• Why add oil
  • How is the amount of lubricant in the motor determined?
  • Algorithm for filling oil in the engine
  • Complete engine oil change

Many novice drivers are concerned about the question of how to pour oil into a car engine. This seemingly simple event has many pitfalls and it is not as easy to deal with it as it seems. Each engine has its own characteristics, and therefore there are a huge number of nuances that must be considered before filling in the lubricant.

Fine oil filter filters retain smaller sediment and soot particles for maximum engine oil cleanliness. gravity filters. Their principle of operation is based on the sedimentation by gravity of particles with a higher density than lubricating oil. The sludge has a much larger volume compared to the supply and discharge pipes, the oil flow rate is greatly reduced and heavy impurities in the sludge are removed. Centrifugal filters are distinguished by gravity in that the gravity is delayed by the so-called "centrifugal force" in the centrifuge, causing the sediment particles to separate from the oil and settle on the walls of the oil filter housing and the purified oil enters the oil pipelines.

Why add oil

High-quality operation of the engine is impossible without engine oil. This viscous substance performs several main functions, providing:

  • cleanliness of engine parts;
  • ease of cold start of the engine;
  • reliability at maximum high temperature parts of the cylinder-piston group;
  • heat removal from heated parts;
  • lubrication of moving parts;
  • neutralization of aggressive and corrosive compounds accumulating in the power unit.

Each of the points is handled by certain additives added to oils to enhance their performance. Before pouring oil into the engine, it is necessary to determine what type of fluid is suitable for it. Today there are a large number of motor lubricants, and within even one line you can find products with different parameters. So, mineral, synthetic and semi-synthetic oils are produced. Each of them can be winter, summer or all-season. In addition, car manufacturers may recommend the use of a particular oil. Because different kinds oils cannot be mixed, first of all you need to find out what brand of lubricant is poured into the engine. This question should be answered by the employees of the car dealership where the car was purchased, or by its previous owner. If the truth is unknown, you will have to completely change the oil. This procedure can be performed independently or contact the service station.

Magnetic Filters This type of filter uses a magnet or electromagnet to attract and collect iron particles as the oil passes through the area. magnetic flux. Types of oil filters depending on the lubrication. Full flow filters Partial flow filters Combination filters.

The full flow oil filter is the simplest in design. At the moment of starting the engine, it immediately passes through the engine oil to all areas of lubrication at the same time. Such a scheme, in comparison with others, quickly cleans the oil, but also quickly contaminates the filter. Therefore, an important role is given to the safety valve in the oil filter. It works when the pressure drops between the uncleaned and cleaned oil volumes, caused by filter element contamination or increased oil viscosity at low temperatures.

  • for a new engine - synthetic oils of class SAE 5W30 or 10W30 (at any time of the year);
  • for a used engine, but technically sound - SAE 10W40 in the warm season, 15W40 in winter and 5W40 all season;
  • for an old model with a used engine - SAE 15W40 in summer, 5W40 or 10W40 in the cold season, 5W40 regardless of the season.

At the same time, it must be remembered that the maintenance of engines of obsolete designs does not involve the use of modern synthetic oils, which is largely due to their increased penetration rate, as a result of which the rate of oil leakage through ill-fitting parts of the motor increases. Some inexperienced drivers wonder why they often have to add oil to the engine, while professionals approach this issue very responsibly. In some cars, the lubricant burns out very quickly, but increased oil consumption does not always indicate a malfunction of the power unit, just as long-term use of the fluid does not indicate the absence of problems in the engine. In many cases, fuel consumption depends on the type of engine and its volume. So, for small cars, a consumption of 1 liter per 1000 km is considered large, and for cars with a V6 or V8 power unit, it is the norm.

In the case of a safety valve, the oil enters the engine unclean, but provides lubrication and prevents damage to the filter due to overheating. The particulate oil filter is located at the parallel base of the oil line and cleans a small amount of engine oil only once. Most of it occurs in the engine without filtration. But this small volume goes through a parallel cycle several times, so its blowdown rate is much greater than a full flow filter. Gradually, qualitatively, the entire volume of flooded engine oil is also cleaned, although this is required for a long time.

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How is the amount of lubricant in the motor determined?

Each owner of the "iron horse" can independently determine how much lubrication is in the engine and whether oil needs to be filled. As a rule, the required amount of oil in the power unit is indicated in the technical documentation for the car. The fluid level is determined with the motor turned off or 10 minutes after it has completely stopped, or before starting. For the measurements to be correct, the vehicle must be on a horizontally level surface.

Such systems are able to maintain the oil in good condition over a long period of time. Their advantage lies in the fact that even with a forgotten filter and removed valves, the oil flow does not stop and the engine runs. The design of the combined oil filter means that the oil line is placed on two filters - full flow and partial flow. The volume of engine oil passing through it is in a ratio of 9: The oil scavenger is close to full, which automatically increases the life of the engine, engine oil and oil filter.

Oil selection according to characteristics

Each car comes with a special dipstick for measuring oil. As a rule, it is located in front of the engine and is a thin metal bar with applied divisions. To pull out the probe, you need to grab the ring handle and pull it towards you. Then you should wipe the dipstick from the oil, lower it into the engine until it stops and pull it out again. The amount of lubricant in the motor is determined by the marks. If the oil reaches the top mark, no fluid needs to be added. If it approaches the bottom, the engine needs lubrication. Experienced experts recommend checking the oil level at least once every 7 days. Each car model requires a certain amount of engine lubricant. So, when preparing oil for filling, it should be taken into account that domestic-made cars need a liquid volume of about 4 liters, foreign cars with an engine capacity of up to 2.4 liters - up to 4 liters, and cars with larger engines - over 4 liters. So, the oil level is checked and you can start adding lubricant to the engine.

Here the oil filter ensures maximum oil filtration quality and low service life. Often this type is used on diesel engines for trucks and construction equipment. Typical standard container type filters are oil flow direction from outside to inside. This means that the oil passes through the cylindrical filter material with the outer surface of the filter to the inner core.

However, in some cases the direction of flow can be reversed - oil entering the filter through the core exits the filter using a unique fold design. This is done to improve the flow of oil flow and also to reduce the size of the filter element.

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Algorithm for filling oil in the engine

Where to pour oil? For this, there is a special oil filler neck located above the engine block. It can be distinguished by the Oil Fill mark or by the type of oil recommended by the manufacturer (for example, 5W40). Remove the cap from the neck, wipe with a rag and set aside.

Filtration mechanisms and filter media. Filtration elements are divided into several types according to different filtration mechanisms: Direct capture and deep retention - the particle is blocked on the filtration surface by the fact that the particle size is larger than the passage in the filter medium. Adsorption - electrostatic or molecular adhesion of particles between the fibers of the filter medium. Inertial Collision - Particles collide with the filter media due to inertia during an oil spill and are absorbed.

Brownian motion - particles smaller than 1 µm move independently of the liquid flow and are adsorbed in close proximity to the filter medium. This mechanism is much rarer, especially in a viscous liquid. Gravitational effect - a large number of contaminated particles are deposited at low pressure in the flow.

Then, insert a crow into the resulting hole and carefully pour no more than 1 cup of oil. When the liquid sinks into the sump (this will happen after 15-20 minutes), you need to check the oil level with a dipstick. If it is not high enough, the procedure should be repeated. The probe must be wiped with a cloth each time you take a measurement. A sufficient amount of lubricant in the motor will be signaled by a level approaching the maximum mark. After that, remove the funnel from the hole, close the neck with a lid and install the probe in its place.

In addition, the filter material interacts with the particle in two different ways. Surface Retention - Contaminants are retained on filter surfaces. This makes it possible to retain contamination in contact with the filter surface. Deeply overwhelming - pollutants remain in the "deep". filter. There is a high possibility of trapping contaminants.

The graph below shows that deep filtration is more effective at capturing fine particles than surface filtration. This is due to the deep layers of the filter, providing the most optimal particle trap, as well as adsorption and brownian movements, which dominate in the deep layers of the filter. While these characteristics appear to be beneficial, deep filter layers generally have higher filter element capacity resulting in limited flow in the deeper filter layers.

What is the most important thing in a car? Of course, the engine - it depends on its reliable operation how the car will behave on the road. You need to constantly monitor the condition of the motor, and the most important thing in this matter is to add oil to the desired level.

If there is not enough oil in the engine, then it is subjected to severe overheating and, as a result, wear of parts. There should be as much oil in the engine as indicated in the technical documentation for the car. To add oil, you first need to determine its level in the engine. Check the oil level with the engine off. This can be done either before starting the machine, or 10 minutes after it has completely stopped. To correctly check the oil level, the machine must stand on a flat horizontal surface.


Types of filter media and their ability to retain contaminants. Filter media deflection plays an important role in how well a filter can store trapped particles. When the pore size is reduced to maintain a low pressure drop across the filter element, the pore density must be increased to keep the volume of oil in contact with the surface. Another factor is the material of the filter element. Three main types of filter media are used for filters.

Cellulose - consists of wood fibers of different sizes and uncoordinated pore sizes. Glass filaments - made from small artificial glass fibers with more resistant pores. Composite - consisting of cellulose and fiberglass. Cellulose filters are made from fibers of various sizes. They have good localization of contaminants due to high level adhesion. The disadvantage of such filters is that the products of oil oxidation cause the decomposition of pure cellulose, but the addition of even 25% polyester increases the resistance of the material to aging up to five times.

To check the oil level in each car, there is a special oil dipstick in the engine compartment. It has marks that show the permissible minimum and maximum oil values ​​\u200b\u200bin the engine of your car. Before checking the level, remove the dipstick from the neck and wipe it with a rag to make it dry. Now lower the dipstick back into the neck and remove it again. Look at the oil level, which will be visible on the dipstick.


If it is lower than "min", then add oil through the oil filler neck, using a funnel. Do not pour a lot of oil at once, so as not to overfill. It is better to do this in several steps, each time checking the level with a dipstick. The level of the topped-up oil must be greater than the “min” mark, but less than the “max” mark.


Fiberglass filters have smaller fiber sizes for greater filtration and filter life. Changer - at high pressure drops, the passages in the filter media can be enlarged so that unfiltered oil can pass freely without effectively trapping contaminants. In addition, contaminants that were previously stored in the filter according to the enlarged passages may resemble and contaminate oil. The flow of oil softens the accumulated sludge from the surface of the filter element, dragging it into the highway.

Add oil to the engine only of the type that was originally filled in it: mineral, semi-synthetic or synthetic. How to determine the type of oil that should be in your car engine, you also


If you are not too lazy to check the engine oil level and top it up on time, then your “iron friend” will serve you faithfully for many years. Good luck on the roads!