Oil is a vital substance for the smooth running of your engine, and if you want the engine to have a long life then looking after the oil is fundamental. Naturally, this means making sure that oil changes are performed on time with the most suitable oil for your car. Your local garage should be able to advise you on the best oil to use, but you may run the risk of causing long-term damage to your car's engine if you don’t make regular dipstick checks between services yourself.It’s straightforward enough to check the engine oil level, but if you’ve never done it before it’s best to follow the instructions in your car’s handbook. This will provide details of how warm the engine should be, and how long you should wait after turning off the ignition to get the most accurate measurement on the dipstick. But as a general rule, you’re usually good to take a dipstick reading a few minutes after switching off a hot engine, and for most drivers the optimum oil level isn’t an exact science.If you do find your oil needs topping up, you’ll find there’s a potentially bewildering range of options at your local garage or car accessory store. For example, the best oil for diesel engines will be entirely different to the best oil for petrol engines, while high performance oils are available for turbocharged engine.
Another confusing factor can be labels for synthetic oils and semi-synthetic oil. There are a multitude of different grades to choose from too, and that’s why we’ve put together this guide to choosing the best oil for your car. What are grades of oil?There’s an overwhelming range of oil out there. Not only are there dozens of brands – some you’ll have heard of, others you may not – but they all come in a range of different grades.
Those numbers refer to the viscosity – or ‘thickness’ – of the oil. Today’s oil is generally thinner, allowing the oil to flow around the engine quickly when the car is started, which helps to prevent damage caused by metal parts grinding against one another. Modern engines are built with finer tolerances and therefore require thinner oils. Thinner oils – those with lower viscosity – also help with economy.Most oils carry two sets of numbers because they’re ‘multigrade’ oil. Additives in the oil mean it can change viscosity depending on temperature.The lower the first number, the better the oil will operate at low temperatures – hence the ‘W’ digit, which denotes winter. The lower the second number, the better it’ll operate at higher temperatures.You can also mix different oil brands and even different grades without severely damaging your engine. Having the wrong oil in your car engine rather than no oil is the lesser of two evils, albeit if you find yourself stuck and only able to access the wrong grade of oil, you should book your car for an oil change as soon as possible.
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Oil specificationsTo complicate matters, there is a range of different engine oil standards too, but it’s the ACEA numbers on each oil container that are most relevant.European, and many Asian carmakers generally use the following specifications for petrol engines. It’s less important to change your oil filter if you’re simply topping up the oil levels, but you should always ensure your oil filter is changed whenever your car is serviced. How often and how many miles can pass between oil and oil filter changes varies from car to car. Check your owner’s manual or with your local dealer for more information. What is the best oil for my diesel car?Diesel engines have very different requirements to petrol engines, so you must ensure you use the correct oil for your car. It’s particularly important if your car is fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) as anyone found driving a diesel vehicle without a DPF could be fined up to £2,500.As with oil for petrol engines, diesel-specific oil has a range of ratings, so check your handbook for the most correct one.Diesel engine oil:.B1 Fuel economy diesel.B3 High performance and/or extended drain.B4 For direct injection passenger car diesel engines.B5 Fuel economy diesel with extended drain capabilityIf your car has a diesel particulate filter, you must use a ‘low SAPS’ oils or you risk blocking the DFP. SAPS stands for Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur – all substances which can build up in the DPF.Look for the following oils:.C1 Low SAPS (0.5% ash) fuel efficient.C2 Mid SAPS (0.8% ash) fuel efficient, performance.C3 Mid SAPS (0.8% ash) less fuel efficient; more bias on performanceEach carmaker will choose the SAPS level most effective for their engine design and so will choose a different ACEA C rating as appropriate.Let us know if you've encountered any oil-related horror stories in the comments below.
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What engine is fitted to my Vauxhall Astra H Mk5? What engine is fitted to my Vauxhall Astra H Mk5? Published by: Vauxhall ASTRA / COMBO / CORSA 1.7 DTi CDTi - ENGINE OIL COOLER - NEW 97223705 Image. COMMA XFMOT1G X-FLOW TYPE MOT 20W50 MOTORWAY MINERAL MOTOR / ENGINE OIL 4.5 L Image. How to Find Your Car or Truck's Year, Make, Model, and Engine Size. Your vehicle identification number is very easy to find. It is printed on a tag located on the driver's side dashboard of your vehicle and can be read from the outside looking through the windshield. The VIN is also located on a tag inside the driver's door jam or on the door itself. It is also listed on your vehicle registration certificate.