How Choose Right Engine Oil For Your Vehicle?
Normally, people do not check the
engine oil
being replenished in the car. The mechanic woulddecide the brand and type of engine oil used. It would not be a problem if you were servicing your car at a reliable car service centre. Nonetheless, it would be good to know about the right engine oil for your car. You can also replace the oil when it is due.
A few points to be borne in mind while choosing the engine oil for your car. Timely change and
usage of the correct engine oil would enhance engine life. And offer trouble-free performance. The engine oil specified would depend on the type of engine, climatic conditions (obviously, the engine oil suggested in a tropical climate would definitely differ from the one for cold weather), road conditions etc.
You’ll also notice a two-character service designation on the container. API’s latest service standards are SP for gasoline engines and CK-4 for diesels. These letters are based on a group of laboratory and engine tests that determine the oil’s ability to protect the engine from wear and high- temperature deposits and sludge. API has a full list of these standards here in case you’re curious, but make sure you’re buying an oil that’s been tested under a current standard. As of this writing, that includes SP, SN, SM, SL and SJ for gasoline engines and CK-4, CJ-4, CI-4, CH-4 and FA-4 for diesels
The owner’s manual for your car will list its recommended oil weight, whether that’s a standard format like 10W-30 or something more unusual. That number refers to the viscosity (or thickness) of the oil that you should use. You should adjust which weight and type for the seasons and your expected use of the car, which we’ll explain below. For regular use in moderate temperatures, what’s listed in your owner’s manual is fine. Always choose an oil from a brand that displays the starburst symbol that indicates the oil has been tested by the American Petroleum Institute (API).