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Our oil change and filter service includes manufacturer recommended engine oils, which are also approved by the American Petroleum Institute (API). The rating is SM for all automotive engines as of November 30, 2004, the highest ranking. We do not use SH rated oil which is obsolete, yet is still available in the retail market and may still be used in the quick oil change industry. In addition, we only use oil grades approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
When we are asked, “What kind of oil should I use on my automobile?”
The name brands are many: Valvoline, Mobil, Quakerstate, Castrol, or Lubromoly. Our answer will be, “What kind of driving do you do and what does the manufacturer recommend to maintain the new car warranty?” Here are climate tables similar to what is shown on the owner’s manual which explain the basic oil grades to use:
It’s the temperature that the automobile will be under that determines what oil viscosity is given consideration.
Typical SAE viscosity grades
For instance, if lowest expected outdoor temperature is:
0° C (32° F) > use: 5w-20, 5w30, 10w-40, 20w-50, oil
-18° C (0° F) >110° F > use: 5w-20, 5w-30, 10w-30, 10w-40, oil
Below -18° C (0° F) > use: 0w-20, 5w-20, 5w-30, oil
1. The viscosity grade is the measure of the oil’s thickness and ability to flow at certain temperatures.
2. Energy: better oil quality may result in overall saving of fuel; this is on the API label (the starburst). If oil flows better, there is less resistance in the engine and thus will result in fuel savings..
3. Performance level: the SM level by API quality which is the highest ranking.
Look for the donut: SAE approval and the API approval: starburst symbol.
Multigrade oils such as SAE 5w-20, 10w-30, and 10w-40 are widely used because under all but extreme cold or hot conditions, they flow well when cold under low outside temperatures and are thick enough to perform satisfactorily under hot temperatures.
We are sometimes asked, “Can I use synthetic oil on my automobile?” Since 1997> Mercedes Benz® recommends synthetic oil. Since 2004> Volvo® comes with synthetic oil from the factory when the automobile is delivered, yet its up to the owner to choose to use it or not. In Volkswagen® water cooled engines, it is recommended to use synthetic oil. We have noticed that motorists that have used synthetic oils in their automobiles visually have cleaner internal engine components because of the properties in the oil cause it to flow better and it does not coat internal engine parts with combustion by-products as organic fossil based oils do. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can drive a car with synthetic oil for extended miles. For a Mercedes Benz® it’s approximately every 10,000 miles; a Volvo® we recommend every 5,000 miles; the same for water cooled Volkswagens® so keep in mind, synthetic oil costs more to produce so it’s more expensive to purchase.
One practice for sure, the more often oil is changed, the better it is under extreme driving conditions. A case in point, and there are many in our files: a Volvo XC90 with twin turbos, 65,000 miles on it, driven 16,250 per year (higher than average), had excessive smoke out the exhaust. Oil crust was on the underside of the oil cap. The result was one of the turbines on the turbo was damaged due to oil protection breaking down, which damaged the turbos.
One of the new problems we are faced with is oil sludge build up due to infrequent oil changes and associated problems with organic fossil based oils. If you are driving under extreme conditions, say freeway and city driving, that’s most motorists, in my opinion, and if driven 10>15,000 miles per year, that’s extreme these days. What we are saying is that you should consider changing the oil and filter more frequently than is recommended in your
case, but that is only our point of view, based on the mechanical failures we have seen over the years in the workshop due to “scheduled service” recommended.
In addition to using quality engine oil on our customer’s automobiles to help improve fuel efficiency by 1>1.5% (due to lower friction and higher flow rate) we also adjust tire pressures (to tire manufacturer’s tire pressure recommendations) which is slightly different than the maker of the vehicle. Proper tire pressure will increase fuel efficiency by 3%.
