The right car lubricant can save you more than just money!

Vehicle maintenance can be costly and confusing due to a lack of knowledge. Lubricants, a key part of maintenance, improve performance and help reduce costs when chosen correctly. In this article, we will share lubricant-related money-saving tips to help car owners save money while protecting their cars.

The Role of Lubricants: Saving Money Starts with Understanding

Lubricants are small but powerful. They play a vital role in vehicles, acting like lymph to maintain smooth operation between friction pairs while also cooling and cleaning the engine. Lubricants for the car have three major effects, lubrication, sealing, cleaning, cooling shock absorption, and rust prevention.

Lubrication and wear reduction: there is rapid relative sliding between the piston and cylinder, and between the main shaft and the axial tile, to prevent the parts from wearing out too quickly, it is necessary to establish an oil film between the two sliding surfaces. There is enough thickness of the oil film will be relative sliding parts of the surface separation, to achieve the purpose of reducing wear.

Cooling: The oil helps cool the engine by carrying heat back to the oil tank and distributing it to the air.
Cleaning: good oil can be engine parts on the carbide, sludge, wear metal particles through the cycle back to the oil tank, through the flow of lubricating oil, flushing the parts of the work surface of the dirt produced.
Seal anti-leakage: oil can form a seal between the piston ring and piston, reduce gas leakage, and prevent the entry of external pollutants.
Rust and corrosion prevention: lubricating oil can be absorbed into the part’s surface to prevent water, air, acidic substances harmful gases, and parts of contact.
Shock absorption buffer: when the engine cylinder port pressure rises sharply, suddenly intensified piston, piston chip, connecting rod, and crankshaft bearings on the load is very large, this load through the bearing transfer lubrication, so that the impact of the bearings load to play a cushioning effect.

Choosing the right car lubricant: avoiding wasted money

The general principle of choosing motor oil is: according to your car model, engine, working conditions, climate, budget, and other factors, comprehensively consider the classification of the oil, labeling, brand, and other information, and choose the most suitable for their oil. But practically the first thing we have to do when choosing motor oil is to turn over the instruction manual of our own vehicle, find the viscosity grade of the engine oil, and try to choose among the viscosity recommended by the manual. There are a wide variety of lubricants on the market, including fully synthetic, semi-synthetic, and mineral oils. Fully synthetic oils typically offer better high-temperature stability and longer life for use in extreme conditions. Mineral oils, on the other hand, are less costly and suitable for general working conditions. The viscosity grade of the lubricant also needs to be considered to ensure that it provides proper lubrication at different temperatures.

Choose a lubricant based on your vehicle model

Check the viscosity grade (e.g. 5W-30, 10W-40, etc.) recommended by the automobile manual.
Characteristics and application scenarios of different types of lubricants (mineral oil, semi-synthetic oil, fully synthetic oil).

Avoid overspending

Ordinary vehicles do not necessarily need expensive fully synthetic oils, and choosing cost-effective products can fulfill their needs.

Pay attention to the certification of lubricant brands

Prioritize brands with international certifications such as API, ACEA, etc. for better quality assurance.

According to the local temperature, and garage conditions.

For example, the lowest temperature at night is -30 ℃, if the car is parked outdoors at night for more than 8 hours, with 5W40 oil, it is difficult to hit the car in the morning. If the car is parked outside for more than 8 hours at night, it will be difficult to start the car in the morning with 5W40 motor oil.
If the car is parked in a garage with heating, 5W40 will be fine.
When starting, the starter motor should tow the engine at 100RPM or more to get it started. It has something to do with both the battery and the starter motor.

According to the mileage of the car

More than 200,000 kilometers, the friction vice of the engine has some wear and tear, using a higher viscosity engine oil.

Money-saving tips

Proper use of lubricants is critical to maintaining equipment performance. Here are some basic guidelines for using lubricants:

1. CLEAN: Make sure lubrication points are clean and dust-free before adding new lubricant.

2. The right amount: Add lubricant in accordance with the equipment manufacturer’s recommended amount to avoid over- or under-adding.

3. Periodic Inspection: Check the lubricant regularly for color, viscosity, and the presence of impurities so that problems can be detected in a timely manner.

4. Replacement: Replace the lubricant in accordance with the specified period or in time when deterioration of lubricant performance is detected.

5. Record: Record each lubricant replacement and inspection to track the maintenance history.

Common misconceptions corrected

Not all cars are suitable for high-grade lubricants
Tires do not seek the most expensive only the most appropriate
Don’t pursue high-standard oil too much
Reasonable choice of vehicle insurance
Don’t wash your car under the hot sun

Extended maintenance recommendations related to car lubricant

Regularly clean the carbon inside the engine: Incomplete fuel combustion creates carbon deposits, which increase engine friction, reduce lubricant effectiveness and lower engine efficiency.
Cooperate with the replacement of the oil filter: the filter can remove impurities and sediments in the lubricating oil to ensure that the lubricating oil is clean, to protect the engine components.
Pay attention to the condition of other key fluids (e.g., brake fluid, transmission fluid):

Brake Fluid – Brake fluid is critical to the safety of the brake system, it is highly absorbent and prone to deterioration. Regular replacement ensures consistent brake performance while protecting brake system parts.

Transmission Fluid – Both automatic and manual transmissions need the right amount of fluid to keep shifting smoothly. Insufficient or degraded transmission fluid can affect the driving experience and potentially damage the transmission.

Coolant – Coolant is designed to control engine temperature to avoid overheating or freezing, and it also needs to be corrosion-resistant.

Inspect oil seals and pipes regularly:

The Importance of Oil Seals – The engine’s oil seals and pipes in the lubrication system are responsible for keeping the lubricant closed. If they deteriorate or rupture, lubricant can leak, causing waste and damage to the engine.

What to check -.

Check the oil seals for signs of leakage.

Look for loose or leaking lubrication system pipe connections.

Make sure rubber parts are not deteriorated or cracked.

Maintenance Recommendations – Once leakage is detected, repair or replace the relevant parts promptly to avoid further damage.

Conclusion: The Win-Win Way of Lubricant Maintenance

These maintenance tips not only enhance lubricant performance but also protect other vehicle systems, significantly lowering long-term costs. They’re especially helpful for novice car owners, offering peace of mind and smoother journeys.

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