Your car is one of your most important assets. There is a lot of pressure on your vehicle to transport you everywhere you need to go, no matter what. One of the most important working elements of your car is often overlooked—the engine oil. Knowing what engine oil is, what it does for your car, and how to maintain it will give you the important knowledge that will prolong the life of your car.
Car engine oil is a lubricant that lessens friction between parts in motion. The oil for your car creates a film that separates adjacent moving parts to minimize the heat caused by contact between them. This improves sealing and cools the engine. Some oils also clean and reduce corrosion.
Engine oil is obtained from crude oil and blended chemical compounds. One of the greatest features of oil is its viscosity or resistance to flow. This is essential for proper lubrication. Since viscosity changes with temperature, engine oils are measured on an index. A higher index value means the viscosity or flow resistance changes less with temperature variations. Engine oils are graded by viscosity index ranging from 0 to 60 and these values are referred to as the oil “weight.” In all cases, the resistance to flow must be high enough to provide adequate lubrication but low enough to allow the oil to stream everywhere around the engine. The numbers 0 to 25 on the index may be followed by the letter ‘W’ indicating a winter oil. This helps designate the best oil for winter since oil will thicken when left overnight in cold temperatures. Multi-grade or all-season oil for your car (e.g. 10W-30) will start and operate in large temperature ranges from icy weather to warmer temperatures. As it is used, oil breaks down, burns and becomes contaminated with microscopic metallic particles making lubrication and heat dispersion harder. The oil and the filter need to be regularly replaced. Long intervals between oil changes allow sludge and soot to accumulate. This is why the oil and filter need to be regularly replaced.
One red flag that indicates you should check your oil is if your car is emitting a burning smell. The level of oil in your car may drop due to a long time between oil changes which causes burn-off. It is important to replace the oil up to the recommended level. In some cars, a “Check Engine Light” could mean a sensor is failing or oil is low and the car should go to a mechanic immediately.
If indicators and warnings are ignored, the engine will start knocking. Those sounds are the rods that push the pistons through the cylinders breaking. Then you will need a new engine and it may invalidate any warranties on your vehicle. Avoid letting it get to this stage.
Checking your oil is simpler than you may think.
If the oil is too low, it is easy to add it yourself and not have to pay for a mechanic to service your car. First, check your owner’s manual for filler location on the engine and other bits of help. The engine filler cap is labeled and either screws off or pulls off. Use a funnel to avoid spills.If you need a lot of oil for your car, add a quart at a time. Check the level between adds to avoid overfills.
Check out our advanced guide to how to change your oil here!
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