Everything you should know about motor oils :

At what interval should I change the oil in my car ?

You should follow the change interval as recommended in the owner’s manual. A good general rule is to change the oil every 5000 km, or every six (6) months whichever comes first.

What does oil do ?

Whether it’s in the engine or around the gears, the purpose of oil is to reduce the friction between 2 metal surfaces. It does this by sticking to each surface and forming a thin film that keeps the 2

metal components apart. The parts effectively ‘float’ on a thin film of oil which stops metal to metal contact reduces friction, heat and wear. The quality and performance of oil is a measure of its ability to perform these functions over a long period of time thereby increasing the reliability and performance of the engine components being lubricated.

Is Future Oil equal in quality to the oil marketed by the multinational oil companies ?

Yes, it is the same basic oil that is sold by the multinational oil companies. The only difference is the label, and the price which is usually lower than the international brands.

Which oil do I need for my car ?

This is an important question as the correct oil specification will have a significant effect on the performance, reliability and fuel economy of your vehicle. Lubricants are becoming more and more complicated and specific to particular engine types. You need to use the correct viscosity, match the industry standard and follow the manufacturer specifications. Selecting the wrong oil can cause major engine damage and reduce fuel economy, adding to running costs. Using cheap low quality oil is a false economy. Contact Future Oil to find out about the correct engine oil for your vehicle.

What does the W mean in 15W40 ?

The “W” stands for winter, and designates that the oil is suitable for colder climates

What does the 'viscosity' of an oil mean ?

Viscosity is an important criterion of any lubricating oil. It is a measure of a fluid’s thickness or resistance to flow. For example, honey is thick and water is thin, so honey has a higher viscosity than water. Oil viscosity needs to suit the right ambient temperatures. If it’s too thick when the engine is cold, it won’t move around the engine. And if it becomes too thin when the engine is hot, it won’t give the right protection to the engine parts.

Optimizing an oil’s viscosity, or thickness, helps maximize energy efficiency while avoiding component wear. Viscosity modifiers increase the viscosity of your oil at high temperature but have little effect on low-temperature viscosity. These enable your oil to flow properly when cold and also to remain

thick enough to protect your engine components at high temperatures.

Lower-viscosity grades of oil make it easier for your engine to start from cold because they present less resistance to moving parts and hence take less power from your engine. This also means that you get enhanced fuel economy.

What are performance additives ?

Performance additives give extra protection to the base oil and enable it to protect and clean your engine, helping it to work harder for longer. They come in several kinds that must be carefully selected and blended to give top-class performance:

  • Detergents keep your engine clean and neutralize the corrosive acids that form as fuel is burned.
  • Dispersants remove soot and sludge and hold it in the oil to prevent blockages. This dirt can then be removed from your engine at the next oil change.
  • Anti-wear additives protect your engine by forming a chemical layer between the moving parts. These additives are particularly important when    motoring with high loads or during engine start-up.
  • Antioxidants help to delay the natural degradation of your motor oil, hence protecting your engine more effectively for longer.
  • Friction modifiers reduce the drag between moving parts to increase fuel economy.
  • Anti-rust additives are essential elements that prevent engine corrosion.
What is a Multi-grade oil ?

Before the 1960s, all oils were Mono-grade. Multi-grade oils have a designation in the format 20w50 for example. Multi-grade oil was made possible by the use of polymers that expand as they get hotter. Therefore a multi-grade oil can have the viscosity of an SAE20 when it is cold and the viscosity of an SAE50 when hot. This removes the necessity to change from thin oil in the winter to thicker oil in the summer, and maintains the best protection for the engine over a wide range of running temperatures. The 20w number is the cold viscosity and the 50 number is the viscosity at 100°C.

Is Thicker motor oil better for the engine and does it increase engine life ?

Instead of talking about why thicker oils are not ideal, let’s talk about why thinner oils are the preferred choice. The main reason vehicle manufacturers recommend thinner or lighter viscosity grades of motor oil is because a gain in fuel economy may be achieved with lower viscosity oil

in an engine designed for the lower viscosity oil. Lower viscosity oil may help reduce internal engine friction because it takes less energy to pump the thinner oil throughout the small passages inside an engine. Any fuel mileage improvement associated with a Lubricants would be good for

them, and lighter viscosity grade motor oil will make a difference.

A thinner motor oil is also essential for easy starting, particularly in cold weather, and for proper lubrication once the engine starts. Thinner oils enable more fuel economy than thicker oils; this is why OEMs specify them. Thinner oils, such as SAE 5W-30, will flow faster than heavier motor oils during start-up and initial engine operation, and will help protect the engine. The viscosity grade(s) recommended by the vehicle manufacturer depends somewhat on engine design. Engine manufacturers have spent considerable time and expense experimenting with different viscosity grades and have indicated in the owner’s manual the grades they feel will best protect the engine at specific temperatures. While one manufacturer’s engine may require an SAE

10W-30, another manufacturer’s engine may require an SAE 5W-20 viscosity grade. This is likely due to different tolerances within the engine or other engine design factors.

If Oil turns dark or black quickly does that means oil is not good ?

Nothing could be further from the truth. If the oil is doing its job of cleaning the engine, then it should be dirty when it is drained. Oil will start looking dirty a short time after it is put to use. In the case of diesel engines, the oil may look dirty within a few hours of operation. These are signs

that the motor oil is doing its job of keeping soot, dirt and other combustion contaminants in suspension to be carried to the filter or removed from the crankcase when the oil is changed.

Future Oil products have been formulated to hold these contaminants in suspension until they can be removed with an oil and filter change.