Preparing a car for the winter season is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. First, you need to worry about the timing of the service work in advance. Secondly, you need to find the right tires. Third, decide what kind of oil you will put into the engine for the winter.
It only seems that it is enough to purchase an oil suitable for the type of engine and pour it into the engine. In fact, according to experts, it is necessary to take into account many different nuances that can directly affect the engine's performance. So, for example, oil must have a sufficiently long shelf life. After all, if it becomes unusable during operation, this can lead to quite serious problems with the car, up to engine jamming. This is also due to the fact that engine oil, after the expiration date, loses its properties, which help it not to freeze in the cold season.
How to find the perfect oil for winter
In general, the question of choosing the ideal winter oil option is a matter of taste for each car owner. However, there are a number of expert recommendations that are worth listening to. First of all, it is advisable to carefully study the instructions for your car. Usually it is a small book that comes with the car and must be passed from owner to owner in the event of a sale of the vehicle. There, the manufacturer usually indicates the optimal engine oil option from his point of view.
If you do not have instructions in the form of a book, you should not despair. Today, all the information you need can be found on the Internet. Alternatively, you can visit an authorized dealer of your brand and get answers to your questions by VIN-number.
Be sure to learn the terminology. Very often motorists do not know what the numbers and letters indicated on the oil label mean. And they choose it according to general indicators. Meanwhile, the numbers and letters on the label are very important because they usually refer to the oil viscosity grade. If you see the following designations on a can of oil: 5W-40, 10W-30, etc., this means that this is an all-season oil, and it is great for both summer and winter. But it should be borne in mind that the first number affects the operation of the engine in winter. And this figure directly depends on the climatic conditions in which you operate your car. This index usually indicates the minimum temperature at which a given type of oil can be used. A possible option is to lower the viscosity index of the oil in case you are not sure what temperatures are expected in your area.
Try not to change the manufacturer when changing the oil before winter. In general, it is not recommended to carry out cardinal engine oil changes for the winter. However, if it becomes necessary to change the type of product, choose a product of the same production as the previous one.
Experts recommend changing the oil before cold weather. After all, changing the oil is quite a stressful procedure for the engine.
Be sure to ensure that the oil you fill in the engine is of high quality. Cheap analogues and low-quality additives can lead to quite serious damage and malfunctions in the engine.
Changing the oil in the box and changing other transmission fluids
It is also recommended to check the level of all other technical fluids and products before winter. So, for example, it is recommended to change the brake fluid and oil in the box every three years of car operation, or if your mileage is more than 60,000 km. Moreover, you need to start replacing long before the onset of cold weather.
Naturally, this does not mean that you cannot change fluids later (especially if the need has already come). It is just worth considering that the car will react much worse and harder to this, tk.in winter, the load on it increases markedly. Accordingly, try to avoid unnecessary overloads of the engine and the entire car as a whole, so that the car will serve you properly. Safe use of the car is possible only when you are confident in the quality of consumables and the performed service work. Therefore, in order to use the car without problems in winter, pay enough attention to it in the fall.
