Engine Oil and Car Fluids

AUTOMOTIVE · GLOBAL

Engine Oil and Car Fluids

Reading an oil specification, checking levels, what else needs topping up and disposal

Using the wrong oil is one of the easier ways to damage a modern engine, and the specification is more specific than the viscosity number suggests.

Viscosity is only half of it

A grade such as 5W-30 describes flow at low and high temperature. The manufacturer approval — a specific code from the carmaker — matters just as much, because modern engines and emissions equipment require particular additive packages.

Diesel cars with particulate filters generally need a low-ash oil. Using a non-compliant oil can block the filter and invalidate a warranty.

Check the handbook and match both the viscosity and the approval, not one or the other.

Checking the level

On level ground, engine off and cool or several minutes after running. Pull the dipstick, wipe, reinsert fully, and read. Keep it between the marks rather than at maximum.

Overfilling is as harmful as underfilling, since excess oil is churned by the crankshaft and foams. Cars with electronic checks only should be read according to the handbook.

The other fluids

Coolant to the marked level with the correct type, since mixing incompatible coolants causes gelling. Never open a hot cooling system, which is under pressure.

Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, which lowers its boiling point. It has a change interval that is frequently ignored and real consequences.

Screenwash properly diluted for winter, since water alone freezes and cracks the reservoir.

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Many diesels need it and will refuse to start when empty. Use the correct specification and do not put it in the fuel tank.

Keeping records

Note the date, mileage and part numbers for every service and top-up. A documented history is worth real money at resale, and self-servicing with receipts is accepted by most buyers.

Check the handbook for service intervals by time as well as mileage, since oil degrades whether the car is driven or not.

Working safely

Axle stands rather than a jack alone, wheels chocked, and let the engine cool before opening anything.

Buying oil

Use the vehicle identification number or the registration on a supplier's lookup rather than the model name, since the same model can take several specifications depending on the engine.

Buy a slightly larger container than you need, since topping up between services is normal on many engines.

Warning lights

An oil pressure warning means stopping immediately rather than driving on, since running without pressure destroys an engine in minutes.

Disposal

Used oil and filters must go to a recycling centre and never down a drain, where a single litre contaminates an enormous volume of water.

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