What Oil Should I Use In My Car?
This is the most common question we get in the shop from our oil change customers. So, we hope this blog article helps, but if you still have questions give us a call or come visit us at Groovy Lube at our Austin location at 3511 Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas 78705. Click here for directions.
How Do I Know What Oil To Put In My Car?
Choosing the right motor oil for your car is very important to ensure proper engine protection and to cover any conditions that may be required to maintain your vehicle’s warranty. Motor oil performance requirements for your oil change will be dependent upon the oil specifications by vehicle and this will be determined by the manufacturer. Motor oils are different and formulated to meet performance specifications and viscosity grade requirements.
Which oil you choose for your car will be dependent upon the vehicle, the model year and the engine type. Determining factors include is the engine gasoline or diesel, engine size or displacement, use of turbochargers or direct fuel injection, and incorporation of emission control components such as catalysts and particulate filters.
For additional help determining which oil to use, try Castrol’s Oil Selector tool.
What Motor Oil Should I Use In My Car?
The best source of information is your vehicle owner’s manual. The manual will provide the necessary details on the proper oil viscosity grade (e.g. SAE 0W-20, SAE 5W-20, SAE 5W-30 or other) as well as the performance specification. Specifications will generally refer to ILSAC performance categories (such as GF-5 or GF-6) and/or API performance categories (Such as API SN, SN PLUS, SP). In these cases, there may also be pictures or symbols, developed by API, that you will find on motor oil labels. These can be used with the viscosity grades requirement, to confirm the proper choice. See an example below…
What about an Oil Change for A European Car?
We have specific Euro blends for each European manufacturer. In addition to the right oil, one should always change the oil at the frequency recommended in the owner’s manual or as identified by the oil life indicator on the car’s dashboard.
How Much Oil Should I Put In My Car?
The amount of oil required will be identified in owner’s manuals. A second check will be the marks that are on the oil dipstick. After validating the amount of oil required the dipstick can be used to confirm that the proper amount of oil had been added. It is important to not underfill or overfill the crankcase to ensure proper protection.
Does My Car Require A Synthetic Oil Change?
In general, manufacturers recommend motor oil based on viscosity grade and performance specification. In cases for GM where dexos is required, European manufacturers specifications and where SAE 0W-20 is recommended, such oils will be formulated with synthetic technology. In all cases a synthetic oil can be used even if a conventional oil is suitable to gain further performance benefits afforded through synthetic technology and sometimes a longer period between oil changes.
Ready to schedule your oil change? Contact us today or drop in anytime for your next oil change.
