The importance of engine oil cannot be over emphasized. Oil is the life of any car engine. Its main role is to provide lubrication to moving parts and transfer heat. It keeps the moving parts from grinding against each other causing wear and damage.

 Without frequent oil changes, dirt and sludge can build up in the engine, and old, dirty oil won't lubricate the moving parts as well as new, fresh oil will. If a good engine oil is chosen and changed frequently the result is reliability, performance, optimum fuel economy and increased engine longevity.

A lot of attention is placed on the type of oil whether it is synthetic, blended,  or conventional and unfortunately the most important aspect which is oil viscosity is often overlooked. This incorrect approach stems from the fact that most car owners rely on mechanics or petrol station attendants to guide them in the oil selection process rather than following the car manufacturers’ recommendation. 

Viscosity is the measurement of how thick the oil is. Multi grade oils are rated typically with 2 numbers which show:-

 1) The thinness (viscosity or how runny it is!) at low temperature (W= winter)
2) The thickness (viscosity or how sticky it is!) at high temperature
The first number denotes the weight of the oil when cold and the second number denotes the weight of the oil when operating at optimum temperature.

Colder climates require a thinner oil while hotter climates on the other hand require thicker oil so it will not "break down", or become too thin. If the oil is too thick or too thin then the main bearings on the crankshaft will not flow correctly, inducing wear on the crankshaft

Which oil Viscosity should you use?
The primary factor to consider when choosing an oil is the manufacturer’s recommendations for the normal (non-W) viscosity and thermostat temperature. The combination of the two establishes an operating viscosity which is a critical design criterion for many engine systems. Changing the operating viscosity is not advisable!

While the high- and low-temperature viscosity characteristics show important differences, the most important specification is the design viscosity for your particular engine. By this we mean the viscosity specified by the manufacturer at the operating temperature of the engine. If the oil prescribed for your car is 5W-20 then you should use a conventional 5W-20 or a synthetic 5W-20. Always go with your manufacturer’s recommendation.

 Effects of using the wrong oil viscosity

For Cars, these numbers are normally 20W-50, 10W-30, 0W-40, 0W-30, 15W-50, etc and generally 20w50 is thicker while 10w30 is thinner.

Assuming the recommended oil viscosities for your car is 10W-30. If you decide to use 0W-20 oil to allow for easier cold weather starts, once the engine is warmed up the oil film thickness in the bearings will drop 27% lower than that called for by the manufacturer. Depending on how close to design limits the bearings were operating, the oil film may not have sufficient thickness to keep the journal from rubbing on the bearing under load.

Conversely, if you switch to 20W-50 oil in the belief it will give you better lubrication in hot or high-load conditions, you may not be getting the improvement you expect. This is because the additional viscosity will cause additional shear in the oil which results in shear heating and a viscosity reduction.

Studies show that a doubling of viscosity grade will cause as much as a 20°F (11°C) rise in oil temperature in the bearing under shear. If we assume a 20°F increase in oil bearing oil temperature when switching to 20W-50 oil, the viscosity in the bearing will drop as much as 30% in response to the temperature increase. Instead of the expected doubling of viscosity by using 20W-50 oil, the increase would be around 35%, with increased viscous drag and resulting power loss.

Why do cars lose performance after the first service?

The recommended oil for every Toyota/Honda made in the last 10 years is 5w-20 or 5W-30.

The viscosities of the oils available in Nigeria are:-

0W-40 (Mobil 1),
5W-40 (Cepsa)
15W-50 (Total) and
20W-50 (AP, Oando, Mobil, Conoil, Total)
From the above you can see that only Mobil 1 and Cepsa have the closest viscosities recommended. The use of 20W-50 which is the popular choice due to lower cost (less than N3000) is generally applied to these cars.

At normal operating temperatures the 20W-50 oil thickens and becomes heavier than what is specified and as such the engine ends up doing more work. The result is generally poor engine performance and less than optimum fuel economy.

This explains why a brand new car or imported used car performs very well till it receives its very first oil change in country. We are simply taking out good oil and replacing it with the wrong oil type.

 Advantages of using the correct oil viscosity

2 tests were conducted on a 5-yr old petrol generator and on a 2004 Honda Accord. The oil used was a CEPSA 5W-40 as it was the closest oil to those recommended by the manufacturers of the engines being tested.

TEST 1 - ELEMAX 6.1KVA GENERATOR

A switch was made from TOTAL (20W-50)  to CEPSA (5W-40) at the beginning of the week. Air Filters and Spark plugs were left untouched.

By the end of the week aside from a reduction in generator sound the fuel consumption had dropped from 18litres in 6hrs to 12litres in 6hrs.

TEST 2 - 2004 HONDA ACCORD

A switch was made from MOBIL 1 (0W-40) to Cepsa (5W-40). No Oil Filters, Air Filters, Fuel Filters, or Spark plugs were cleaned or changed.

In less than 1 week after the switch, aside from quicker start-ups, better idling, and reduced engine note under acceleration, the fuel consumption over a 16.4 mile distance (26.5km) dropped from 5.5 litres to just over 4 litres.

 As both oils advertise a 40 viscosity rating under normal operating temperatures the results in this particular case seem to suggest one of the following:-

The CEPSA oil is much better oil for the 2004 Honda Accord than the 0W-40 oil from MOBIL 1.
The IMPORTED 5W-40 CEPSA oil is lighter than the MADE IN NIGERIA 0W-40 from MOBIL 1at normal operating temperatures
 Conclusion

We cannot stress this enough. Please use the engine oil recommended by your car manufacturer. It is written in the car manual or on the engine oil cover cap.

The internet is filled with a lot of information. More information than can be provided by the mechanic or recently employed petrol station attendant.

Ignorance is no longer an excuse. There are absolutely no advantages to changing viscosity or using that which is not recommended.

We are GLAD to let you know that the 5W20 and 5W30 variants are now readily available in large quantities at our office in Lagos. The are affordable enough for you to stock up for the remaining part of the year.

Please share this good news with friend.

5W20 and 5W30 American spec engine oil now available in 5 liter kegs at our office.
Whole sallers are welcome.

Oga, with all this much talk, no office address, no phone no!

Which oil would u prescribe for a 2001 camry. Pls include office address and state whether u handle home delivery.

Sorry, I do not know what happened to our signature on NL.

Our Office Address is:
5, Ogunlesi Street,
Off Bode Thomas Road,
Onipanu, Lagos.

Phone: 08029990359, 07057222508.

Our Engine Oils are suitable for the following cars:

Acura: RL, TL, TSX, RDX, ZDX, ILX, MDX.
Chevrolet: Cruze, Equinox, Malibu.
Ford: Fiesta, Fusion, Taurus, Ranger, Escape, Edge, Explorer.
Honda: Accord, Crosstour, Civic, CRV, Pilot, Ridgeline, Element, Odyssey.
Hyundai: Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Tuscon / IX35, Santa Fe, Vera Cruz.
Kia: Rio, Optima, Soul, Sportage, Sorento.
Land Rover : LR2, LR3, LR4, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport.
Lexus: IS, LS, ES, GX, RX, GS, LX.
Mazda: 3, 5, 6, CX7, CX9, Protege, Tribute, Miata, MPV.
Nissan: Altima, Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Titan, Xterra, Pathfinder.
Toyota: Yaris, Corolla, Matrix, Prius, Avensis, Camry, Avalon, Venza, RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, Landcruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra.

Milemaster Manufacturer Specified Engine Oil

MileMaster Lubricants

This ur mile master is not a full synthetic engine oil. is it?

No it's not.

hello,,trying to contact you...i learnt u install keyless entry....i need such on an 04 rav4.....how much would it cost..and what makes of the keyless entry do u have?

Why should you settle for second best Get DuraMax Full Synthetic Engine Oils 5W20,5W30,0W20

Full Synthetic Oils for 21st century Cars

Contact us with 09035870964...or log on to www.usplaceofautos.com for Engine Oils,Spark Plugs,Oil Filters,Brake Pads,Brake Fluids,Duramax ATF for many brands of cars,Fuel Injector Cleaner,e.t.c...We are all about your car

how much is the duramax oil?

Please, what's the price of your 5W-20 oil?

Joguns:
Please, what's the price of your 5W-20 oil?

Why don't you use Toyota OEM Motor Oil 5w20? For the Toyotas and Lexus, Its what is in your engine straight from the factory.

Call 09086679585 to get it

DuraMAX Full Synthetic Engine Oil. It's Performance Engineered Liquid Armor. Marketed by US Place of Autos

Distributors needed for DuraMAX Full Synthetic Motor Oil Nationwide.

DuraMAX 5W20
DuraMAX 0w20
DuraMAX 5W30
DuraMAX ATF

Contact Information:
US Place of Autos
10, Veteran Plaza,
433 Herbert Macaulay way,
St Agnes,
Yaba, Lagos
Telephone: 09035870964
E-mail: info@usplaceofautos.com
Website: www.usplaceofautos.com
Twitter handle: @usplaceofautos