The right oil CHATELAINE Magazine reports that women make up half of all vehicle purchases. According to the maga- ¢, women are responsible for 55% of tune-ups and 4: ef major repairs. Whether you"re a women or a mar, you may often wonder why ‘you should bother with changing the oil in vour car? The answer is simple. Your car’s engine generates tem- peratures in ¢ of 200°C under normal operating con- ditions If it’s equipped with a tur- bocharger, thar’s more like 300°C. The oil helps protect your engine. Oil prevents metal to metal cantact and cleans out dirt and combustion by-prod- ucts. Many people don’t realize that oil is also an) important part of the i dispersing about engine hear. Today’ s cars are designed with smaller, more fuel effi cient engines, and are built to tighter tolerance The engine oils vou put in have to be of an equally high standard, and the mianutae- turers are continually researching new and improved products. But nothing fasts forever. Over time, the oif will lose some of its viscosity (ability to flow) and will pick up enough dirt and water in sus- pension. that it needs to be replaced. Engine = manutacturers generally recommend an oil change every 5,000 to 6,000 km. , If you. do nothing else in the way of preventive mainte- nance, do these oif changes. They are the single most effective thing you can do for long engine life. . And ar about $20 per oil change, it is also one of the cheapest. Are all oils the same? Should you juss put any kind of oi in your car? The short answer is no —nor all oils are equal. All motor oils contor high standards. The cst li is an the ho comipany These — additiv will enhanee the oil's cleaning effects in the engine, will lav down a protective layer on the metal walls to reduce internal friction, and help the ail to resist thermal and vis- cosity breakdow There are also. other addi- tives or oil treatments you can buy separately. Such additives can help any oil remove engine deposits. — protect engine parts, and improve tucl consumption. They are available at auto- ¢ stores or Wherever you get vour oil changed. ome common questions aut motor oil: Q: Aly owner’s manu I need an APT (Ame Petroleum Institute} rating SF engine oil, All Tcan tind is SG. Is thar OK co use? Az Yes. 7 APT service ratings proceed in alphabeti- cal order, so SG is a higher standard ths Owner's manuals tpi say “Suse SF or higher oils”, for example. However, vou shouldn't put an SF oii into an engine that requires SG — that could void vour warranty and shosi- en your engine life. Q: What is a multigrade oil? A: The grade of an engine oif describes its viscosity fabil- ity ro flow) lower atures, oil thicke tlow as. c: sin Januar; The lower the number, the easily it will flow at low temperatures, Multigrades are oils that contain additives called viscosity index improvers, and so they offer a range of viscosities (c.g. 5W30). . The lower the number in front of the “W", the greater the oil's ability to flow ar low temperature. The number A NAME YOU CAN TRUST! FOR COMPLETE AUTO REPAIRS OF ALL MAKES & MODELS New & Used Hyundai Parts Huge Selection! after the “WT indicates the oil's viscosity rating at normal engine operating tempera: tures. The “W" in the grade stands for winter. Q: Do T need ad oil in summ A: Your owner's manual will rell vou what grade of oi vour car needs. Most newer cars use a 3W30 oil vear round. Older cars may need a bit More viscosity to keep the protective film) on the evlin- der walls. You'll probably need to use a JOW30 in the summer, switching to a 3W30 in winter for better starting and cold performan Should T change the oil filter every time T change the oi? A: Most owner's manuals call for a filter change every second oif change. However, the filter colle all the sludge and dirt from the engine, and your clean oi} will be running through a dirty filrer after every do oil change. © 2.8 ail cha The di between changing the Hlrer every ume and every second time is not much me Considering the impor: tance of clean oil to your engine it’s awtully cheap insurance to change the filter every time, If nothing else, be sure to tollow the instructions in per year your owner's manual. Q: Can fo mix different brands of engi Yes, if vou must. Because all oils are manufac: tured to AMD and SAE stan- dards, vou can mix difterentr brands, Because every company has its own additives aimed at enhancing the oi’s perfor: mance mn vour engine, you should mixing them — youll get the best performance by usies the same oil. Ata pinch, it’s better ta a fitre of 5W30 to an engine running on 1OW30 than te run with low oil, but its not a good idea to mix grad How often should 1 cheek my ail? ; A: Ger to know vour car. Some engines burn more oil than others, and vou may have to add a litre of off once or twice between oi] changes. Others don’t burn much oil, Cheek it regularly, when- ever vou get gas or ar least once a week, ff vowve been driving, give the oil a tew minutes to sete back inte the sump. Then pull the dipstick out, wipe it off, put it back in all the way, and pull it out again. Read the level of the oil —- it should be between the lines fstull? and “add”, or and “min,” depending pa ee \ ee ’ WW, UPGRADED ALL ‘Wig So MRCS TERRAIN TIRES ‘ie not make a haar of OIL helps protect an engine by preventing metal to metal contact and cleaning out dirt and combustion by-products. Over time it loses some of its viscosity NEWS photo Bra and should be replaced every 5,000-6,G00 km. 4 2 i a BRAND NEW’ « '98 LAREDOS ..# POWER WINDOWS POWER LOCKS , VAIR CONDITIONING “4 . ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ~% FOG LIGHTS %