Why do you need topping up?
Proper functioning of the engine is impossible without motor oil. The oil fluid poured into the power unit does the following:
- cleans its parts;
- provides easy starting without warming up;
- removes heat from heated parts;
- lubricates contacting elements;
- neutralizes various compounds that accumulate in the motor.
Timely replacement of car oil will extend the life of your friend.
All these tasks are possible thanks to special additives that are added to lubricants to improve their performance. Before pouring oil into your car, you need to find out which petroleum product is optimal for it. Currently, there are many different brands of motor oils that differ in characteristics from each other. Mineral water, synthetics and semi-synthetics are produced. Motor oils are also divided into lubricants for summer, winter and any season. Car manufacturers usually give recommendations on how much oil should be poured into the engine and what it should be. Remember that in older cars it is highly undesirable to use modern synthetic oil.
Due to the fact that it is forbidden to mix different types of lubricants, it is necessary to find out what kind of petroleum product is poured into the power unit. This question will definitely be answered by the employees of the car dealership where you bought the car, or by the former owner of the car. If you figure out how much oil is in the engine, you will have to change all the lubricant. You can do this yourself or use the services of a car service. The cost of car service may be too high; it is better to know how to change the lubricant yourself.
What are the dangers of overfilling the engine with oil?
Today, the vast majority of car enthusiasts are well aware that the quality and level of oil in the crankcase directly affects the proper operation and service life of the power unit. Let us immediately note that the operation of the motor is affected by both low and high levels of lubrication. For this reason, the oil level should not fall below o. In parallel with this, raising the level above “max” is not allowed.
Let's start with a well-known fact. The consequences of engine oil starvation, that is, operating the engine with a low oil level, can be catastrophic. As a result, every driver is obliged to constantly and carefully monitor the quality and quantity of lubricant in the engine. Such control is usually aimed at ensuring that the oil is fresh, meets all tolerances, and that its level in the engine does not fall below a critical level.
If the engine oil level has sharply dropped below the “minimum”, then there is a malfunction that needs to be repaired immediately. Remember, driving a car with low engine oil is prohibited!
The oil must be urgently added, and then the nature of the breakdown must be immediately determined. Operating an engine with a low level of lubrication or without oil is unsafe and will quickly damage the power unit, after which expensive complex repairs or replacement of the engine will be required.
How is it determined how much oil is in the engine?
Any car owner has the opportunity to find out for himself how much oil to fill his car and where to fill the engine oil. Typically, the required amount of motor lubricant is prescribed in the owner's manual for the car. The amount of oil is set with the engine turned off, either ten minutes after it is completely turned off, or before starting. To ensure correct measurements, the car must be on a horizontal, smooth surface.
Included with any car is a special dipstick for measuring car oil. It is usually located in the front area of the motor and looks like a thin metal strip with marks on it.
In order to get the dipstick, you need to grab the ring handle and pull it in your direction. Wipe it free of liquid, immerse it completely in the motor and lift it up again. The volume of motor oil is set by divisions. If the lubricant has reached the upper mark, there is no need to add oil to the engine. If the fluid level approaches the lower mark, you need to fill the engine with oil.
How to choose
In order not to make a mistake with your choice, you need to consider three aspects:
- what year of manufacture is the engine, what is its modification and how worn is it;
- in what weather conditions the car is operated;
- Does the engine have hydraulic compensators that control valve clearances?
The fact is that engine models that were produced before the 90s were equipped with oil seals and valve stem seals made of nitrile rubber. This material cannot interact with synthetic and semi-synthetic products.
Also, if hydraulic compensators are installed, then high-viscosity grades cannot be used. This applies to all types of engines, including modern ones.
In order not to make a mistake with your choice, it is best to look at the service documentation of your instance. This is where the permissible viscosity values, API, ACEA or ILSAC, as well as GOST are located. Of course, specific recommendations are likely to be outdated. But by understanding what characteristics a lubricant should have, you can buy from the modern assortment what is right for you.
If you still don’t know what oil to pour into the engine, you can use our reminder:
The procedure for pouring oil into the internal combustion engine
Where to pour oil into the engine? The car has a special oil filler hole, which is located above the cylinder block of the engine. It is about either the marking of the car oil that is recommended by the car manufacturer (for example, 10w30). You need to remove the lid and wipe it with a rag.
Then place a funnel in the neck. Add about one glass of motor oil. When it falls into the pan (after about a quarter of an hour), check the liquid level with a dipstick. If it is low, repeat topping up. After any measurement, wipe the probe with a rag. When you finish pouring oil into the car, remove the funnel from the neck, cover the hole with a lid, and put the dipstick in place. Now you know how to add oil to the engine.
Complete replacement of engine oil
First of all, decide where you will carry out the replacement, what kind of oil is poured into the engine. The best option is a special pit in the garage. If it is missing, fill it in the field or at the dacha. It is not advisable to change the car oil with a cold engine or in cold weather - it will be too thick and it will not be possible to drain it completely. To completely free the engine from used oil, you need to warm up the engine and turn it off. Is it possible to add oil to hot engines? No. Be sure to wait ten minutes. To completely drain the car oil, set the car to the handbrake and lift it with a jack. Use heavy timbers or cinder blocks to protect yourself and support the wheels with them. Also prepare:
- old basin;
- three-liter or five-liter bottle;
- wrench;
- oil filter
Draining used grease is quite easy. Find the engine drain on the bottom, place a basin and unscrew the lid. To avoid getting burned by heated motor oil, wear gloves. It takes approximately half an hour to completely drain the oil product. Replace the oil filter during this time. When the lubricant has drained, screw on the drain cap, lower the car and return it to its normal position. Now pour a new consumable, remembering how to properly pour oil into the engine, as well as how many liters of oil are poured into the engine.
Check how the engine functions. Start the car, pay attention to whether the dashboard sensor lights up. If the check light comes on and goes out after a few seconds, it means you did everything right. Experienced car enthusiasts advise driving the car for several kilometers and checking the oil level again (fifteen minutes after turning off the engine). If the check light comes on and the readings have not changed, then everything is fine. If the amount of motor oil has changed, it means there is a leak. The drain lid is probably not closed tightly or the pipes are leaking. If after twelve hours a puddle of motor oil has formed under the car, then there is definitely a leak in the car. If you know how to fill oil correctly and understand which lubricant is optimal, you can avoid many problems associated with vehicle operation.
How to add oil correctly
For now, we will not consider which engine: cold or hot, pour lubricant into. First of all, choose a flat area to fill with lubricant if the procedure will be carried out in a garage. If you take your car to a service center, you don’t have to worry about filling the oil incorrectly. Experienced mechanics will do everything as expected.
After a level area has been selected, open the hood of the car and allow the power unit to cool.
Attention! Remember that too much oil is just as dangerous as too little. Overfilling the lubricant leads to squeezing out the seals and disrupting the operation of the valves.
Now about the brand of oils. It is necessary to use only high-quality lubricants that are sold in specialized auto stores. It is not recommended to buy oil with an expired expiration date, without a label on the package, or with questionable blurry text on the label.
Also, oils should not be mixed with each other. You cannot buy lubricant with parameters higher or lower than those specified in the manual. There are three types of lubricants:
- mineral. They are made from thermal processing of petroleum;
- synthetic. Formed after the synthesis of long molecules from gaseous hydrocarbons;
- semi-synthetic. Made from mineral and synthetic oil by mechanical mixing and processing.
Similar article: Is it possible to add another brand of oil to the engine?
After we have bought the necessary oil and installed the car on a level area, we move on to the fill. In some vehicles, the dipstick with the hole for filling the lubricant is located in a visible place. In other cars, in order to get to the filling hole, you will need to remove the air filter and other parts that prevent you from inserting the filling funnel.
- Check the lubricant level using the dipstick.
- Unscrew the plug with the dipstick.
- Insert funnel.
- Pour the oil calculated according to the tables into the neck.
You need to calculate the quantity to be filled according to the tables that are presented in the manual for the power unit.
Add to cold engine
You need to add oil to the engine only after it has cooled down. Experienced mechanics recommend leaving the vehicle in the garage overnight, and in the morning you should check the lubricant level immediately.
Then the car can be started and placed on a level surface. The car must be allowed to stand again so that the engine cools to 40 degrees. This is the optimal temperature at which you can add oil to the power unit.
Add to a hot engine
Experienced mechanics do not recommend pouring cool lubricant into a hot power unit. This will cause cracks to appear on the internal parts of the motor. Since temperature changes negatively affect both cast iron and aluminum alloy from which the cylinder heads or the cylinder blocks themselves are made.
However, it happens that in the summer or during a long trip it becomes necessary to fill the oil. Experienced mechanics advise stopping the car, turning off the engine and waiting ten or twenty minutes until the engine cools down. And only after it has completely cooled down, start adding lubricant.
It is necessary to pour it into the oil filler hole on a hot engine carefully. The main thing is not to spill it on nearby parts.
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