Why You Should Consider Engine Oil Additives
Engine oil additives are added to motor or engine oil to help it achieve the objectives of minimizing friction between surfaces by way of lubricating moving parts and protecting metallic surfaces from corrosion. Basically, engine oil additives improves viscosity index of the oil. If it has very high viscosity, engine oil will flow less freely and tend to gum up the works. However, too low viscosity makes it to flow like water and can't do its job. Engine oil viscosity also changes with temperatures, becoming more viscous when it is cold. This means it is affected by weather and how warm the engine is.
While you do not need to buy engine oil additives as a car owner since they come added in the oil, there might be retailers who need it and some car owners who buy oil directly from manufacturers or some other sources where no engine oil additives are added. It is thus important to confirm whether these have been added already before buying.
1. Improve viscosity and lower friction: viscosity index improvers or engine oil additives help to adjust the viscosity index of the engine oil throughout the car's normal temperature range. This means your car is in perfect condition, whether you start it on a winter morning or when engine temperature hits 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Lowering friction increases engine durability and lowers maintenance frequency and maintenance costs.
2. Inhibit rust: These engine additives help prevent rust. Zinc is also added to protect engine surfaces.
3. Disperse sludge: The third type of engine additives are known as detergents or dispersants, used to disperse sludge that could build up in the engine with continued use over time. Such accumulation can be dangerous to the proper operation of the engine and can cause blockage and/or malfunctioning. Sludge might be present if the oil has been contaminated. While many manufacturers sell good quality oil, you might notice problems of sludge when you buy fuel from some sources.
Today, engine oil additives are available from shops and stores in bottles. You should first confirm how a particular additive will improve performance or affect your engine and oil before buying it. If the bottle has a label, then it should be easier to find which additives are being sold and determine whether you need them.