As cars are designed with better and more technically advanced engines, engine oil has to be redesigned to catch up with these increase demands. Engine oil or “lubricants” as many people call it does much more than just decreasing the friction between the moving parts in the car engine.

There are 4 major functions that engine oil must perform:

Lubrication

There are many moving components in the engine of the car. Engine oil must easily get in-between all these moving parts to prevent any loss of power due to friction level. When the engine is running, the engine oil forms a slippery film in the components so as to increase performance and efficiency.

Different engines require different viscosity range in order that the engine oil provides adequate lubrication while still flowing easily throughout the engine.

Protection

By keeping a film between the moving components in the engine, the engine oil gives a natural protection against wear by not having the metal pieces from coming into contact with each other.

The engine oil also protects the engine against corrosion from the built-up acids that are formed as a by-product of the oxidation and contamination of the oil. Engine oils are formulated to fight these acids which would otherwise cause corrosion and premature component failure.

Cleans

Carbon deposits reduce the efficiency of the engine. If left unattended, not only will the deposits cause the engine performance be affected, the contaminants will cause undesirable engine tear.

Engine oil must therefore able to effectively clean these deposit from the engine components and keeping them in suspension until they can be removed by the oil filter.

Cools

Although the radiator is responsible for cooling the engine, the engine oil also plays a vital role in quickly dissipating the heat away from the internal components. When oil passes through the various components, it must quickly “pick up” the heat , so that the heat can be dissipated from the air surrounding the oil pan.