What oil is better to fill in the engine
Content
Engine oil protects parts of a car's engine during operation and prevents wear and tear. Therefore, the choice of oil should be approached wisely - due to the wide assortment, it is not difficult to make a mistake with the choice and harm the car engine.
What to look for when choosing an oil
The easiest way to choose an engine oil is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations in your vehicle manual. But this possibility does not always exist. In addition, the recommendation does not mean that only the specified brand can be used in it - the brands of other companies can be no less suitable for the engine. Therefore, the car owner should find out what types of engine oil are and what to look for when choosing.
There are several classifications of engine oil:
- by composition - synthetic, semi-synthetic, mineral, and also obtained as a result of hydrocracking;
- by engine type - for diesel and gasoline engines;
- by seasonality - summer, winter and all-season;
- viscosity - more and less viscous oils.
Another important nuance is the availability of an admission from the automaker for a specific brand of oil. Tolerance is a kind of quality standard, as it means that the oil grade has been checked by the car manufacturer and recommended for use. The tolerances obtained by a particular brand are indicated on the label.
How to choose a viscosity
The viscosity of the oil is the primary indicator when choosing it. This term denotes the preservation of the lubricating properties of the oil in various temperature conditions. If the oil is too viscous, then the starter will not be able to crank the engine when starting, and the pump will not be able to pump it due to low pumpability.
If the oil is not viscous enough, then it will not be able to provide sufficient protection of engine parts from wear in operating conditions at three-digit temperatures. However, an overly viscous oil is also not suitable - it does not have sufficient thermal conductivity, which leads to excessive friction of engine parts and can lead to engine seizure. In addition, excessively viscous oil increases fuel consumption.
Therefore, when choosing an oil by viscosity, one should be guided by the manufacturer's recommendations. The fact is that some motors are designed for low-viscosity oils, such as engines of Asian automakers, and for power units of domestic cars, it is preferable to choose high-viscosity oils.
You can find out the viscosity of the oil by the SAE index, which is indicated on the product label. SAE 20 - low-viscosity oil, SAE 40 - more viscous, etc. The higher the number in the index, the higher the viscosity.
How to choose the type of oil
When choosing an oil according to its composition, preference should be given to fully synthetic oils. Mineral and hydrocracking oils quickly lose their lubricating properties, so their only advantage is their low price. Semi-synthetic oil is a compromise option.
As for the types of oil by type of engine, it can be determined by the API index on the product label, in which the first letter denotes the type of engine:
- S - for gasoline engines;
- C - for diesel engines.
The second letter in the API index denotes performance - the further down it is in the Latin alphabet, the more stringent the requirements that apply to oil, and the more new the car should be. For example, oil with the SM index is suitable for gasoline vehicles not earlier than 2004 model year.
Brand selection
Choosing a manufacturing company is another important parameter when buying oil. It is preferable to choose companies with a worldwide reputation or, at least, brands known at the national level. Among them, the choice of a particular brand may be based on personal preference. The best oils are roughly the same in quality and may vary slightly in cost and performance.
Taking into account the season and weather conditions when choosing
As already mentioned, the most important characteristic of engine oil is viscosity. All oils are divided into 3 types: summer, winter and all-season.
You can understand the type of oil by the designation of the SAE viscosity index.
- the winter index contains the letter W (0W, 5W, 10W);
- there is no letter W in the summer index (20, 40, 60);
- for multigrade oils, both symbols are hyphenated (5W-30, 5W-40, etc.).
All-season oil is the optimal choice - it will last for the entire calendar year. If the car is actively used, and the annual mileage significantly exceeds the oil change interval, then summer oil can be used in the warm season, and winter oil in the cold season.
The winter designation in the index is inversely proportional - the lower the number, the lower the temperature at which the oil retains the required viscosity. For example, the index 5W means that the oil will start the engine at a temperature of -35 ° C, 10W - at a temperature of -30 ° C, 15W - at -25 ° C, etc.
Therefore, when choosing an oil, one should take into account the climate of a particular area in which the car is operated. When living in the north, the Urals or Siberia, it is preferable to choose oil with the 0W or 5W index, in the regions of the temperate zone, you can stop the choice on oil with the 10W index, but in the Crimea or Sochi you can also buy oil with the 20W index (up to -20 ° C).
Popular brands of oil
According to user reviews, the following names are among the best brands of engine oil.
- ZIC 5w40 - products from a South Korean company are one of the best deals on the market in terms of price and quality.
- Total Quartz 9000 5w40 is a high-quality motor oil from a French manufacturer, which has only one drawback - a fairly high price.
- Shell Helix Ultra 5w-40 is one of the most popular oils on the market, especially recommended for use in cold climates. There is only one pronounced drawback of the brand - high cost.
- Mobil Super 3000 X1 5W-40 is another representative of the class of expensive but high quality engine oils.
- Lukoil Lux 5W40 SN CF is an excellent option from a Russian manufacturer, which has only two drawbacks - low environmental performance and a short interval between replacements. The advantages are lower temperatures of use and the lowest price among the best options.
