How to care for the engine? Causes of engine wear
The most important element of any car is a well-functioning engine. Therefore, it requires special care and attention from us. To be sure that everything is fine with him, it is worth avoiding certain risky activities. The most common mistake that significantly reduces the service life of our engine is its poor use. As a result of driving at too low revs, or overloading an unheated engine, you can easily lead to the loss of lubricity, and thus increase harmful friction. In addition, many drivers destroy their engine through an inappropriate driving style. A torn, illiquid way of driving is one of the most common sins of novice drivers. What’s more, the right lubricity to protect our engine is achieved thanks to engine oil, which most of us forget. Timely and proper oil change is a simple way to extend the life of your engine. In addition, it is also worth remembering about other operating fluids, such as coolant, which will protect the mechanism from overheating. When inspecting the vehicle, it is worth paying attention to other elements that are often overused, such as an oil or air filter. Thanks to regular checking of the engine condition and sustainable operation, we will not have to worry about how much it costs to repair the engine.
Engine oil
As we have already mentioned, engine oil is one of the most important operating fluids in a car. After driving about 10-20 thousand km, engine oil loses its lubricating properties, which increases friction and increases the operating temperature of components, resulting in their faster wear. Although a large number of manufacturers claim that the oil can be changed every 30,000 km, in reality it should be done much more often. On average, after 10,000 km, our oil will lose its protective properties, and we will unnecessarily expose our car to excessive wear.
Which engine oil to choose? Is it worth using additives for engine oil?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions, although the answer is quite simple. It is best to use such oil as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer himself. Any experiments in this area can end tragically for our engine. A much more controversial issue is the additions to engine oil. Among drivers, it has been assumed that oil additives should be used only by people who choose very long and demanding routes, But in reality our engine wears out the most during typical city driving, which consists of a string of short sections requiring frequent braking and acceleration. Taking into account the ranking of engine oil additives, by far the best results are achieved by products that protect the engine already while driving. One of the solutions is the ceramizer CS engine oil additive, which produces a ceramic-metal layer that protects the mechanisms from wear. Importantly, the regeneration process itself begins while driving, so the troublesome pulling out or disassembling of the engine is not necessary.
The engine takes oil – how to fix it?
This is definitely one of the most common engine problems. However, it should be remembered that most manufacturers assume a certain level of oil intake. It will be much larger in sports cars, which have the so-called. loose engine. Before we start checking the cost of engine replacement, it is worth first measuring the level of oil intake per 1000 km. During the initial diagnosis, it is also worth looking at the exhaust gases. For this we need to raise the revolutions of the heated engine at idle. If the exhaust gases coming out of the exhaust pipe have a bluish-gray color, this is a sign that the engine is probably taking oil. It is then worth using the compression pressure measurement using a pressure gauge screwed into the cylinder bore. In this way, we will verify the condition of the piston rings, which are usually responsible for taking oil. If one of the piston rings has been baked, then the oil consumption can be up to 1 liter per 1000 km in extreme cases. In this case, we have two options. We can make a small overhaul of the engine or use the appropriate oil additive. The first option is to replace the piston rings and the smoothing sand or replace the cylinders. Then the repair of the engine costs about 1500-5000 PLN. However, the purchase of the appropriate supplement is an expense of about PLN 73. Thus, we again answer the question of whether it is worth using additives for engine oil. The answer is, of course, yes. Thanks to them, we not only prevent damage to the engine, but also regenerate components during each ride.
Loud engine operation
After taking oil, this is the second most common problem. In this case, the basis of our actions will be the diagnosis of sound symptoms. However, keep in mind that you need to take into account the large margin of error. If, after starting the engine, from the upper part of the power unit, we are able to hear a sound resembling a clatter or clatter, which does not subside after the engine warms up, then we are dealing with the so-called . the tap of the valves. This is the result of too much slack associated with the work of the timing system.
What does the repair look like?
For older cars, one solution is to adjust the valve clearances with a feeler gauge. If the valves are set correctly, after warming up the engine, the break should completely disappear, thereby eliminating unpleasant noise. Newer cars with the help of hydraulic valve tappets will eliminate possible slack themselves. Theoretically, this solution is much more durable than manual adjustment, but in reality pushers are sensitive to malfunctions of the lubrication system. Engines that have hydraulic tappets require more frequent oil changes. In case of neglect of regular replacement, clogging of the tappets and operation of valves without backlash may occur. Therefore, the force of the increasing pressure can cause the oil film between the pusher and the curve to break, which will cause the individual elements to run dry. In this way, the temperature will rise very quickly and both parts will be wiped faster. The best and at the same time the fastest solution will be the use of Ceramizer CS, which will clean the pusher channels, restoring efficiency and reducing noise.
