Motul Nieuwsbrief (2012) Nr. 7 is er nu!!
FAQ Auto
Period between oil changes
The period between oil changes depends on how frequently you use your car and also on the way you drive.
- For ordinary daily driving, you should follow the OEM’s recommendations.
- If you demand a lot of your engine, in other words if you go driving on a track or participate in runs, you should shorten the period between oil changes with respect to the OEM’s recommendations.
- Similarly, if your engine has been modified or tuned, you can no longer follow the OEM’s recommendations. In this case also, you should shorten the period between oil changes.
Therefore, once you use your car on a track, for runs or racing, you should use a high performance lubricant such as 300V Motorsport for instance.
300V Motorsport, 8100 or 6100? Which oil should I choose?
300V oils are specially formulated for racing. Motul thus provides the general public with lubricants developed for racing teams. These lubricants are sufficiently resistant to withstand very high temperatures, provide the best possible lubrication, reduce friction, etc. In a nutshell, they meet the very stringent requirements of racing.
8100, 6100 … have been formulated for the greatest reliability in ordinary daily use: starting your car every morning, driving in stop-and-go traffic to work, driving back home in the evening, and having an oil change done as least often as possible.
Ordinary daily use requirements are entirely different from those of racing. MOTUL 8100 and 6100 have been formulated so that you can comply with the OEM’s recommended oil change period without any trouble in ordinary daily use conditions.
I am currently using a 15W-40 oil in my car engine. In very cold weather (-10°C), when starting, I hear a clacking sound. What should I do?
Your engine probably has hydraulic tappets. At low temperature, a 15W oil is too viscous to ensure the proper operation of such pushrods. You should therefore use a 10W-40 or 5W-40, depending on the OEM’s recommendations.
I am currently using a 15W-40 oil in the engine of my car which has more than 100,000 km on the clock. I have noticed my oil consumption is high, so I wish to reduce it, but without incurring great expense.
Oil consumption is a natural phenomenon in an engine, whether new or old. However, high consumption is probably more pronounced in engines that have been driven a greater number of kilometres and are more worn. Depending on the exact problem causing your high oil consumption, it can be lessened by adapting the choice of your engine oil.
Switching to an oil that is more viscous than grade 40 when hot, such as 15W-50, 20W-50 or 15W-60 is likely to considerably reduce your oil consumption, without any risk to your engine.
What is the difference between petrol engine oil and Diesel engine oil?
The constraints on oils in these two types of engines are not exactly identical. In particular, the minimum performance levels differ regarding the chemical properties of their detergent action and dispersion. Nevertheless, nearly all oils of the Motul range largely exceed these minimum levels and therefore meet the standards and approvals for petrol and Diesel engines, for instance ACEA Ax / Bx or API Sx / Cx.
I am currently using an SAE 80W-90 oil in my car’s manual gearbox. In cold weather, changing gears is very difficult during the first few kilometres. What can I do?
These difficulties are probably caused by an oil that is too viscous when cold, preventing the synchromesh mechanism from working correctly. Switching to an oil with a 75W-90 viscosity should solve the problem.