The lifeblood of your modern high tech engine is a cocktail of very sophisticated motor oil. The benefits of this unusual brew of lubricant can't be seen, it's like magic, working behind the scenes. Your engine is like a fine orchestra (in most case you can't see the musicians, may be the conductor sometimes) which plays your favorite tunes is most enjoyable in perfect harmony so does your engine when everything is well.
Today's sophisticated high output engines are made possible by advances in chemical, mechanical and not last in electronic engineering. Most European car manufacturers are building their engines around some really complicated specialized fluids especially motor oils.
We would like to talk about these sophisticated motor oils a bit, to give you a hint, what does it take just for this not so basic service anymore today.
There are currently two common designations on the bottles of lubricants in this country.
One is API (American Petroleum Institute) and ACEA, it is stands for the European automobile manufacturers association which is based in Brussels, (capitol of Belgium).
Furthermore to make it a little bit more confusing the manufacturers themselves have their additional special requirement and or revisions with their requirements for certain applications. On top of that you have the usual weight of oil stated on the same bottle for reference to temperature, related pump ability variances. And last if it is intended for gas or diesel engines.
Well today on most European cars we have extended oil changes with some sort of flexible service systems engineered into them. Modern European automobiles use this technology to provide your fine automobile longer range reduced fuel consumption and flexible care based on your driving conditions, climate, stop and go, traffic and other variable conditions.
The most important factor in all of these cocktailed proprietary motor oils are truly your vehicle manufacturers designation should be prevailing above all of the others.
For example BMW has numerous revisions. One in 1998 then in 2002 and finally in 2004 LL. Same goes for Mercedes. Their numbers has been revised as well. 229.51 is one of the latest for Bluetec diesel. Volkswagen ditto 500.00 then 502.00, 505.00 then 505.01 for pump use TDI engines. Then they started with a downward movement with the viscosity spec's for the above synthetics to give you better gas mileage.
Naturally the filter technology has been advanced over the years to keep up with the oils extended lifespan. Most European filters have a very advanced filter media which some of them made from synthetic material to resist filter media degradation from heat and numerous acids and their inhibitors.
Some of these vehicles no longer has a dipstick either. Due to specific oil requirement manufacturers wanted to make it difficult for the lube shops or for the novice to do their lube service right. They might accidentally install the wrong type of motor oil. We don't entirely agree with this approach.
However there is good news, Mercedes reinstalled the dipstick in their new automobiles just recently.
We hope this give you some insight into the modern vehicles
not so basic service requirements today. Please call us if in doubt, we will
be happy to answer your questions.
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