Car manufacturers know how important it is for drivers to change their oil regularly and to know when the oil level is low. That’s why cars have an oil light that turns on when the car senses that there is something wrong with the oil system. This light turns on when you need to change your oil or when your oil runs too low.

Knowing how engine oil helps your car can help you understand why it’s so important to take care of your car’s oil system.

Engine Oil Helps Keep the Engine Clean

Your car’s engine operates using a combustion process. This process causes dirt to build up within the engine. If too much dirt and debris build up, it causes a sludge like material to build up. This sludge can deteriorate different components of your engine and cause it to break down.

The oil helps prevent the dirt from building up and creating sludge, ensuring that your engine runs smoothly. You can tell if your engine is running clean based on the engine efficiency of your vehicle. If you notice that your engine seems to be sluggish, you could have a build-up of sludge within the engine and need to change your engine oil.

You might even need to change the type of oil that you’re using in your car.

Engine Oil Helps Protect the Engine

When your engine becomes full of dirt and debris, it affects how well the engine operates. A good motor oil prevents dirt build up, even trapping it within the oil filter so it can be removed during an oil change. Also, your engine oil helps protect your engine from rust and corrosion that occur when the engine is exposed to extremely hot or cold temperatures.

Oil also prevents corrosion by allowing metal components to rub against each other without friction. The heat created by the friction is trapped by the oil, helping prevent overheating in certain areas of the engine.

As you can see, the right engine oil helps your car perform efficiently. There are many oils on the market for different types of engines, so always purchase the type designed for your vehicle.

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If you’ve recently gotten into performance vehicles, you want to make sure that you purchase the right engine oil. You will depend upon your car to pick up speed quickly, which means the engine will need to heat quickly and will maintain a high level of heat throughout the race. In order to provide the best protection to your engine, you need a high performance oil.

The Differences in High Performance Oil and Regular Oil

The oil formulation of regular motor oil is not strong enough to withstand the heat generated by a racing engine. Racing vehicles may also use alcohol based petrol fuel that isn’t compatible with typical oils. Since the engine pulls on and relies on the fuel system, there will be traces of fuel running through the system.

Oil that isn’t formulated to deal with alcohol based fuel will not operate effectively and could damage the engine.

High Performance Oil = High Oil Viscosity

High performance oil is also a higher viscosity than regular oil and works to prevent premature engine wear. Because a high performance demand is placed on racing engines, the engine components work harder and faster than a typical engine. A high performance oil has special additives that prevent wear and tear that would happen if using regular engine oil.

Choosing the Right Oil Formula

There are many different types of engine oil formulas, and manufacturers consistently create new formulas to better serve the needs of those using high performance engines. The main thing racers need to look for is compatibility with the fuel and engine type.

The high performance oil you choose should be able to function with the type of fuel put into the car. Since many racing vehicles use alcohol-based fuels, you need an engine oil that guarantees performance with this type of fuel.

Additives That Prevent Wear and Tear

You also want an engine oil that contains the correct type of additives. Everyone will tell you that it’s the additives in any engine oil that make one brand stand out from another, and ultimately this is true. The additives used for high performance oil is what will prevent wear and tear.

Never assume that regular engine oil will do the job in a high performance engine. Race car drivers who have fresh oil put in before a race will have black, thick, dirty oil by the time the race is over. Only high performance oil can help a racing engine perform its job without damage or overheating.

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So how long can you store oil? And what do you do with bad oil and the oil that you remove from your vehicle during an oil change? There are proper ways to store and dispose of engine oil, and if you follow the recommended methods, you shouldn’t have any problems using older oil or finding places to toss your old oil.

Basic Oil Storage Methods

The question isn’t really how long will oil last, but under what conditions will oil last? If you store your engine oil in an area with extreme temperature fluctuations, you risk damaging the oil. While pure oil can last for years, it’s the additives included that can separate or build up over time that affects the condition and function of the oil.

If you find a huge crate of engine oil on sale for a great price, don’t be afraid to purchase it. If you store it in a cool, dry area, then you should be able to store it for years. To check the condition of any oil stored beyond the manufacturer’s recommendations, pour a small amount into a container and look for separation, a milky colour, or solidified gel.

Any of these signs can indicate that the oil will not operate effectively.

Proper Methods to Dispose of Engine Oil

Once you drain your old engine oil, you will need to dispose of it properly. Throwing oil containers into the regular trash is hazardous because the oil can sink into the ground at the landfill and cause contamination. There are many places in Australia that allow you to bring your old oil, whether recently drained from your vehicle or outdated oil you don’t want to use, and recycle it at a recycling centre.

These recycling centres take the oil and purify it so that it can be reused for other purposes.

If you store your engine oil properly, it can last for many years. So don’t hesitate to stock up when you find a good deal. Once you’re done with it, send it off to be recycled and you’ll know that you’re protecting the environment and getting rid of all your old oil.

Once you know how to best store and dispose of engine oil, you will better off in the long run.

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Many things can affect the condition of your engine’s oil, so it’s important to understand what affects your engine’s oil and what you can do to prevent debris build up.

What is Engine Oil Sludge Build Up?

Engine oil sludge build up is a term used to describe oil when it becomes thick or mushy and cannot navigate through the engine components. Engine oil sludge forms when additives in the oil start to break down and drivers don’t perform necessary oil changes and maintenance.

Eventually, the sludge can become so thick that it actually clogs the engine and creates timely and costly repairs.

If you change your oil regularly, then you shouldn’t have to worry about oil sludge build up. Drivers who wait too long to change the oil or drive long distances beyond the recommended time for an oil change are at risk of being victims of engine oil sludge. Every time you start your car, your engine is flooded with a variety of chemicals and fluids.

Combine those fluids with intense heat that forms in the engine and soon the oil begins to breakdown and change form.

Signs You Have Oil Sludge Build Up in the Engine

If you’ve gone many miles between oil changes and start experiencing problems with your car, there are a few things that could indicate you have an oil sludge problem. Your engine overheating quickly is one sign that you may have a problem with your oil system.

Oil helps to prevent overheating. Sludge will prevent oil moving through the engine components and overheat the engine.

Another Sign is if Your Car Won’t Start

If your car won’t start it could mean that oil has somehow gotten onto the spark plugs and prevents ignition. You may be able to clean the spark plugs and start the car, but you will need to service your engine as soon as possible. Your oil light may also come on, warning you that there’s something wrong with the engine. If you ignore this light, then you risk parts of your engine overheating and eventually breaking down.

While sludge build up seems scary, if you follow a regular maintenance schedule then you shouldn’t have to worry about oil sludge build up.

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It’s very tempting to purchase engine oil in bulk, especially when you find a great sale from your favourite distributor. However, how much engine oil should you buy? Is there a shelf life of engine oil? Will your motor oil go bad if you buy boxes of it and store it in your garage?

The answers to these questions vary based on the type of oil you buy and where you store it.

Shelf Life of Engine Oil

On average, an oil manufacturer will give the oil it sells a shelf life of two to five years. This means you can buy your favourite oil in bulk and feel confident that it will work well a couple of years after purchase.

Each bottle should have a date on it that explains when the oil should be discarded, but there are people who ignore dates and use oil that they’ve had stored for over 10 years. Here are some tips to help you determine if the oil you have stored is still good for your engine.

Changes in Formulas for New Cars

If you buy a big box of engine oil and store it for a few years, it’s probably good to use. However, if you buy the oil and then purchase a new car, you need to check if the formula you purchased meets the current standards. Car manufacturers consistently update the way they manufacture engines and the science behind the way vehicles operate.

This means that oil also changes as newer engines require different formulas. If you have stored oil, always check that it meets the standards for newer engines. It could be an expensive mistake to use the wrong oil in your engine.

Condition of the Oil Out of the Bottle

The best way to tell if the stored oil is still good for your engine is to check the condition of the oil before you put it in your car. If you stored it in a cool dark place, where it wasn’t at risk for oxidizing, then it’s probably safe to use it. However, if the area you stored the oil had frequent temperature changes or exposure to excess moisture, it could affect the condition and efficacy of your oil.

Separation of the additives from the oil is one sign the oil may not work well. If you notice clumps, gel lumps, or the oil is thick and sticky, then it probably isn’t safe to use in your car. You should also check the colour for haziness or a milky look, which could signify overexposure to moisture. If you don’t notice colour changes or consistency changes, then consider your oil safe to use.

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But can the engine oil you choose actually help you save on fuel costs or is it a clever marketing scheme by manufacturers? The truth is that the engine oil you use can help your fuel efficiency, but it may not be enough to make a real difference.

However, if you’re looking to pinch pennies, changing your engine oil over to a more efficient engine oil is a start.

How Engine Oil Affects Your Fuel Efficiency

You may wonder how engine oil even affects fuel usage. The thicker the viscosity of your engine oil, the harder the engine has to work to push the oil throughout the engine components. Your vehicle pulls on your fuel supply to help power the engine and keep it running.

The harder your engine has to work to move oil through the different parts, the more fuel the vehicle uses. So the thinner your engine oil, the better your fuel efficiency is. However, many people specifically look for high viscosity oil to provide the fullest protection to their engine. So will buying thinner oil protect your car’s engine as well as thicker oil?

Zero Weight Engine Oil

Newer vehicles are being manufactured with engines that can work well with thinner viscosity oils. Many oil manufacturers are creating what is called zero weight engine oil. You can recognize a zero weight engine oil by looking at the numbers on the bottle. One example of a zero weight oil would be a bottle labelled 0W-20.

The last number signifies the viscosity of the oil when the engine is warmed. Unlike the popular 10W-40 or 15W-40, you can see that zero weight engine oil is very thin.

The new design of engine oil allows it to move quickly through the engine components without as much drain on the fuel system, unlike the thicker oils. Studies done on thinner oils show that the engine components are lubricated as well as those using a thicker oil.

So if you’re in the market to purchase an engine oil that will improve your fuel efficiency, then look for a lower viscosity oil. However, if you feel more comfortable with thicker oil, consider the cost savings of switching and if it’s not more than a few cents, consider sticking with your trusted oil type.

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