Often times we get asked by our customers: Which base oil do you use for your products?

There are no designations for end users to know what specific base oils the oil formulator has used, so the question is a bit academic in nature. We would never be able to tell if we were purchasing a Group IV (PAO) engine oil vs. a Group V (Ester) engine oil.

The answer: Shenzo Racing Oil products uses combination of PAO and Ester base oil. 

Why?

Simply from a chemistry standpoint, PAO + Ester is better than PAO only because PAO will break down or becoming unstable at higher temperatures in comparison to ester. However, PAO maintains high compatibility with mineral oils, which means more compatible to most of the cars on the street now. When we combine the high temperature stability of ester and PAO, we get the benefits from both worlds. As a result, we get a product which last longer mileage, breaks down slower, dissolve deposits better, able to withstand higher temperature and stay compatible with most of the cars.

Most "full synthetics" are PAO only. Why? It is more affordable to produce and offers most of the advantages that people are thinking about when they think about synthetic oils. Only a handful of companies produce an ester + PAO combination. Ester only oils are not exactly a solution either because they have problems with compatibility. This is a common situation with automobiles today, and is significant.

Another significant problem is that ester gets saturated with water easily and becomes unstable. Otherwise, if compatibility is not something in your concern list then an ester is a high quality choice for your car.