Today, it’s all about the engine and oil of your car. You might not know this, but engine oil is just as essential as the fuel, if not more. So, let’s talk about how you can choose the right one for your car.
What is the function of Engine Oil?
Engine oil is basically a lubricant for your engine. It lubricates the moving parts of your car’s engine and reduces friction. Engine oil is like blood flowing in the vessels of your engine. It moves around the body of the engine and keeps every part in motion.
The thing about engines is they run with the combustion of fuel. That combustion plus the friction between mechanical parts causes the engine temperature to rise. Oil helps control the heat and cool down the engine components.
Another interesting role of oil is to help diagnose engine problems. Just like you can take a blood test to know what’s wrong with your body, you can take an engine oil test to find out which part of the engine is acting up.
Mineral vs Synthetic Oil
Mineral oil is a refined version of the oil surfaced from the ground, while synthetic oil is a chemically designed and modified oil made in laboratories. Mineral or conventional oil is more natural and organic; synthetic oil is purely man-made.
Mineral oil is thicker, burns more fuel, and produces more smoke. On the other hand, synthetic oil is chemically modified to overcome such weaknesses and perform much much better than conventional oil.
Benefits of regular oil changes
Changing your engine oil on time saves you from a lot of trouble:
- Fresh and clean oil keeps your engine healthy and increases its life.
- Good quality and clean oil protects all engine parts and keeps them running smoothly.
- It improves the fuel efficiency of your engine.
- Clean oil is a friend of the environment.
What does grade number tell you about the oil?
You must have seen 5W-40, 10W-30, and similar oil grades. What does an oil grade mean, and what does it tell you about the oil?
The first number, followed by a W for winter, is the oil’s viscosity at low temperatures when you start the car. The lower this number, the thinner the oil and the better the oil’s cold start performance.
The second number is for the viscosity of the oil at hot temperatures. This is how thick the oil gets once the engine has heated up to its operating temperature.
This transition of oil’s viscosity happens within a minute. For a 5W-30 grade oil, the oil viscosity will be 5 when you start the engine and build up to 30 as soon as the engine is heated up.
When to change the engine oil
According to our experts, the mileage limit for changing your car’s oil is a minimum of 6,000-7,000 kilometers and a maximum of 12,000-13,000 kilometers. But if you don’t drive your car much, it’s a good idea to change the oil after every three to four months. Because the oil inside the engine gets old and contaminated and starts breaking down the engine parts. So, there you have it, you should change your oil after 12 to 13 thousand miles or three to four months, whatever comes first.
Find the best oil for your car
Two cars of the same brand and same model may need different types of oil to function properly. It all depends on the age and condition of the engine. To help you find the suitable grade oil for your car, we have partnered with Shell to develop a tool where you can enter the make and model of your car and get recommendations for the best oil.
Visit https://shell.pakwheels.com/ and use the Lubricant Guide to know more. Go to PakWheels Auto Store to buy car engine oil and lubricants.
