The engine has requirements for the amount of oil, which cannot be too much or too little. When repair technicians add oil, they often encounter some novice car owners asking for more oil, fearing that a lack of oil may damage the engine, but they don't know that having too much oil is not good for the car. No matter where the maintenance is carried out, there are always situations where the oil level is not up to standard, with adding too much being the most common. Even in 4S stores, there are occasional instances of adding too much oil. However, most car owners do not have the habit of checking the oil. After maintenance, they only drive and go for maintenance at the mileage. They do not check the oil in between, so they will not know if they have added more or less oil. A small number of car owners will check the engine oil the next day after maintenance, and they can immediately determine whether it is more or less. Today, let's talk about how adding too much or too little oil affects the engine?

     Firstly, we need to know that the lubrication method between the piston and cylinder is splash lubrication. Above the crankshaft is the piston and cylinder, and a part of the crankshaft is immersed in engine oil, constantly stirring the oil during rotation. When the engine oil is stirred up, it will splash a lot onto the piston and cylinder wall, forming good lubrication. So if there is too much or too little oil, the first thing that affects the amount of oil stirred by the crankshaft is the amount of oil added. If too much oil is added, the part of the crankshaft soaked in oil will increase, the resistance during rotation will also increase, and the amount of oil stirred will also be too much. If too little oil is added, the amount of oil stirred by the crankshaft will be too little, and even the oil cannot be reached.

Let's take a look one by one. When there is too much oil, there is no problem with lubrication. Whether it is the pressure of the oil pump or the splashing oil from the crankshaft, it can provide good lubrication to the corresponding components. However, due to excessive stirring of the engine oil, there will also be a lot of oil on the cylinder wall. Although the piston ring has a scraping function downwards, due to the large amount of oil, there will always be some parts that cannot be scraped clean, remaining in the cylinder and burning together with gasoline combustion, resulting in the phenomenon of burning engine oil. Burning engine oil can lead to substandard exhaust emissions and also affect the lifespan of three-way catalysis and oxygen sensors. Secondly, due to the high resistance experienced by the crankshaft, there may be a feeling of stuffiness and weak acceleration in the vehicle, resulting in a corresponding increase in fuel consumption.

   The amount of oil is too low, and due to the crankshaft stirring, the amount of oil may decrease, which may result in poor lubrication between the piston and cylinder wall and accelerate wear between the two. If the engine oil cannot be reached, there will be no lubrication, and soon there will be cylinder pulling, piston locking, and serious engine damage. The pressure of the oil pump may also be insufficient, resulting in poor lubrication of both large and small bearings, accelerated wear, and even short-term damage. So too little engine oil is more harmful than too much engine oil. Too little engine oil will light up the organic oil light, while too much engine oil does not remind. But it should be noted that when the oil pressure light is on, there is basically very little oil, which may have caused some wear and tear. Therefore, do not think that there is a light reminder to not need to check the oil. It is a good driving habit to check the oil before a long journey or every other period of time.

       The oil level is generally most suitable between the lower and upper limits, but reaching the upper limit is also acceptable and can be left untreated. If it exceeds the upper limit, a portion must be extracted. At the lower limit, the vehicle can still be driven, but it is necessary to immediately go to the repair shop to replenish the engine oil. If it is below the lower limit by more than 0.5 centimeters, it is best not to continue driving the vehicle as there may be significant wear and tear during further meetings.

From: WONDEE Autoparts

2024-2-22