No engine will last long without oil. In fact, you’d blow up your engine in a matter of minutes if there wasn’t any oil in it. So being sure that you are using quality oil is the first step in maintaining your car correctly.
But you can give your oil a boost and make it even better when you use oil additives. These additives supercharge your oil and can help your oil become even better at its job, and even give it qualities it didn’t have previously.
What are oil additives?
Oil additives are specially formulated compounds that improve your car’s standard oil and are not meant to replace the oil, but give it extra qualities not found in normal oil.
The additives boost the oil’s performance by giving it extra qualities it wouldn’t normally have. Which one depends on which oil additives you decide to use as each one is specifically formulated for specific uses ranging from oxidation and shearing to helping with viscosity loss.
Here’s a quick list of what the most popular types of oil additives can do for your car’s engine:
Friction Reducers – Designed to reduce the amount of friction between moving parts in an engine. This helps the engine run more smoothly and efficiently, saving you money on gas.
Viscosity Improvers – Viscosity has to do with how thick or thin your oil is. The thicker it can stay, the more it’ll help your engine stay properly lubricated. These additives work to improve the viscosity of your oil when it heats up, preventing it from breaking down.
Detergents and Dispersants – These additives help clean the interior of the engine and trap dirt and small particles in the oil itself so that they can be discharged later when you do an oil change.
Anti-Wear Agents – These agents work by adding a thin layer of a special compound designed to protect metal parts with extra lubrication when coming into contact with one another.
Corrosion Inhibitors – Prevents corrosion on the internal metal surfaces of your car’s motor.
So as you can see, oil additives can do a lot in helping you maintain your engine. You just have to be careful and choose the correct additive for your car’s specific problem or needs. But no matter what they may be, there is definitely an oil additive that can help!
Benefits of using oil additives in your car
There really are so many potential benefits of using oil additives regularly. These additives can not just help with a lot of common issues, but they also help extend the overall life of your engine and make it run cleaner. And a cleaner running engine is not just good for you, it’s also good for the environment.
Let’s take a look at just a few of the benefits that oil additives can provide:
A. Improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions: By reducing friction between moving parts, oil additives improve the vehicle’s overall efficiency and reduce emissions giving you a more eco-friendly engine.
B. Enhanced engine performance and durability: Oil additives can increase your oil’s lubrication qualities which in turn also increases the motors power and performance. The extra lubrication also means you’ll have less wear and tear on your engine potentially saving you thousands of dollars in repairs over the life of your car.
C. Reduced engine wear and tear: By reducing friction between moving parts, oil additives help reduce wear on engines by protecting them against heat buildup and corrosion from oxidation processes.
D. Increased engine power and acceleration: For those that take a car’s performance seriously, reducing friction caused by metal-on-metal contact between your motor’s internal moving parts also improves its acceleration capabilities, meaning you can go faster, quicker.
E. Improved fuel economy: Additives can also help you save money on gas by improving the flow characteristics of the oil.
F. Extended engine life: By providing additional protection against heat build up, sludge formation, oxidation, corrosion and other factors that may lead to premature break down of an engine’s components, oil additive will keep your car running strong for longer periods of time
G. Protection against rust and corrosion: Oxidation occurs when oxygen combines with metals over time forming rust spots or corrosion damage on metal surfaces which is why adding certain types of oil additives can ward off this type of damage before it starts occurring.
How to use oil additives in your car
Using oil additives isn’t difficult, it just takes a bit of research to find out which one is the most beneficial for your specific car’s engine and your personal driving habits. Don’t just grab a bottle and throw it into your car! Take the time to understand each one’s special formulation and how they can help.
A. Factors to consider before adding oil additives to your car:
First, always check with your car’s manufacturer to see if they are recommending a specific brand or type of additive that should or shouldn’t be used. You don’t want to void your car’s warranty.
Second, know how old your car’s motor is and then decide what sorts of problems oil additives may be able to help with. Like and older engine with a lot of miles might require an additive that helps break down sludge and helps clean the internal engine parts.
Lastly, check the expiration date. The last thing you want is to use an expired product that is already beginning to break down and isn’t going to be able to help your car the way it was intended.
B. Tips for using oil additives: Once you have chosen the right type of Oil Additive for your car, here a few tips on how to use it correctly:
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Choose the right type of oil additive for your car.
- Use the recommended amount of oil additive.
- Change your oil regularly and add fresh additives.
- Monitor the performance of your engine after adding the oil additive.
- Always double-check the expiration date before purchasing products online or in stores.
If you stick with the tips and tricks I wrote about above, you should have no problem using oil additives correctly.
Common misconceptions about oil additives
If you go onto the internet you can find a lot of myths and misinformation when it comes to oil additives and whether or not they’re worth using. So we want to clear a few of these up for you here:
A. Myth #1 – Oil additives can replace regular oil changes: You should never use oil additives as a replacement for motor oil! These additives are meant to enhance the performance of the oil you are using, not replace it.
B. Myth #2 – Oil additives can fix all engine problems: While oil additives can definitely help in many instances, they are not magic. Oil additives can help with things like internal corrosion, engine lifter ticking or increasing the viscosity of the oil itself, but it can’t fix something like a blown head gasket. Do you research what can and can’t be done with additives if you still have any questions.
C. Myth #3 – All oil additives are the same: No two oil additives are the same. These compounds vary depending on their intended use and manufacturer. Each is designed to help with specific problems, for example seized engines, and no two manufacturer’s ingredients are the same. So no! All oil additives are not the same.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits when it comes to using oil additives regularly. They can do more than just clean the interior of your car’s engine or increase the viscosity of the oil you’re using.
These additives can actually save you money in the long run by avoiding costly mechanic bills by reducing the amount of wear and tear your engine sustains throughout its lifetime.
And that’s not to mention the cleaner your car runs, the better off it is for everyone, mostly the environment.
Oil additives can be a great way to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently. In this article, we have explored how to use oil additives in your car as well as the common misconceptions about them.
Just be sure to know exactly which additive to use for your specific needs. There’s no use paying for something if your car doesn’t even need it. For example, you shouldn’t need detergents if the car is brand new.
With just a little research, you can be sure you know which oil additive will work best for your car and know that your engine will last for a long time with far less problems.