FEED YOUR ENGINE: OIL SPECIFICATIONS EXPLAINED
You cannot own a vehicle without knowing your engine deserves the best! Preventive (proactive) routine maintenance is key for the life span and optimum performance of your engine. Diligent engine oil change is a necessary part of routine maintenance.
Engine oil as a lubricant helps to prevent corrosion (rust), increase mileage, reduce wear by protecting the engine from friction and lower car heat by absorbing heat from the combustion chambers of your engine.
How to choose your engine oil
It is not just enough to change your engine oil, it is important to ensure you are using the right oil for your engine.
There is a plethora of engine oil brands to choose from. However, it is important to take into cognisance your car mileage and the car manufacturer’s recommended viscosity grade. Oil viscosity simply means the thickness or thinness of the oil, that is, the tendency of the oil to flow slowly or quickly. The higher (thicker) the viscosity of an oil, the slower it would flow.
Generally, engine oil is categorised as regular or synthetic oil. Synthetic oil though pricier does not require frequent change as regular oil and gives no room for sludge build-up. Regular oil is also efficient but requires increased oil change intervals.
A tip experts suggests is using engine oil with higher viscosity for older vehicles.
What you need to know
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) developed a grading system to classify the viscosity level of single grade and multi-grade engine oils. For single grade engine oils (e.g. 5W), the higher the number preceding ‘W’ the thicker the oil. Likewise, the lower the number, the better it flows at cold temperatures.
When checking the viscosity of a multi-grade engine oil brand of your choice (e.g. SAE 5W-30), the number preceding ‘W’ indicates the viscosity of the oil at cold temperatures and the number after ‘W’ indicates the viscosity when the engine is hot (100C/212F or higher) and in motion. 5W in SAE 5W-30, means that the engine can still pump the oil at a temperature as low as a single grade 5W oil. Similarly, 0W in SAE 0W-20 means that the oil can be pumped by the engine at the lowest tested temperatures. It is noteworthy to know that the letter ‘W’ simply stands for Winter and not Weight contrary to popular opinions.
It is therefore important to choose an oil thin enough for cold starts and thick enough when the engine is hot. Ideally, always refer to the vehicle owner’s manual for precise oil viscosity recommendations, or markings on the oil filler cap or dipstick, since engine manufacturers cautiously select the recommended engine oil viscosity grade for each specific engine.
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