Motor Oil: When, Why, How and Who?
Compiled By: German Gonzalez
Oil brands are less
important than the information on the Motor Oil container (i.e. SAE
and API). Look for this information on the oil bottle label inside a
circular graphics listing both. Lubricants are required by law to have
this information listed. If you motor oil do not have this information...
don't buy it!
- API (American Petroleum Institute) - Is the quality designator comprise of two letters. For example "SG"
where "S" denotes spark ignition while "G" is the quality designator, the
higher the letter the better the quality of the oil, being "A" the worse.
You might see some oils that have, let say SG/CG, this means that this
motor oil it’s also compatible with diesel engines were “C” stands for “
Compression Ignition” and “G”, again, is the quality designator. In some
case you will find quality designator “ILSAC” but this last one is not as
common.
- SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) - is the viscosity number and can be found in the center of the circle.
For example SAE 10W-30, which is a multi-grade motor oil.
Engine viscosity will affect the fuel economy especially in cold weather
operation. Low-viscosity engine oils can provide improved fuel economy
and cold weather performance but high temperature weather will require
juts the opposite. When choosing your motor oil you need to consider your
operation ambient temperature range to determine the best oil viscosity
for your application. Most manufactures recommend the use of oils label "Energy Conserving II".
These oils contribute the fuel economy by reducing the amount of fuel
necessary to overcome engine friction.
Frequency: The rule of thumb for changing your motor oil is once every
3,000 miles right! Although this will not hurt your car it certainly
hurts in your pocket. Now days with better lubricants and more precise
machined engine the oil change intervals are much higher that.
The owner manual will tell you the manufacturer recommended interval
depending on your driving conditions. You will be surprise to find out
that in many case it’s much more than just 3,000 miles. Some vehicle can
go as high as once every 7,500 or 7.5 months!
NOTE: Never use motor oils viscosity other than those recommended by the
manufacturer. Also never overfilling with engine oil as it will damage
your engine.
The Bottom Line: "...you would never go wrong by looking into your glove box
and reaching for the little black book…"
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