CEBU, Philippines - In the middle of frenetic downtown traffic, your vehicle suddenly overheats, belching out smoke profusely and losing power gradually. Emergency signals ring in your head. You stop and frantically call for help from that rain-or-shine friend. He tells you that you probably have a terminal “motor oil” case.
Uh-oh….
Oil is the lifeblood of an engine. Unfortunately, it is very often overlooked. Just like illnesses which affect humans, a sick engine not closely monitored will not show signs of deterioration until it is too late. Failure to check motor oil can mean life and death for your vehicle and probably for you. Thus, motor oil is our very lifeblood.
A big percentage of engine breakdowns and failures have been attributed to oil related problems. How vital is oil to your engine’s longevity and how should you fit a particular kind of oil to suit your car?
How does motor oil affect engines? In the same way that body fluids are vital to our health and wellbeing, motor oil is a lubricant; its crucial role in cooling moving parts of the engine, reducing friction and heat is vital. It also acts as a detergent, cleaning moving parts as it flows to and fro. It helps seal gaps and clearances of the integral parts of the engine (pistons with its cylinders and bearings). Without oil, an engine can run for a few seconds and seize. When starting your car in the morning, let it idle for a minute or two to let the oil circulate in the engine.
How do you find the correct blood type for your car? Or, rather, which motor oil is best for your car among the numerous brands and types in the market?
The budget. How much can you spare for motor oil among the brands claiming the same “better fuel economy”, “lesser friction” and so on? It’s best to look through your owner’s manual and see what it recommends. Service level motor oils or conventional oils are the most common and are usually used for light use vehicles. Semi synthetic oils are blended oils for heavy use and heavy load vehicles while Fully Synthetic Oils for performance vehicles.
If you have a regular A to B car, get a service level oil with from a reputable brand. Diesels and heavily used cars should use semi synthetic oils. Performance Cars especially ones fitted with turbos or superchargers should use fully synthetic oil.
You also need to know the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) ratings for the product that you are getting. Motor oil thins as it heats and thickens as it cools thus increasing or limiting flow through moving parts of the engine at varying temperatures. This is called “viscosity.” Thicker oils (higher ratings) are best in Tropical Countries with higher ambient temperatures. Ratings for Motor Oils are usually represented by two numbers separated by a “W.” (e.g 20W 40). “W” represents winter rating or the viscosity of the motor oil at 0°F. The lower the SAE rating, the thinner the oil. So 10W-30 oil has less viscosity when cold and hot than a 20W-50 oil. Thicker oils (higher ratings like 20w 40) are best in tropical countries with as they work better in higher ambient temperatures.
In the final analysis, budget should go with what is safe and reliable.
Will regular oil-change prolong engine life?
Yes, it definitely will. Motor Oil loses its ability to clean and lubricate through time, causing sludge, residue and deposits to form inside the engine thus causing pre-mature damage to engines. It turns black and thickens, hindering it from flowing effectively between clearances of moving parts increasing friction and increasing heat. A quick inspection of the oil dip stick will help determine if you will need to change your oil.
The recommended oil change interval is every 5,000 kilometers or every 3-4 months. Diesel engines are usually harder on motor oils than gasoline engines as it runs on higher operating temperatures with less refined fuel.
The introduction of expensive “high mileage” fully synthetic oil came to be in the late 90’s. It meant that you could now run your engine for 20,000 kilometers, even more, without oil change. Based on my experience, these oils do not substitute for the protection and peace-of-mind of regular oil change, be it with only a “service level” motor oil with a suitable SAE rating.
Don’t forget to change the oil filters. They act like kidneys, filtering the oil cycle by cycle. But be cautious as there are lots of inferior quality filters in the market. Get the brand that is recommended by your manufacturer or mechanic.
In short, regular motor oil change with the proper SAE rating will undoubtedly prolong the life of your engine and save you money.
Long live motor oil!
(note: new column po ito… your Sunday driver and Are we there yet tnx….)