Why changing your oil (really, really) matters these days
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- DETERGENTS: Help clean engine mechanical parts and surfaces to prevent the buildup of sludge, varnish, as well as neutralize harmful acids.
- DISPERSANT ADDITIVES: These help keep contaminants, such as sludge or acids from bonding together and depositing (staining) on metal surfaces. (They keep the bad stuff suspended in your sump until your next oil change.)
- VISCOSITY ADDITIVES: This helps stabilize and maintain the optimum thickness of oil over a broader range of temperatures than the natural petroleum base stock would otherwise deliver.
- FRICTION MODIFIERS: This helps strengthen oil’s lubrication and protective film qualities particularly during higher engine temperatures
- CORROSION INHIBITORS: This helps prevent water condensation and acids on iron, aluminium and steel surfaces from corroding throughout the engine.
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These are just a few of the many elements that oil companies blend into motor oils to literally boost the endurance of the original oil product. Each of these additives only complements the lubrication properties of motor oil to help it clean, cool and seal. Yet, each one of these additives can only help oil for a limited period: “detergent” additives eventually get used up; “dispersant” additives can only disperse and contaminants for a limited time period, and so on.
Eventually, even the most sophisticated modern motor oil loses those “high tech” additives as their properties wear out. When they wear out the oil starts reverting back to its natural state which is a little closer to crude oil (or as you may know it sludge).a
The impact of this sludge on a high tech modern engine can be huge. Problems such as stretched timing chains, are just one example of the damage you can do by “just missing one service”. Aside from this, there are many other costs such as increased fuel consumption, reduced performance and reduced life of your vehicle.
Save yourself the cost and heartache of an expensive repair, by staying up to date with your servicing.
