When it comes time to take your car in for an oil change, do you ever find yourself wondering “Which motor oil should I use?” If you have, you aren’t alone; because few car owners know the difference between 10w40, 10w30, or any of the other motor oil types. However, this is nothing to get all worked up about, because the best oil change service professionals will know.
As long as you get an oil change every 5,000 miles or so, and maybe know how to check the oil level in your car’s engine, it never hurts to know a little something about the role played by your car’s motor oil, and the difference between motor oil types. Although the science and engineering behind it can be complex, the reason you should always buy the best motor oil is pretty straight forward.
If you think of your car as a sophisticated system of moving parts, whose jobs must be orchestrated perfectly, clearly each part needs to be move seamlessly in order to function properly. Obviously, this requires keeping each part well-lubricated and free from debris. When you go to an oil change place to replace your old oil, you begin with clean, golden-colored motor oil that is ready to do its job for the next several thousand miles.
However, over the course of those miles, that golden motor oil will become filthy as it collects dirt and debris while it cleans and lubricates your engine. While motor oil won’t wear out, dirty motor oil won’t do the job like a fresh batch. And if a car owner goes to long without changing his or her oil, the oil will dissipate.
When this occurs, the buildup of dirt and lack of lubrication will eventually cause your engine parts to seize up. This is colloquially referred to as “throwing a rod,” and it frequently leads to repair costs that are so high that it’s not even worth it.
The next time you find yourself wondering “Which motor oil should I use?” just remember that all the answers are right in the owner’s manual that came with your automobile. If you’ve misplaced it, as long as you change your oil regularly, the top oil change installers will take care of the rest.