Probably every sane person understands that without a substance that lubricates mechanical components and assemblies, not a single car will go far. Moreover, it simply won’t start. Therefore, automobile oil for the engine, as well as for the transmission, is one of the most important components that ensure long-term, trouble-free operation of all vehicle components.
Functions and classification of automotive lubricants
The most important tasks performed by modern lubricants are:
- reducing friction between parts of mechanical components and assemblies;
- fight against oxidative processes;
- cooling.
Based on the composition of the materials used, automobile oils are classified into the following groups:
- Ordinary mineral (basic). When obtaining them, the method of selective purification is used, as well as the removal of paraffins with solvents.
- Improved mineral, hydrotreated. Working fluids with a low content of harmful substances such as paraffins and aromatic substances.
- Lubricants with a high degree of viscosity. Produced using NS technology (catalytic hydrocracking method). They are classified differently: as mineral, semi-synthetic or synthetic - depending on the opinion of the manufacturer.
- Oils with a high level of oxidative stability, good viscosity, and the absence of paraffins in their composition (based on polyalphaolefins, PAO). These are basic synthetic lubricants. They do not contain harmful impurities of sulfur and metals.
- Synthetic substances not included in group 4, as well as base compounds created on the basis of plant extracts (esters). They have a very high level of resistance to a dense oily film, flush the engine well, and have thermal and antioxidant stability.
- Oil obtained using GTL technology (Gas To Liquid). By all indicators - the best. But so far GTL, PIO, and polyinternaolefins have not become widespread. Only Shell began mass-producing them under the name Pennzoil.
Basic properties of automobile oils
The vast majority of modern lubricating fluids contain substances from several of the above groups. Additives are also added to smooth out the deficiencies that occur in base oils. All these manipulations are designed to improve the key properties of working lubricants. Automotive oil - be it Shell Helix, Mobil 1, Castrol, Motul, Liqui Moly, Total or Zeke - must have certain qualities, without which it cannot work effectively.
- Lubricating qualities. PAO (group 4) is the worst, so they are now used as additives.
- Wide operating temperature range. The best ones are PAO and Esther (groups 4, 5).
- Ability to work for a long time without changing the properties of the base oil (non-oxidation). The worst is in groups 1–3 (mineral, hydrocracking).
- Hygroscopicity, that is, moisture absorption - the less, the better. The esters (group 5) have a bad time with this.
- Polarity is the constant presence of a layer of lubricant in the engine components. The best ones are from esters. At the same time, this quality increases the coefficient of friction. Therefore, the “golden” mean is important here - esters are added to the base composition as additives.
- Evaporation level. The highest is for substances of groups 1–3 (10% and above). Optimal - for mixtures of 4 and 5 groups (5–9%).
The goal of each manufacturer is to produce a motor oil that will have optimal performance in all of the above qualities. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to obtain ideal properties for the listed parameters.
Modern manufacturers of automobile oils
Lubricants for injection and diesel engines, as well as for automatic and manual transmissions, are produced by quite a few companies. It is impossible to single out which oil has the best characteristics for all operating conditions - there is no clear leader for the reasons described above. In addition, in different regions and climate zones, the preferences of motorists differ. Product prices play an important role in this. But the most popular, both in Russia and in other European countries, can be named.
- Exxon Mobil - this corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of auto chemicals. Synthetic motor oils of the Mobil 1 series are rightfully considered one of the best in terms of quality indicators. They have been produced since 1974. During this time, the corporation's products have been constantly improved.
- Royal Dutch Shell is one of the most powerful economic groups, which includes energy and oil refining companies. Shell operates 30 oil refineries, including the largest in Europe. He is also the owner of the world's largest network of gas stations. Its synthetic and semi-synthetic lubricants are traditionally of high quality.
- Castrol - oil under this name is known to most Russian car enthusiasts. This brand, which has been known to the world for more than 100 years, belongs to the group, one of the leading lubricant manufacturers in the world. Castrol synthetic and semi-synthetic oil for cars, trucks, and motorcycles is popular and widespread in Russia.
- Lubricants ZIK (Zik) - this is the name of the products of a subsidiary of the South Korean holding company SK Group - SK Lubricants. For more than 15 years (of which 10 years in Russia), Zik motor oil has been successfully sold, having many fans of this brand.
- LIQUI MOLY GmbH (Liqui Moly) is a German company producing lubricants. An additive with molybdenum disulfide is a specialty of motor lubricating fluids under the same name. Today, the Liqui Moly company produces a large number of different motor lubricants, which allows you to satisfy any need - from the highest quality mineral oils to the most modern synthetic lubricating fluids.
- MOTUL (Motul) is a French company that produces high-quality automotive, motorcycle and industrial lubricants under the same name. Motul is the world's oldest manufacturer of automotive chemicals.
Automotive oils from the above manufacturers are deservedly popular both in Russia and in other countries of the former CIS. The high level of competition motivates them to constantly search for new technologies and improve the quality of motor oils.
Castrol or LIQUI MOLY engine oil
I have never regretted the purchase. I drove Lukoil for many years, and now I switched to liquid moth - it’s like eating normal meat for the first time after living on nothing but grass, these emotions cannot be compared with anything. The engine began to run quieter, without knocking, and even stopped making noise. The start in winter in the cold is smooth, although warming up is very fast, but little lubricant burns out, especially in comparison with what it was. Butter is just yummy, it’s ready for the table now :)))
The first thing that was done with the new Forey was changing the oil in the engine. I didn’t think long and filled it with LIQUI MOLY molygen New Genrration 5w-30. I am completely satisfied with this oil, let's see how it performs on a turbo engine.
Excellent oil, no complaints.
The oil is quite satisfactory.
The oil perfectly maintains the stated mileage and even more, so I am very pleased. If you pay attention to the consumption, then it is normal, there’s nothing to complain about, it’s definitely a high-quality oil that will revive your engine and won’t cause you problems, I recommend it!
I have been using this oil for a very long time, I am satisfied.
The Ford Mondeo engine gave out at 150 thousand mileage. Dealer service. Vag owners are also unhappy with Castrol oil. Burns out, etc.
Before that, I filled the BMW with liquid, just like I bought it, and after washing it, I thought the engine would fucking jump out, it lasted me for a week. Then I took the original BMW and replaced it and everything started to whisper, after that I somehow don’t feel very good about liquidation.
I have liquid moth 5w40 in it, after running 3-4 thousand on it it starts to wait wildly and the color is already dark.
On the advice of a friend, I decided to take the oil and try it. I can say that the oil is of fairly average quality. Not bad, but not the best either.
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Main selection criteria
For example, Shell and Mobil are the leaders in terms of prevalence in the Russian automotive chemicals market. Castrol is not far behind them. Let's try to figure out which oil is best to use in different climatic conditions. During combustion in the chamber, fuel leaves behind residual deposits and soot. These products do not disappear anywhere, depositing on the walls of engine parts. The task of lubricating fluids is not only to reduce the coefficient of friction between parts, but also to prevent chemical oxidation reactions and wash combustion products from parts. This is why it is so important to regularly change engine lubricant - because it has its own working life.
Today, the choice of auto chemicals on the domestic market is very large. Unfortunately, counterfeits are sold along with original high-quality products - after all, when buying, you cannot distinguish them by eye. This causes enormous damage to the reputation of such popular brands as Mobile or Castrol, as well as others listed above.
In addition to classification according to their qualities and composition (mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic), lubricants are divided into summer, winter, all-season. Working fluids are also produced separately for gasoline and diesel engines, and there are universal ones - they are suitable for both types of engines. They sell more expensive ones (original Shell or Mobile) and cheaper ones - such as Total, Lukoil, TNK. But more expensive does not always mean better.
As you can see, the variety is enormous. According to different selection criteria, different brands of oils are in the lead. For example, if you are most interested in economical fuel consumption, then in this case it is worth taking a closer look at Zeke and Shell. According to various sources of information, the use of these materials can provide up to 8% savings in fuel consumption.
For parameters such as oil film stability and the ability to withstand extreme temperature conditions, it is better to choose Mobil. This characteristic helps to increase the service life of the engine by reducing wear of parts. But at the same time, engine power is slightly lost due to the higher friction coefficient created by the oil film. Shell and Castrol have these qualities a little less pronounced.
Castrol or LIQUI MOLY engine oil
Lukoil 60 liters of C3 oil quickly ran out, so I switched to Liqui Moly Synthoil High Tech 5W-30 ACEA C3 - it also consumes, but less.
There are a lot of fakes of Castrola, it’s just a disaster, so many. Even 208 liter barrels are counterfeited. So, not bad, but there are a lot of fakes.
Last time I decided to try Castrol Magnatec 5w40 (I didn’t like how the engine ran on it at all).
I personally never liked Castrol, it’s also more expensive...
What can we say here, one word Germany! The best oil I've ever used! I only ride it!
Now Castrol has come out good, I pour it 5w40, before that I poured Elf, which was also good, but it was eating up the oil.
Lil Castrol 5w20 Ford, up to 100 t/km, then switched to Liqui Moly 5w30 Special Tec F. The oil has an excellent cleaning effect, the engine operation has become noticeably quieter.
I filled it with Molygen 5W-30 after it came out of warranty. It turns out that before this I had Shell Ultra 5w-30. I must say the internal combustion engine began to work noticeably quieter. After some time, Molygen became too expensive for me, and I switched to Special Tec AA 5w-30 - the sound was just as soft.
After a few changes, I decided to save money and filled it with Cartechnik 5W-30 C3 - and that’s when I realized that not all German oils are of equal quality.
A week ago I changed the oil and replaced the oil filter. Since in the morning, after starting, the hydraulic compensators rattled for about 10 seconds and the oil pressure lamp was on. We drained the oil, replaced the filter with our Champion, and poured in new oil. Now in the morning, after starting, the oil pressure lamp disappears immediately. The goal has been achieved.
The oil is good, from maintenance to maintenance without any complaints, but there are a lot of counterfeits on the market.
Write your review
Help others - tell us about your experience using the spare part.
- Vectra
- Mokka
- Antara
- Astra
- SPORTS TOURER
- Meriva
- Zafira Tourer
Voted FOR RAVENOL motor oil for Toyota Corolla on the auto rating page.
The GUNK liquid key has its first review!
There are already 15 manufacturers participating in the auto rating of deflectors for Volkswagen Polo!
Source
Test results
Periodically, in Russian specialized laboratories, motor oil from the leading manufacturers listed above is checked according to the following parameters:
- kinematic and dynamic viscosity – all of the above are good;
- alkaline number (presence of additives) – a good indicator for Zik, Mobil, Shell, Castrol and Total;
- density - all correspond to the declared one;
- anti-wear properties are led by Mobil and Shell, with Total and Castrol slightly behind.
The final conclusion of Russian specialists, based on the results of the latest laboratory studies and tests, is that all of the above-mentioned companies produce oils capable of providing up to 300 thousand km of trouble-free service life for the vast majority of engines.
Under normal operating conditions, they are all suitable for use. Small differences are observed only under heavy loads and high temperatures, that is, in extreme conditions.
The summary is this: today it is impossible to single out an oil that will have the best characteristics in the entire variety of temperature and load conditions in engines. Moreover, each of the motors has specific features - for example, the size of the gap in the parts, as well as many other differences. This also affects the performance of lubricants. Buy something that meets the specifications of the car manufacturer and your preferences - as long as the working fluid is original and not counterfeit.
Castrol or Liqui Moly engine oil
The durability of the car depends on the choice of engine oil, so the selection of this product is taken very seriously. There are several manufacturers on the market offering their products.
Many people have probably heard about Castrol and Liqui Moly motor oil . They differ in cost and properties are taken into account:
- Viscosity.
- The basis.
- Coking level.
- Specification.
- Permissible temperature.
- Ash content.
- Coke number.
To understand which oils are the best, you need to get to know the manufacturers better.
