Category: General

MD: Why change the oil in vehicles? | What happens if I don’t change the oil in my vehicle? Best oil for cars with high mileage | Best automotive grease

Who doesn’t want a vehicle that doesn’t break down in the middle of nowhere? That may sound euphoric, but this is indeed possible if you have a proper maintenance schedule for your vehicle.

Among the other maintenance aspects, lubrication holds a crucial role in engine performance. After all, it not only lubricates but also cleans and cools the engine. Given the criticality of lubricant in engines, it is important to change the oil on a frequent basis. However, if you have recently invested in a vehicle, you might find it difficult to understand the lubrication needs of your vehicle.

In this article, you will find out the unmissable signs that your vehicle needs lubrication.

What Are The Top Signs Vehicles Show For Needing Lubrication?

Numerous drivers depend on mileage to check on the lubrication needs of their vehicles. However, there are other determining factors governing the demand for oil in engines. So, rather than guessing for your vehicle, it is better to read the signs and act accordingly to have a healthy vehicle.

Don’t Miss The Obvious Warning:
One of the most obvious signs that your vehicle needs light change is to look at the oil change light. When your vehicle light illuminates, it can help you detect that the need to change the oil in your vehicle. The oil check light is usually orange in colour and is commonly known as an oil change indicator.

Besides determining that your vehicle needs an oil change, it also glows as a warning when your oil is leaking. After you are done with the oil maintenance, you can reset the oil change light by inserting the ignition key and turning it in the ON position without switching on the engine. You can depress your gas pedal three times for the system to reset. You can check the light after turning off the ignition and turning it on.

Listen To The Rumbling And Knocking Of Your Engine:
Engine oil acts as a protective layer for your vehicle by eliminating metal-to-metal collision. This helps the engine to work properly without making any noise. However, when the oil is absent from the engine, you will start to notice the rattling sound of the auto parts.

When the oil turns poorly textured, thin, or old, you might start hearing sounds every time you drive your vehicle. If you continue to drive with bad oil quality, it can cause issues with the engine. After oil changing, you will notice that your vehicle will turn silent and function in a proper manner.

Check Out The Colour Of The Oil:
You might have observed that the colour of oil that you use for your vehicle is amber. In addition to it, pure engine oil is translucent. However, after it mixes with the particles and gets collected in the engine, it gets darker. When the oil begins to get dirty, it doesn’t show any obvious signs. This makes it crucial for you to keep a close eye on the colour of the engine oil. You can take monthly checks.

In order to do so, you can use a dipstick to check whether the engine oil is in working condition or not. Check for the consistency of the oil. If the oil has picked up some liquid gritty particles, it can deteriorate the functioning of your vehicle’s engine. The best you can do for your engine is to change the oil.

Smell For The Oil:
One of the crucial determiners of an oil change is the smell of oil. Though it may not be a precise indicator, it can help bring the fault to the fore. If you can smell the oil from outside of your car, it might signify a leak. Another indicator that your vehicle requires maintenance with regards to oil is when it emits fumes.

The underlying reason behind smoky fumes and oil leaks can be varied. However, it states a problem with the engine and oil. If you encounter any of these problems, you should immediately schedule an appointment for maintenance and get your oil checked for change requirements.

Look At The Mileage:
If you have recently taken your vehicle out and have driven many miles, your vehicle would have used a significant amount of oil. In such a case, without the oil change or addition of it, your vehicle might begin to rattle due to internal clashes between equipment.

The best you can do for your vehicle is to get your oil changed after every 4500 Km mark your vehicle travels. This helps keep your vehicle healthy. You should do it for the old vehicles. If you have recently bought a new vehicle, you can change the oil at every 10,000 Km.

Feel The Vibrations:
Irregular oil levels can change the quality of a ride. When your vehicle has low oil levels, it causes a high level of friction within the engine. Due to increased friction, your vehicle may not be able to function properly, thereby causing it to vibrate abnormally.

When you encounter abnormal vibrations, you should get your engine oil checked and changed at the earliest. A delay in oil changing can lead to damaged engine parts due to high friction in the internal mechanism of the vehicle.

Hear For The Ticking Sound:
The moment your start your vehicle, the oil begins circulating in the engine. However, when there is any kind of change in the motor oil, it may take up more effort and time. In such a case, you might hear a ticking sound while the engine is warming up. The noise that you might be hearing might come from the valves that push the oil towards the other auto parts.

The best possible thing you can do in this situation is to get the oil changed before it your vehicle is damaged any further. Upon lubricating your vehicle, you will see a drastic improvement in the noise levels, indicating that your vehicle is in the right shape.

In some cases, you might experience a single warning sign. While it is also possible to receive multiple warnings all at once. In either case, it is recommended that you check for the oil levels and texture and get the oil changed at once.

What Are The Consequences Of Ignoring Oil Changes?

Life is busy–we get it. But if your vehicle has a busier life, it might start ageing prematurely just like us, the humans. Since oil changing is a basic maintenance regime, it is often ignored. However, avoiding the lubrication needs of your vehicle can put you in a deeper puddle with grave consequences.

Below are some of the serious consequences that could show up when you don’t change your engine’s oil regularly:

Wear Down:
The auto parts begin to wear out because of the lack of oil circulating in the engine. The primary function of oil is to reduce friction and, in turn, decrease the wear and tear of the auto parts. If these parts are lubricated, they run smoothly and provides additional life to your vehicle. Hence, a vehicle requires its oil like a body needs lifeblood.

Build-up In The Engine:
Since the very function of the oil is to keep circulating in the system, it picks up the debris and dirt. If the contaminated oil is not changed at a regular interval, it thickens and eventually gets clogged into the oil filter. That is not it. If this contaminated oil makes its way into the filter and moves to the relief valve, the engine will keep on circulating the oil in the entire mechanism. This is how the engine gets deposited with the contaminated oil and can lead to engine failure.

Loss Of Viscosity:
When we say the oil levels are low in the engine, it also means that oil is gradually losing its viscosity. Viscosity determines the amount of protective layer applied to the auto parts by the oil. When the oil loses its viscosity, the auto parts are exposed to heat. The heat produced in the engine increases and causes the oil to thin. If the oil is still not replaced, the auto parts are overheated and stop working abruptly.

Whether you own a new vehicle or an old one, if you want to make your vehicle investment worth, you will need to clock in the maintenance schedule. You can contact us to know more about the oil and lubrication we offer for maintaining your vehicle at your home.

MD: Right engine oil for car | Best engine oil for car | Engine oil brand | Types of engine oil | Engine oil guide | Engine oil recommendation for your vehicle

It is a known fact that engine oil is the lifeblood of a vehicle. In order to get optimum performance of the engine, it is necessary to change the oil and lubrication frequently. However, the knowledge regarding the selection of the right engine oil for vehicles is scarce.

If you choose the right oil, it will enhance the functionality of the engine. On the other hand, if you choose the wrong kind of oil for the engine, it will require more fuel. Besides giving your pocket a tough fight for savings, it will also raise emissions and create a hazard for the environment. Hence, not only do the wrong type of oil damage the engine but also increase the carbon footprint.

In this article, we will help you identify different types of oils and the way to choose the right engine oil for your vehicle.

Read on.

What Are The Different Types Of Engine Oils?

The engine oils of today are made out of different types of base oils, inclusive of dispersants, detergents, additives, and chemicals. In addition to this, various types of polymers are also utilized in multi-grade oils for ensuring that the engine oil has the right amount of viscosity. This helps the oil adapt to any kind of temperature extremity.

When the oil thins, it loses its viscosity. Such types of lubricants are used to drive in cold temperatures. However, for normal temperatures, it is crucial to maintain the viscosity levels of engine oils.

Below are the types of engine oils classified with their differentiated purposes:

Full Synthetic Oil:
Synthetic oil is a lubricant, developed from artificial chemical compounds. These compounds are produced by breaking down and rebuilding petroleum molecules. Most of the synthetic oils used by the automotive industry are polyalphaolefins (PAO).

Semi-synthetic Oil:
As the name suggests, semi-synthetic oil is produced with a combination of mineral as well as synthetic oil. It offers the benefits of synthetic oil as well as mineral oil. It can help engines achieve a high level of performance that can’t be achieved from mineral oil alone.

Mineral Oil:
Mineral oil is an odourless and clear oil, which is purified, highly refined, and processed petroleum. It is an ideal oil for older vehicles. It is relatively cheaper in price as compared to semi-synthetic and synthetic oil. Besides this, we can categorize the engine oils based on the viscosity:

Low Viscosity Oil:
Engine oil with a viscosity level of 30 grade is usually considered thin oil. It is denoted by two numbers. 5W-30 is an ideal grade for low viscosity oil. The viscosity nature also determines how easy it is for oil to be poured into the engine.

Below are the advantages of engine oil with low viscosity:

• It creates less friction in the engine.
• Ignition is easy, even in freezing conditions.

High Viscosity Oil:
Engine oil with a viscosity level of above 30 grade is known as thick oil or oil with high viscosity. 40 is considered to be an ideal grade to determine the oil viscosity. The engine oil viscosity levels do not flow as easily as thin oil.

Below are some of the advantages of engine oil with high viscosity:

• Thick oil operates better at high temperatures.
• Given its thick layer, it adds a protective layer to engine bearings and seals.

Now that you know the types of engine oils, it is about time to know how to choose one for your vehicle. In the section below, we have shared some important determiners to look for before pouring that engine oil into your vehicle.

How To Choose The Ideal Engine Oil For Your Vehicle?

Every vehicle has different types of engines. Each of these is meant for different purposes. Hence, it is important to select the best oil to keep your engine up and running. In this section, we have listed out some determiners for you:

Type Of Vehicle:
You will need to use a different type of oil for your vehicle based on the type of fuel it consumes. Based on the engine, you can choose the type of oil. Usually, automotive oil manufacturers mention on the oil cans the specifications. By reading the details, you can find out whether it is for a petrol engine or a diesel engine. As per the norms, the engine oil cans have C mentioned for diesel and S mentioned for gasoline.

Type Of Viscosity:
The viscosity of oil is an important factor to determine the right engine oil for your vehicle. When you are living in a region with cold temperatures, you should opt for oil with low viscosity. In stark contrast to this, when you have hot temperatures, you can opt for engine oil having a high viscosity. If you are still confused about it, you can refer to the vehicle manual. Usually, automotive manufacturers mention the ideal viscosity level in the manual. You can opt for the same.

Type Of Grade:
The grade of the additive oil also helps in determining the right oil for your engine. These are usually added to decrease the wear and tear along with the stress on your vehicle. The detergents and dispersants used as oil additives help prevent oil leaks and buildup. It is the rating of the quality of the oil. It can be further classified into single grade oil and multi-grade oil. In the value 5W-30, ‘W’ indicates the minimum temperature that an oil can function with. However, similar to viscosity levels, engine oil grade can be determined by the type of temperature. In tropical weather, OEMs suggest the use of multi-grade oil.

OEM Specifications:
How can you choose an engine oil without knowing your vehicle better? You can’t, right? That is why you need to have a close look at the brochure of your vehicle and identify the appropriate specifications. The new-age engines sporting high performance are developed to boost efficiency but require new oil formulations. Hence, you need to keep a close look at the specifications and the additives of the oil to select the right one for your engine to offer optimum performance.

Certifications:
Any OEM would swear by the fact that engine oils with proper quality certificates should be used for vehicles. In India, you should select the engine oil with ISO 9001 and EOLCS certificates. These certificates authorize the engine oil manufacturers to meet the required specifications and comply with the quality. Hence, you can identify the certificates on the engine oil can and verify its quality.

Should You Mix Two High Performing Oils To Enhance Engine Efficiency?

Whether to mix two oils or not is a prevalent question among new-vehicle owners. A car engine is not a human body. You cannot mix two or more protein sources together and expect great health. Mixing two or more oils together from different brands and different viscosity can be disastrous rather than fruitful for your engine.

The additives in the oil may show limitation or have absolutely no effect when they are mixed together with regular oil. In other cases, it is crucial to know what kind of oil you are mixing. If your vehicle already has synthetic oil and you add mineral oil to it, your engine will experience a reduction in oxidation. In addition to this, if you have mineral oil added to your engine and you add synthetic oil, it will provide a synthetic blend that is better than mineral. However, it will not have all the properties of synthetic oil but will continue to have the shortcomings of mineral oil.

Besides this, oil manufacturing brands often change the formulation of the oil additives. Hence, if there are some major changes, it could weaken your engine instead of strengthening it.

Though you might have seen many people mixing oils and having vehicles in proper working conditions, it is not advisable to mix two or more oils from different brands and with different formulations. In case you are not sure how to improve the efficiency of your vehicle, you can talk to our experts.

MD: Signs of low transmission fluid | Ways to change transmission fluid | Change the transmission fluid and filter | Cost of transmission fluid change

Numerous vehicle owners understand that their vehicles need to stay on top of the maintenance routine. Every type of vehicle engine demands a routine maintenance schedule including tire replacement and oil change. However, if you are a new vehicle owner, you might face difficulty knowing when to give the vehicle what it deserves.

If the transmission fluid in your vehicle is low, your vehicle would not generate the necessary hydraulic pressure. This phenomenon is also known as gear slippage. In such a situation, your vehicle will cease to accelerate properly. In addition to this, you might also find that your vehicle gets sluggish.

Wait, there’s more!

In this article, we will walk you through the top and crucial determiners of low transmission fluid in a vehicle.

Tops Ways To Determine Low Transmission Fluid In Your Vehicle

Most automotive manufacturers suggest getting the transmission fluid flushed after your vehicle completes the milestone of 30,000 miles. Either that, or if your vehicle does not move that frequently, you may consider changing your transmission fluid every two years to keep your vehicle up and running. However, all vehicles need not follow the thumb rule. In some cars, the transmission fluid might be required to be flushed sooner, in kilometres, and in years.

If you see that your vehicle has suddenly dropped its performance, you may consider changing the transmission fluid. Below are some of the top determiners helping you identify the right time to get your transmission fluid changed:

Grinding Noise In Vehicles May Be A Sign You Shouldn’t Ignore:
When the engine of your vehicle is down with dirt, debris, or grease, it might show signs of low transmission levels. In addition to this, if you are the driver, you might notice that the transmission grinding or odd sounds coming in from the engine, even at low speeds. In such a case, it is a good idea to check the level of transmission fluid while the vehicle has still not reached the extreme state. If you find that the fluid levels are normal, your vehicle might just need a transmission flush.

Hard To Shift Gears In Your Vehicle Might Be An Underlying Sign Of Troubled Transmission:
Regardless of your vehicle being automatic or manual, it does need a clean transmission fluid every now and then. Normally, when your vehicle is equipped with the best levels of transmission fluid, your might be able to receive maximum performance and smooth operations. However, if your transmission system of the vehicle has a lot of dirt and sludge in the engine compartment, it might cause a slug when your shift the gears. When you experience a hard time in shifting the gears of your vehicles, it might just be the right time to flush your transmission fluid. Besides this, even if you find it easy to shift the gear, it might be a sign that your vehicle needs to change with the transmission fluid.

Slipping Gears Are A Good Reason To Flush Your Transmission Fluid:
When your vehicle has a lot of dirt deposited, it might naturally lose its hydraulic capabilities with time. The contaminants and thick oil deposits are also to be blamed for the slipping gears. When your engine is dirty, it directly interferes with the transmission fluid flow. Owing to this situation, it might cause a lack of pressure that is required for the transmission to stay in gear. Even though your vehicle is experiencing no other symptoms than the slipping gears, it might be time to get your vehicle a transmission fluid flush.

Vehicle Surge Is An Unmissable Sign, Depicting The Time To Flush The Transmission Fluid:
Another unmissable sign to identify that your vehicle needs a transmission fluid flush is when your vehicle jumps forwards or backwards without any prior warning. It might often cause a lot of distress to the drivers and passengers. You might witness the vehicle surge quite frequently. The transmission fluid flush happens owing to the inconsistent flow of the transmission fluid in the vehicles. The dirt in the engine hinders the fluid flow to the vehicle, thereby causing the disruption. In such a condition, the best solution to opt for is a flush for the transmission.

How Should You Change The Transmission Fluid?

In order to have a good life for your vehicle, you need to change your transmission fluid as frequently as possible. The most viable solution is to check the owner’s manual to know the exact time to get your vehicle’s transmission fluid flushed out. In case, you find it difficult to do so, you can consult an automotive oil expert to diagnose the true state of your vehicle.

Below is a detailed process to change the transmission fluid of your vehicle:

Lift Your Vehicle With A Jack Stand:
Ensure that you have enough room to move under your vehicle. For this, you need to lift your vehicle properly and support your jacks securely. Make sure that you have parked your vehicle on a flat surface. When you squeeze under your vehicle, you should use chucks, stands, and bracing to avoid your vehicle from rolling off the ramps.

Determine The Location Of The Transmission Fluid Pan:
Usually, you will be able to find the transmission fluid pan at the bottom of the transmission system fixed with around six to eight bolts. For the front wheeled drive vehicles, you need to check the left to the right panel of your engine bay. For the rear-wheeled vehicles, the transmission system might be located near the centre console area that is situated facing the front.

Drain The Transmission Fluid:
Upon locating the transmission pan, the first thing you should do is place the collection pan near the drain hole to avoid making a mess out of the situation. Ensure that the collection pan is twice as wide as the transmission pan. Unscrew the drainage bolt, and the fluid will start flowing freely into the collection vessel. Check out the fluid coming out of the vehicle. Even when you drain the transmission fluid through the drainage system, only 50% of the fluid will be retained by the vehicle. However, you need to ensure that you flush your transmission system completely.

Replace The Transmission Fluid:
While you are replacing the transmission fluid, it is a good practice to evaluate the health of your gaskets and filters. If you find any disruption in these components, it is advisable that you replace these before replacing the transmission fluid. Check for cracks and leaks in these components as a sure-fire way to change the gasket and filter. Once done, add the new transmission fluid in your vehicle that is specified by your automobile manufacturer. If you are not sure about the transmission fluid, consult an automotive specialist. Ensure that you do not add a lot of fluid to avoid overfilling and spillage.

Start The Ignition:
In order to ensure that your vehicle is filled with the required levels of transmission fluid, you need to start your ignition to determine the fluid levels. If you find that the transmission fluid level is low, you can add more fluid to your vehicle. After adding the transmission fluid again, check your fluid levels. In some of the vehicles, the transmission fluid can be checked in neutral. While in some of the vehicles, you can check your fluid level in a parked state.

Dispose Of The Flushed Transmission Fluid Properly:
Being environmentally benign with the best practices goes a long way. It is a known fact that the transmission fluid is harmful to the atmosphere. Hence, the transmission fluid that you have collected in the collection vessel should be disposed of properly. When you are dealing with the flushed transmission fluid from your vehicle, ensure that you wear proper gloves and wash your skin if any residue remains.

In order to avoid complexity and contamination, the best way to go about changing your transmission fluid is to find out an authorized oil dealer and get the required service for your vehicle.