Most vehicle manufacturers have a recommended service period either based on kilometres travelled or a specified time period. To maintain the vehicle's engine in good condition, owners should not exceed these specified service periods. The use of high quality engine oil such as Penrite, will provide protection for the engine throughout the whole service period. We do not recommend exceeding the manufacturer's service intervals. Your owners hand book will contain the vehicle's recommended servicing periods. These can vary by manufacturer, engine type and conditions in which the vehicle is used.

If you plan on changing your own oil, here are few tips to help you do it like a professional.

Firstly – you will need some tools and supplies to be able to get the job done successfully.

Tools and supplies you will need

• Oil Drain Pan
• Tools for undoing the sump plug / bolt and oil filter
• Cleaning up materials
• New Oil Filter
• Engine Flush
• Engine Oil
• Car Jack
• Jack Stands

Preparation

If you are servicing without the aid of a hydraulic car lift, make sure your vehicle is parked on a level flat surface and is secured with the parking brakes on. Have all the supplies and tools you will need handy to where you are working. Some vehicles, due to height and engine layout, may have very limited access to some areas. Make sure you have the tools to be able to gain access to items such as oil filters and sump plugs. Some vehicles will need to be lifted to allow access underneath, so a good heavy lifting jack may be required. If a vehicle needs to be lifted, DO NOT work under a vehicle only being supported by a mechanical or hydraulic jack. Use quality jack stands under the vehicle that can support the weight of the vehicle in the instance of a jack failure.

Engine Flushing

Engine flushing is a good way to help remove contaminants from the engine that build up over a service period and could cause the formation of sludge inside the engine. It is not an essential part of changing oil but is good practice if you want to maintain engine cleanliness especially in vital areas such as oil galleries, overhead valve gear and variable valve timing components. Vehicles with long oil drain periods benefit from the extra cleaning as it prepares the engine so the new oil can do what it is designed to do and not be contaminated with left over deposits from the previous change period.

Products such as Penrite Engine Flush are NON – SOLVENT based and use similar chemistry to those in engine oils to remove engine contaminants when the oil is drained.

Engine Flushing is done prior to changing the oil. Pour the contents of the engine flush into the crankcase with the old engine oil still in the motor. Start the engine and let it idle for at least 10 minutes with the engine at normal operating temperature. This is all it takes to clean the engine.

Changing the Oil

Once the engine has cooled down from the flushing process, (Do not change oil immediately as engine oil can get to +100⁰ C which can cause severe burns if it comes in contact with the skin)  arrange the catch pan and tools under the vehicle. Locate the sump plug for the engine. This could be hidden by undercar metal or plastic guards which may have to be removed first.

Once the sump plug is accessible, undo and allow the oil to drain into the oil drain pan.  Whilst the oil is draining, remove the oil filter with an oil filter removal tool if it is a canister type or remove filter cover and extract paper element filter if it is a cartridge type. Install the new cartridge or filter canister as per instructions from the manufacturer. For canister type, these generally have a rubber seal around the mating surface to the engine. This should be lubricated with a film of clean engine oil prior to installation. Clean the engine surface where the filter sits with some degreaser on a rag to ensure a clean and smooth contact surface. Install filter hand tight, do not over tighten as this can damage the seal and cause leaks.

Once oil has drained from engine, clean around the sump plug area with some degreaser on a rag. Install new sump gasket on sump bolt and re-install sump bolt. Some vehicles require a new sump bolt each service, please check if your vehicle requires this prior to servicing. Do not overtighten the sump bolt, use the correct torque as specified by the manufacturer. It is very easy to strip the threads on an engine sump and expensive and time consuming to repair.

Remove old oil and tools from underneath the vehicle and proceed to add new engine oil to the motor via the engine oil filler. We suggest that you check the vehicle service capacity prior to filling, so as you know approximately how much oil the engine should require. Use a funnel or Penrite pouring spout to pour your new oil into the engine. Once the correct amount is added, replace oil cap and start the engine. Let idle for a few minutes to allow the new oil to circulate and fill the filter. Stop motor, wait for a few minutes and then re-check the oil level with the vehicle dipstick. Add oil if needed, do not overfill.

Other

Sump bolts can come in differing types. They may have a normal hex head that can be undone with a socket or a spanner or they may have a torx head design that needs a special tool to undo. Make sure you have the correct tool and size before starting.

Drain Times

Some vehicles such as Ford PX Ranger and Mazda BT50 do not have self-priming oil pumps and therefore their engine oil needs to be drained and re-filled before the oil pump completely drains. We recommend that the factory service instructions be closely followed if servicing one of these vehicles.

Trade Professionals

Not everybody wants to change the engine oil in their car. There are many skilled trade professionals in the automotive industry that perform these tasks each day as part of their servicing procedures and vehicle maintenance operations. We suggest that if you are not comfortable changing engine oil or do not have the necessary tools required, to use a Trade Professional Workshop or Service Centre. Penrite will be happy to assist its customers to find a Penrite Approved Workshop that perform high quality automotive servicing, maintenance and repairs.   

The Right Oil

At Penrite, our motto is “The Right Oil for the Right Application”. To make sure you have the correct oil for the job, use the Penrite online Product Guide, Smart Phone based Net Lube app or one of our instore touch screens. For Penrite Technical Assistance, please call 1300 PENRIT (736 748).

When we change our engine oil it can be daunting to walk into an auto store and be faced with a wall of products of various brands, oil types, different viscosities and of course many different price points. Many people have no idea what product or type of product they should be pouring into their engine and the wrong choice these days can lead to an expensive repair.

So if we decide that we are going to do our own servicing, what should we be looking for and what considerations should we make before purchasing an engine oil?

Some of the main considerations –

• Are we driving a Petrol / LPG or Diesel fuelled vehicle?

Why is this important? Petrol and diesel engines generally require different types of oil additives to protect them and perform to the standards for which they were designed. Some engine oils have both petrol and diesel specifications but some don’t and some engines such as diesels equipped with a diesel particulate filter require specialised additive packs and must meet specifications as outlined by the manufacturer.

• Viscosity – Do we know the correct viscosity to buy for our engine? i.e. 10W-30, 15W-40, 0W-20

These numbers are confusing to most people. Basically, the lower the first number, the faster the oil will pump when cold and the higher the second number, the less the oil will thin out when at operating temperature. Manufacturers generally specify or give an indication of the correct viscosity to use or a selection based upon the ambient temperature in which the vehicle operates. Newer type engines such as those with multiple overhead camshafts and multi valves generally require lower viscosities i.e. 5W-30, whereas older, larger capacity, pushrod engines may require a higher viscosity i.e. 20W-50. Picking the correct viscosity can improve fuel consumption and long term engine protection depending on the environment in which the engine operates.

• Specification – Does the engine or vehicle manufacturer specify a particular industry specification for the engine oil such as an API, ACEA, JASO or ILSAC specification?

Vehicle manufacturers generally specify a minimum standard for the oil that should be used in their engines to provide them with the protection they need to operate correctly over the life of the engine. Engine oils and the additives used in them have improved significantly over the last two decades. The later the specification, the better the protection, cleanliness and sludge resistance the oil provides. Specifications will generally be shown in the owner’s manual and may read something like use an API SL or ACEA A3/B4 specified oil. Particular attention needs to be paid to these specifications with late model vehicles as manufacturers will specify a particular standard for some engine types. The use of the wrong or a lower standard product than what is recommended could affect the engines performance and void warranty in some cases.

• OEM – Does the manufacturer specify that the engine oil must meet either their required standard or that it requires their OEM approval?

Many manufacturers worldwide, have their own engine oil standards and will only specify oils that meet or are approved by themselves as meeting their OEM requirement. Using an oil that that does not meet their specification and or is not approved can lead to warranty being voided if something goes wrong with the engine. Again, the owner’s manual generally provides details of the oil that is needed. Examples i.e. Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and General Motors have specific approvals for their petrol and diesel engine oils. If your vehicle requires an OEM approved product, approvals are generally specified on the products packaging label.

• How do you use the vehicle?

Is the vehicle a day to day traveller? Does the vehicle do high mileage or low mileage? Is the vehicle used to tow? What climate does the vehicle normally operate in? These and other questions can help determine the type of oil put into the vehicle. For instance, if the vehicle tows heavy trailers and is constantly under load, maybe a higher viscosity will provide better long term engine protection. If the vehicle operates in very cold conditions or fuel economy is a priority, a lower viscosity may be needed. This is a consideration that should be used when picking the correct viscosity for the vehicle. If it is used very infrequently such as a vintage or classic vehicle, you may wish to use an oil that has a storage additive as part of its additive package.

• Mineral, Semi Synthetic or Full Synthetic?

What type of oil should you buy for your vehicle? What’s the difference? These are the base oils used for the engine oil. All three type of oils have their benefits for particular purposes and are available over a wide range of viscosities and specifications. There will generally be a price premium between the types with synthetic being the most expensive. Some manufacturers will recommend a synthetic oil and some will recommend a mineral type oil depending on the engine and application. You should pick an oil that best suits your application.

• Pricing

Oils are generally priced according to their type and specification. They are also priced according to the quality of the base oil and additive packs used in them. There can be price differences depending on whether they are imported or blended locally. Locally produced products can have a good price advantage over imported products whilst providing the same or better specifications than the import. Locally produced product can also be blended to suit local conditions, climate and vehicle types used in that region. No matter whether the product is imported or locally made, cheapest is generally not the best option for quality of base oils and additive packs. When purchasing an engine oil, specification, viscosity, OEM approval, recommended oil type are far more important criteria. If it costs an extra $5, $10 or even $20 more, then that’s a cheap price to pay to protect your engine. An engine replacement due to using low quality oil will cost you up to a 1000 times the difference in price between the recommended type and the cheapest price.

So to summarise –

• What Fuel type?
• What Viscosity do you need?
• What Specification do you need?
• Does the vehicle require an OEM approved product?
• How do you use the vehicle?
• What Base oil type is recommended?
• What oil best fits the specifications and price range you want to use?

Over time and after operating in an internal combustion engine, oil will deteriorate and become less efficient at providing good lubrication and protection for the engine.
The main reasons to change your engine oil are as follows -

1. To remove contaminants that degrade the oil. i.e.
a) Moisture (condensation)
b) Unburnt fuel (i.e. fuel dilution)
c) Soot (by product of combustion, especially in diesels)
d) Oxidation and Nitration By-products such as acids

2. To refresh the oil as additives in the oil deplete over time. i.e
a) Detergents, that help keep the engine clean become less effective
b) Dispersants, that hold contaminants in the oil become saturated and can no longer retain contaminants.
c) Anti-wear additives need to be replaced such as ZINC which is sacrificial.
d) VI Improvers are sheared by the engine and hence oil loses its viscosity, lowering operating temperature protection.

The cheapest thing most people will ever do to keep their vehicle going will be to change the oil and filter regularly.

Mineral, Semi Synthetic and Synthetic oils can all be mixed together, although this is not recommended.

The reason this is not recommended is that during the blending process, various and different additive packs are added to the base oil to achieve various oil specifications for different intended applications. (eg Petrol or Diesel type oil). Therefore, a combination of different oils will almost certainly have been created to cover different applications and may not always be compatible with one another.

Mixing different types and viscosities of oils changes the original chemistry balance of the oil and may result in an unsuitable product for certain types of applications. So although the base oils will mix quite readily, the additive packs used in them are designed for particular applications and a combination of these is an unknown concoction in terms of performance and compatibility. In certain circumstances, putting the wrong oil into an engine can cause extensive damage to the engine or components associated with it. It is always best to use the same type, viscosity and manufacturer specification when topping up your engine oil.

The type of driving conditions a vehicle encounters can vary considerably depending on where the vehicle is to how it is used. An example would be an SUV owner that uses their vehicle for off roading in extreme conditions to another that may use the same vehicle for commuting in mild conditions and never takes the vehicle off the tarmac. There are plenty of conditions that can affect what type of lubricants are used in vehicles. Some of them are -

Climatic Conditions

Depending on the geographical area, some vehicles will operate in hot dry and dusty conditions, some in wet, cold or freezing environments, others in mild climatic conditions. All of these can have an effect on the lubricants used in the vehicle. A vehicle manufacturer may give varied specification and viscosity grades depending on the environment and these can range from a low viscosity fuel economy grade to a higher viscosity grade oil.

Work Load

Some vehicles will be used for towing heavy trailers, boats & caravans. Others will carry loads constantly. Others will operate empty for a majority of the time. If the vehicle is subject to heavy loading or towing, it will increase the mechanical loading on the drive train components increasing wear and potentially decreasing the longevity of components such as the engine, cooling system, transmission, differentials and braking system.

Severe Duty

Vehicles such as taxis, courier vehicles and competition vehicles that can be stop/start, idle for long periods or be used at full power for extended time frames may require shorter service intervals and lubricants that are designed to work in these conditions.

Driving conditions will not only vary by geographical, climatic and duty but also by different driving styles. More aggressive drivers will place more stress on drivelines than a mild driver.

All these factors need to be taken into account when selecting the correct lubricants.