What is Engine Oil: A Comprehensive Guide to Keep Your Ride Running Smooth

30 Sep 2024

Engine oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle. This specialized fluid serves critical functions, from lubricating moving parts to cooling critical components inside the combustion engines. It coats metal components with a film of lubricant to prevent friction, draws heat away from high-temperature areas, suspends contaminants for removal, and seals minute gaps between parts.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What is Engine Oil?
• How is Engine Oil Classified?
• Types of Engine Oil
• Engine Oil Guide
• Gulf Oil
• Importance of Regular Maintenance
• FAQs

This comprehensive engine oil guide breaks down everything you need to know about engine oil to keep your vehicle - whether a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or more - running in tip-top shape.

What is Engine Oil?

Engine oil or motor oil refers to lubricating fluids formulated specifically for use in internal combustion engines rather than external moving parts. It has properties tailored to the intense demands inside engines.

This petroleum-based fluid is composed of base oils that are refined from crude oil and blended with a variety of performance additives. The nature and quality of the base stock and additive packages differ between brand, viscosity grade, and specifications.

How is Engine Oil Classified?

Aside from the brand name of the engine oil, the name offers crucial details for informed selection. Particularly, the viscosity grade of the oil, industry or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications that provide insight into oil performance and capabilities.

• Viscosity Grade

The viscosity grade of an engine oil indicates oil flow properties at high and low temperatures. The SAE viscosity rating contains numbers and sometimes a “W” to indicate “Winter” or low-temperature performance.

The grade can either be monograde, for example, SAE 10W or SAE 40. Or they can be multi-grade like SAE 10W-30 and 15W-40. Lower numbers have lower viscosity for easy flow, while higher viscosities provide film strength and ensure durability even at higher temperatures.

• Industry and OEM Specifications

Several industry specifications may be referred to on the engine oil name, container or product data sheets, such as API, ACEA or JASO.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) sets minimum performance standards for engine oils indicated by “S” for gasoline (service category), “C” for diesel engines (commercial category) and “F” for lower viscosity oils for heavy-duty diesel engines.

The latest specifications currently in these categories are API SP for gasoline, API CK-4 and API FA-4 for diesel engines.

ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association) also sets performance standards for engine oils, offering the “A/B” Sequence for Gasoline & Light-Duty Diesel Engines, “C” Sequence for Gasoline & Light-Duty Diesel Engines with exhaust after-treatment devices, and the “E” Sequence for heavy-duty diesel engines.

Japanese Automobile Standards Organization (JASO) provides specifications for motorcycle oils and scooter oils, such as JASO MA, JASO MA2 and JASO MB, which ensures that the oil is suitable for use in these applications.

Besides these, several OEMs like Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Volvo etc. also have specifications, which are usually recommended in their vehicles, and ensure that the oil is superior to the standards set by the Industry Associations.

Types of Engine Oil

Understanding the core types of engine oil categories makes selecting the ideal formulation much simpler:

• Conventional vs. Synthetic vs. Semi-Synthetic

Conventional oil utilizes basic refined petroleum base stocks or mineral oils alongside the additives. Synthetic oil generally features chemically modified or synthesised base oils, allowing remarkable resistance to extreme temperatures and improved oxidation resistance. Semi-synthetic mixes mineral and synthetic base oils to provide a middle ground in both performance and cost.

• Single-Grade vs. Multi-Grade

This classification is based on the viscosity grade. Single-grade oils list one viscosity rating like 10W or 20, denoting flow abilities within a certain temp range as explained in the SAE J306 standard published by SAE International (formerly Society of Automotive Engineers). Multi-grade oils utilize special chemistry to maintain viscosity across hot and cold extremes for year-round reliability, for example, SAE 5W-30 and 20W-50.

Engine Oil Guide

Choosing the optimal engine oil for your vehicle ensures peak performance and durability, across all environments and climatic conditions. Your vehicle manual should provide the recommended oil, viscosity grade and oil specifications to ensure the best performance.

You can contact your local Gulf Oil representative for further recommendations for your vehicle.

• Gasoline Engines

Most modern gasoline engines use lower viscosity oils such as 0W-20, 5W-30 or 10W-30, while some older vehicles require 15W-40 or 20W-50 grades. Always match the oil’s viscosity grade to climate, with lighter viscosity oils flowing better in winter.

• Diesel Engines

These latest engines require heavy-duty diesel engine oils such as API CI-4 and API CK-4. The recommended viscosity grade varies based on the engine model and year, but SAE 10W-30 and SAE 15W-40 are popular now. These oils have higher Total Base Numbers (TBN) and maximized soot handling abilities to combat oxidation, acid attacks and contamination in the oil.

Oil Change Intervals

The oil drain interval is dependent on several factors including engine model, riding patterns, ambient environment and climate, fuel quality etc. Follow vehicle or OEM recommendations for oil change frequency.

Gulf Oil

Gulf Oil International has over 100 years of fuelling mobility, with its origins in the early 20th century. Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited, as part of the Hinduja Group conglomerate, serves as one of India’s leading engine oil manufacturers and marketers of automotive and industrial lubricants.

Gulf Oil's Capabilities

• Own advanced blending plants and distribution infrastructure
• State-of-the-art Global Research & Development (R&D) Centre in Chennai
• Manufacture a wide range of oils - passenger vehicles to industrial
• Also specialize in coolants, greases, transmission, and speciality fluids
• Constantly enhance oil formulations leveraging the global technology network

Why Choose Gulf Oil

• Time-tested products manufactured specifically for Indian conditions
• Exceeds highest quality certifications - API, ACEA, JASO, ILSAC
• Lower maintenance costs through robust protection against wear, deposits, and corrosion
• Avoid catastrophic engine failures through thermal stability, even under heavy loads
• Save fuel courtesy of special additives, reducing pumping losses
• Outstanding Technical and R&D support at close quarters in India

Importance of Regular Maintenance

Sticking diligently to recommended oil change intervals ensures contaminants and acid buildup are flushed out before causing excess engine wear.

Routinely check dipsticks to ensure oil is filled to the proper level and topped off if low. Oil colour can also indicate quality - clean amber oil is usually fine (but not always), while dark black used oil means that the oil has accumulated contaminants and sludge. Follow the vehicle manual and mechanic’s recommendations for the most suitable advice. Watch for leaks signaling external damage needing repair.

FAQs