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The many types of oil on the market can be bewildering to the average consumer. Each oil brand has a certificate next to it verifying its excellent performance and the number of awards it has won in the racing world. Should the average car owner dump his recommended car manufacturer’s oil and go for these newer oils with all the bravado surrounding them?
For the car owner who is confused by all the oil jargon, media hype and the boastful but tactful claims, the answer is simple. Always acquire the oil brand that is suggested by the vehicle manufacturer’s specification and requirements, and change the oil according to the recommended timetable. This will provide you with less grief and your car will function to its maximum performance for a long time. However, for those who fall for the bragging claims of the newer oils and diverge from the manufacturer’s recommendation, there are a lot of surprises in store, none of them good.
The Purpose Of Oil
The oil in an automobile has several functions. It prevents all metal surfaces from grinding against each other and being destroyed by friction. It cools the engine while it’s running. It binds to all the harmful by-products of combustion (e.g. silica and acids) and prevents them from jamming or clogging the engine. The oil also continually coats the metal surfaces keeping them clean from these dirty by-products. Finally, the oil decreases the contact of the metal surfaces to oxygen and therefore reduces oxidation that can occur at tremendously high temperatures in the combustion engine.
Multiviscosity
Car oil is a mixture of many chemicals. Unrefined oil without the use of additives and blenders would lead to a poor performing automobile. In cold weather, oil tends to become thick and viscous and in the hot summer, oil becomes thin and runs like water. In previous decades, car owners had to change oil several times a year to accommodate the season.
Since the 1980s, multiviscosity oils were designed, so the consumer no longer has to worry about using different oils each season. All oils have a variety of additives to handle the stress of modern day engines. To trap impurities in the oil, a wide variety of detergents are added. To improve car performance at high temperatures, polymers are mixed. Other products which are commonly found in the oil include molybdenum to reduce friction in critical areas and seal conditioners to prevent oil leaks.
All Those Numbers
Over the years, many numbers and letters have been etched onto cans to indicate the properties of the oil inside. The current day numbering system of oils was established by the Society of Automobile Engineers who created a way to quantify the viscosity of oil. All oils have a few character descriptions on the containers such as 10W20. The W stands for winter. The number before the W indicates the viscosity when the oil is cold and the number after the W is the viscosity when the oil is warm. The higher the number, the heavier or more viscous the oil.
One should not select an oil higher than that recommended by the car manufacturer. With advances in car technology, the use of heavy oils is now a thing of the past. The modern car engines we have today have superior clearances in between parts and lighter oils are better able to coat these areas. Plus, the lighter oils also help improve the performance and the fuel economy.
Synthetic Or Conventional?
Today, there is also a question as to which oil is better: synthetic or conventional? While there is no doubt that synthetic oils do offer more engine protection, their use is not justified for the average car owner. In most cases, synthetic oils are meant for people who race cars.
Change Is Good
For car owners the next big question is when to perform an oil change. The auto carmakers suggest every 3000 kilometres, whereas some environmentalists recommend going as much as 10,000 kilometres between changes. The answer to this question depends on your driving habits. If you drive more than 15 kilometres at a time or are often driving on the highway, you can get an oil change anywhere from 7,000 to 12,000 kilometres. A few thousand miles will not make any difference. If you drive less than 10 kilometres at a time, (such that the car engine does not get hot enough to heat the oil and evaporate the moisture) or if you do not start your car often, you need to change oil more often, perhaps twice a month or every 1,000 to 2000 kilometres.
If It Ain't Broke
In the last decade, there has been a trend by car dealers to promote high mileage oils. What is special about these oils? In general they contain more additives that will prevent the excess burning of your oil and also act to seal leaks, if there are any. Most car experts indicate that these high mileage oils are worthless and do very little except increase the cost. If your car engine is running smooth, the exhaust is not emitting any sooty flames and there is no evidence of leak, the general adage when it comes to the car still holds, “If it is not broken, do not go to the mechanic.”
Sources:
Edmunds
via Magazine
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