Choosing the right engine oil is a fundamental factor in ensuring proper maintenance and proper functioning of the car. However, not all lubricating oils are the same. Using an oil with characteristics that are not appropriate for your car could damage the engine irreversibly.
In this blog, we will see a short guide to choosing the car engine oil to use, based on its technical characteristics, which oil to choose for a petrol engine, and how to recognize an oil for diesel engines.
What is the task of Engine Oil?
Oil has the task of creating a thin protective layer coating all the moving parts of the engine (pistons, cylinders, crankshaft, and others) avoiding friction generated by direct contact between the components.
Without an engine lubricant, the engine would seize up in no time, with moving components blocked due to excessive friction. Another important function of engine lubricant is to cool the components. The engine components release part of their excess temperature to the oil.
Choosing Engine Oil based on Viscosity / Grade
One of the most important characteristics to evaluate when choosing an engine oil is its grade/viscosity. This is indicated in the engine use and maintenance manuals drawn up by the manufacturer with a code composed of two different numerical values.
Here are some examples : 0W30 , 5W30 , 5W40 , 10W40 , 15W40 and 15W50.
The first number is accompanied by a W (which indicates that it is the cold viscosity data ), while the second indicates the hot viscosity.
The viscosity value indicates how fluid or dense an oil will be, opposing a different resistance to the movement of the engine components. In order not to get confused in choosing the oil, it is important to specify that the viscosity numbers do not refer to temperature values, but to the indices of the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) table.
Below is the SAE table of engine lubricants, with the different viscosity values and the associated temperatures:
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Important Note
- The lower the cold viscosity rating (W), the more suitable the engine lubricant will be for use in particularly cold climates.
- The higher the hot viscosity number, the more suitable the oil will be for summer use at high temperatures.
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Oil specifications by Engine
When choosing engine oil for your car, in addition to viscosity data, there are also other specifications to take into consideration. The most commonly reported specifications on all engine lubricant packaging are the API and ACEA acronyms.
- API: classification according to the American Petroleum Institute, an association of American petrochemical producers.
- ACEA: classification according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
API Specifications for Engine Oil
The API specification is mainly composed of two letters, and in some cases, it is accompanied by a number. The first letter always specifies whether the oil is intended for a gasoline engine (“ S ”, Service) or for a diesel engine (“ C ”, Commercial). The second letter represents the performance of the engine petroleum, indicated in ascending alphabetical order to indicate better performance of the oil for the engine.
In diesel engines (type “C”), the two-letter code is often accompanied by a number, to indicate the type of engine for which it is intended. For example: CF-2 (for two-stroke diesel engines), and CF-4 (for 4-stroke diesel engines).
ACEA Engine Oil Specifications
The ACEA engine lubricant classification uses a combination of letters and numbers.
These are the letters used:
- A/B : petrol engines and diesel engines (until 2004 the two categories were distinct);
- C : oil is also suitable for engines with post-treatment;
- E : commercial vehicles.
In private vehicles (category A/B) these are the main classifications:
- A/B1 for use in engines developed for the use of low-viscosity oils;
- A/B3 for use in engines having extended oil change intervals;
- A/B4 for use in engines that have direct injection;
- A/B5 for use in engines having extended oil drain intervals, but requiring low viscosity oils to reduce fuel consumption.
How to Choose the Right Engine Oil
To conclude, to choose the correct engine lubricant for your car you must first know how to read the viscosity values and understand the API and ACEA acronyms, so as to recognize the oil that best matches the type of car and the type of performance you want to obtain.
Furthermore, in the car’s use and maintenance manual, it is possible to find the specific instructions from the manufacturer, with indications both on which lubricant manufacturers respect the manufacturer’s specifications and on the degree of viscosity to prefer based on the type of climate in which the car will be used.
Lubricants and Oils Used by Hytec Garage
Hytec Auto Garage offers a complete range of high-performance engine oils under various brands, such as ADNOC, Emirates Lube Oil Co. Ltd., EPPCO Lubricants, Shell, and Castrol. Our mechanics test the quality and performance of the lubricant range every day in person. If you need to get a reliable and worry-free oil change service for your luxury car, Get in ASAP at Hytec Auto Shop in Dubai.
