Sometimes there are situations when we cannot entrust the maintenance of our car to specialists. For example, being far from our “native” service station, we notice that it’s time to change the technological fluids – coolant or engine oil. At a service station, this operation takes from half an hour to an hour, but most ordinary car owners have no idea how this happens. Experts advise changing the oil and "" before a long journey - you never know what can happen on the road, but help will come late. But not everyone adheres to these tips and is worried that missing the deadline for changing technological fluids can harm the car’s engine. The matter can be helped if you purchase motor oil of the required brand, a new filter and a rubber gasket that fits onto the threads of the oil filter at the auto store.
If you don’t know what brand of oil your car should have, and you also don’t know which filter is best to use, you can go in three ways. The first is to find out the necessary information in the store where you will purchase the components listed above. But, as practice shows, the salesperson in a car dealership does not always understand what is needed for a particular model, engine type, and what kind of filter can be installed. Or there is the other side of the coin: maybe the seller understands oils and filters, but wants to sell you what is more expensive, persuading that this particular oil and filter is the best. Therefore, trusting salespeople in auto stores is at your own peril and risk.
The second way is to go online, find thematic forums and read there what kind of oil and filter is used in your car. You can also select a filter and fluid on specialized resources - for example, by searching by car VIN code. Having found out exactly what parts and oil you need, having written down the data, you can go to the store.
The third way is the simplest. You need to open the instruction manual that comes with the car and find the information there. True, while information about the type of oil and its degree of viscosity will be required there, then information on the oil filter and gasket may not be in the “manual”.
So, having found out all the information and purchased the necessary consumables and fluids, we proceed to changing the oil. To do this, you will need to find an overpass or a garage with an inspection hole, two keys (for the oil filter and a combined one), a container for draining old oil, a funnel, a flashlight, a clean rag and rubber gloves. After driving the car onto an overpass and putting it on the parking brake or in parking mode (for cars with ), carefully inspect the engine.
If the car has a crankcase protection, it will have to be removed - for this you will need a combination key. It is necessary to take into account that protection is heavy, and assistants may be needed in this matter.
Having removed the protection, turn on the flashlight and inspect the engine, where you can see the drain neck. You need to start changing the oil when the car engine has cooled down! However, while you are fiddling with unscrewing the crankcase protection, it will already be at the desired temperature. Now, having illuminated the lower part of the engine, take the key and carefully, counterclockwise, unscrew the plug covering the drain neck. You cannot unscrew it completely, only loosen it. Then we place a container under the neck to drain the oil (the capacity of the container is depending on the amount of oil poured into the engine of the car plus 0.5 liters) and unscrew the cap further until drops of oil appear on it. Then, placing the container right under the neck, unscrew the cap with your fingers and sharply remove your hand with it to the side so as not to get dirty with dirty oil.
While the used fluid is being drained, we are preparing tools to dismantle the old oil filter, which is usually located next to the drain neck. When all the oil has drained, screw the filler cap back on, clockwise. Then unscrew the oil filter, helping yourself with the key. If there is no key, you can try to unscrew it by hand, holding the body. After removing the filter, you can get out from under the car, remove the container with used oil and prepare the new filter for installation. To do this, first lubricate the new gasket with used oil, then attach the filter to the mounting flange, putting it on the thread, and carefully tighten it first only by hand, and at the final stage - using a wrench. After completing this operation, you need to thoroughly wipe everything with a clean rag, making sure that there are no smudges.
Now we proceed to the final stage - pouring fresh oil. To do this, open the hood, look for the oil filler neck (usually it’s easy to find - it’s a contrasting bright color), unscrew it and carefully pour the required amount of oil through the funnel.
We check the level with a dipstick. When filling is complete, close the filler neck and start the engine, allowing fresh oil to fill the system. We look under the car again and check for leaks from the drain neck or oil filter. If everything is dry, congratulations, you did an excellent job. If leaks are noticed, turn off the engine, check how tightly the threads of the filter and the cap on the neck are tightened, then start the engine again. Is everything dry? We reinstall the engine protection - the oil change is complete!
Unfortunately, our modern world has turned many motorists into simple car users. After all, many of us (you) don’t even know where the oil dipstick is in the car, not to mention the brake reservoir itself. (?) You and I simply got lazy and, unfortunately, began to think less about the car itself. Many car enthusiasts now prefer to go directly to a car service center and even for various little things, which has become not at all strange, thereby paying considerable sums to the car service center for the services of these technical centers.
Today, the life algorithm of many car drivers is very simple, namely: - “Any icon pops up on the dashboard, which means it’s time to visit a car service center.” Fortunately, not all motorists have lost interest in their cars. For those who are not indifferent, we offer an ever-exciting topic, namely, about motor oil, which often pops up among motorists on the Internet and, it would seem, about which so much has been said, everything that was possible. Yes, dear friends, this is actually true. But we, for our part, decided to tell our motorists in our own way what oils need to be used and how much such a scheduled oil change usually costs.
According to approved statistics, the average Russian car enthusiast (motorist) annually drives his car at least 12,000 - 14,000 thousand km. Now imagine how many revolutions the car’s engine makes after covering this mileage.(?) And this does not take into account idle speed. Thus, if you add idle speed to these revolutions, you get a very significant amount of mileage, namely, that every year the engine in each car covers quite a huge mileage.
Depending on the use of the vehicle and under certain conditions, the engine pistons in the cylinders sometimes move at speeds of up to 17 meters per second, and the crankshaft itself rotates at a speed of 6000 revolutions per minute. Now you can probably imagine how much load your car’s power unit receives.(?)
To withstand these enormous loads over a long period of time, an engine lubrication system was created. This is why it is so important to pay attention to engine lubrication and what kind of engine oil you pour into the unit of your car.
It is also important not only the quality of the oil, but also the regularity of its replacement, along with the oil filter, which also plays a very important role.
Unfortunately, or one might even say fortunately, today’s car market offers quite a huge variety of different motor oils, in which even a very experienced driver can get confused. We, dear friends, will try in this article to tell you what you need to pay attention to and how to find the right oil for your car, among such a huge selection of mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic fluids. We hope that this will serve and optimally protect all internal components of your car’s engine for a long time and as reliably as possible.
This is why it is so important to change your engine oil frequently.
Motor oil lubricates, cools, seals, cleans, protects against corrosion, etc. Here's a very brief explanation of what motor oil does in an internal combustion engine.
As you can see, friends, the tasks of motor oils are very diverse, but they are certainly important for the normal operation of the engine and for its long service life.
But the main job of motor oil is to prevent wear and tear on the moving parts in the engine, which are constantly subject to friction with each other. Thanks to the oil, a protective oil film is formed between these engine parts, which essentially reduces this friction.
Without this protective film, the surface of the piston and cylinder will be damaged in a fairly short time and then the engine will simply fail.
Equally important is the function of engine oil related to the cooling of the unit itself. The point here is this: this engine oil absorbs heat on very hot engine parts. In addition, oil constantly washes away various dirt particles that are formed during the combustion process from the internal components of the engine. In particular, any motor oil slowly absorbs the finest metal particles that are formed due to the natural wear and tear of the internal components of the power unit.
What motor oils exist, and what kind of liquid should you put in your car?
Motor oils are usually divided into two main types, namely: mineral and synthetic. Both of these types of oil are made from petroleum, with the exception of some new types of liquids that are now made from gas.
Various chemical additives are usually added to mineral oil after its production process. But synthetic oil has already been improved chemically and specifically during the main production process.
Synthetic oil has many advantages over the same mineral oil. For example, synthetic oil can be used in a wider range of temperatures, unlike mineral oils, which generally have their own seasonality. Thus, many types of synthetic oils can be used both in summer and winter, which distinguishes them from mineral fluids.
From the point of view of the quality and durability of synthetic oil, this same liquid refers specifically to premium automotive lubricating fluids. The thing is that due to the more complex production process of synthetic oils, they naturally cost significantly more than mineral fluids.
But the high cost of these oils should not scare you. This synthetic oil is certainly better and will preserve the car’s engine much longer. For example, the lubricating film of the same synthetics (oil) is not destroyed even at maximum engine load. This provides both better engine cooling and a longer oil change interval.
Unfortunately, not all types of such synthetic oils are universal and suitable for most modern cars. Each automaker usually makes its own tolerances for motor oils and naturally recommends filling strictly only certain liquids.
But this does not mean that if the car manual does not say anything specific about the motor oil recommended by the car manufacturer, then it cannot be used at all. To understand whether a particular motor oil can be used in an engine, you, for your part, should pay attention to the specification of this particular motor oil, which is usually indicated on the packaging itself.
With this specification you can specifically understand whether a certain oil is suitable for your vehicle. If you yourself cannot figure out this issue, then you can go directly to a car store, where the seller will check using special tables and tell you whether this or that oil can be poured into the engine of your car.
Oil change interval: How often the oil should be changed.
There are a large number of different opinions and versions about engine oil change intervals. You can see this for yourself if you write the following query in some search engine on the Internet: “How often should you change the engine oil?” In response to your request, you will immediately receive a lot of links to various sites and forums, where you will immediately and completely get confused, as you will see there many contradictory and completely different opposing opinions about changing the oil.
So what should you ultimately do? How often do you need to change your engine oil? Firstly, we advise you not to initially listen to anyone except your car manufacturer, who in the car’s operating manual indicates a specific oil change interval in your car’s engine. Also, all such information is also found in the car’s service book, where the schedule for maintenance (maintenance) work is usually indicated, both in terms of time and mileage of the car itself.
True, dear friends, we would like to draw your attention to the following, that the information in the same service book does not take into account your individual driving style and operating conditions of the vehicle. After all, driving style and vehicle operating conditions directly affect the wear and tear of the engine oil. Therefore, please remember that under certain conditions the oil change interval may be much shorter than recommended by the manufacturer.
And friends, keep in mind that the recommended engine oil change interval is always the same for all drivers without exception, who live no matter what country, region or locality. That is, this oil change interval is recommended for all, without exception, car owners who live either in Europe, or in Asia, or they live in Russia, it makes no difference.
But since the very quality of fuel in our country is much lower and worse than in Europe, which in turn greatly affects the durability of the engine oil, then the interval for such an engine oil change in the engine in our country should certainly be less than for a car that used on European roads.
Here, naturally, everything depends on where and in what place in Russia you use your car. For example, according to the same statistics, it was found that the quality of fuel at gas stations in cities such as Moscow, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Kazan and other similar cities is much better than in other small peripheral cities or towns. Therefore, in these cities, automobile fuel does not differ much from European quality, which in turn does not significantly affect the motor oil itself.
But unfortunately, in these very cities there is very heavy traffic. Ultimately, car enthusiasts (motorists) in these cities have to operate their vehicles in a not-so-useful start-stop mode. Thus, it turns out that in these cities it would be better to reduce the oil change interval itself and not follow the schedule established by the automaker. But if we are talking about the same operation of the car already in the Russian outback, then this oil change interval due to the very low quality of fuel is better to immediately reduce it by at least 2 times.
Typically, automakers themselves on modern cars today recommend changing the oil every 15,000 thousand km. Thus, in Moscow and other large cities of the country, we still recommend changing engine oil every 10,000 - 12,000 thousand km. In other regions of the country, it is best to change the oil more often, namely every 8,000 - 10,000 thousand km.
How often do car owners who do not drive that kind of mileage in a whole year need to change their engine oil? In this case, you must adhere to the recommendations of the car plant itself and change the engine oil at least once a year.
Also, each driver must draw up his own individual engine oil change plan. For example, if you often drive short distances and often start your car in cold operating conditions, then we advise you to change the engine oil more often than the car manufacturer itself recommends.
By frequently changing the engine oil, you thus provide additional protection to your engine, and this, as you understand, is not bad at all. Also, many motorists are interested in what kind of oil should they buy, cheap or expensive from a well-known brand? Of course, everyone must decide for themselves personally. But nevertheless, we, for our part, simply do not recommend focusing on just one expensive motor oil, unless, of course, you are the owner of a powerful supercar.
Here's the thing. It was recently discovered that cheap motor oils are no worse than their more expensive counterparts. Therefore, friends, remember, you do not have to buy expensive oil today from a well-known and promoted brand all over the world. Please remember that today you can get by with inexpensive motor oil.
The main thing here is definitely to know from whom you are purchasing this very oil, since in our country, fake “left-handed” motor oil has very often begun to come across in auto shops. Moreover, what is most interesting is that most often on the shelves of car dealerships you come across counterfeits of specific expensive brands of oil manufacturers. Therefore, please remember that when purchasing cheaper motor oil, you reduce your risk of running into a fake.
Don't forget to change the oil filter when changing the oil.
By the way, every time you change the engine oil, do not forget about the mandatory replacement of the oil filter itself. Remember, friends, that the oil filter also plays a very important role in filtering the engine lubricating fluid. The fact is that the oil filter filters out dirt particles and metal particles due to natural wear and tear on the engine. Ultimately, over time, certain dirt accumulates inside the filter, which sooner or later can lead to the filter not working properly.
Is it possible to change the oil filter before changing the oil? We do not recommend doing this, since in this case the new filter will simply quickly become contaminated with old engine oil and, as a result, the next time you change (replace) the oil, you will again have to install a new oil filter.
How much does it cost to change engine oil?
Where can I change the engine oil or can I do it myself? This question worries many of our car enthusiasts (motorists) today. This answer, of course, depends on how much money (amount of money) you are willing to spend on this procedure and whether you are familiar with the oil change process itself.
If your car is still under factory warranty, then we do not recommend that you change the engine oil yourself, as this may lead to a simple loss of such warranty. But this does not mean at all that you should buy oil only from a car dealer, overpaying him a lot of money for it. According to current legislation, you have the right to come to the official technical center already with oil and a filter purchased externally. So, dear friend, you can save quite a bit of money on this.
How much does it cost to replace engine oil in a car? Here it all depends, of course, on your make and model of car and on the volume of oil itself. Also, this cost of an oil change also depends on the cost per hour at a technical auto repair center.
Of course, it is cheaper to change the engine oil yourself. But again, if your car is still under warranty, then there is a risk that the warranty will expire. Although this issue is controversial, since, if some kind of manufacturing defect is detected in the car (in the engine), a representative of the car plant will have to specifically prove that such an independent oil change led precisely to the failure of a certain part in the car.
Nevertheless, friends, do not forget that you and I live in Russia, where the laws are not very good and always work. Therefore, we better not advise you to change the oil yourself until the factory warranty expires. It will be better this way.
Now about the price. The average cost of oil change work in Russia today ranges from approximately 700 to 1000 rubles (unofficial, small-scale car services). Of course, the official price for an oil change will be significantly higher. Theoretically, engine oil can be changed cheaper, say, somewhere, for example, in a garage service.
Save money: Change your oil yourself.
As we said above, the cheapest way to change the oil is when you carry out all the work yourself. True, for this you will need a specific place for such work and also a special tool.
Typically, an average of 3.5 to 5 liters of oil is needed to change engine oil in an engine. But here, of course, everything is individual, it all depends on the size of the car engine itself. To see exactly how much oil needs to be poured into the engine, study the operating manual for the car in advance, where the car manufacturer usually indicates the volumes of all liquids to be filled.
Any car owner understands perfectly well that a vehicle will work properly only if it is properly and timely taken care of. That is why owners of motorcycles, scooters, and cars try to control the technical condition of their “iron friend.”
Some car enthusiasts do this on their own, others turn to professional help from auto mechanics. Among the questions that are of primary interest, the engine oil replacement algorithm is in the lead. In addition to knowing the sequence of actions, it is important to know the rules for choosing motor fluid, as well as take into account the frequency of replacement.
If you need to change the engine oil, you will need certain knowledge. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the algorithm of actions to correctly change engine oils, saving money at a car service station.
Required tools and materials
In order for the fluid change procedure to go quickly, first collect all materials and tools, and only then begin the engine oil change procedure.
What is important to consider
The age of the vehicle is one of the main factors that influence the frequency of engine oil changes. This dependence can be explained by the following reasons:
Replacement frequency
Owners of vehicles under warranty do not think about when to change the engine oil. Their only task will be to arrive at the service station in a timely manner and undergo the next maintenance specified in the service book. Auto service mechanics will perform a quick oil change on their own, taking into account all the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Different vehicles have their own engine oil change intervals. It is important to consider certain factors:
Replacement algorithm
Replacement process:
When discussing the need to change the engine oil, do not forget that the life of the engine, as well as your safety, directly depends on its quality. If you do not change the fluid and oil filter in a timely manner, the engine may fail and you will have to have the car repaired at a service station.
Practice shows that on average, changing the engine fluid and oil filters are needed every 7-8 thousand kilometers, as they become clogged and interfere with engine operation. The bypass valve opens, unpurified liquid enters the engine, increasing its wear. When replacing the oil filter, it is important to lubricate the rubber bands on the filter with sealant to prevent fluid leakage.
If the car has a problem Motorbor
If the car Has your engine broken down and needs a complete replacement? This is a whole problem but not as you think. We recommend purchasing an engine with attachments from one of the best online stores for contract engines \"Motorbor\" Well, in order to have fewer such troubles, we will tell you in our article how to properly change the engine oil.
How to change engine oil
The process of changing engine oil is simple. If you don’t want to turn to professionals for such a trifle, you can try to do it yourself.
First you need to buy the right oil. It is better to buy oil in a company store, where the quality will be guaranteed and, if necessary, the seller will be able to give advice. It is advisable to purchase high-quality oil from well-known brands.
Changing the oil yourself is carried out as follows:
Before starting, you will need to drive the car into a pit or place it on an overpass.
Prepare equipment in advance: a bucket for draining old oil, wrenches, rags, gloves.
To increase oil fluidity, it is necessary to warm up the engine. After warming up, wait a few minutes, otherwise you may get burned when draining the oil. Having climbed into the hole, we inspect the bottom of the car. It may be necessary to remove the engine protection. Then we find the required cover on the engine crankcase and carefully unscrew it first with a key, then with our hands, keeping the bucket ready.
On some car brands, the drain occurs at an angle, so the flow of oil can get on clothes.Draining occurs quickly, about five minutes, after which a little old oil remains in the engine, this is acceptable.
Replacing the oil filter
Simultaneously with changing the oil, it is necessary to change the oil filter. If the filter is not changed, it will become clogged and stop working, and oil will pass through the bypass valve without cleaning, which will lead to additional wear on the engine.
Different car models have filters located in different places. It is advisable to study the manual for your car in advance. Usually, hand-force is sufficient to remove the oil filter, but a special wrench may be required.
The filter cover is twisted off and the old filter is removed. The installed filter must be saturated; to do this, you need to fill it halfway with oil, and also do not forget to lubricate the rubber band on the filter body with oil.
Install the filter and screw the lid tightly.
Filling with new oil
Screw on the crankcase cover. You can start adding oil. When filling, monitor the oil level in the crankcase. The oil level on the dipstick should be between the upper and lower marks.
In total, about 80% of the oil in the canister is consumed for filling; the rest is left in case it is necessary to add oil during the operation of the car.
Start the engine, warm it up, make sure there are no oil leaks, then reinstall the engine protection if it needed to be removed.
What is the frequency of engine oil changes?
Modern synthetic oils can retain their properties for a very long time. It is usually recommended to change the oil at intervals of 10-15 thousand kilometers.
However, replacement intervals are reduced by 25-30% when exposed to unfavorable factors, such as: engine operation with overloads, strong and repeated temperature changes, increased dust or air humidity.
How, when and how often should you change your engine oil? If you are the proud owner of a car, then you have probably asked yourself these questions. Car designs are becoming more and more advanced every year, which is due to both stricter environmental requirements and the ever-increasing demands of buyers for the technical characteristics of cars. More advanced power units require lubricants of higher quality. Currently, there are a huge number of different oils that meet these requirements, but it is better to buy them from official distributors, because there are many fakes on the car oil market. Having saved on buying oil, you can then pay for a long time for engine repairs.
Choosing oil for your car
Car manufacturers indicate the minimum requirements for oil characteristics in the service book. It must lubricate the engine under heavy loads and high temperatures and ensure engine starting at low temperatures, because at -30°C the oil becomes jelly-like. And in the latter case, the driver would really like it, with which the engine can be warmed up to operating temperature: the engine is happy, and you don’t have to jump around the car in the cold. In specialized stores, using special catalogs, they will select the oil of the required viscosity and type.
As an “educational education”, I inform you (just in case) that there are three types of oil: synthetic, mineral and semi-synthetic. Using the wrong type of oil can lead to a reduction in engine life and prompt repairs.
The higher the oil viscosity, the better the piston rings and other engine components are lubricated, and the thicker the residual film of oil that the piston rings leave in the cylinder and the higher the compression. Therefore, the higher the viscosity, the longer the engine’s operating life, but the greater the waste will be. Therefore, automakers need to find a compromise when determining the viscosity class of the recommended oil: either increasing engine life or reducing oil waste. As for used cars with a worn-out engine, you should choose a thicker oil for them, for example, 15W-40, and put up with constant topping up of oil.
Selecting service intervals
The frequency of engine oil changes is also determined by the manufacturer. This period is calculated based on the average operating conditions of the engine, such as:
- Air pollution
- Fuel quality
- Engine oil quality
- Regional operating features (temperature characteristics, terrain, etc.)
- Car class, etc.
When choosing an engine oil change interval, you should take into account some features of operating conditions that shorten this interval. These features include the following:
- In Russia, fuel is not of the highest quality; one of its features (not counting the fact that the octane (gasoline) and cetane (diesel) numbers are lower than they should be according to standards) is the presence of sulfur. By the way, car manufacturers calculate replacement intervals based on the properties of European fuel...
- Traffic jams and difficult traffic when the vehicle is in stop-start mode, as well as when driving uphill or with a trailer. In this case, the load on the engine increases significantly, and, consequently, the oil burns out more intensely.
- Irregular use of the car (for example, trips once a week to the country in the summer): a break of 3-4 days is already considered significant for the car, because During idle time, condensation forms in the engine, which, when mixed with fuel combustion products, forms acid. Because of this, the oil quickly loses its alkaline properties, thanks to which it neutralizes the acidic environment.
- Constant short-distance driving also contributes to the formation of condensation, especially if the engine does not warm up to operating temperature.
- Dusty and polluted air (under this condition, you should also change the air filter more often, which will reduce fuel consumption and increase engine life)
- Engine idling is when there is no airflow to the engine and the efficiency of the cooling system decreases, causing the engine oil to heat up. But in our climate it is simply necessary
If we take into account all the factors listed above, we can conclude that most drivers should reduce the oil change interval by at least a third, if not by half.
If you purchased a car second-hand and are not sure of the quality of its maintenance, then make the first 2 replacements at an interval halved. This way you can better flush the engine from deposits formed on the cylinder walls.
If you decide to save from 200 to 1000 rubles (this is the average cost of changing oil in car services for different car models, although we are, of course, not talking about official dealers) and change the engine oil yourself, then first make sure you have the necessary tools, napkins , canisters for draining used oil. It is also better to choose a spacious area where you will not disturb anyone. Be sure to set the handbrake to prevent the vehicle from rolling away.
- Warm up the engine for 15 minutes - this will drain more used oil, because its viscosity decreases; in addition, it will release a larger amount of suspended particles formed during the combustion of the fuel-air mixture (simply put, dirt)
- Drain the used oil into a previously prepared container, the approximate volume of which you can determine based on the amount of oil required.
- After you have drained the used oil, screw the plug into the pan. Then change the oil filter. When replacing, you do not need to pour oil into the filter, only lubricate its O-ring. It is better to tighten it simply by hand, without using any tools, without over-tightening.
- Fill in enough fresh oil so that the level on the dipstick is between the maximum and minimum marks.
- After this, start the engine and let it idle for about five minutes. The oil filter will take the required amount at this time. Check the oil level on the dipstick and add it if necessary.
You can watch the video for more details on the oil change technology.
After changing, the engine oil sometimes changes color. This means that it realizes its washing and dispersing properties well, i.e. washes out and holds oxidation and combustion products in suspension, keeping engine surfaces clean.
After the first trip, it is worth checking the oil level. This should be done on a flat surface 10 minutes after stopping the car. Never check the oil level of a cold engine - it will show the wrong level.
Popular myths about oil changes
Currently, there are many myths that can confuse not only the average person, but also specialists. Let's try to dispel some of them.
Myth No. 1. Absolutely any high-quality oil can be bought at any market and in any garage.
Counterfeit oil is even more common these days than gasoline. Cases of detention of such batches of oils even in chain hypermarkets have become more frequent, not to mention car markets and dubious kiosks. Therefore, it is better, when coming to the store, to ask for a certificate from the company whose oil you want to purchase - it is issued by official distributors. You won't be in a suspicious place, so why don't you worry about quality assurance when purchasing your pet's "blood"?
Myth No. 2. Before switching to another oil, you need to flush the engine using a special flushing agent - this is perhaps one of the most popular myths.
If this were really the case, then oil manufacturers would certainly indicate these requirements in the vehicle operating instructions. It is not recommended to flush the engine! Firstly, because modern oils have very good cleaning properties. Motor oil cleans the engine of old deposits and prevents the formation of new ones. Secondly, detergents (washes) are not certified, they are not oils, and they are “chemicals” that, when they react with oil additives, can quickly lead you to engine repair.
If you think there is a need for additional cleaning of the engine, reduce the frequency of oil changes.
Myth No. 3. Mixing different motor oils is acceptable and does not harm the engine.
Mixing different types of oils is a harmful activity, because each oil contains a complex of specific additives, even if you use oils with the same tolerances, but produced by different brands. After all, each company uses its own specific formula, so even the characteristics of oils with similar specifications can be strikingly different. As a result of mixing, an incomprehensible mixture is formed in which any chemical reaction can occur. In an emergency, for example on the highway, you can add another oil, but it is not recommended to drive with this mixture for a long time; it should be replaced.
Myth No. 4. If the oil turns black and the service interval has not been completed, this indicates low quality oil and should be replaced.
As mentioned in the article, oil discoloration is not a cause for concern. On the contrary, this is an indicator of good implementation of its cleaning properties. On the contrary, if the oil does not darken during operation, this indicates that the oil does not cope with one of its main functions - maintaining the engine in working condition and protecting it from deposits.
Myth No. 5. The presence of engine oil consumption due to waste is an indicator of low oil quality.
During engine operation, natural oil loss occurs due to waste. Each automaker has standards for such losses for each model. Although these standards may vary depending on the following indicators: operating mode and driving style, correct selection of oil, the state of the gaps in the cylinder-piston group, engine settings, compliance with the correct oil change intervals. In addition, consumption may increase due to malfunctions in the engine, turbocharger, fuel injection pump, etc.
