Despite the fact that automakers tie engine oil changes to mileage or engine hours, and not to seasonality, replacing the lubricant after winter is still necessary. Roman Timashov, Deputy General Director of the Avtodom group of companies, told Motor magazine about this.
“Modern oils are guaranteed to retain their properties for 10 thousand kilometers if they are synthetic and 5 thousand kilometers if they are mineral-based. But winter operation has its own nuances,” the expert said.
According to him, in winter the average driving speed drops, and idling time increases. While the car is warming up in the yard, stuck in ten-point traffic jams and the engine is running, but the car does not drive – the oil idles for hours. It does not receive normal cooling and ages much faster than with uniform movement along the highway, the expert said.
During cold starts at minus 20 °C, the oil thickens, turning into a viscous paste, and does not have time to reach all the rubbing pairs in the first seconds. Pistons, rings, crankshaft, camshafts – all these parts run almost dry at the time of startup. One cold start ages the oil as much as several hundred kilometers of quiet driving. During the winter there are dozens and hundreds of such launches, clarified. Oil loses its properties long before the scheduled mileage is completed, Timashov clarified.
Avtodom reminds that in winter the engine does not always warm up to operating temperature, especially on short trips. Thick oil cannot properly wash away dirt and remove heat. As a result, deposits grow inside the engine: varnish films on parts, sludge in oil channels, carbon deposits on piston rings. This impairs engine performance and brings the overhaul closer.
After the winter, Timashov advised changing the oil and oil filter in the engine, as well as carrying out express diagnostics: checking for antifreeze and oil leaks, assessing the cleanliness of the radiators and the condition of the drive belts. On a car lift, it is necessary to inspect the suspension, the integrity of silent blocks, boots, shock absorbers, as well as the remaining thickness of the brake discs and pads.
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