Understanding all the weird stuff you need to learn once you start owning a car can be daunting for anyone. But, with a little help from us and Google, you can educate yourself on the basics! For instance, what is engine oil anyway, and why is it so important? Well, simply put, engine oil is a specially manufactured lubricant, made to help your car’s engine work better for longer. If you allow us to take you on a brief drive down memory lane to your Class Five Science Class, you may hopefully remember your teacher trying to explain to you what friction is and how it is caused. Friction occurs when two surfaces in close contact are moving in opposite directions to each other and in a car’s engine…that’s almost everywhere!
The reason there is so much friction inside an engine is due to all the metallic gears and parts that have to be in constant motion to get you where you need to go. Too much friction in the engine leads to wear and tear and if not taken care of can lead to very expensive damage. It is safe to say, that the primary use of engine oil is to minimize friction in your engine, but we wouldn’t be telling you the whole story if we stopped there.
More Than Oil…The Composition of Engine Oil
To better understand the other uses of engine oil, you have to understand what it’s made of. Aside from oil, many manufacturers today add things like detergent, antiwear agents, dispersing agents, anti-corrosion agents, and in some cases, viscosity index improvers ( basically substances that make sure your engine oil maintains the same level of viscosity ).
Keeping Your Engine Clean
As you drive your car, dirt and dust will eventually make their way inside your engine and team up with combustion residue to make some icky-looking deposits also known as sludge. These deposits build up gradually and if not taken care of, can actually lead to engine clogs and reduced performance. The consistent movement of oil inside your car’s engine allows for all the dirt to be carried all the way to your oil filter where all the collected dirt is trapped.
Cooling Your Engine
We all know that friction causes heat, and with all the parts in your engine constantly moving against each other, things can get get pretty hot under your bonnet. As much as coollant (hence it’s name) is specifically made to regulate engine temepratures, it doesn’t reach as many parts of the engine as motor oil does. The oil you use actually helps release heat through the path it takes while lubricating the engine.
Preventing Corrosion
Remember the anti-corrosive agenets we mentioned earlier? Well they are very important in reducing the acidic effects of combusted fuel. However the effects of engine oil are only effective in the abscence of oxidation. Once your oil has been exposed to oxygen for long periods of time, the anti-corrosive agents lose their effectiveness, and your engine parts could be exposed to damage from the corrosive acidic. If you were not keen on changing your oil, and need a little help with keeping check with your oil changes, the Carhoot App is for you!
Acts As An Amazing Sealant
The sealing properties of engine oil are important because they help stop the release of combustion chamber gases into the open. Engine oil forms an air tight seal all over the piston rings and cylinder walls inside your engine, and sticks to all the metal surfaces, preventing the gases from combusting by the pistons. The layer of oil also helps lubricate the rings and ring grooves, allowing better movement and better contact with the cylinders.
The Importance Of Following Your Car Manufacturer’s Instructions
When it comes to the type of oil you should use, the best choice you could make is sticking to what your automaker suggests, after all…they built your car! Every car is different and has different needs when it comes to engine oil, and understanding your car’s unique needs is the first step to ensuring that you are indeed using the right oil and saving yourself the heartache of costly engine repairs in the future.
The Service Team at Carhoot understands this intimately, and we pride ourselves on using the best products in the market for our clients. Everytime we are tasked to service a clients car, we prefer internationaly recognized brands such as Castrol, Valvoline, Mobil and Penzzoil. Sometimes, your car acting up could just be its way of telling you it needs some fresh oil!Let us know if we could help you service your car, by reaching out to us on WhatsApp, or simply by downloading the app on Google Play or the Apple Store and making a request.
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