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How much do you value the engine in your car? Think about it, because the life of your engine depends in no small part on the quality of the oil you put in it. Oil is the lifeblood of your car's engine. From the mid 80's for 8 or 9 years there was a veritable revolution in car engine oil. All oils are no longer the same. Thanks to the increased popularity of sporty GTi's, 16 valve engines and turbos in those years, in combination with the devastating problems of black death, the days of one oil catering for everyone were over. Oil has 5 basic functionsWhat does my oil actually do?What is Black Death?Black death for the 21st century Flushing oils & Flushing additives A quick guide to the different grades of oil. What else happens when I change the oil then? Checking the oil in your engine, and topping up. What happens when an engine is overfilled with oil? So what's the best way to check the oil level? Can I use car engine oil in my motorbike then? Can I use diesel engine oil in my petrol engine?
Oil has 5 basic functions· Oil reduces friction improving engine performance and reducing fuel consumption· Oil protects engine parts against wear and corrosion, making engines more efficient and longer lasting· Oil helps to eliminate impurities attacking the engine thanks to oil and oil filter changes· Oil helps to seal engines particularly in the combustion chambers to help boost compressions for added engine power and reduced emissions· Oil absorbs and removes heat to help prevent hot spots and deformation, warping and failure of moving parts {return to FAQ}What does my oil actually do?An engine oil's job is primarily to stop all the metal surfaces in your engine from grinding together and tearing themselves apart from friction, and dissipating the heat generated from this process. It also transfers heat away from the combustion cycle and must be able to hold in suspension the nasty by-products of fuel combustion, such as silica (silicon oxide) and acids. It cleans the engine of such chemicals and buildups, and keeps the moving parts coated in oil. Doing this helps minimize exposure to oxygen and thus oxidation at higher temperatures. It does all of these things under tremendous heat and pressure and for the most part without succumbing to fatigue or black death, the ultimate engine destroyer. {return to FAQ} What is Black Death?Black death first appeared in the early 80's when a horrible sticky black substance was found to be the cause of many engine seizures in Europe. Many engines were affected but Ford and Vauxhall (GM) suffered the most. Faster roads, higher under-hood temperatures, tighter engineering tolerances and overworked engine oils turned out to be contributors to the problem. The oils just couldn't handle it and changed their chemical makeup under pressure into a sort of tar-like glue. This blocked all the oil channels in the engines, starved them of lubrication and caused them to seize. This could all happen in a matter of minutes. Black Death was the catalyst for the production of newer higher quality oils, many of them man-made rather than mineral-based. {return to FAQ} |
