants with Valvoline. “However, if you are a quart low, it doesn’t get the chance to rest and recover.”

This means the oil is always being stressed and always at a high temperature. This causes the oil to wear out more quickly. When the oil wears out, that’s when deposits and wear start showing up. These will ultimately lead to a shorter life for your engine.

Is the increased cost of high mileage motor oil really worth the expense? Think of it this way — you put more money into the oil to get more value out of the engine. Your engine is going to last longer if you take care of it, and one of the best ways to take care of it is to use an oil that is designed specifically for a high mileage engine.