You are probably wondering about the best oil to put in your vehicle. But the most important factor to consider is actually not the brand. You have to carefully check the specification to determine whether a product will work well or not. Besides, your vehicle has a lubrication system that has been designed to work specifically with a particular type of oil. Deviating from the recommended choice may put risks to your engine. Still, let’s now see the differences between Castrol GTX vs Quaker State to help you choose the best oil for your car.
Why Changing Oil is Important
Changing your vehicle’s oil is one of the most important parts of the routine maintenance. An oil change involves the removal of the old oil from your vehicle’s engine. Then, you replace it with new, fresh oil. More often than not, the engine oil filter is also changed at the same time.
Oil is important because it functions to reduce frictions and absorb heat. You see, automobile engines have a lot of moving parts that move and rub against each other. The contact creates a friction, which, in turn, causes heat. The frictions can also wear down the moving parts. In order to make sure that the engine runs smoothly and lasts for a long time, you need to reduce the frictions and prevent overheating. You use oil to lubricate the moving parts so that the frictions and heat can be reduced.
However, over time, engine oil also breaks down and wears out. At this moment, the engine oil has become less effective in lubricating the parts and absorbing the heat. You need to change the oil before it breaks down and causes engine problems. Generally, mechanics recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles, whereas some manufacturers may recommend a longer interval such as 5,000 miles. But special synthetic oil can last for 10,000 miles without an oil change.
About Castrol GTX
Now, to compare Castrol GTX vs Quaker State, let’s first see more about Castrol GTX. The company claims that the Castrol GTX oil is a specially engineered oil formula that can prevent the harmful and damaging buildup of sludge and oil deposits. You see, difficult driving conditions such as traffic jams, harsh weather conditions, and poor fuel quality can cause a buildup of thick tar-like sludge. Exceeding the oil change interval can also lead to the buildup of sludge. If left untreated, the buildup can reduce the power and efficiency of the vehicle’s engine. Ultimately, it can also completely kill the engine.
This oil features the Castrol GTX Double Action formula, which is able not only to lubricate the engine and absorb heat, but also to clean away old sludge buildup and prevent new sludge formation. It is said to be better than the industry standards. (See also : Castrol GTX vs Edge)
Benefits of Castrol GTX
Castrol GTX uses premium quality base oils that are enriched with anti-wear additives to extend the lifetime of your engine. It can greatly minimize the frictions and make the engine run very smoothly. You can feel the difference if you compare this engine oil to the traditional engine oil. Furthermore, as mentioned above, this engine oil is specially formulated for enhanced treatment and protection against sludge buildup. By increasing its resistance to viscosity breakdown and thermal breakdown, it can also help to minimize oil consumption.
Note that Castrol GTX is a semi-synthetic oil formula. It uses both synthetic and conventional oils with the same viscosity. Contrary to the popular belief, synthetic and conventional oils can actually flow in the same manner, provided that they have the same viscosity.
Castrol GTX is especially great for old engines and high-mileage vehicles. The oil can adhere to parts for a longer time to ensure extended protection. It can make the engine stay lubricated even after a long period of sitting. You will find little to no trouble to start the engine. Hence, this is an excellent choice for antique cars and winter vehicles.
Weakness of Castrol GTX
Perhaps the weakness of Castrol GTX is that the company’s website is pretty vague with the specifications of the oils. You can’t really tell for precise the flow/viscosity numbers and TBN. But the engine oil is indeed available in several grades, including 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40, and 20W-50.
About Quaker State
To compare Castrol GTX vs Quaker State, we will now see the details of Quaker State. Quaker State is said to be the company’s most powerful formulation. It aims to provide extreme engine performance and enhanced protection against deposits so that your engine can operate at the maximum power. Unlike other competitors on the market, Quaker State has gone further by creating a full synthetic oil formula. It is designed especially for older vehicles, so there is some trade-off between price and performance. It has received quite a lot of positive reviews from users who use this engine oil on vehicles with 200,000 – 300,000 mileage.
Benefits of Quaker State
Quaker State has listed quite a lot of benefits. It claims to be able to bring more power to your engine and extend the engine lifetime. It has heat-activated viscosity improvers and anti-wear additives to maintain the oil’s qualities during operation. It also claims to have enhanced lubrication flow that can perform even in below freezing temperatures. It has great resistance to oxidation and protection against corrosion. Its formula effectively prevents the formation of sludge and deposits.
Weakness of Quaker State
However, the Quaker State oil formula has also been criticized by some people due to the weak list of starting base numbers. Some people even consider that the old saying “you get what you pay for” applies to this oil. It is one of the cheapest oil brands indeed, and the specification is considered as low-quality.
Conclusion
Between Castrol GTX vs Quaker State, we recommend you to choose Castrol GTX. It is an excellent formula that effectively lubricates the engine, cleans the buildup, and prevents the forming of new buildup. It is an excellent choice for new as well as old, high-mileage vehicles. It is also great for cars that are not used frequently due to its ability to adhere to the parts for a long time. Quaker State seems good, but the formula is considered as low-quality by some people due to the weak base numbers.