Top 10 Myths about Engine Oil
The importance of engine oil in the operation of your vehicle cannot be gainsaid. Oil lubricates the moving parts of the engine, prevents them from rusting, and ensures they don’t seize up. Thus, engine oil needs to be changed regularly. Unfortunately, there are certain myths that have cropped up about engine oil change. We debunk them here!
1. You Ought To Replace Your Oil after Every 3,000 Miles
That’s not necessarily true. It could be the dealer attempting to force you into regular visits to the service bay translating into more money for them. The truth is that modern oils are designed for much longer use. Newer engines are also more resilient. The best strategy is to change engine oil in conformity with the manufacturer’s manual.
2. Always Replace Engine Oil before A Road Trip
By and large, changing oil just so as to go on a road trip is a waste of money. The only instance when you should visit a service bay is if you have a scheduled oil change just before or during the road trip. If that’s not the case, check that you do not have oil leaks and the oil level is right.
3. Taking Too Long Before an Oil Change Voids Your Warranty
In this day and age when synthetic oil with extended life is in use, that’s probably untrue. Even if your vehicle manual expressly instructs you to use petroleum-based oils, your warranty will not be voided unless there’s a demonstration that the oil was the immediate cause of the problem.
4. You Can Use Similar Oil in Diesel and Gas Trucks
That’s not true! Compared to gasoline engine oils, diesel oil usually have a higher than average viscosity. When the weather gets cold, gasoline engines may find it hard to properly pump the thicker oil. Due to the high concentration of additives, diesel oils can adversely affect gasoline engines.
5. Synthetic Oils Equal Higher Mileage
Not necessarily true. There are other reasons synthetic oils seem to last longer than their petroleum-based counterparts. For instance, they work at very high temperatures, provide better protection against wear, give greater stability to the engine, and encourage the formation of fewer deposits.
6. You Must Change Engine Oil Whenever It Becomes Dark
You may not like the fact that your oil no longer looks fresh and amber-colored. But that doesn’t mean that you rush into changing it. Apart from lubrication, the purpose of engine oil is to clean the engine. When the oil begins to get darker, it’s simply doing the job it was meant for. The darkness is due to the dirt particles that have been prevented from contaminating your engine.
7. You Cannot Return To Regular Oil After You Have Started Using Synthetic Oil
Changing from one oil type to another does not in any way damage the engine. That’s why some engine oil manufacturers are currently blending regular and synthetics to come up with final products.
8. You Don’t Have to Change Your Oil Filter Every Time You Go For an Oil Change
That’s a lie! It is necessary to change your oil filter whenever to replace engine oil. By so doing, you prevent the impurities trapped in the filter from finding their way into the new engine oil. When these impurities circulate in the engine, they could cause unmitigated damage.
9. Synthetic Oil Causes Oil Leaks
This myth could have arisen from the fact that synthetic oil is thinner and, therefore, more slippery. Even so, it is erroneous to assume that synthetic oil is easier to slip through the holes, cracks, and in between the gasket pieces. Rubbish! The truth is that both types of oil leak in the same way.
10. More Oil Is Always Better
The worst mistake you can make is to overfill your engine oil just because it leaks. When in excess, engine oil causes expanded obstruction which leads to excessive heat. The extra oil could also end up in the cylinders leading to excessive burning, which in turn leads to increased deposits in the combustion chamber. The proper remedy is to fix the oil leak problem or top up the engine oil daily.
If you are unsure when to change the oil in your car engine, talk to us today. We will advise you and help you keep your car in good working condition.
