Whether you’re new to automobiles or an enthusiast with a knack for everything vehicular, there may still be many factors of owning a vehicle that may leave you confused. In our experience, most people have trouble understanding the importance of care related to engine oil. It’s always good to go an extra mile, ask the right questions and take the right steps to ensure that your vehicle stays in shape.
Do I need to change the engine oil ?
The best way to answer this question is by looking at your automobiles with a little bit of personification. To keep your vehicle’s engine in shape, your automotive oil needs to be “nourishing” to avoid long term complications which may put a dent in your wallet.
Another way to explain this would be to understand how new engine oil helps your vehicle function better. Changing your engine oil will help lubricate all the parts of your vehicle’s engine. When these parts work together smoothly, it prevents common issues like overheating, friction damage, excess heat, and even combustion. Making sure your engine is not starved of what it needs on a daily basis will keep it healthy and give it more functionality over time.
When and how often should you change engine oil?
The ideal time between successive oil changes is twice or maybe thrice every year, i.e every 4 months. Some people may keep track of every oil change as per mileage, but those numbers are subject to vehicle usage frequency and the type of engine oil you use, which renders them a tad inaccurate.
The best way to identify when your car engine oil or bike engine oil may need a change is to follow the schedule recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer. This is primarily because different engines across cars, bikes, trucks, etc have different needs.
Also remember that “change” is our focus here. Adding a fresh batch of oil to your existing engine oil can add to the stress on the engine because of the somewhat adulterated nature of used and new oil. So make sure you perform a complete change every time you do.
What are the Types of Engine Oil?
This is arguably the most tricky part of finding and selecting the right engine oil for your vehicles. There are, in general 3 major categories:
1. Synthetic Engine Oil: This category of engine oils undergo continuous and constant refinement to remove all impure and particulate matter that may lead to engine trouble. Though it’s heat resistance is unparalleled and the time to change oil is much longer, it is a more expensive solution to replacing your engine oil.
2. Semi-Synthetic Engine Oil: A combination of the refined quality of Synthetic Engine Oils and the Cost effective nature of Conventional Engine Oils give you the best possible solution to purchasing the right oil for your vehicle. It is most appropriate for usage in the indian driving conditions and requires changes less often.
3. Conventional Engine Oil: Also known as mineral engine oil. It is less desirable in the current day scenario since it is highly unrefined and heavily derived from petroleum. Only used in very old vehicles which make its usage nearly obsolete today. Changes are required very often.
Engine oil’s are also classified based on a grade system which is universally accepted. The numbers may be confusing but all you need to know is that the number before the ‘W’ is the viscosity of the oil at low temperatures, and the number after the ‘W’ is the viscosity at normal engine operating temperature.
Here’s a basic breakdown of what we offer and how you can understand your engine oil better:
1. 0W40: New age and modern day Petrol or Diesel engine oil. Can be used for both. Great efficiency.
2. 5W30 and 10W30: Modern day Petrol engine oil. Cost effective. Great Efficiency
3. 5W40: Diesel engine oil. Poor efficiency in cold weather conditions.
4. 10W40: Conventional or Mineral engine oil. Great efficiency.
5. 15W40 and 20W50: Not recommended in modern day driving conditions, however older vehicles support this engine oil well.