What happens if you use the wrong engine oil?

It is important to use the correct type of engine oil for your particular make and model of car. The specific type of oil that is recommended will depend on the year, make, model, and engine type of the vehicle, as well as the manufacturer's recommendations. In general, it is recommended to use a high-quality oil that meets the specifications required by the manufacturer.

Using the wrong engine oil can be catastrophic and cause engine damage, expensive spare parts and very high repair costs. If you are careless with the choice of motor oil and choose the wrong product or type of oil, you risk increasing the wear and tear on the engine and reducing the longevity as a result of the wrong lubricant.

What happens when the wrong motor oil is used?

What happens when the wrong motor oil is used depends fundamentally on how the lubricant used differs from the correct product - although the consequences for the car are usually similar.

On the one hand, engine oil must have the right viscosity – the viscosity is the thickness or runnyness of a liquid and is classified for engine oil using the SAE classification. If you use an engine oil that is too viscous, the engine oil cannot be sucked in and under certain circumstances does not get to the places that it has to lubricate - then the moving metal parts in the engine rub directly against each other and seize up. If this defect is not noticed, engine damage can occur, and the car usually comes to a standstill and can no longer be driven.

But engine oil is too liquid and fluid it can also cause damage. In this case, the engine oil can be sucked in and pumped, but it is far too liquid to form a dense lubricating film. This also makes the consequences visible after just a few miles of driving and the engine usually comes to a grinding halt very quickly.

If the wrong engine oil is used, it usually becomes apparent after a very short time. This is almost always accompanied by increased wear or even engine damage - but in any case you damage the individual components of the engine. In particular, the so-called piston seizure is known here, but the catalytic converter or the seals can also suffer from the wrong choice of engine oil. In the long term, this greatly reduces the longevity and performance of the car - it is therefore all the more important to deal with the requirements of the engine and to choose the right lubricant.

Can I mix different types of engine oil?

It is generally not recommended to mix different types of engine oil, as this can potentially