Unlocking the Mystery of Engine Oil For many drivers, their car’s engine oil is a bit of mystery. Most know that their engine needs oil to run (or they at least know that oil goes into the engine) and most know that keeping their oil levels healthy and changing the oil when recommended are important aspects to keeping a car running for as long as possible, but few know why that is. Similarly, there are few who know all they could about oil, but if they did then they would recognize that a car’s oil is one very important aspect to the vehicle that the average person can directly control; or in other words, that you do not need to be a car person to take direct control of the vitally important role of oil in the car. As with all things, with knowledge comes power and those drivers in the Seattle area that understand how their car’s engine oil works and how they can better control it will be able to empower themselves to get the most out of their vehicles.
Why Engine Oil is Important First, let’s start with the very basics and review why engine oil is vital to the function of a motor. As most know, a car’s engine needs gasoline to fire and combust, which mini explosions drive pistons in the motor and generate power. But just as the engine needs flammable gasoline or another type of fuel to drive the pistons, the engine likewise needs a lubricant, oil, to ensure that the many moving parts of the motor remain in top condition. Engine oil serves to clean, cool, and lubricate the entire engine, which services keep the motor running smoothly and effectively. Without oil, a car’s engine would rapidly deteriorate as heat, grim, and continual friction would wear down parts, clog hoses, and erode valves. Now that the importance of a car’s engine oil has been explained, what are some characteristics of oil that every driver should know to better control the health of their vehicle?
Understanding Mineral and Synthetic Oils One characteristic of motor oil that will help a Seattle area drivers give the best care possible to their vehicles is by understanding the difference between mineral and synthetic engine oils. Mineral engine oils have been around as long as cars themselves and are the traditional motor oil that most people think of when they hear the words engine oil while synthetic engine oils are those oils that have been chemically designed for better performance. Next, it is important to know when to change the car’s oil.
The standard has been to change the car’s oil every 3,000 miles or every 3 months, but with recent advancements in both the engines themselves and the synthetic oils used, a person can now go for closer to 5,000 or even 10,000 miles before get their oil changed. There are many aspects to car ownership that are in the control of the driver, such as purchasing auto insurance in Seattle, buckling a seatbelt, and driving defensively. But when a person adds control over their cars engine oil to the list, they will be able to ensure that their car will safely be on the road for years to come. Photo Credit: siulesoj, geri-jean