Oil Guide: myths and facts about engine oil

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A car needs oil as much as your body needs water. We all know that cars need engine oil for them to function. Oil not only helps lubricate the moving parts of the engine but also protects them against rust, corrosion and free from sludge. But there are some things about oil that aren’t really true – for instance, engine oil needs to be changed every 5000km or oil needs to be changed when it gets dark in colour. But this is not entirely true. It is advisable to stick to the recommendations made for your car in the owner’s manual. 

We list some common myths and facts that will clear your doubts about motor oil: 

1.) Myth: You can tell the condition of the oil simply by the smell and the colour of the engine oil. 

Fact: Aside from lubrication, one of oils functions is also to clean the moving parts of the engine. Any oil will start to look dirty even a few hours after it has been added and that is testimony of the fact that it is performing its cleaning duties. 

2.) Myth: You can’t switch between Synthetic engine oil and conventional oil or mix the two. 

Fact: Interchanging between these two kinds of oils should be absolutely fine as long as both the products meet the viscosity and performance standards recommended by the manufacturer in the owner’s manual. 

3.)  Myth: Additives can improve the performance of the engine

Fact: Most premium engine oils these days have all the necessary additives to extract the best possible performance from an engine. Adding more additives to them will not boost the performance any further. Spending on premium engine oils is a smarter option to consider rather than spending on additives. 

4.) Myth: Instead of changing/topping up oil frequently, you can add that it in larger quantity than suggested.

Fact: Overfilling the crankcase is as harmful to your engine as low levels of oil. Excessive oil can lead to increased heat due to increased resistance. The overall life span of the oil also reduces. To make matters worse, all the extra oil can even spill into the cylinders which increase deposits in the combustion chamber and lead to complex issues thereon. Check the user manual of your vehicle to know the right amount of fuel that your vehicle needs. 

5.) Myth: All engine oils are the same

Fact: There are different kinds of oils available in the market synthetic, semi-synthetic, mineral and even within these they are of different grades. Each of these types has their own unique characteristics, additive technology and additive content. Each kind of oil has been formulated after a lot of intense research to meet different kinds of usage. The selection of engine oil will not only depend on the manufacturer recommendations but also the kind of usage the vehicle will be exposed to.