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What oil for the engine?
You know that engine oil is an important product for every combustion car. However, you are wondering how to choose the right one - so that it is of appropriate quality and protects the engine well. Learn the most important tips - they should make it easier. Which engine oil should I choose? We give you a hint!
- Synthetic, mineral and semi-synthetic oils
- Selection of the appropriate viscosity class of engine oil
- Which oil for a given engine type?
- What oil for the engine? Engine oil standards
- Additives for engine oils
There are engine oils with various compositions available on the market. People who are not automotive specialists may have difficulty choosing the right product. Although you can find the manufacturer's oil requirements in the vehicle's service book, you don't always have access to it. So it's worth knowing the most important information. How to choose engine oil?
Synthetic, mineral and semi-synthetic oils
There are three basic types of engine oils on the market. This:
- synthetic oils – are considered to have the best properties. They allow for quick cooling of the engine and quickly distribute to all components,
- mineral oils – are now used less and less. This is the oldest type of engine oil and has a worse durability than synthetic and semi-synthetic products,
- semi-synthetic oils – it is a mixture of synthetic and mineral products. They are commonly used in engines with multi-point fuel injection.
Currently, it is recommended to use synthetic or semi-synthetic oils. They are more expensive than mineral products, but provide much better performance.
Selection of the appropriate viscosity class of engine oil
Engine oils differ not only in their composition. An important parameter of such products is engine oil viscosity class. What is that? It determines at what temperatures the preparation is able to maintain a specific viscosity.
The appropriate viscosity class is determined by each car manufacturer. Information on this can be found in the service manual. There you will find detailed data on all operating fluids that can be used in a specific vehicle.
How to choose the right engine oil? There are a few things worth paying attention to. When choosing engine oil for your car, focus on the conditions in which you most often use your vehicle. In summer, products adapted to high temperatures work best. In winter it's the other way around. In cars used all year round with a similar intensity, universal engine oils with viscosity classes 5W30, 5W40 and 10W40 can be used.
Which oil for a given engine type?
It is impossible to clearly answer the question, what oil for a gasoline engine, LPG or diesel will be the best. Everything depends on the manufacturer's instructions for a given car, not on the type of engine.
Car manufacturers specify the minimum class and standards that engine oil for a specific vehicle should meet. There is an option to use a product with better properties. However, you should not use inferior oils that do not meet the above-mentioned conditions. You should also not lower the quality of the products used - stick to the same preparation throughout the entire period of use of the car.
Also read: Changing engine oil – what do you need to know?
What oil for the engine? Engine oil standards
Engine oils must meet one of two standards - ACEA (European) and API (American). Products used in Poland are marked with the letter A and a number that determines their quality. Currently, the best preparations are designated as A5. The worst engine oils have the markings A2 and A1.
In the case of American diesel oils, the highest quality ones are marked with the letters SP. However, this standard is only valid from 2020.
Want to know more? Read ours article about engine oil markings!
Additives for engine oils
Regardless of the type of engine oil you choose, you can improve its properties and provide additional support to the power unit. We are talking about the use of special products. We recommend it My Auto Engine Doctor engine regenerator. This product is suitable for any type of engine, especially if you use your vehicle very intensively.
My Auto Engine Doctor engine regenerator
An engine regenerator helps increase compression and oil pressure, and thus reduce smoke, reduce oil consumption and extend engine life. Its task is to minimize friction inside the drive unit. The product is also suitable for differentials and gearboxes. You can read more in our article about engine oil additives.
We hope that our article will help you choose the best engine oil. Remember that it should be appropriately viscous, as recommended by the car manufacturer in the service book. Thanks to this, you will avoid problems and the engine will be well protected.
