What is Engine Oil, and How is important for your car?.
Car engines, no matter small car, premium car, sports car, tank, truck, construction machine, ship, or airplane, they all need engine oil to lubricate the engine parts. We will be talking about the car or vehicle in our daily life.
Everyone has their car, but not all people will know everything concerned with their vehicles. You may be a car lover or enthusiast who knows when and what to maintain your car in good condition.
Meanwhile, other groups of people may lack the knowledge or skill of taking care of their car. We will be talking about the engine oil for the vehicle that is a necessary part that gives power to the wheel.
Every car maintenance schedule has an oil change in their list. It costs you some money besides other wear parts which they need you to change when you bring the car to the dealer service center. That is because the engine oil has a limited lifespan.
Carmakers may instruct to change every 5,000, 10,000, or 15,000 miles. It depends on the car and engine model. Moreover, it is because there are different grades and prices of engine oil. You can use standard oil if the carmaker sets a changing interval around 3,000 – 5,000 miles. If your car needs semi synthetics oil, you can change every 5,000 – 7,000 miles and 10,000 – 15,000 miles for fully synthetics oil.
Besides, engine oil has the specific fluid resistance that you need to put the right one to your car engine. They call this oil viscosity. It shows a label on the container like 5W30, 0W20, for example.
Understand oil viscosity before changing yours
The oil viscosity is tested and certified by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The engine oil in the market must have a certificate and label it on their oil container. The API standard separates into two categories, S means gasoline engine, and C means Diesel engine.
5W30 or 0W20, what is it meant?. It is a numerical code system for grading motor oils. You may see the oil container labeled with SAE 5W-30. The number before W (Winter) means the viscosity of the oil at the low temperature.
The oil viscosity will change on temperature, lower degree, the thinner oil that provide better performance of engine operation. That is the lowest number is better for using in the coldest degree. The car may need to fill with oil grade 0W-20 for driving in Canada, Sweden, or Alaska as it has a less thin number.
The number after W means the thick of oil when the engine runs at normal or more hot temperatures. SAE 5W-40 and 10W-40, 10W-40 oil can use better at a high temperature. The oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100 degC.
To conclude, oil selection depends on where you live and drive your car. Low-temperature area, choose 0W-20 or 5W-30, and hot temperature use 5W-40, 10W-40 or 15W-40.
You could learn more about motor oil.
how often do you need to change new oil?.
You need not worry if you purchase a new car. The service schedule and money you pay out will teach you how often your vehicle needs to change engine oil.
You can keep that oil change interval after the end of the warranty. However, you might need to understand oil viscosity like in the previous section. That is because you may want to change oil grade if you run the car for several ten or a hundred thousand miles.
The old engine might have wear of its parts that need a higher grade of engine oil viscosity.
If you buy the 2nd hand car and you know nothing about its engine specification, oil grade, no service book, no maintenance records. You could check for sure before it costs you with the unreasonable price or unnecessary maintenance lists, for example.
– Checking with a car dealer of your car brand, ask them a maintenance schedule and part lists
– Search online for information on your car model. Every car brand and model always has an online forum. The members are usually willing to give you the answers.
– Forget about lost service records. We recommend that, if possible, you should change all oil and fluid of that car, such as engine oil, transmission oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, engine coolant, engine air filter, and so on. Besides, check all parts related to safety like a brake pad, tire wear, wiper blade too.
To conclude, the driver should check and change the engine oil as per the car maker’s instruction. It is because each car has a different design and performance.
The multi-grade engine oil may use with several engines, but it is not for every powertrain. You should check for sure before buying a new engine oil or leave your car to a mechanic at the car quick services.
Engine Oil filter
The engine oil filter is a very significant part which you should change together with engine oil. Some people may have an idea to reuse it when changing oil. It is not a good idea as the debris in the old oil filter would cause clogging. That is because it designs for filtration or trapping oil contamination.
Furthermore, the dirty oil left inside,300-500 ml., will contaminate a new oil. We recommend replacing a new oil filter every time you change the engine oil. It is just a cheap price part. You should not have risk paying more money for engine repair that may damage from debris in the oil.
How to change a new Engine Oil and filter?.
In case you want to DIY your car on the weekend. The general procedure we could recommend is as follows.
Prepare equipment
– Plastic trays and empty gallons for old oil
– Rubber gloves
– The pieces of rag
– A filter wrench. There are many types of filter wrench you can match with your car oil filters such as plier, swivel, belt strap, or chain type.
– Wrench for oil pan drain plug or bolt removal
– A new washer for oil drain plug or bolt
As you can see in the above information about the oil grade of your car, after checking the exact engine oil grade for your vehicle, you must buy enough engine oil and a filter.
Don’t worry about buying too many gallons of oil and some quarts left in the garage. You can use them in the next oil changing interval. That is because many engine models need 1 gallon and a half of quart, for example.
Changing Procedure
Park your car on the level surface and jack up the front of the vehicle. For safety reasons, insert jack stand under your car more firmly. We don’t recommend to use the car jack instead of the jack stand.
1. Wear the gloves and start by removing the engine oil filler cap on the engine
2. Remove the bolt of oil pan under the car with the wrench
3. Use the plastic tray to collect old engine oil, leave the oil drained out until it has no more oil drops
4. Remove oil filter using the filter wrench
5. Install a new oil filter. We recommend you fill a new oil in the filter and apply oil on its rubber seal before install if the filter can install in a vertical position.
6. Screw back the oil pan bolt with a new washer. You would replace a new bolt washer every time to prevent oil leak.
7. Pull up the engine oil dipstick
8. Fill a new engine oil until it is almost full as the engine spec. Put the dipstick and pull out to check the oil level, see the maximum or highest level mark, and fill more oil until it reaches the Max. level. Be careful not to fill the oil over the Max., it would be the cause of lost power and torque of the engine.
9. Recap securely of the oil filler cap.
10. Start the engine and check oil leakage at the oil filter and oil drain bolt.
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