Why does non-synthetic oil still exist?

Simple. Regardless if oil is conventional or synthetic, if it meets SAE standards then the quality is the quality that it needs to be - & it's less expensive.

 

Even if it works?

The perfect lubricant you describe, one that would prevent all metal to metal wear, still needs to be changed periodically. In addition to lubricating, engine oil accumulates acids and particulates from combustion. You don't want to leave all that in there.

You could fill a toilet tank with Fiji water, but not flushing it would still be a bad choice.

 

On my 1937 Ford with original power train, I tried synthetic oil and it got on the points and the car died.
Thats why you still need to have dino oil available. The rear main seal did not exist. Front seal was a piece of rope. Rear axle seals were leather. There was a channel (rear main seal) and disc that literally slung the oil into the channel and back to the oil pan. There was no positive crankcase ventilation system, just a tube sticking down to the ground. Had there been a pcy system the recirculating synthetic oil would have fouled out the plugs.
Hope you understand those reasons.

 

If we had consumer protection laws designed to maximize the lifespan of vehicles and keep quality cars on the road that would be true. But Capitalism run amok is the exact opposite of that.

 

These days, there is very little distinction between synthetic and conventional oil.

Also, 0W-X oils practically always come in synthetic forms anyway; so, this is a moot issue.

Last but not least, according to American Petroleum Institute (API), “synthetic” is a marketing term, not a technical term. In Germany, they only allow Group IV and Group V base oils to be marketed as synthetic, but that is not the case in the US and elsewhere, and those oils are very hard to find in Americas.

 

you mean it isn't made in a lab from corn husks?

 

Not doing business with shops and dealerships who are overcharging and making up repairs that are not necessary does nothing to change their behavior. The threat of massive fines that could bankrupt their business will.

 

Restricting consumer choice just because something better exists, is the antithesis of American free market capitalism.

Maybe in parts of Canada . . . but I wouldn't guess that it would start in Alberta.

 

As if there is such a thing as a conventional or semisynthetic 0W-16 or 0W-8. Those SAE viscosity grades must be a full synthetic to meet the 15% API/ILSAC maximum spec for Noack volatility.

 

Funny how consumer choice only gets mentioned when its backed by well funded and obscene level of corrupt profiteering. In the US there's no such thing as free market capitalism with the amount of billionaire's ruling over their monopolies and getting out of anti-trust verdicts constantly. Instead we have a criminal racket that buries young people under a lifetime of debt just for them to get their basic health, housing and education needs met. The entire foundation of the United States was built on stolen land, genocide and indentured servitude and the same culture that celebrated that level of awful is alive and well today celebrating people losing Snap benefits and health care coverage they can no longer obtain/afford. It's a sick degenerate society masquerading in virtues that it doesn't actually have.

 

That sounds right out of the Karl Marx playbook. Speaking of genocide how many millions did the russian commie Socialists kill during the 1900s? All for a good cause. Admittedly the Chinese may have outdone them via comrade Chairman Mao.
Prime minister Margaret Thatcher said it best; "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money".
At is base - it's envy, one of the original sins, wanting other people's stuff. Reminds me of that famous YouTube video. 2 monkeys adjoining cages. One gets cucumber for a task/reward & the other gets a grape. Freak out time.
But of course, we digress. Seems the 1st recollection seeing multi viscosity oil was in the early 70s when I started driving (5w-30). So, multi viscosity doesn't necessarily have to be made synthetic (Natural Gas).
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There are 4 billionaires in Virginia. 879 out of 350,000,000 in the country. In 1900 John D Rockefeller's net worth was greater that the whole Federal budget. Does the richest man on Earth have the resources to cover the Federal budget today. The current credit card NATIONAL debt per Capita is $105,000. The problem is not billionaires it's vote buying with other peoples money.