It would seem, what could be easier than changing the oil in your favorite car? One or two and you’re done! But in fact, everything is not so simple. There are some truly fatal mistakes that even experienced motorists make when changing lubricants. Most often, they are allowed not even out of ignorance, but out of inattention or because of haste. So, what should be paid special attention to during the replacement process?
Table of Contents
“Compote”
The first and most common mistake among novice motorists. For some reason, some people forget that it is strictly forbidden to mix different oils. Most often, citizens make this mistake not with a complete replacement, but if necessary, add oil. The problem is that each oil contains its own set of additives and additives. Mixing different substances is fraught with the fact that the lubricant will lose its useful properties. In addition, mixing often leads to the formation of a dangerous precipitate. In case of emergency, when there are no other options, you can add synthetic oil to semi-synthetic, and semi-synthetic to mineral. Other combinations are prohibited.
Underfilled or spilled
Two more very popular mistakes. Hardly any of the motorists need to be explained why underfilling the lubricant is dangerous. And yet we recall that the lack of oil leads to accelerated wear of the moving parts of the engine. As a result – a quick decrease in the resource of the power plant and an early breakdown. Everything can end with a major overhaul of the motor, which is one of the most expensive services today. Much less obvious is the danger of overflowing lubricant. Alas, oil will not spoil only porridge. But the engine can even break down! Overflow is fraught with the formation of smudges, soot, coking of pistons, extrusion of seals. In addition, in the event of an overflow, there is a risk of oil entering the exhaust manifold.
Constant “gravy” instead of replacement
On the issue of a complete oil change among motorists, there is one extremely dangerous misconception. It boils down to the fact that if you constantly add fresh oil, then it seems like there is no need to completely change the lubricant … In fact, this is not so. In fact, when filling, a mixture of old and new oil occurs, as a result of which the latter immediately loses some of its useful properties. In addition, if you do not change the lubricant completely, then more and more carbon deposits, the smallest metal chips, solid particles and other debris that reduce the efficiency of the oil will accumulate in it. Only a complete replacement allows you to get rid of a significant part of harmful deposits.
“Rules to the letter”
Finally, another common mistake when changing engine oil is following the established regulations to the letter. It is important to understand here: the engine oil change procedure established in the instruction manual is not so much strict rules as recommendations. It is likely that you will have to change the lubricant much more often than indicated in the “magic book”. And all because in real life the machine is subjected to much greater loads and is forced to work in a rather aggressive environment. Therefore, if the regulations say to change the lubricant every 10-20 thousand km, then you can safely reduce this figure by 1.5-2 times. On average, with daily use of a car, it is recommended to change the oil at least every 7-10 thousand.