What engine oil for the winter?

Winter is a very unpleasant time for our cars. Moisture, dirt, frost, and salt on the road - all this does not contribute to the operation of the vehicle, but, on the contrary, can cause serious harm to it. Especially when we don't take care of our car properly. What does car maintenance mean in practice? First of all, the regular replacement of working fluids, as well as an appropriate driving style adapted to weather conditions, especially temperature.

What will you learn from this post?

• Why does the engine need oil?

• Winter oil change - what you need to know?

• Viscosity grade and ambient temperature.

• Winter oils, is it worth it?

• City driving = more frequent oil changes required

TL, д-

There is no need to change the oil before winter, but if our grease has gone through a lot and we usually don't change it every year, then winter will be a good time to give the car fresh grease. On frosty days, the engine is subject to significant stress, especially if we mainly drive short trips around town.

Engine oil - what and how?

Motor oil is one of the most important liquids in our car. Provides proper lubrication of all drive components, eliminating dirt and metal particles deposited during engine operation. Lubricating fluid does its job too cool the motor - elements of the crankshaft, timing, pistons and cylinder walls. It can even be assumed that approx. Between 20 and 30% of the heat generated by the engine is removed from the engine thanks to the oil.... Impurities that the oil gets rid of are mainly caused by incineration of residual oil, leaks between pistons and cylinder walls, as well as the previously mentioned wear of engine parts.

Oil change for the winter

Winter is the time associated with the specific operation of the car - at this time of the year a replacement is necessary. winter tires, auto equipment with all kinds of scrapers and brushes, as well as glass heaters... However, we often forget an equally important point, since it is, of course, systematic oil change in the engine... Each power unit should be regularly lubricated with a quality fluid adapted to the requirements and specifics of a particular engine. If we drive on this oil for a long time, it is probably very worn out, which means that its protective properties are much worse. Winter is very demanding time for cars - it is on a winter morning that it happens that we do not start the car or do it with great difficulty. It could be the battery's fault, but it doesn't have to be. It often happens that this situation arises due to engine oil consumptionwhich is not replaced in a timely manner may also cause, among other things, damage to the turbocharger, connecting rod bearings or other engine components.

Pay attention to the viscosity grade

Each oil is characterized by specific viscosity... The most popular viscosities used in our climate are: 5W-40 Oraz 10W-40. You can buy this oil almost everywhere. This mark was created by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which has classified the oil viscosity for both winter and summer temperatures. The first marking indicates the winter properties of this grease, that is, 5W and 10W, as in the examples given. Both of these numbers have the letter W, which stands for winter, that is, winter. The next figure (40), in turn, refers to the summer viscosity (summer variety, for an oil temperature of 100 degrees Celsius). The winter marking determines the fluidity of the oil at low temperatures, that is, the value at which this fluidity is still maintained. More specific - the lower the W number, the better the engine lubrication is provided at low temperatures.... As for the second number, the higher it is, the more resistant to high temperatures this oil is. Winter viscosity is very important, as the lubricating fluid is quite thick, and as the temperature drops, its fluidity decreases even more. Oil with 5W-40 specification is designed to prevent excessive thickening of the oil even at temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius and 10W-40 to -12 degrees Celsius. If we take a closer look at a 15W-40 specification lubricant, its fluidity will be maintained down to -20 degrees Celsius. Of course, it should be added that the winter viscosity class also partly depends on the summer viscositythat is, for example, if we have 5W-30 oil, theoretically it can be used even at -35 degrees Celsius, and liquid 5W-40 (the same winter class) - up to -30 degrees Celsius. Although even at these low temperatures the oil may leak, there is no guarantee that it will be adequate. lubricated the engine... It is worth knowing that the so-called search startythat is, starting the engine after a long period of inactivity when the engine is not completely lubricated with oil for the first few seconds after turning the key. The less fluid the lubricant is, the longer it takes to get to all the points that need to be lubricated.

Special oil for the winter - is it worth it?

Asking if changing the engine oil for the winter makes sense, let's also look at economic issues. If we travel so much that our oil is changed twice a year, we may decide to use a different oil in the spring-summer season and a different oil in the autumn-winter season. Of course the essentials are here lubricating fluid parameters - if our car runs on the popular 5W-30 oil, then this is an all-weather product that should work well in a modern engine at any time of the year. Of course, we can change it for the winter by choosing a 0W-30 oil that will work better on frosty days. The only question is, is it noticeably better? Not in Polish conditions. In our climate, 5W-40 oil is enough (or 5W-30 for newer designs), i.e. the most popular engine oil parameters. Of course, you can think of 5W-40 as summer oil and 5W-30 as winter oil. However, there is no need to change the oil before winter to an oil other than the one we always use (provided that it meets the requirements of the car manufacturer). Full it will be more profitable to change the oil more often than an infrequent fluid change, but before the version known as "winter".

Do you travel a lot around the city? Change oil!

Cars that they travel a lot around the city, use oil fasterand therefore require more frequent replacement. City driving is not conducive to lubrication, but rather to frequent acceleration, significant heat loads, etc. short distance travel, contribute to oil consumption. In short, because in such situations, a large amount of fuel gets into the oil and all the additives it contains are consumed. Also worth considering condensation of waterwhat happens during this type of driving - its presence leads to a change in the characteristics of the oil. That is why, especially in a vehicle that travels many kilometers on city roads for short distances, attention should be paid to regular oil change, incl. just in the winter time.

Take care of the engine - change the oil

Care for engine in the car this among others regular oil change... You can't do without it! Regardless of the season, we must change the oil either once a year or every 10-20 thousand kilometers. Do not underestimate it, because it is one of the extremely important elements for the correct operation of the drive in our car - it cools its components, removes dirt, reduces friction and maintains. The older and depleted the lubricant, the worse it performs its role. When buying engine oil, let's choose a proven branded product that has positive user reviews, for example Castrol , Elf, Liquid moly, мобильный Or shell... The oils from these companies are known for their reliability and sophistication, so we can be sure that we are filling the engine with a lubricant that will perform well in its role.

Do you need more information on motor oils? Be sure to check our blogwhich discusses engine lubrication in more detail.

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