Berkeley Auto Repair

Everybody knows that changing engine oil is important – but why is it?  We will talk about four reasons, only one of them being the engine itself. The oil lubricates the engine, allowing moving parts to function smoothly with minimal friction. As the engine oil gets older, the combination of age, heat, mechanical work, and environmental factors causes engine oil to be less effective at protecting the engine. So what happens to the engine oil? Engine oil’s chemical properties degrade – age, repeated heating and cooling, and oxidation cause detergents that clean the engine surfaces, and dispersants that cause debris to be suspended in the oil, to break down. The oil becomes thicker, highly acidic, and does not create effectively a protective film on the metal components. On top of the chemical factors, there are mechanical problems caused by the old engine oil. As it ages, it picks up microscopic debris – normally they are caught on the oil filter, but once ... read more