What are the misconceptions about engine oil usage?
2 Answers
There are several main misconceptions about engine oil usage: More oil is better than less: As we all know, insufficient oil can directly lead to inadequate lubrication of the engine, causing cylinder scoring. Therefore, some car owners cleverly add excessive amounts of oil, unaware that too much oil can seep into the combustion chamber through the gap between the cylinder and piston, participating in combustion and accelerating carbon deposit formation. A large accumulation of carbon deposits in the combustion chamber can alter the engine's air-fuel ratio, increasing the occurrence of knocking; carbon deposits in the cylinder can accelerate wear on the cylinder and piston, and also speed up oil contamination. Mixing different engine oils: Different engine oils not only have varying base oil components but also differ in the additives they use. Mixing them can degrade or nullify the original performance of the oil, ultimately leading to severe engine wear, accelerated sludge formation, and even piston ring breakage.
As experienced drivers, we all know the most common misconception about engine oil is blindly believing expensive ones are better. Many think imported premium full synthetic oils must protect the engine better, but actually you should check the viscosity specified in the manual. I've seen a friend buy top-tier 0W-40 oil, only to find his old Santana actually consumed more fuel with it. Don't forget environmental factors either – in northern winters, you need oil with good low-temperature fluidity. Veteran drivers also tend to get lazy, exceeding mileage limits without changing oil, thinking darker color doesn't matter. Once my engine developed sludge precisely because I delayed oil changes too long. Most crucially, never mix different oil brands randomly – their chemical additives can react and damage the engine. Truth is, changing genuine mineral oil on schedule is far better than using expired full synthetic oil.
