Picking The Right Motor Oil

The efficiency and true performance of your car is heavily based on the motor oil you choose. Popular slogans such as ‘oils ain’t oils’ seem like pure marketing, however there is plenty that is true about this term. Most people think that motor oil is just another service requirement but fail to understand its purpose and its importance. We will attempt to explain a little bit more about its job and how picking the right oil for your car is essential.

Oil today has never been more important especially with performance cars and modern engines revving higher than ever before as well as many different induction methods such as Turbos. The job of engine oil is two-fold. The first is its requirement to prevent internal surfaces on the engine rubbish together and becoming damaged due to friction. The human body even has its own form of ‘oil’ to lubricate joints in the body known as Synovial fluid. Motor oil also needs to absorb and hold onto bi-products and debris that is created during the cycle of the engine.

On top of the above uses, oil naturally thins as it is heated up. The higher grade of oil you use, the less it ‘thins’ during the heating process meaning more protection for a hot engine. The heating and re-heating plus its need to absorb chemicals are reasons why oils need to be changed regularly.

How to pick the right oil.

Now we understand the use of oil and the heating properties the following will help you choose the right oil for your car. Most car manuals have preferred oils to be used so picking the right oil may simply be a matter of checking the user manual and then buying that particular grade of oil. But why are there so many options? Let’s explain:

Having a look at some of the oil numbers we see a few examples being: 0W-30, 5W-30 and 10W-40. These are select oils from fully synthetic through to mineral oils. To explain these numbers:

• Number before the ‘W’: this is the ‘cold’ viscosity rating. Viscosity being the ‘thickness’ and the lubricating quality of the oil.
• Number after the ‘W’: this is the ‘hot’ viscosity which determines the grade of the oil when the engine is hot.

Based on the above a 0W-30 would be the best performing engine oil having a better cold grade and a better hot grade than the others.

We do recommend you check your car manual however knowing the above may be beneficial to you. Find your local oil specialist and mechanic right here at AussieWeb.com.au

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