Four Things to Consider in Choosing the Right Engine Oil for Your Car (Updated)

Engine oil

Choosing the right engine oil is essential for your car, and with so many available options on the market, choosing the right one is more confusing than ever. There’s more to choosing the right engine oil for your car than referring to what’s indicated in your car’s owner’s manual though. That's not to say what's indicated there is incorrect because you do have to follow the recommended viscosity level; it's just that there are other things to consider, and we'll break it down for you here.

Engine oil

1. Your Location

Where you live—and drive, for that matter—is important when choosing your motor oil. Do you drive where hot weather is the norm or the cold? Is the terrain there typically flat and paved or rough and uneven?

These types of conditions can strain your engine which, in turn, would use up its lubricant—the engine or motor oil—faster so you’d want to go with a synthetic motor oil since it has better viscosity performance at service temperature extremes and is less prone to breaking down and evaporating.

2. Your Driving Habits

How you drive your vehicle is also a factor when it comes to choosing the right engine oil for your car. Do you drive at a steady pace or do you have a lead foot and frequently do jackrabbit starts? Is your car used for short trips within the city or do you frequently travel out of town with the car loaded with stuff?

A fully synthetic motor oil warms quickly, which means it lubricates the engine faster during cold starts, and since it’s fully-refined, it doesn't have any minerals that could eventually foul up your engine.

3. Your Vehicle.

Finding out the right engine oil if you have a new car is easy since the information is readily available inside the owner’s manual. In some cases, it's even indicated on the engine's oil cap. Since your vehicle's engineers know what's best for your car by testing it extensively and subjecting to some intense research and development before putting it on sale, it's a no-brainer that you should know what's on the manual religiously.

If your car's on the old side though, then you have more leeway when it comes to choosing its engine oil. Of course, it's still recommended that you use the suggested viscosity level so do some research if you've acquired an old car that doesn't have its owner's manual anymore.

A fully-synthetic motor oil protects your engine from breaking down as it helps burn off and remove sludge buildup caused by old, conventional or even semi-synthetic lubricants.

4. Synthetic or Conventional Motor Oil?

Synthetic motor oil is typically a better option than using a conventional one, especially if you’re often driving under extreme conditions, like if it's either very hot or very cold or if you're often going at speed or mostly stuck in stop-and-go traffic. And while fully-synthetic motor oils typically cost twice as much as conventional lubricants, this is offset by the longer interval require between oil changes—from around 5,000 kilometers for mineral-based oils to over 10,000 kilometers for fully-synthetic motor oils.

Shell Helix Ultra

One such motor oil is Shell's Helix Ultra which provides Ultimate Engine Performance and Protection. Shell Helix Ultra delivers long-lasting engine performance and superior protection to engine stress and wear through extreme temperature performance as it protects engine parts up to 1,000-degrees Centigrade; superb engine cleanliness by protecting it from harmful deposits and build up; stronger for longer by providing up to 32 percent resistance from oil degradation and up to 50 percent from evaporation loss; and with Pureplus Technology, Shell Helix Ultra is 99.5 percent pure and is made from natural gas so it contains none of the impurities and weaknesses of crude oil.

What's even better with Shell Helix Ultra is that Shell is so confident about the Helix's Ultra’s capabilities that it has a Free Engine Warranty covering 15 major parts against lubricant-caused failures. On top of this, for added value and peace of mind, Shell is giving Free Roadside Assistance to Shell Helix Ultra users which can assist them for any emergency incidence on the road like towing or minor repairs from accidents, breakdowns, flat tires, battery boosting, emergency fuel delivery (except fuel cost) and sending of locksmith. These value-added services are in partnership with AXA Philippines.

Shell Helix Ultra is designed to protect car engines from the barriers that can hinder power and performance so that drivers can have the most enjoyable journey possible. Shell wants users of its Shell Helix Ultra engine oil to drive with great engine performance, passion, and a peace of mind so that they can DRIVE ON to their destinations uninterrupted.

To know more about engine warranty and roadside assistance, visit  share.shell.com/consumer/ph.

Updated on August 14, 2020 by Gail Alcabaza

Also Read

What Happens When You Put Too Much Engine Oil in Your Vehicle?

How To Check if Your Car's Engine has the Right Amount of Oil

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