Everything you need to know about engine oil, Part 2

So let's talk about motor oil standards. There's a group called ilsac they set the performance standards for motor Oil used in gas powered cars and light trucks. Well, they approved gf six, which is the new standard for motor oil designed to improve fuel economy and enhance engine capabilities and it went to effect last year. The new standard allows thinner oils to reduce friction and increase fuel economy. This means better protection against wear and a stop start equipped engine better protection of timing chains and protection against low speed pre ignition lspi is actually a problem that can happen in modern turbos when the fuel ignites too soon, which is bad because the explosion can damage your engine so preventing lspi cops car makers to tune the engine for greater efficiency gf six A is for existing cars. It covers the current API s and oil viscosities of zero w 25, w 25, w 30 and 10 w 30. It meets all specifications for these current oils. In addition to meeting the latest gf six specifications it's backwards compatible, meaning it offers some of the new standards benefit but it works fine in cars designed for the older standards. That said even though it's backwards compatible gf six a is really not intended for engines older than maybe the latest generation of production engines are roughly back to the mid 1990s gf. Six B is the new standard only for zero w 16. low viscosity oil and it's not backwards compatible. gf six B standard is mainly aimed at turbocharged gasoline direct injected engines tasked with achieving fuel economy levels and it's aimed at engines that were made in 2017 and newer so how do you know if your motor oil is gf six approved well oils that meet gf six a standard show the Starburst APA Mark I'm the container oils that meet the G f six B standard display the new API shield Now let's talk about oil changes. So how frequently should you change your oil that depends on many factors. For example vehicle age oil pipe the way you drive even where you live, it used to be normal to change the oil every 3000 miles but with modern lubricants many engines nowadays have recommended change intervals of 5000 to 7000 miles for many cars pet you beat mine, but you might want to consider changing your oil more often if you tend to drive at high speed. It's also true if you have an older engine or live in an area that's particularly hot, cold or dusty. If your engine requires full synthetic then could even go as far as 15,000 miles of course, it's always important to file your car owner's manual for the manufacturer's recommendations. So how do you know if or when your engine is in need of an oil change. There are several common science The most obvious one is you're having an oil problem that will come from the car itself. newer cars come equipped with an oil monitoring system the oil change indicator or the check engine light on your dashboard will turn on when there's not enough oil in the system. In that case you can check your engines dipstick. Another warning is increased engine noise when your car is sufficient motor oil the oil have to protect the engine parts. That means the engine stays quiet since the oil is lubricating all the metals but let's say your oil level is low. This means there's not much to lubricate the engine parts so the parts will brush against each other and the result is you may hear knocking or rumbling sounds, that's never a good thing because basically your engine is tearing itself apart bit by bit. If you sense an oil smell inside your car, it could mean you have an oil leak. If you also smell gas or exhaust fumes your car might be overheating. Either way you should take it to the shop to get checked out as soon as possible. If you see the exhaust smoke coming out of your tailpipe that's time for an engine checkup to your car might have an oil leak or some other malfunctioning engine parts. If you have excessively high mileage in a particular month, you should consider changing your oil a bit sooner than your normal schedule. Check your owner's manual for specific guidelines. But now let's shift gears and debunk some common myths about motor oil true or false black oil must always be changed actually that's false motor oil darkens especially when the oil is exposed to high engine temperatures and therefore oxidizes it can also darken as it absorbs byproducts from combustion color itself doesn't mean the oil is dirty or no longer doing its job. Instead what you should watch out for is how dirty the oil is. If the oil is gritty or grainy, then yeah get it changed as soon as possible.

End of part 2

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