Motor oil is essential for engine care, lubricating moving parts and extending engine life. It should be changed every 3,000 miles and topped up with the same type of oil. Petroleum-based oil is cheaper but synthetic oil is superior for high performance. Viscosity is important and varies depending on climate. Other factors to consider include flash point, sulfated ash percentage, and zinc percentage.
Motor oil is a crucial component in engine care. Oil lubricates the moving parts of the engine, extending the life of the engine and making the car run more smoothly. However, as the oil is used, it will begin to break down and pick up dirt. Therefore, it should be changed frequently: most auto mechanics recommend that the oil be changed every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers). When the oil is changed, the oil pan is completely drained and the oil filter is replaced before adding new engine oil.
Between oil changes, your motor oil may need to be refreshed occasionally. It is important to buy the same type of motor oil that the mechanic used when the oil was changed: for example, if the mechanic put in 10W-40 oil, he should also use 10W-40 oil when he tops up his oil. Therefore, he should think about what type of motor oil he needs when he changes motor oil, not picking up a quart to top up. There are several things to keep in mind when changing your engine oil, to ensure that your car will perform to a high standard for you for years to come.
The first thing to consider when buying motor oil is what type of oil you want to use. There are two petroleum bases available: one uses petroleum and the other is synthetic. Petroleum-based motor oil is cheaper, but it also runs out faster and leaves more particles in the engine. Synthetics are designed for high performance, and are generally believed to be superior. They’re also more expensive: if you don’t engage in hard driving, especially on long highways, synthetics may not be necessary. Most mechanics also agree that motorists should avoid petroleum oils with additives in them, because the additives don’t affect performance enough to make potential engine clogging worth it.
The second problem is the viscosity of the motor oil. Thin motor oil will tend to burn and break down at the high temperatures of an actively running engine. Therefore, a higher viscosity is needed for the oil to withstand use at high temperatures. However, high viscosity oil is too slow when starting a car and will not flow through the engine. Therefore, motor oil is made in blended viscosities that behave differently at different temperatures. Oil viscosity level is tested and determined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and SAE ratings are listed on motor oil bottles in multiples of 10, and more rarely, five.
In hot climates, you will need a higher viscosity motor oil, because the heat will interact with the engine to have an impact on the oil. People who live in hot areas or who change their oil before summer should consider oils in the 10W-50 range: the “W” means the oil is also suitable for winter use. In cold climates, low viscosity oil is needed, because cold will make the oil sluggish; 10W-30 or 40 is more appropriate. For people in temperate climates, 10W-40 oil is ideal.
Several other things on the label of a bottle of motor oil will provide information about its quality: the flash point, the percentage of sulfated ash, and the percentage of zinc. Flash point refers to the point at which vapors rising from the oil will ignite: the higher the flash point, the better the quality of the oil. The percentage of sulfated ash refers to the debris left over from using the oil: the lower this number, the better the oil. Finally, zinc protects the parts of your engine where there is metal-to-metal contact, but too much zinc can clog the engine – for most cars the percentage of zinc should be around 0.1%.
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