Crib for a driver: engine oil - how to monitor and when to change

The engine is the heart of the car, its driving force. And motor oil, in turn, is the key to its health and long service life. To avoid problems with the power unit, each motorist must know the basics of the "oil" topic.

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Let’s bypass the issue of choosing engine oil. Recommended type, class and viscosity are specified in the car's operating instructions. Experiments on the principle of "I know better" can end sadly, especially when it comes to complex modern engines. When choosing a particular brand, the role is played by personal preferences, the advice of acquaintances and servicemen or the level of trust in a particular manufacturer.

As soon as the grease leaves the sealed canister and is in the engine, it begins to age: oxidize, lose the properties of additives, and accumulate dirt. There is nothing criminal in the latter; it is a natural process, because washing the engine from the inside is one of the tasks of the oil. The so-called “harsh operating conditions” accelerate the loss of performance. In the old days, these were considered riding along country roads, in the mountains, with a trailer. Now the main criteria for severity are traffic jams, the presence of short trips on an unheated engine, and frequent cold starts.

And here the main question arises: how fast does the oil age? How much does it turn into a useless fluid unable to protect the power unit? Disputes on this topic will never subside, and there is no definite answer. On the one hand, the automakers themselves conduct comprehensive tests and write down recommendations in the service book. They have the largest resources and powerful testing facilities. Simply put, they seem to need to be believed in the first place. And manufacturers, with rare exceptions, say that oil should be changed once a year or every 15,000 kilometers.

The danger of this approach is that it is selected for all vehicles at once. The catch is that everyone rides in his/her own rhythm and mode. In rare use with runs of several thousand a year, you need to navigate the calendar. Once a year, oil is replaced, even if only 1,000 kilometers are added to the odometer. The lubricant has already lost its properties because of the contact with aggressive media.

If the car spends a lot of time on the track at a good average speed and more or less stable speed, you can safely drive the allowed 15,000 kilometers. But - not forgetting the same 12 months. Oil will not serve longer.

The most difficult case when a car lives in a metropolis with a huge number of traffic jams. The runs seem to be small, but you will calculate the average speed - and it turns out that the car stood a tremendous amount of time in the traffic jams at idle. In this case, you should calculate the time of replacement according to the moto hours. Experts recommend not exceeding the limit of 250-300 hours. For comparison: 15,000 kilometers with a typical average speed of 20 km/h for traffic jam mode consist of 750 hours. Three times more than oil can serve!

The trouble is that the corresponding counter in modern cars is not provided. There are two ways out. You can buy a separate device and install it in an inconspicuous place on the panel, so as not to spoil the view. But almost every regular trip computer has a tab with an average speed. Reset it at the same time as the last oil change takes place, and by dividing the distance you have traveled, you get the number of hours.

In addition to the odometer, calendar and hour meter, it will be useful to look at the oil itself. There are only a few drops on the probe, but they are also able to tell something. Indications for urgent replacement - a consistency close to water, or, on the contrary, too thick, like tar.

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The “caring” engineers removed the good old probe from some engines, using an electronic level sensor instead. Of course, it’s convenient: you don’t get dirty, don’t go out in the cold, but simply display the corresponding menu section on the display in a warm cabin. But the electronics is sometimes buggy, and the physical probe will not lie. The price of the error is the full repair of the engine.