Archive for January, 2010
After a recent trip to two major auto parts dealers for oil, I realized synthetic oil is slowly replacing nonsynthetic on the display shelves. The problem is, I’m getting conflicting information about synthetic oil. One store attendant told me I shouldn’t go back to regular oil after changing to synthetic. Then he said it would be okay to add a quart of regular oil to synthetic, if I needed to top up. Another clerk said I should never mix the two. At a different store, the employee said it didn’t matter if I used synthetic and then later replaced it with regular oil.
Early synthetics got a bad reputation for leaking. This was because, despite the claims of the oil manufacturers, the seal-swell characteristics of the new synthetics were different from those of the mineral oils they replaced. If the seal-swell rate was lower, the seals shrank and oil leaked from crankshaft seals and rocker cover seals. If the rate was higher, the seals swelled a little extra and the engine was tight. Then if the owner changed back to mineral oil, or added a quart when no synthetic was to be had, things got really bad.
Fortunately, the situation has improved; you should have no problem switching back and forth. Adding a quart of mineral oil to a crankcase full of synthetic will be fine. Read the fine print — a lot of the “synthetics” on the market are blends containing a substantial proportion of mineral oil.Most automobile manufacturers recommend oil drain intervals of 3,000 to 6,000 miles for petroleum motor oils. Amsoil recommends up to 35,000 mile oil change which is 5 to 11 times fewer oil changes.Just think about the savings on the environment.
Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. The purpose of motor oil is to lubricate and protect your engine from heat and friction; the two major enemies of your engine. Without oil, your engine would overheat and cease working. Your engine might even crack. Motor oil may be the single most important fluid you will put in your engine.
It is now confirmed that the much-anticipated Toyota small car for India would make an appearance – at least as a concept – at the upcoming 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi in January 2010.
The company said that hatchback and sedan versions of the small car would be showcased at the Auto Expo. It is interesting that the company is working on both together – although it is no guarantee that by the time the small car is ready for production, the sedan would still remain. Much will depend on the reaction of car buyers when it is displayed.
At this point, the small car is variously referred to as the “Entry Family Car“, “Emerging Family Car” or EFC. We do not know if its a real code name, or an invention by the automobile trade press. Update: The EFC is now called the Toyota Etios.