At this point exactly the lubricant enters. Its role is multidimensional, since within the engine it does different tasks. The lubricant penetrates between the mechanical parts to reduce friction, thus preventing dangerous temperature rise, while also reducing the noise from the contact of the moving parts.

The circulation of the engine's vital oil is achieved by a pump driven by the motor bands. Keep in mind, however, that not all lubricants are adequate for all types of engines and that each oil meets certain standards which we must know when changing oil.

The service life of each lubricant is defined and determined by the manufacturer and then by the vehicle manufacturer, who knows the strengths and strains that the engine is receiving. Yet another important function of the lubricant is that, due to its specific cleansing components, it takes care of and removes the various combustion residues generated.

Attention to turbo engines

The new turbo engines are a bit more demanding in the lubricant compared to conventional engines, so they show increased performance and high reliability. The difference between synthetic lubricants and "ordinary" lubricants is that although they have low viscosity, however, thanks to the addition of various ingredients, they have a long life! That's why all new technology cars can travel up to 30,000 km, until they need oil replacement.

Main categories

Mineral oils

In this type of lubricants, the molecules differ in size and connection, resulting in more stress and in less time in use. The treatment that receives these lubricants does not remove all undesirable chemicals, which may affect the size and structure of the molecules. Thus, the molecular chains can break, degrading the viscosity of the oil, which, due to this, makes it difficult to lubricate properly all engine parts of the engine. Contemporary engines are manufactured with extreme tolerances, resulting in the mineral oil not being able to provide them with the appropriate lubrication.

Synthetic

Synthetic lubricants are manufactured through a special laboratory treatment to add special chemicals. Of course, this process is expensive, just like the raw materials used and therefore these oils cost more than mineral oils when they reach the consumer. The main feature of these products is that they maintain stable molecular chains at fairly high and low temperatures. Thus, their viscosity remains constant in order to properly lubricate the engine in every circumstance. Also, synthetic lubricants contain cleaners in order to "absorb" the engine residues and direct them to the oil filter.

Semi-synthetic

Semi-synthetic lubricants are blends of synthetic and mineral oils and their performance is higher than that of mineral oils. Care should be taken not to mix mineral oils and synthetic lubricants.

Recycled

(Their efficiency reaches 70% compared to non-recycled).

How can oils be lost?

Α. From the sump cap

In most garages, in order to change engine lubricants, they must unscrew the screw of the sump so that the old oil leaves. This is a classic screw, which requires special attention on its screw to prevent the rides of its reception. You should instruct your engineer whenever unscrewing this screw to replace the washer between it and the sump.

Β. Defective filter

In addition to the sump, oils can also leak from a faulty filter to the engine. If the filter is screwed too tightly, it may have been twisted by its large temperature differences or the ribs it is screwing on. You simply put your hand on the filter base to see if there is a leak.

C. Engine failure

A frequent malfunction of the engine is to burn the oils. This means that there is serious damage to the piston springs, resulting in the lubricant entering the combustion chamber and burning. To check if you experience such a problem, you can unscrew the spark plugs and see if they are torn around the spike. If so, then you should soon visit your engineer. If you neglect it, after a while you will notice white smoke coming out of the exhaust, which means that the damage inside the engine has increased, which entails higher costs for the repair.

Helpful tips
– Do not fill the engine with oil that has different fluidity. The "blend" will not mix properly and you will only damage it.
– If you change oil twice a year, you can choose another one for the winter and another for the summer.
– If you change oils once a year, choose synthetic materials operating in a wide range of temperatures. For Greece: From 0W40 +