Oil Trivia: How to Tell Good Oil from Bad?
Release date:
2024-05-31
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Abstract
There’s a lot to know about car maintenance, so today we’ll share some handy tips on how to choose the right motor oil for your vehicle!
When choosing motor oil, it’s important to first understand what it is. Motor oil is a type of lubricant, and its functions go far beyond simple lubrication. For an automobile engine, it also provides rust prevention, cleaning, and cooling. Moreover, different oils vary in viscosity and flow characteristics, so you can select the appropriate grade based on specific conditions to protect your vehicle—for example, use a thinner oil in very low temperatures, or opt for a higher‑viscosity oil if the car is old and has significant wear. Therefore, selecting the right motor oil should always take your vehicle’s condition into account.
Now let’s examine why engine oil serves so many functions. Its lubricating role goes without saying—most people can readily appreciate that. But why does it also provide cooling? In fact, as a heat-transfer medium, engine oil helps dissipate the heat generated during combustion in the cylinders, effectively performing part of the function of coolant. Meanwhile, its cleaning action is most evident in the oil’s color: after an engine is filled with fresh oil, the oil typically darkens. You can use test strips to determine whether the oil has degraded in performance.
Additionally, it’s important to pay attention to the amount of engine oil you add. Generally, you shouldn’t fill the crankcase to the brim, nor should you simply match the oil volume to the crankcase capacity. Instead, the oil circulates primarily because the mechanical oil pump draws the oil up and builds pressure; this pressure drives the oil flow. Therefore, add enough oil to reach the level where the oil just covers the crankshaft.
In addition, semi-synthetic motor oil is simply mineral oil with added additives, offering slightly better performance. However, its primary base remains mineral oil, so it isn’t classified as fully synthetic and doesn’t match the performance of synthetic oils. Therefore, choosing the right motor oil and properly maintaining your vehicle are essential for every car owner—this helps extend your car’s lifespan. If you’re not inclined to distinguish between high‑quality oils, it’s best to stick with genuine, branded products.
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