It is important to know how car engine oil works so you can enjoy optimum performance from your car. Engine oil performs several vital functions including lubrication, cooling, cleaning, and sealing. Here is a brief explanation of these functions:
Lubrication Functions Of Engine Oil
Motor oil lubricates all the metal surfaces within the internal parts of your engine. These parts include: the piston, rings, cylinder, crankshaft, crankcase, connecting rod and bearings. Engine oil reduces friction and prevents wear on the moving surfaces that are constantly in contact with each other. These moving parts are shielded by thin film of oil.
High grade engine oil is made up of two major elements: the base stock and chemical additives. The base stock is made from byproducts of petroleum distillation and synthetic chemicals and it is the primary lubricating agent. However, after several engine cycles, the oil will lose its viscosity and become less effective as a lubricant. That is why most car owners, who know how car engine oil works, ensure that they change their motor oil before it thins out.
Cooling Actions Of Engine Oil
Proper cooling is essential for the performance and longevity of your engine. The oil in your engine helps to dispel heat and keep your engine running at a safe temperature. When combustion of gasoline occurs, it can lead to very high temperatures of up to 1648 degrees Celsius. The pistons could also become very hot and attain a temperature of up to 1000 degrees.
This heat travels down rapidly through the connecting rods to the bearings and the crank shaft. But the engine oil is supplied to the bearings to cool them and prevent them from getting damaged. As the oil circulates to other parts of the engine like cylinder head and valves, it takes out the heat and returns it into the crank case.
Cleaning Functions Of Engine Oil
As air is introduced into the engine to burn the oxygen, some fine dust particles come in with it. In addition, some of the waste products of the combustion process find their way into the engine. But the additives in your engine oil work to clean up these impurities so they don’t clog up the engine and hinder the motion of the pistons and other parts of the engine. Examples of these additives include compounds of zinc and magnesium that break down impurities and help to reduce engine sludge.
Sealing Roles Of Engine Oil
Engine oil helps to seal up several surfaces and tiny gaps within the engine. For instance, the surfaces of the cylinder walls, piston and ring grooves are not 100% smooth and this can lead to loss of pressure during combustion. Your motor oil seals up these spaces to prevent your engine from performing poorly while you are driving at top speed. It also provides a vital layer of protection that prevents rust and corrosion of the internal parts of the engine. As your engine gets older, the spaces tend to get wider. So motor oil manufacturers, and those who have technical details on how car engine oil works, usually recommend that you change your oil to a thicker grade as your car gets older.
The Bottom Line For Engine Oil
In order to obtain the best performance from your car and extend its useful life, you should have a good understanding of how car engine oil works just like a keynote speaker would need to know his subject according to Yash, the founder of Pet Carrier Verdict. To complement the knowledge you have gained from this article, you may also want to learn more about various types and grades of engine oil.
Also read: Car Engine Lubricants Management Tips