![]() ‘Mineral’ oil sounds like it should be synthetic too (minerals aren’t organic, after all), but the name comes from the way it’s extracted from the earth like other mineral deposits. ![]() So here’s a guide to engine oil types, standards and jargon to help you hack your way through this oily jungle An old car engine might be perfectly happy with a few good glugs of old-fashioned SAE 20W 50 mineral oil, but engine technology has moved on and the demands on engine oils have moved on too. Modern car engines use extremely fine tolerances and subject oils to a series of very different forces, conditions and stresses. But maybe it’s not the cost of the oil that’s putting you off but the difficulty of finding the right one?īuying oil isn’t so simple any more. Oil isn’t cheap, but it’s a lot cheaper than a premature engine replacement. The chemical degradation comes from the accumulation of contaminants from engine combustion processes and leaky gaskets and oil seals (in older cars), and the effects of oxidation. The mechanical stresses and strains are probably easy to picture and lead to steady molecular breakdown. Your engine might be purring like a cat, but inside it the oil is being subjected to constant mechanical and chemical stresses that will slowly degrade its performance. It’s also vital to change the engine oil at the manufacturer’s specified service intervals, because oil wears out. It’s not just about keeping the oil level topped up. That would mean a LOT of expense and trouble – far more than the cost of a litre of oil at the gas station and a dipstick check every weekend. If you don’t maintain your car’s minimum oil level, there’s a good chance key engine components will be starved of oil and either wear prematurely or fail catastrophically. And the older your engine, the more oil it will tend to use (or leak) and the more often you need to check the dipstick to make sure it stays above the minimum level. Even if your car is relatively new and you take it to a dealer for servicing, you still need to check the oil level.
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