20 Jan 2006

Check your oil to ward off winter motoring blues

With winter upon us, the last thing you need is your car failing to start on a cold and wet morning, but that’s exactly the scenario some motorists are risking if they don’t carry out a few simple checks to their car, according to Chevron, the makers of Havoline lubricants.

In addition to a flat battery, one of the major causes of engine’s failing to start is engine failure related to low or incorrect engine oil. Here are a few tips to keep your engine running smoothly in winter:

• Check the dipstick at least every fortnight and before any long journey.

• Have the oil and filter changed at recommended service intervals.

• High oil consumption can indicate engine problems

• Check your engine oil is the right one for your car and for winter - remember the W rating on the label stands for winter.

Grades of engine oil are listed as 5W-30 or 20W-50 and a modern multigrade oil such as 5W-30 will operate more effectively at lower temperatures than an old fashioned 20W-50. Check your car’s manual and the packaging of your engine oil to make sure you have the right one. 1 litre top up packs and 5 litre packs of Havoline engine oil are available from Texaco service stations and Asda, Morrisons and Somerfield.

Whilst engine and transmission oils are generally developed for all year round use, some grades of oil can be affected by low temperatures making them thicker and therefore making it more difficult to start the engine.  If, at the same time, the battery is not in top condition the two can prevent the engine from starting.

Another advantage of using ‘thinner oils’ is that they can be pumped around the engine much quicker, from cold.  As is well accepted the majority of wear in an engine takes place in the first few revolutions from cold, this is as a result of the oil draining away from the surfaces of the components whilst the engine is switched off, and so it is vital to get oil to those parts where lubrication is required as quickly as possible.

So the advice from Chevron is that as long as one of the new multigrade oils is in the sump and as long as the level is kept at the recommended level, no matter how cold a winter we are likely to get this year, the advanced and sophisticated lubricant in the engine will continue to protect vital engine components from excessive wear.