Are Car Oil Additives Necessary & Tips for Using Them

Keeping our vehicles in the best possible shape has always been a priority for many people out there. People tend to connect with their vehicles since they depend on them so much. Not to mention that we spend a lot of time inside them. We always want the best for them. If you want to take a look at some useful features for your car, visit autobarn.com.au/ab/.

Many topics still require a proper answer both from the drivers and professionals. Whether to use oil additives or not has been a topic of debate for quite a long time. Almost whenever you find yourself in the company of car enthusiasts you will hear some questions about this topic.

Even after decades of discussing this topic, the opinions about it are still quite divided. Today, we want to disclose whether are oil additives necessary to use. Also, we want to talk about a couple of tips on how to use these properly. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what we’ve been able to gather.

Should We Use Them or Not?

What needs to be said is that an average motor oil contains around 20% of additives inside it. Without having these, it is practically impossible for the engine to perform all its objectives properly. Oil without additives can degrade much faster over time, through oxidation, decomposition, and wear.

It can happen when the additives from the motor oil start to evaporate, which is something that happens over time. Therefore, using additional additives can enhance the level of quality of the oil, and help with prolonging the lifespan of your engine and all the crucial parts of your automobile.

So, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t use these. The trick is to use the one that complements your vehicle perfectly. Therefore, you need to make a precise decision on which one you will use, by including only the needs of your vehicle into consideration. Be sure to check these.

Tips on How to Use Them Properly

Now, we want to provide you with a couple of tips on how to use these properly.

1. Understanding Viscosity

Before you can make a final decision on choosing the oil additives, you need to understand viscosity. For those who don’t understand what this means, we are talking about thickness. The reason why this factor is essential is that not all vehicles can use every oil additive out there due to the thickness. It’s because it cannot move through the moving parts of the vehicle in all cases.

Therefore, they cannot be effective enough in each case with protecting the engine from overheating, contaminants, and friction. At the same time, if the motor oil is too thin, it cannot cover the whole engine and make it function properly. That’s why additives are a crucial part of the procedure.

They can provide the balance needed in each case. That’s why it is essential to understand the thickness of the oil you use, and whether is it needed for you to use additives to achieve the balance. But for you to do that, you need to pay attention to the properties of the one you can opt for using.

2. How Frequently?

We’ve stated that additives are a key factor in keeping the highest possible level of performance of your vehicle. So, you need to use them from time to time to achieve that. However, many people are not sure about how frequently they should do that. It needs to be said that there’s no magic formula for that.

According to one opinion, an oil change should be conducted every six thousand miles. Some experts advocate for it to be done every three thousand miles. However, we would encourage you to talk with the seller, no matter whether we are talking about a brand-new or used vehicle. There’s practically no better way to understand how frequent it should be.

Another way would be to consult with an experienced mechanic. Still, you shouldn’t believe in every mechanic’s opinion. So, you need to consult with someone you trust enough, which is not always easy. The final way you can do it is to follow the needs of your vehicle and see when it “asks” for it.

3. How to Recognize the Car’s Need?

There are a couple of signs that can help you understand when there’s a need to use oil additives. The first and most obvious sign is noise and knocking in the engine. Since these liquids help with creating the protective layer between various parts of the engine, the diminishing can make them brush against each other.

It surely produces some sounds you might not like to hear. The next one can be a little tricky. While the oil is in use, it tends to collect various particles from the engine. So, it can become much darker. Since oil is dark on its own, it can be quite tricky to see the difference between these two, right?

The best thing you can do is to see if you can see the dipstick through the oil. If not, then it is time for you to change it. The final one we want to discuss is taking a look at the oil replacement light.

Thankfully, a lot of modern vehicles have an in-built device that indicates when there’s a need for change or for including the additives. Whenever this happens, you need to use the additive as soon as possible to prevent any engine failure, which is a pretty uncomfortable situation.

In Conclusion

As you can see, there is more to the subject of car oil additives than meets the eye. It is beneficial to use it, especially if the oil you use doesn’t provide the right balance to your car. Here, you can also take a look at some tips that can make your use of this liquid way more effective. We are certain that this insight will be more than beneficial for you down the road.