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An integral part of an internal combustion engine is the lubrication system. It protects the internal parts of the power unit from premature wear. To ensure trouble-free operation of the system, it is recommended to monitor it technical condition and top up on time or . We will tell you how to independently control the lubricant level, the consequences of raising or lowering it, and also how to properly pour oil into a car engine.
Checking the condition and level of the oil
Many owners of new cars have no idea how to add oil to the engine, driving after purchase until the first maintenance. Relying on the manufacturer's guarantees, they forget that the operating instructions clearly state recommendations for routine maintenance of the car. The level should be checked regularly (every 1-2 weeks), especially before long trips.
Important! To avoid distortion of values, the level is checked with a cold, idle engine!
So, the order of work will be as follows:
If the level is within tolerance, reinstall the dipstick and close the hood. Do not rush to add oil to the engine at the minimum reading. You may need to fix the problem first, but we'll talk about that later.
New and used motor oil (dark)
At each check, pay attention to the color and thickness of the oil film. The color of the liquid changes depending on the mileage of the car after replacement:
- Fresh – almost transparent with a slightly yellowish tint;
- With a mileage of 4-5 thousand km it becomes light brown;
- Towards the end of the period (12-15 thousand km) it acquires a dark brown or black color and is almost opaque.
In proportion to the darkening, it gradually thickens. So don’t be surprised if the rolled waste flows together like jelly.
Attention! If you find a white impurity in the oil droplets, a significant excess of the level and white smoke from the exhaust pipe, immediately contact a car service center. Most likely, coolant is getting into the lubrication system!
Effect of oil level on engine condition
Consumption of engine oil during vehicle operation is normal. Its value depends on driving style, engine load and crankshaft speed. When running in a new engine, lubricant consumption is usually slightly higher than average. How do different levels affect the condition of the engine and is it possible to add oil to the engine yourself?
Let's look at the reasons why the level goes beyond the mark MIN on the dipstick:
The following factors may be the reason for the increase:
- Foreign liquids (antifreeze, fuel) getting into the crankcase. When gaskets wear out or cracks form in engine parts, process fluids mix. As a result, obvious symptoms of engine malfunction immediately appear (blue or black smoke from the exhaust pipe);
- Excess when filling oil. When servicing the lubrication system, it is quite easy to overfill the fluid a little. If you overdo it just a little, the excess will burn out naturally. If it is clearly too high, it is better to drain off the excess and bring it back up to the level. Otherwise, the seals will leak or the catalytic converter will fail.
To avoid problems when servicing your car, it is better to know in advance how to properly add or change engine oil.
How to pour oil into a car: change the fluid according to the rules
The service life of a petroleum product is calculated in terms of mileage or operating period. Thus, most manufacturers recommend replacing engine oils after 12–15 thousand km or 1 year. Operating conditions are of great importance vehicle. Regions with a predominance of high or low temperatures, frequent driving on rough terrain and dusty roads, low quality fuel, all these factors significantly reduce the lubricant life.
Change of oil
Replacing the process fluid of a power unit is a fairly simple procedure that even a beginner can do. But young car enthusiasts often have a hard time imagining... Having mastered this operation, you will learn not only how to add oil to the engine, but also save on visiting a car service center and get pleasant emotions from the work. To change the lubricant, perform the following manipulations:
- Place the car with a warm engine on a pit or overpass;
- Open the hood and unscrew the filler cap;
- Place a container under the crankcase and remove the drain plug;
- Unscrew the filter;
- After the liquid has completely drained, replace the drain plug;
- Screw on the new filter, after lubricating the rubber ring;
- Pour fresh oil into the engine through the neck, periodically checking the level;
- Screw the lid back on.
Motor oil (MO) is a composition that ensures uninterrupted operation of the vehicle’s power unit. It is poured in a certain quantity, which depends on the working volume, size and technical parameters of the motor. If the lubrication level decreases, it is necessary to add oil to the engine, focusing on the marks on the mechanical dipstick. It is prohibited to operate a power unit with insufficient MM volume.
1 Why does an engine need lubrication?
ICE is an internal combustion engine (carburetor or fuel injector) that cannot function without motor oil. It performs the following important functions:
- Prevents scuffing and reduces friction between the surfaces of power unit parts that are in contact with each other.
- Seals gaps between compression and oil scraper rings of cylinders and pistons. Due to this, the risk of heated gases entering the engine crankcase from the combustion chambers is minimized.
- Increases the service life of the internal combustion engine, reducing wear of its individual elements.
- Protects metal parts from oxidation, thereby preventing their corrosion.
- Removes heat from rubbing mechanisms.
- Removes varnish deposits, sludge, and slag from the power unit.
An excessive amount of MM causes the appearance of coke and carbon deposits in the cylinder-piston mechanism, difficulty starting the internal combustion engine in winter, foaming of the lubricant, and wear of valve bushings. In cases where the oil level in the engine is insufficient, its parts begin to function dry. This leads to the formation of air pockets inside the system, uneven rotation of the crankshaft, and jamming of the cylinder pistons.
2 When and what kind of oil should I add?
A certain lubricant must be added to the engine. Before topping up, you need to find out what viscosity and brand of oil the manufacturer of the car’s power unit recommends using. Lubricants different types have a unique set of additives and additives.
If you mix oils from different manufacturers, there is a high probability of a chemical reaction between them. Because of this, MM will begin to coagulate, precipitate and lose its properties.
Mixing lubricants of different brands with the same viscosity is allowed in extreme cases (for example, when you need to add oil to the engine while traveling, but there is no suitable composition at hand). If mineral MM is poured into the power unit, adding synthetic fluids to it is prohibited, and hydrocracking fluids are undesirable. The following types of lubricants can be mixed (provided that they have the same set of components and are made by the same manufacturer):
- synthetic and semi-synthetic;
- mineral and semi-synthetic.
MM is topped up after checking its quantity in the engine. This analysis is performed using a probe.
Lubricant should be added when the level is below the MIN mark on the specified test fixture. In winter, it is advisable to add oil to a hot engine. Warm up the engine and allow it to cool slightly for 10–15 minutes. During this time, the lubricant composition flows into the pan and settles, due to which it restores the required indicator of its fluidity.
In hot weather, some motorists top up the MM “in cold weather.” This allows you to avoid overfilling or underfilling of lubricant, which expands and contracts with temperature fluctuations.
3 Adding lubricant - minimum difficulties
Correctly adding oil to the engine is not difficult. The operation is performed according to the following algorithm:
- The machine is placed on a level surface and the handbrake is applied.
- The car hood opens and is secured with a rod.
- The engine warms up and turns off.
- There is a locking cap at the top of the power unit. It usually contains the inscription Oil Fill or an oil can icon. The lid is unscrewed, wiped with a dry cloth, and set aside.
- Using a dipstick, the MM level is checked.
A funnel is installed in the oil filler neck (factory or made independently from plastic bottle), through which oil is added. It is allowed to add 150–250 ml of liquid at a time.
After filling a portion of MM, you must wait 20–25 minutes and check the amount of lubricant again with a dipstick. If necessary, the latter is added according to the scheme described above until its level is established between the MAX and MIN marks on the testing device.
At the end of the operation, surfaces on which drops of liquid have fallen are wiped with a clean cloth. The dipstick is put in place (pushed in until it stops). The lid is screwed on and the hood is lowered. Oil addition is complete.
It is recommended to start the engine and let it run for 5–10 minutes. If the power unit does not make any noise extraneous sounds, the machine is ready for use. If you notice unusual noises, you should immediately contact a specialist service station.
I bet you cut off a finger (someone else’s, just not yours), that many will now grin sarcastically: what can be said new about this standard procedure for any maintenance? Laugh and laugh, gentlemen, but this is a really serious question. Try going to any forum where auto experts get over each other's heads and throw the best quotes from Top Gear at their opponents' faces, and write: “I always put oil in a new filter.”
They will immediately spit on you, ostracize you, curse you, and write you a referral to a psychiatrist. Now say the opposite: I never pour oil into the filter when changing. They will do the same to you, only perhaps the sequence will change. In a word, even here a lot of controversy arises, and of such intensity that the election debates in America against their background will seem like children fussing in a sandbox. Therefore, we will present the point of view of professionals: how to change the oil correctly, not ruin the engine, and at the same time, save on a service visit and have fun.
“That’s right – don’t change”
To sort out the issue, I went to a good car service center of the St. Petersburg branch of Largusservice. Of course, they work here not only on Largus, but also on many other cars (although, of course, Largus, Logans and Sanderos are a priority). Just on the lift stood Renault Sandero, undergoing another maintenance. I asked the master a question directly: “How to change engine oil correctly”? The answer is a smile. And the answer that one would expect from a serviceman: “The right thing to do is not to change it yourself. There is a service station for this.” Of course, I chuckled internally (and maybe even externally) and asked: “Why is that?” After all, there is nothing complicated here!
Indeed, this work is not difficult. The vast majority of car enthusiasts are quite capable of it. But there are also cases that I found funny, but sad for the owners of cars that they tried to service on their own. I'll tell you a particularly creepy story. Even two.
Two creepy stories
A man bought a foreign car (I won’t specify which one. Maybe it’s not even a foreign car at all?) Going to the dealer is expensive, but pride does not allow him to go to a service center. And the oil needs to be changed. We've run ten thousand kilometers, it's time to roll up our sleeves. Theoretically, everything is simple, drain the old and fill in the new.
In practice, the owner of the car still came to the service center, only with another problem: the gearbox was humming. We listened and made sure it was buzzing. The first step was to check the oil level in it. The gearbox turned out to be “dry”. The service asked: what was done to the car? Nothing, the owner replies, he just changed the engine oil. Myself. With my own hands. These same, dudes, golden hands.
Yeah, there's a clue. They started checking the engine oil. In general, the picture is clear: I unscrewed the drain plug from the crankcase and added oil to the engine. Three liters. Why check its level using the dipstick? That's right, no need! The manual says three liters - I measured it out and poured it in. Result: the box is empty, there are six liters of oil in the engine. We managed to save the box, filled it with oil, and the noise went away. And we were lucky with the engine; the seals didn’t get squeezed out. We drained six liters of a cocktail of old and new oil and poured in new oil.
Attention, question: how can this be done if during the replacement process it was necessary to unscrew the filter (the oil would still leak out at least a little) and check the oil level at least twice on the dipstick? So I don’t know.
Well, a much more prosaic picture. I have a friend who heard a knocking noise in the engine a few kilometers after the replacement. He did everything correctly, but forgot to tighten the drain plug and check the level after replacing it. Here the price of inattention turned out to be higher.
These are the consequences (let's face it - rare) that can happen if you don't pay due attention to the operation. Therefore, the service technician is right about something: if your impulsive nature does not allow you to approach the work with due attention or you confuse the gearbox housing with the internal combustion engine housing, then it is better to go to a service center. Not convinced? Then let's move on.
Suck? Blend in!
There are many ways to change the oil. It has long been the norm at many service stations to use vacuum units for oil changes. This thing allows you to suck out most of the oil through the dipstick hole. What is so good about it? Almost everything, but only for the workshop owner: a lift or at least a pit is not needed, the crankcase protection does not often have to be removed (it all depends on the location of the oil filter), there is no need to mess with the drain plug, there is no need to wait until the oil drains completely.
Another thing is that for a car owner this method cannot be called ideal. The fact is that it will not be possible to completely drain the oil with such a device; the “juice” will still remain in the pan, because the heaviest things in the oil collect there: metal dust, dirt and other bad things that need to be gotten rid of in first of all. Before replacing, check with the service how the procedure works. They offer to suck out the oil - do not agree. Yes, it is usually faster and cheaper, but the efficiency of this approach is not the best.
However, we were going to change the oil ourselves.
Then let's get started.
Preparation
It is better to drain old oil on a warm (but not hot) engine: it will be thinner and drain faster. Therefore, we believe that our engine is warmed up, and everything necessary for replacement is already ready. Not yet? Just have a can of fresh oil and a filter? This is not enough.
First of all, let's think about how we will unscrew the crankcase protection (if this is necessary on a particular car) and the drain plug. If for the first, as a rule, a wrench is enough (for 13, 14, 15, 17 - you will need to find out about this in advance), then with the plug you will have to solve two issues at once. The first is how to unscrew it.
On most cars it is a regular bolt under a boring wrench. But it is likely that your car has prepared a surprise in the form of a hex plug (it is not known what size, by the way). The lucky ones get a jackpot in the shape of a Torx star. If your plans for the future include constant independent replacement, then you will have to buy such a key, or better yet a set.
Firstly, you won’t be unfriended on social networks by a friend from whom you constantly ask for these keys, and secondly, it is quite likely that Torxes will come in handy when replacing the air filter and during some other scheduled maintenance work. One star in a car is nonsense (however, if it’s on the hood, then it’s a Mercedes). If there is one star, then there are definitely others somewhere.
Let's say you have prepared the keys (hex or torx). Perhaps they even correct size. Now is the time to think about where to drain the old oil.
Cunning guys in spare parts stores offer unknown plastic oil drain pans for this purpose. Out of curiosity, I stopped by and looked: 850 rubles for six liters. But we, who value common sense, will not buy such things. The simplest and most obscenely hackneyed device is an empty canister with one side cut off. If you don’t have such a useful thing at hand, then anything will do, even a cut bottle from drinking water. The main thing is not to pour oil on the ground. And without us the environment is so-so.
The last thing to have ready is a new drain gasket. Most often it is just a washer, usually a multi-layer one. You can, of course, tighten it with an old gasket, but the part is cheap, only Gogol’s Plyushkin can save on it. However, among car enthusiasts there are staunch fighters for the old puck, they say, what will happen to it! Maybe religion doesn’t allow them, some political beliefs or economic reasons, but this gasket still needs to be changed. The service strongly advises changing it.
So, everything is ready. Let's get started
Sandero, standing on the lift, has already had his protection removed. And there is no point in describing how to remove it: there are many options, it all depends on your car. Therefore, we simply place a container under the car to collect old oil (in our case, however, there is a special installation for collecting oil, but this is an attribute of a service station; it is unlikely to be often found on garage shelves) and carefully unscrew the drain plug. While the oil is draining, you can wash your hands and treat burns.
Here it is, the first stumbling block from car owner forums: is it necessary to open the top of the oil filler cap before draining the oil? There is an opinion that without it the oil leaks out faster. Here you need to look at the following: will other work be done on the machine at this time? If you don’t want to wait idly while the “working out” flows out, you can replace the air filter or do some other work. In this case, it is better not to remove the cover: debris, dirt or just dust may get into the neck, and this is not so useful for the motor.
Because it is open, the oil will not flow out much faster. It won't even flow faster. And if your plans for the day are limited only to changing the oil, then you can unscrew it, there are no fundamental differences. The main thing is that nothing unnecessary gets into the neck.
At first, the oil flows quite quickly, then the stream dries up, and viscous drops remain (or not viscous, oil can be different). Of course, the more old oil leaks out, the better. There is no need to rush - you need to wait until everything that can leak has flowed out of the drain hole. Therefore, we wait patiently and begin to remove the oil filter.
Ideally, it can be unscrewed by hand. In practice, this does not always happen, so sometimes the filter needs to be unscrewed with something. There are several solutions.
Technically perfect - this is a puller for your specific car. It looks like a cup, the sides of which have protrusions that coincide with the recesses in the filter, and a head for a wrench. If your car's filter does not have edges, then a chain puller is suitable, which is used to wrap around the filter housing and then unscrew it. But you shouldn’t immediately run to the store and enrich the manufacturers of these devices of varying degrees of reliability. There are other methods, a little more complicated (there is even a barbaric method!), but no less effective.
A method suitable for technical maniacs is a clamp with a bolt, under which a file is placed to the filter housing (to prevent it from slipping). Sometimes using a file you can unscrew the filter. The solution is suitable for cars whose filters are located in hard-to-reach places, as a rule, almost close to the crankcase or block. Services don’t do this: it’s unprofessional, and there are usually pullers for every taste.
The last method is for followers of the cult of destruction. It is simple, but unaesthetic: the filter is removed with a screwdriver. How? You just need to drive it with all your might into the side of the old filter, then turn it using the screwdriver handle. The method is effective, although wild. Here it is important not to miss, so as not to pierce some innocent pipe with a screwdriver.
So, the oil was drained and the old filter was removed. But it’s too early to start filling in new oil.
First, do not forget to tighten the drain plug. There is no need to apply too much force, otherwise at one point the “head” may be torn off while trying to unscrew it for the next maintenance. We install a new washer-gasket, tighten it (not with all our strength), and rejoice. Now we install a new filter.
The behavior of the car depends on the engine's performance. In order for the motor to work for a long time and not break down, it is necessary to constantly monitor its condition. One of the important operations is monitoring the engine oil level.
Before adding engine fluid, you need to determine how much is in the system. To do this, turn off the engine and place the car on a level surface. The test is performed “cold”, with the engine system cooled down.
Each engine is equipped with a special dipstick, which has several marks indicating the minimum and maximum amount of oil composition.
The dipstick is removed from the crankcase and thoroughly wiped. Then it is lowered back inside the neck and the existing level is determined by the risks.
Topping up rules
First, you need to find out what brand of oil was poured into the engine. When selling a car, the former owner usually reports what type of oil he used. All that remains is to purchase an analogue with the desired viscosity coefficient.
Topping up is carried out only when the oil level “on the dipstick” does not reach the “minimum” mark. When performing such a check, remember that if the engine is hot, the oil has not completely drained into the crankcase. When the engine cools down, the lubricant level will be higher. Therefore, to obtain accurate data, you must wait until the unit cools down. 15-20 minutes is enough.
More on the topic: What kind of oil to pour into an Audi A4 automatic transmission
In winter, to check the level, experts advise slightly warming up the internal combustion engine. The fact is that in cold weather the oil begins to freeze, and after heating the volume will increase slightly.
How to top up
Open the hood and remove the filler cap. It is usually marked "Oill Fill". Use a dipstick to check the amount of lubricant available. The mark should show "maximum". If the volume is below the specified mark, it is necessary to top up.
For normal engine operation, it is enough for the oil level to be in the middle between minimum and maximum - you should strive to achieve this value.
To ensure that the operation is carried out accurately, it is necessary to insert a funnel into the oil filler hole. It will prevent the liquid from splashing and getting on the surface of the motor. If this happens, it must be wiped off with a rag. Otherwise, when the internal combustion engine heats up, the lubricant will begin to evaporate, and an unpleasant odor will appear in the cabin.
When adding oil, do not fill the entire volume at once. This is done in small portions, approximately 250 ml. After the liquid has completely drained into the pan, you need to check the level. The operation is repeated several times until the level reaches the middle between the “min” and “max” values.
