The engine of your vehicle is the most crucial component. All moving parts are working in harmony, ensuring that you get optimum performance across all bases from speed to fuel efficiency. A key factor to engine degradation is friction… moving parts create friction, and friction generates heat, and more heat generation means a quicker worsening of the engine. So, what we need is lesser friction, and a key component to achieve that is engine oil, which helps lubricate all the moving components and reduce friction.
Engine oil is what helps in:
- Lubrication
- Reduced Friction
- Mitigates oxidization of parts
- Improved performance and fuel efficiency
Picking the right kind of engine oil is also essential, as a good one can make a world’s difference in your engine’s health.
There are mainly three types of engine oil available:
1. Conventional/Mineral Engine Oil:
It is the most basic and crudest type of engine oil. Mineral engine oil is actually refined petroleum oil. The only upside to them is that it is the cheapest solution out there, otherwise, it is severely outdated, offers very less lubrication and inefficient performance at temperature extremities (both high and low), and needs to be replaced every 3,000-5,000 kilometers for cars.
Also Read: Two-Wheelers Engine Cooling Technology: Air, Oil, and Liquid Cooled
2. Semi-Synthetic Oil:
Falling right in between conventional oil and fully synthetic oil, semi-synthetic oil proves to be a great use as a transition from mineral to synthetic. It is a blend of both mineral oil and synthetic oil, offering greater performance without a considerable price increment. The synthetic oil mixed with the mineral oil adds boosted performance and lubrication and allows the oil to be used for greater distances without being changed.
3. Synthetic Oil
Engineered and researched to perfection, synthetic oil is the current best engine oil offering in the market. In this, mineral oil is broken into very simple molecules, making it highly pure. The molecules of synthetic oil offer excellent lubrication, possess minimal impurities, and offer outstanding performance at high and low temperatures alike.
The only downside is that due to their extensive production process, it is considerably pricey but well worth the premium, keeping your engine running smooth and only needing a change every 15,000+ km.
