Additives are what you might call the active ingredients your engine oil. Combined with base stocks they provide all sorts of functions, from cleaning and cooling your engine to preventing rust and protecting against extreme pressure.
A bit like the nutrients in soil, these additives need to be replenished regularly – which is one of the reasons why oil changes are so important for your engine.
The additives used in engine oils will vary considerably between different types of oils and there applications.
Some of the main additives used are - Detergents - Which help keep the engine clean and neutralise acids that form from the combustion process Dispersants - These encapsulate matter that is too small to be filtered and hold it in suspension until an oil change is performed VI Improvers - These are elastomers that expand when heated which provides for multi-grade viscosities Anti-Wear - Generally these are products like ZINC that provides a sacrificial barrier between moving parts Ant-Oxidants - These stop or neutralise the internals of the engine from corroding Anti-Foam - This stops the oil from foaming especially as it contains detergents Pour Point Depressants - These help oil pour at low temperatures
Of course, the amounts of additives will vary between engine oil types and specifications.
Engine oil serves many purposes in an engine. Its main job is to stop wear and friction in your engine. These are caused when the various metal engine parts of the engine, grind together causing heat, friction and then wear. As engine oil flows around your engine it coats and lubricates the metal surfaces acting as a barrier or film, stopping the metal parts from actually touching each other, thus reducing friction and wear as well as dispersing the heat generated during the process.
Engine oil also helps to keep your engine clean and free from build-ups by using intelligent detergents and dispersants that clean and hold in suspension the by products of combustion (like silica and acids) that are not caught by the oil filter. These contaminants are removed during the oil change process. Oil also disperses layers of extra protection such as Zinc, which acts as sacrificial agent between metal parts improving wear protection, especially in older push rod type engines. Apart from protecting the engine, engine oil reduces rust and corrosion by limiting your engine’s exposure to oxygen.
Engine oils are made up of two main ingredients: BASE STOCKS (Mineral or synthetic) or a mixture of the two (Synthetic Formulation) and ADDITIVES.
Base Stocks
Mineral base stocks are made from naturally occurring crude oil pumped from the earth and processed in an oil refinery.
Synthetic base stocks are developed in a lab. They are produced from extremely pure chemicals and are engineered with specific characteristics to cater for many different applications e.g. better performance in extreme temperatures.
Additives
Additives are what you might call the active ingredients in engine oil. Combined with base stocks they provide all sorts of functions, from cleaning and cooling your engine to preventing rust and protecting against extreme pressure.
A bit like the nutrients in soil, these additives need to be replenished regularly, which is one of the reasons why oil changes are so important for your engine.
Oil change
Changing your oil is one of the most important things you’ll ever do for your engine. Going DIY not only saves dollars, it’s also verysatisfying if you enjoy getting a little grease under your fingernails.
What’s changing my oil?
Like anything, motor oil has a limited shelf life and starts to break down after a period of use, making it less efficient in lubricatingand cooling engine parts.
There are two key reasons for this. Firstly, the additives that protect your engine against corrosion, oxidisation and engine wear get used up as they do their job. And secondly, contaminants like soot, carbon and acids build up and start to affect the critical properties of your oil, such as viscosity.
How often should I change my oil?
Oil that’s not changed regularly can do serious damage to your engine and compromise the safety of your vehicle. This is why manufacturers recommend that you change your oil regularly – either after a specified period of time or after a certain distance. Most owner manuals have two recommendations for oil changes – standard and severe – which are based on the kind of conditions you drive in.
"SAPS" stands for "Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur".
A "LOW SAPS" engine oil has a lesser amount of these elements than a standard engine oil. The levels vary depending on the type of oil needed. LOW SAPS oils are generally used in modern turbo diesel engines that are fitted a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) or in modern petrol engines to assist in fuel economy gains.
Most HELLO oils contain additives that improve the performance of the engine oil. These additives, amongst other important ingredients, contain detergents and dispersants.
To find out what oil to use in your vehicle, you will need to know the following
1) Make of Vehicle
2) Year of Manufacture
3) Model Type
3) Engine Type and SIze
4) Transmission Type (this is needed for some vehicles)
Most of these are all available from your owner's handbook.
Multigrade oils must meet both a "W" low temperature (Cold Cranking) viscosity requirement and a 100°C "operating temperature" requirement. A multigrade oil gives you the best of both worlds by maintaining its performance at high and low temperatures. All liquids thin out as heat increases but a multigrade keeps viscosity at optimum levels within a certain temperature range. (eg.10W-40) Monograde oils do not have a low temperature requirement. Therefore, as the temperature decreases, they thicken considerably faster than equivalent multigrade oils. As temperature increases they thin out evenly across a temperature range (e.g. SAE 30). Monograde engine oils do not suffer from shear as there is viscosity index improvers in the oil.
Most vehicle manufacturers have a recommended service period either based on kilometres travelled or a specified time period. To maintain the vehicles engine in good condition, owners should not exceed these specified service periods. The use of high quality engine oil, will provide protection for the engine throughout the whole service period. We do not recommend exceeding the manufacturer's service intervals. Your owners hand book will contain the vehicles recommended servicing periods. These can vary by manufacturer, engine type and conditions in which the vehicle is used.
Over time and after operating in internally in an internal combustion engine, oil will deteriorate and become less efficient at providing good lubrication and protection for the engine. The main reasons to change your engine oil are as follows - 1. To remove contaminants that degrade the oil. i.e.
a) Moisture (condensation)
b) Un-burnt fuel (ie fuel dilution)
c) Soot (by product of combustion, especially in diesels)
d) Oxidation and Nitration By-products such as acids
2. To refresh the oil as additives in the oil deteriorate over time. i.e
a) Detergents, that help keep the engine clean become less effective
b) Dispersants, that hold contaminants in the oil become saturated and can no longer retain contaminants.
c) Anti-wear additives need to be replaced such as ZINC which is sacrificial.
d) VI Improvers are sheared by the engine and hence oil loses its viscosity lowering operating protection protection
The cheapest thing most people will ever do to keep their vehicle going will be to change the oil and filter regularly.
No it isn't. and conversely, there is nothing stopping you moving from Mineral to Synthetic Formulation to Full Synthetic engine oils. An engine may take a little while to settle down if oil type is changed (which is sometimes the case going from brand-to-brand or grade-to-grade), but after that, there shouldn't be any problems. It is more important to find the "Right oil for the right Application" than the base oil type.
Mineral, Synthetic Formulation and Synthetic oils can be mixed together, although this is not recommended. During the blending process, various and different additive packs are added to base oil to achieve various oil specifications for different intended applications. (eg Petrol or Diesel type oil). Therefore, a combination of different oils will almost certainly have been created to cover different applications and may not always be compatible with one another. Mixing different types and viscosities of oils changes the original chemistry balance of the oil and may result in an unsuitable product for certain types of applications. So although the base oils will mix quite readily, the additive packs used in them are designed for particular applications and a combination of these is an unknown concoction in terms of performance and compatibility. In certain circumstances, putting the wrong oil into an engine can cause extensive damage to the engine or components associated with it. It is always best to use the same type, viscosity and manufacturer specification when topping up your engine oil.
Petrol engine oils can be used in diesel engines if the oil meets the minimum requirements specified by the manufacturer for that particular engine. For example, if the manufacturer specifies API CF or later specification as being suitable for the engine, then as long as the engine oil meets API CF or higher specifications (ie CF-2, CF-4, CG-4, CG-4, CH-4, CI-4, CI-4 Plus) then there is no issue. Obviously the later the specification, the better it will be for the engine.
DPF stands for Diesel Particulate Filter (sometimes referred to as a CPF - Catalysed Particulate Filter). DPF's are located in the exhaust system of many post 2006 diesel powered vehicles. Their purpose is to trap diesel particulate matter expelled from the engine that would otherwise be exhaust into the atmosphere. After trapping the particles from the exhaust and at predetermined intervals, the DPF does what is called a regeneration where it burns off the diesel particulate matter. This is controlled by the vehicles electronic computer which is signaled by sensors attached to the DPF. The result is a significant lowering of exhaust emissions (NOx) and particulate matter. Most vehicles fitted with a DPF need a lower SAPS (Sulphated Ash Phosphorus and Sulfur) oil to prevent premature blockage of the DPF. A blocked DPF will stop or severely reduce a vehicles performance and replacement or manual regeneration is extremely expensive. Using the correct engine oil, is by far the best option. Different vehicle manufacturers might specify the same viscosity but with different chemical properties depending on their engine and the type of DPF fitted to the vehicle. It is extremely important that the correct engine oil is used as it can have a big impact on the life and performance of the DPF.
Zinc or ZDDP (Dialkyl DithioPhosphate), is a chemical compound used in engine oil as a sacrificial and very effective anti-wear agent. ZInc works under heat and load. The Zinc reacts with the steel surface and creates a phosphate glass film that protects the steel surface by forming a sacrificial film that covers the peaks and fills in the valleys of the steel surface. This helps to protect highly loaded engine parts.
Some vehicle manufacturers have strict guidelines in relation to what approval specification the engine oil used in their vehicles must have. Lubricant manufacturers can supply approved products in order to maintain vehicle manufacturers warranties.
Sometimes a dye is added for product identification (e.g. DEXRON-III and DEXRON-VI will always be red as it is part of GM's requirements). Base oils and additives have natural variations in colours (i.e. browns to pale golds) due to different types of base oils and additive packs used to make the finished product, but this has no bearing on the performance of the oil. Used oil is usually darker than fresh oil due to various causes (e.g. soot, age, oxidation, contamination, etc.). This is normal and it shows that the oil is doing part of its job correctly in holding the contaminants in suspension until the next oil change.
Each of these oils are made with different base oils. MINERAL oils are made with highly refined Group 1 or Group 2 Base oils.
SYNTHETIC FORMULATION oils are made with a MINIMUM of 20% Synthetic Base Oils mixed with Mineral Base oils.
FULL SYNTHETIC (Group 3 Synthetics) oils are made from high quality synthetic base oils.
PREMIUM FULL SYNTHETIC (Group IV & V) oils are made from high pure quality synthetic base oils including man made PAO and/or Esters.
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, the manufacturers of these gearboxes will not warranty their gearboxes if a non OEM product has been used. Hence HELLO recommend that the owner use the OEM product to avoid warranty issues should a problem occur.
"Red" is a specification colour used by GM for their transmission fluids. This has been adopted by the industry as a standard colour for ATFs. Apart from that, the colour is just a dye and it has no relevance to the performance of the transmission fluid.
Limited Slip Differentials (LSD) need a friction modifier additive in the gear oil to prevent the clutch packs from chattering. HELO Gear Oils and selected Pro Gear products already have the correct dosage of LSD additive in the oil.
GL-5 gear oils have a higher ratio of extreme pressure additives than GL-4 gear oils. GL-5 products can be used where GL-4 products are recommended but GL-4 products can not be used where GL-5 is specified. GL-5 rated oil is required for most differentials due to the extreme pressure generated by the crown and pinion drive system, whereas most manual transmissions only require a GL-4 rated product.
A radiator flush should be used to neutralise any left over coolant in the system prior to refilling the system with new coolant. This reduces the risk of the new coolant reacting with the old coolant and generally gives the system a good clean out at the same time improving performance of the cooling system.
If the tap water is of high quality, then it is safe to mix with concentrate although this can vary considerably be region. Tank water should not be used to mix coolant because it may contain a high degree of minerals which could cause a reaction internally. When in doubt, premix is always the safest option unless mixing with pure de-mineralised water.
Different types of coolants have different types of additive packs in them to stop corrosion, rust, scaling etc. Some of these additive technologies aren't compatible with others and can cause a chemical reaction that can cause major damage to the cooling system and ancillary parts.
All colours in coolants are dyes used by the manufacturers to distinguish different products. In Australia, Red/Pink/Magenta coloured coolants are generally contain an OAT inhibitor pack and Green/Blue/Yellow generally contain Hybrid inhibitor packs. Overall, a coolant can be any colour that a manufacturer wants to make it.
If the tap water is of high quality, then it is safe to mix with concentrate although this can vary considerably be region. Tank water should not be used to mix coolant because it may contain a high degree of minerals which could cause a reaction internally. When in doubt, premix is always the safest option unless mixing with pure de-mineralised water.
Similar to API, ACEA and JASO classifications for lubricants, DOT (Department of Transport) is a classification for accepted standards of quality of brake fluid.
HELLO™ is a fast-growing Malaysian company that specializes in lubricant oil and car care. Our customer centric focus allows us to always prioritizeies the customers’ needs by developing high-standard, efficient and environmentally friendly oil to suit their engines or every application.
Light Duty vehicles are those that are typically less than 3.5 gvw (Gross Vehicle Weight), whilst vehicles above 3.5gvw are considered Heavy Duty vehicles.
The short answer is No, HELLO does not use any recycled oil in the manufacturing process. Rest assured that HELLO only uses newly refined base oils for all of its engine oils.
The "W" literally stands for Winter grade. In order for an oil to be classified a W grade, it must not exceed specific cold crank viscosity and pumpability tests at specific temperatures (e.g. to be classified as a 0W oil, must not exceed 6200cP at -35°C. Viscosity basically means the thickness of a liquid and how easily it flows. For example, water has a low viscosity compared with, say olive oil. A good quality lubricant maintains its viscosity under different temperature and usage conditions for a longer period of time. Choosing the right viscosity motor oil depends on the conditions your vehicle operates in, but a general rule is that the viscosity should be low enough to ensure that oil can flow to where it's needed, but heavy enough to lubricate and protect parts from heat and wear.
