What engine oil do I need for my car?

26 Feb 2021     2 people

With a variety of options available it is understandable that people often ask what oil do I need? From fully synthetic to synthetic blend to conventional motor oil it really is a minefield!

However, you can usually find the oil that is recommended for your car in your vehicle’s handbook. Alternatively, simply enter your vehicle registration here to get an instant result.

So what are the different types of oil?

As there are a many different types of engines, there are also different types of oils to suit these engines. The oil companies and car manufacturers collaborate to agree on the performance specifications of oil.

The different types of engine oil are:

• Fully synthetic – premium oil for high performance vehicle’s
• Synthetic blend – blended premium synthetic with conventional oil
• Conventional oil – the most common type of oil used and the most cost effective for motorists.

Oil is measured by its resistance to flow. This is known as viscosity. The oil viscosity is graded and given the number and letter combinations we see on bottles of oil i.e. 5W-30 etc. The higher the viscosity, the more resistant the oil is to flowing around the engine.

So an engine oil that is graded 10W-30 will flow more slowly that oil that is graded 5W-30 at the engines start-up temperature.

• 10W = The number is the viscosity/thickness at colder temperatures and the W stands for winter.
• 30 = How thick the oil is at the engine’s normal operating temperature.

Engine oil’s thin out as they are heated up and thicken again as they cool back down.

What oil does my car need?

Adding the correct oil to your car is essential as incorrect oil can lead to trouble with the engine. Therefore, we recommend that you add your vehicle registration to our oil search tool to find the correct oil for your car’s engine.

Here at National we stock top quality engine oil from Valvoline, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of oil and lubricants.

Louise Helsby

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