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Frequently asked questions

ENGINEOIL

22COMMONQUESTIONS

1. Whatarethefunctionsofengineoil?
Lubricateandpreventwear
Improveenginelife
Coolingfluid
Cleantheenginefromcombustiondeposits
Protectagainstrustandcorrosionfromatmosphericandcombustionmoisture
RingLinerseal
2. Whatisamultigradeengineoilandwhatareitsbenefits?
Amultigradeengineoilhasspecialadditivesthatallowittohavestablehigh
temperatureviscositydespitehavinglowambienttemperatureviscosity;the
viscosityat40degCislowerthanthatofamonogradeSAE40oilenabling
betterflowduringstarting.
Themultigradeoilhasbetterstartingability.
3. WhatisAPIandSAE&whataretheirimportance?
APIistheAmericanPetroleumInstituteandSAEistheSocietyof
AutomotiveEngineers;together,theseinternationalbodiesdefineengine
oilspecificationsforglobalstandardizationfornewandexistingmodelsof
vehicles.SAEdefinestheviscositygradeslike20W40,15W40&5W40&
APIdefinesperformancespecificationslikeCF4,CI4,SLetc.
4. HowdoIselectthecorrectoilformycar?
ModerncarsinIndialikeSX4,Verna,Manza,Linea,Corolla,Camry,Cityetc
mayuseSyntium30005W40orSyntium80015W50;thesearesuitable
forpetrolanddiesel
TheILSACGF4specificationofSyntium50000W40willensurefuelsaving
benefits
ForBSegmentpetrolcarslikeSwift,Santro,IndigoMach5SM20W50&
Mach5SG20W50canbeused.
5. Cantheengineoilhelpinfueleconomyinmycar?
LowviscositysyntheticproductslikeSyntium30005W40andSyntium5000
0W40willprovideabout2%fuelsavinginnormaldrivingconditionsbecause
theirinternalfrictionisverylowandthelubricationefficiencyisveryhigh.
6. HowdoIselectthecorrectoilformycommercialvehicleandwhatshouldbetheODI
oildraininterval?

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ModernBS2LCV&HCVtrucksneedtouseminimumanAPICF4productfor
engineprotection;15W40oilwillprotecttheturboshaftlifebybettercooling
throughfastflowoftheoil;theOEMshavehomologatedengineoilODIat
18,000kmsforhighwayserviceinHCVs
However,withtheavailabilityofAPICH4oilsavailableinthemarket,
manyfleetsuseAPICH4eveninBS2trucks.Ifafleethasoptimizedthe
ODIat18,000kmsusingaCH4oil,theuseofUraniaSupremoCI4
15W40ispossibletill22,00024,000kms(sametimefilterchange)
ModernBS3LCV&HCVvehiclesshoulduseaminimumCH4engineoilfor
protectionagainstenginesootanddeposits.TataMotors&AshokLeyandhave
homologatedBS3vehiclesengineoilODIat36,000kmsforhighwayservice.
OldBS1trucksandbuseswithoutturbochargerwillbenefitfromtheuseof
20W40engineoilespeciallyafter3,00,000lackms.
ForveryoldtrucksusingSAE40engineoil,UraniaCF40maybeused;oldtrucks
changetheoilin800010000kmsusually.
7. WhatisthechangeperiodofUraniaCF420W40?
Dependingonthemanufacturersrecommendation,1600018000kms
8. Whatistheimportantdifferencebetweendieselengineoilandpetrolengineoil?
Dieselengineoilisdesignedtomanagethehighersootproducedinadiesel
engine;adieselengineoilcanbeusedinapetrolenginebutitisnotadvisable
forapetrolengineoiltobeusedindieselapplications,unlessitislowHP
applicationslike25hp.
9. Whatisthebenefitofusinga15W40oilformyturboengine?
Thefastflowof15W40oilenhancesturboshaftcooling;theturboshaft
temperaturecanreach500degCandfastcoolingisimportanttoprevent
engineoilrelatedcarbondepositsontheturboshaftwhichcanleadtolower
shaftrpmleadingtolowerturboboostandpoorengineperformance.
10. HowdoIselectthecorrectoilformymotorcycleorscooter?
NewmotorcyclesinIndiaaredesignedforJASOMA(JASOMAcoversMA2)oils
like20W40&10W30;Mach5SL10W30canbeusedinHeroHonda
motorcycleswhichhave10W30recommendation.
100125ccmotorcyclesarebetterlubricatedwithSprinta4T200020W40.Itis
notadvisabletouseSprinta4T400010W40ORSprinta4T500010W40in
thesemotorcyclesandalsoinoldmotorcycleswheretheclutchplatesaresemi
wornout;thestronglubricityofsyntheticSprinta4T4000andSprinta4T5000
cancauseclutchtoslipleadingtooverheating.

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Sprinta4T400010W40iscommonlyusedinMalaysiain4001000cc
motorcycleswithwetclutch.Itwillalsoprovideexcellentdrivabilityandclutch
performanceinmotorcycleslikePulsar180,220,Karizma,YamahaR15,Fazer
etc
11. WhyshouldIuseonlymotorcycleoilsformytwowheeler?
PleasedonotuseanengineoilcontainingfrictionmodifierslikeSyntium;the
superiorlubricationofSyntiumwillcauseclutchslippageinmotorcyclewet
clutch.Inordertokeepthemotorcycleenginecompact,theclutchisinsidethe
enginegearhousingandisoillubricated.MotorcycleoilmustbeJASOMA/MA2
passed;JASOistheJapaneseAutomotiveStandardsOrganisation.
12. Isitnormalforengineoiltobecomeblack?
Yes,likeagoodsoap,thereisnoproblemifanengineoilbecomesblackvery
fast;sometimes,oilswhicharesuperloadedwithdetergents,cancleanupthe
pistonlinersveryquickly;theengineoilstopsfunctioningefficientlyonlywhen
itbecomestoothinortoothick
13. Whatcausesexcessiveoilconsumption?
Highvalveguideclearancewillcauseoiltotravelfromtheheadintothe
combustionchamberandgetburnt
Oilsumpgasketleaks
Highoillevelinsidethesumpcancausehighsplashintothecombustion
chamber
Whenthepistonmovesdownward,itleavesbehindonthecylinderwallsome
oilduringthepowerstroke,thisoilgetsburntsosomeoilconsumptioninall
enginesisnormal;however,iftheringlinerclearanceishighduetowear,the
amountofoilgettingburntismorethannormal
Similarlyiftheoilisverythinduetofueldilution,moreoilwillescapeintothe
combustionchamberandgetburnt.
14. Whydoesfuelgetdilutedintotheengineoil?
Improperinjectionindieselengines
Continuousrichmixtureinpetrolengines
Somefuelcomingintotheoilisnormal;however,itescapesoutoftheoilwhile
theoilisoperatingatnormalworkingtemperatureof80110degC;ifthe
engineiscontinuouslyoperatingatlowtemperatureslikebelow70degCin
wintermonthsorbecauseofafaultyradiatorthermostat,fuelgetstrapped
insidetheoilcausingexcessivethinningoftheoil.
15. Whatarethereasonsforlowoilpressure?

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Lessthannormaloillevelinthesump
Oilhasbecomeverythickandtheflowhasreducedconsiderably
Pressureguagenotworking
16. Whatcausesoilthickening?
Ifthesootintheengineisabnormal,theoilwillbecomethickerfasterthan
usual;impropercombustionduetopoorinjection,blockedinjectorsor
insufficientairduetoblockedairfiltercancauseextrasootformation
Also,iftheoilisgettinghighlyoxidizedbecauseofveryhightemperature
operationcontinuousoperationat140degCfor20003000kms,theoilcan
becomethick
17. Isawoilcompletelydisappearedinmycar/motorcycle/truckwithin500kms?What
isthereasonforthis?
Thisisacaseofrapidoilconsumption;theviscosityofdieselis20timesless
thanengineoil;continualdilutionorretentionoffuelinengineoilwillreduce
oilviscositytoallowittogetburntinthecombustionchamberrapidly.
18. Whatmaycauseanenginetosieze?
Enginepartswillbegintomicrofusewhenthetemperatureofpartsbecomes
higherthannormal;thiscanbecausedeitherbecauseoflubestarvationdueto
leakage,lowoillevel,highoilconsumptionorduetoexcessiveoiltemperature
duetocoolingfailure.Thetemperatureoftheoilandpartsincreasetoapoint
whenringlinerpistoncanbecomejoinedleadingtostoppageandincreased
enginedamage.
19. Wheniswhitesmokeobservedintheexhaustandwhatdoesitmean?
Thecolourofsmokecanprovideexcellentinputtocombustionquality.The
exhaustcolourofawellfunctioningdieselengineiscolourless.Whitesmoke
beingemanatedbrieflyduringenginestartupispossiblesuetomoisture
condensationpresentinthetailpipe.Butifthewhitesmokepersists,thenwe
aresurethateitherthereis
Acoolantleakintotheengineoilbecauseofheadgasketfailureor
Thereisrawunburneddieselintheexhaustduetoinjection
malfunction;thiswillbeaccompaniedbyhighfuelconsumptionand
evenbackfiringispossible.
20. Whenisbluesmokeobservedintheexhaustandwhatdoesitmean?
Thisindicatestheburningofengineoil;itwillbeaccompaniedbyburningsmell
ofoilintheexhaust.SeealsoFAQ13
21. Whenisblacksmokeobservedintheexhaustandwhatdoesitmean?

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Itmeanspoorcombustionbecauseofpoorinjectionbutismorecommonly
observedwithblockedairfilters.
22. Whataretheharmfuleffectsofpoorfuel?
Injectorwearandpoorsprayandpoorcombustion
Fueldilutionduetohighercondensationonthelinerifnotfullyburned;is
observeindieselandpetrol
Lowpower.

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