Engine oil plays an important role in the performance of the engine. The purpose of engine oil is to lubricate the different parts of the engine to avoid friction and power loss. When the engine is well lubricated, it will burn fuel more effectively and make its performance much better, therefore, you have to choose the right oil for that purpose and you should know how to differentiate between an original oil and a fake one. This article will help you to know the difference between original and fake oil for the next oil change you will make
Original Engine Oil
Original engine oil must possess certain physical and chemical properties. While the oil is being used, the engine generates several operating stresses that adversely affect the long-term ability of the oil to function at best. To make oil last long depends on the environment and the way the vehicle is used. Therefore, choosing an engine oil to meet certain needs and conditions requires knowledge of several important oil properties, including viscosity which, during usage, is often considered the most important.
Fake Engine oil
The main task of the oil in the engine is to decrease the wear of parts as a result of their friction on each other. But choosing the wrong oil will, on the contrary, cause more wear and damage to the engine. That is because low-quality oil will have lower viscosity which will increase the friction of engine parts and eventually will lead to more damage.
How to tell if engine oil is real or fake?
What can you do to avoid falling for choosing fake oil? The answer is simple - you need to know how to distinguish real engine oil from fake. Of course, it is very difficult at first, but experts can help you to know what you need to pay attention to when purchasing a lubricant.
The first thing you can do, starting by examining the packaging of the bottle, and end with examining the oil itself. Here are some of the things you can examine to make sure the oil is real.
1. Appearance:
Make sure that the lid of the container is tightly screwed to the filler neck. The sealing ring must have a small wire that firmly fixes the cork. You also have to check the quality of the packaging. Fake oil usually uses poor-quality plastic for packaging.
2. Label:
The sticker on the container in which the engine oil is packed contains information about the date the oil was produced, the time it was bottled, and the batch number. You must also pay attention to the fact that this information must also be stamped on the canister itself. In the fake oil, you will notice that the whole packaging will look cheap and the container is not very high quality: you might also find uneven seams on the canister and other defects.
3. Color:
After the packaging is opened, the product can be considered more attentive. Carry the container to the sunlight where you can check its transparency. You can also study a few drops on a white sheet of paper. The fake is determined by the darker color because of the low-quality base oil and additives, while the real one has a yellow, honey shade.
4. Texture:
It is necessary to examine the purity and uniformity of the texture. Fake oil will differ even with a simple rubbing of a drop of the liquid between the fingertips. It will leave small tangible particles on the skin. You can also feel the heterogeneous oil.
Why is fake oil cheaper?
When buying engine oil, you might notice that some brands are way cheaper than others. You should know that no well-performing oil brand will cost 2-3 times lower than other brands. Fake branded oil is usually the cheapest oil, this oil is bought in barrels and then poured into fake containers.
So when you find the price for a certain oil is lower than the market average, you should double-check its origin. Otherwise, you will be using fake oil which will have serious repercussions on your car’s engine.
What happens if you use fake oil?
- When using fake oil, you might notice the engine will seem louder or will make a ticking noise after starting, that’s because the parts are working harder to get going.
- You will also find it more difficult to start the car, especially in cold weather.
- You will find a few oil spots in your garage or under your car because using the wrong oil can lead to leaks.
- You will sense a burning smell while driving. This can happen if the oil isn’t working as it should and the engine parts are not lubricated well enough. That will cause friction, which will eventually burn the oil.
- You will also feel like you’re filling up the car more often, and this could be because of oil too. If the oil you’ve used is too heavy and thick to work well it means your engine has to work harder to keep going and will burn fuel more quickly.
In the end, make sure to protect your car engine from the negative effects of the use of fake oils, and make sure you buy your oil from a trusted supplier. Be careful and do not save money on the health of your engine.