Is thicker lubricant better?
author: Ann
2024-07-30
Some car owners habitually judge the quality of lubricating oil from the senses, thinking that the greater the viscosity of engine lubricating oil, the better. In fact, this is a wrong understanding. The greater the viscosity, the thicker the oil film between the friction surfaces of the moving parts. Although the thick oil film is conducive to preventing the wear of the friction surface, the friction resistance will also increase, and the power loss will increase.
The viscosity of the selected engine oil should be determined according to the performance of the vehicle, such as the accuracy of engine processing, displacement, degree of wear and other indicators. You cannot blindly use high-viscosity engine oil. For ordinary car owners, the choice of lubricating oil is determined by factors such as their own car model and the ambient temperature of use. There is no need to elaborate on seasonal engine oil. Under normal circumstances, just choose the lubricating oil model specified or recommended by the manufacturer.
The viscosity of the selected engine oil should be determined according to the performance of the vehicle, such as the accuracy of engine processing, displacement, degree of wear and other indicators. You cannot blindly use high-viscosity engine oil. For ordinary car owners, the choice of lubricating oil is determined by factors such as their own car model and the ambient temperature of use. There is no need to elaborate on seasonal engine oil. Under normal circumstances, just choose the lubricating oil model specified or recommended by the manufacturer.
Many customers think that the thicker the engine oil, the better, which is a wrong view. Because the viscosity of the engine oil we see at room temperature does not represent its viscosity at high temperature or at low temperature. The viscosity of the engine oil changes with the change of temperature. The viscosity of high-quality engine oil should still be able to lubricate various components at high temperature and still have good fluidity at low temperature. Not only that, we also need the viscosity of the oil to change as little as possible with temperature, which requires a viscosity index improver to control it. Our product, Jingliwei Diesel Engine Oil CF-4 20W50, can illustrate this point very well. Although it looks very thin at room temperature, it has the fastest fluidity at low temperatures and can maintain a good thickness at high temperatures. Therefore, we cannot judge the quality of the oil based on whether it is thick or thin at room temperature. Thin oil can also save fuel.
With the advancement of technology, the processing technology of the engine is getting higher and higher, and the matching clearance of parts is getting smaller and smaller. If high-viscosity oil is used, it will cause poor lubrication, increased fuel consumption, and high noise. Only low-viscosity oil can reach the friction surface of the parts to fully lubricate the engine. Using low-viscosity oil will also reduce the running resistance of the engine and reduce fuel consumption.
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