There is a lot more to selecting proper oil for your car than meets the eye. Of course, there are the symbols on the bottle to guide you to making the right decision, but the majority of oil consumers do not know what they mean or take advantage of them.

Oil is the substance that lubricates and helps to cool down the moving parts in the engine of your car. It keeps them clean and seals the pistons in the cylinders so that the engine will not seize when running.

Without this sealant, the pressure would be lost in the piston chamber resulting in lower power and higher gas mileage. It has to be fluid enough to fill all of the gaps, but solid enough to stay where it is needed.

When examining a bottle, you will see a star indicating the oil has been tested and meets the standards of the American petroleum Institute. You will also see the two character service designation.

S.L. is a series of lab and engine tests that the oil has passed. These tests often include high temperature deposit tests. The star also indicates that the oil has passed these tests for S.L. service.

The American petroleum Institute do nut symbol indicates whether or not the oil meets the current SL service rating and the Society of Automotive Engineers viscosity number and tells you if the oil has passed energy conservation tests.

The viscosity should be selected according to the directions in the owner\'s manual of your car. Viscosity is the resistance of a fluid to flow when at 0 degrees F.

This number is represented by a \'W\' and then the viscosity when the oil is as 212 degrees F. Therefore, 20W-50 oil has more viscosity when cold and hot than 10W-30 oil.

Oil is similar to almost every other fluid in that as the oil heats it becomes thinner and when it cools it becomes thicker. The higher the quality, the more resistance the oil will have to thinning when warm and thickening when cool.

On the ratings, this translates to the higher the second number, the better the oil. Generally, 5W oils are recommended for winter because they will resist thickening.

However, synthetic oils can also be used even though they have a 0W rating. Even with these rating to help guide you on your path there are many different oils to choose from.

Premium conventional is recommended for the typical new-car. It has 1 S.L. and is offered in a variety of viscosity levels.

In addition to selecting good oil for your car, you must make sure that your car gets a thorough oil and filter change every 4000 miles or 4 months. The absolute minimum for getting an oil and filter replacement is twice a year.

Full synthetic oils are designed for high technology engines such as the Chevy Corvette or Mercedes-Benz. These oils have to pass even more thorough testing before they can be put on the market.

However, full synthetic oils have significantly higher and longer lasting performance results in preventing deposits. They flow more at low temperatures and are firmer at high temperatures in relation to normal oils.

These benefits have a direct correlation to the price of the full synthetics. Not all cars are recommended to use full synthetic oils because they are so expensive.

Synthetic blend oils are a nice alternative for those who would like something nicer than regular oil, but do not want to pay the price for full synthetic oil. The synthetic blend oil is synthetic mixed with organic and is designed to protect engine parts from heavier operations and higher temperatures.

These are less volatile and are less prone to evaporation. This results in reduced oil loss and higher fuel economy. Synthetic blends are recommended for trucks and sports utility vehicles.

The last type of common oils is the high mileage oil. Cars of today are living to reach the 75,000 mile mark with increasing frequency.

Almost 2/3 of the vehicles on the road are considered to be high mileage cars. High mileage oils specialize in sealing the conditions that flow into the pores of the seals to restore the seal\'s shape and flexibility. These also help the seals to continue re-swelling.

Taking proper care of your car by feeding it the right oil often can prevent many of the repair bills that will result from lack of proper treatment. Do some research to find out which oil is best for your car.