Suitable engine oil. Engine wear method
Although Polish drivers like to claim that they care about their cars, few of them know what wears out the engine, and even fewer realize how long it takes to warm it up to the right operating temperature. You can protect your drive by using the right oil, among other things.
A survey commissioned by Castrol in January 2015 by the PBS Institute shows that 29% of Polish drivers are aware that cold driving is not conducive to powertrain longevity. Unfortunately, just over 2% know that it can take up to 20 minutes for the oil to reach operating temperature. One in four respondents believe that driving short distances has a detrimental effect on the engine. Driving with too low an oil level is the number one factor in accelerating engine wear. This answer was chosen by 84% of drivers. Exactly the same number say that they regularly check the oil level.
“We are glad that Polish drivers know that they need to control the oil level. Unfortunately, there is a long way from theory to practice, according to our estimates, every third car that drives around our country has too little oil in the engine,” says Pavel Mastalerek, head of the technical department of Castrol in Poland. level every 500-800 km, i.e. at every refueling. Remember that the best engine condition is between ¾ and maximum. Therefore, it is worth having a liter bottle of oil in the car (especially on long trips) to replenish its level. The oil used for topping up should be the same as the oil used when changing it,” adds Mastalerek.
Nearly one in three drivers believe that engine wear can be reduced by letting it run for a few minutes before setting off. Meanwhile, the opposite is also true - the motor heats up faster under load, so starting immediately after starting the drive is definitely better. Of course, you should not use the full power of the engine in this case. Meanwhile, almost one in five drivers say that driving at high speed immediately after starting will cause the power unit to heat up faster. Drivers also do not know what wears out the engine the most. Only one in three associates this with frequent starting and shutting down of the power unit, even fewer (29%) - with driving on a cold engine. Meanwhile, the first minutes of driving are critical - up to 75% of engine wear occurs when it is operated at too low a temperature, during the warm-up period.
76% of drivers surveyed believe that choosing the right oil will help minimize engine wear. However, it should be remembered that its parameters must comply with the recommendations of the car manufacturer, it is also worth paying attention to the fact that the car is used.
