Chevron Fast Lube Offers Advice On Understanding the Motor Oil Label in Order to Choose the Best Oil for a Car
You’re browsing the rows of motor oil in the automotive section of your local store. You become confused as you read the labels. What does SAE stand for? What do the numbers mean? It’s important to know how to read an oil label so that you can choose the correct oil for your car.
The word viscosity is key to understanding the label on a container of motor oil. An oil’s viscosity refers to an oil’s resistance to flow. Motor oil gets thick when it is cold and gets thin when it heats up. Thick oil resists flowing and flows easily when thin
There are three types of motor oil, synthetic, conventional (mineral), and synthetic/conventional blend.
Synthetic motor oil is a formula created in a laboratory by scientists and mixed with additives.
Conventional motor oil is made from natural gas and is blended with chemicals and additives.
When shopping for motor oil, you will see the letters SAE followed by a number, followed by a letter, and followed by another number, like this:
SAE 10W30
SAE stands for the Society of Motor Engineers. The first number after SAE (in this example it is 10) represents the viscosity of the oil when the engine has not been run for several hours and is cold. The cold engine viscosity number varies between five and 50. The letter W stands for winter, so an oil container with a W means that the oil is good for use in winter. The second number (in this example it is 30) stands for the viscosity of the oil.
This notation is a rating system used by the American Petroleum Institute or the SAE. You will see it on the front label of any container of motor oil on a store’s shelf. It is displayed in large numbers and letters.
It isn’t hard to understand the difference between a 10W30 and a 10W40 motor oil. The 10W30 has a lower high-temperature viscosity, and the 10W40 is a thicker at high temperatures. The 10W30 has two viscosities and is also known as a multi-grade motor oil.
If you use oil with a very high viscosity, your car will have oil temperatures that are too high. This can cause increased drag. If you use a lower viscosity oil in your engine, you run the risk of too much contact between the moving metal parts. For these reasons, it is important that you use an oil with the correct viscosity for your car. This will make your car easier to start, will reduce friction in the engine, and save wear and tear on your car.
In the winter time, it is best to use an oil made to handle low environmental temperatures so that your car starts more easily on cold winter morning. Synthetic oils are better for your car’s engine in cold temperatures because it flows easily.
When you understand the label on a container of motor oil, you can best choose the oil for your car.
Media Contact
Company Name: Chevron Fast Lube
Contact Person: Customer Services
Email: admin@chevronfastlube.com
Phone: 310-793-7999
Address:3960 Artesia Blvd
City: Torrance
State: California
Country: United States
Website: http://chevronfastlube.com/
