The engine wears faster
More and more car manufacturers are openly admitting that they no longer make engines that can travel a million kilometers. We will increasingly see 300,000 kilometers in official service life declarations. It is no secret that the majority of drivers do not cover the greatest distances by car. When driving in the city, they are extremely short, so the engine does not reach the required operating temperature and wears out faster than when driving a longer route.
“When driving in cities or towns, the speed is usually limited to 50 km/h, you constantly have to dynamically merge into traffic, stop at traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. During such operation, the engine consumes more fuel, which means more combustion products in the oil – more pollutants. In such conditions, not only fuel can get into the engine oil. Moisture accumulates in the engines of cars used for short trips – this is especially important for hybrids: condensate dissolved in oil circulates in the engine, starting or intensifying corrosion processes. For this reason, those who drive short distances should change their oil more often than those who drive long distances”, advises Pranas Mitkus, a car mechanic at the Vilnius car service.
Another problem is that today’s dominant downsized gasoline engines emit soot, sometimes in significant amounts. This is due to the fact that under the enormous load of a direct injection engine, the fuel and air do not mix perfectly, resulting in zones of excess fuel in the cylinders. And it is from them that soot is formed in the combustion process.
“Soot tends to settle in various areas of the engine, including the timing chain. This is particularly harmful to the pins that connect the individual parts of the circuit, which wear faster. The right oil can help – its composition can slightly reduce the formation of soot particles. Oil with strong disintegrating properties, as well as properly selected anti-wear additives, will help prevent the accumulation of soot in sensitive areas and further protect the chain from lengthening”, – what is important to pay attention to, says the auto mechanic.
Driving at low speed is a risk of LSPI
Experts note another serious problem that internal combustion engine designers continue to face – the LSPI phenomenon (LSPI – Low speed pre-ignition).
“It is most commonly seen in the low rev range (1500-2000rpm) when the engine is heavily loaded and heavily inflated.” Such conditions occur when driving at low speeds and pressing the accelerator pedal hard. High-quality engine oils significantly contribute to the prevention of the LSPI phenomenon, which ensure less oxidation, less changes in the structure of joints, reduce the rate of evaporation of lubricants”, emphasizes Andrzejus Husiatynskis, Head of the Technical Department of Total Energies.
According to the expert, it is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that modern engines suffer much higher mechanical and temperature loads, which is why it is necessary to use low-viscosity oil in them: “Viscosity classes such as 0W-20 or lower appear on the market, and for some engines the manufacturer already recommends 0W-8 viscosity class oil. Under no circumstances should products such as 5W-50 or 10W-40 be poured into such engines, as this will destroy them very quickly,” warns the representative of Total Energies.
