Oil plays a very important role in internal combustion engines. It is a key fluid in our passenger car engines. Despite the fact that we know, as drivers and car users, how important it is, we often do not realize what it is made of, how it was produced, its service life and what limitations. We will try to write a little about car oils and their types in the article below.

Engine oil functions

By car oils, we most often mean engine oils. Meanwhile, there are several other types of oils in cars, they are:

• gear oils,
• oils in power steering mechanisms,
• the above-mentioned engine oils.

The most important task is, of course, engine oils. The engine has high temperatures, very high rotational and feed speeds, as well as high overloads resulting from the diversified use of the vehicle. Hence, most of the time should be devoted to engine oil.

Its function is crucial, it is designed to:

• lubricate individual elements working in the drive unit,
• reduce the level of friction by lubrication,
• reduce the temperature of individual components of the drive unit.

Engine oil therefore lubricates vital engine components such as pistons, rings, cylinders and bearings. Engine oil is also an excellent sealant that increases the tightness between the individual components of the drive unit.

Types of engine oils

There are three types of engine oils:

• mineral based on refining crude oil and supplementing it with additives,
• semi-synthetic, which are partly refined from crude oil and half as a result of the synthesis of petroleum derivatives or other raw materials,
• synthetic, which are the result of the synthesis of secondary raw materials, such as gasoline, oil or chemicals.

The use of a particular type of engine oil depends on the mileage, specifics and use of the engine. Synthetic oils are oils that certainly have a higher viscosity coefficient, hence they are used in engines with higher mileage. Mineral oils, on the other hand, are more fluid, so they are used in engines with lower mileage.