The Role of Motor Oil for the Engine (Mondeo 3)

Later, after this information, it will become clear: oil is the elixir of youth for an internal combustion engine. Friction and wear of pistons, cylinders, as well as all locations of the crank mechanism bearings and valve drives are reduced. In addition, motor oil causes a sealing of the pistons to the cylinder walls. The gases that "explode" during combustion of the fuel mixture, thanks to the "oil gasket", act on the crankshaft almost without causing damage. This is not the end of the talents of motor oil: motor oil takes an active part in cooling the engine. In addition, it protects the engine from rust, keeps pollutants in a state of equilibrium, and binds some of the chemical products of fuel combustion.

All-round talent - all-season motor oil

Modern motor oils are lubricants made from petroleum. However, before they begin their career as motor oil, the oil manufacturer mixes some special additives into them. At the end of the purification chain, this amounts to up to 20% of the motor oil. Additives, for example, protect the oil from oxidation and prevent it from foaming at high speeds. One of the most important additives are VI improvers (VI is the viscosity index). Explanation: VI additives are long molecular chains that swell when exposed to heat and shrink again when cooled. Thus, VI additives automatically "regulate" the motor oil according to the engine temperature. With skillful mixing, several viscosity classes can be combined at once. However, VI additives also have the negative property of wearing at high temperatures, which leads to the loss of the main share of their effect. In addition, water, fuel and combustion products set the limit of the service life of motor oil. Liquid mineral oil does not withstand the pressure and temperature parameters prevailing in the engine over time. Therefore, regular oil changes are not a necessary luxury, but simply a technical and chemical necessity - at least when your engine must function smoothly.

Higher price – synthetic oils with good antifriction properties

In principle, synthetic oils are not "artificial" like existing mineral oils, but they are always more expensive. Cause: synthetic oils retain the molecular structure of "natural" crude oil through the use of expensive technology (Cracken), and are mixed with special additives according to a different recipe. As an equivalent to the high purchase price, their manufacturers promise low oil and fuel consumption, high stability and long durability: theoretically, this means an extended oil change interval. If you still want to enjoy such an injectable oil, you should not exceed the already extended change interval set by Ford so infinitely.

TECHNICAL DICTIONARY

Concepts and standards related to oil Viscosity: characterizes the degree of fluidity of the lubricating oil. In winter, liquid motor oil, which immediately penetrates into all lubrication points of the engine during cold start, is the first choice. In summer, on the contrary, viscous motor oil is requested, which does not tear off the lubricating film even at high temperatures. Oil classes according to SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers, USA): indicates the viscosity class, for example, SAE 5W-30. The smaller the first number, the better the oil flows in the cold season (W – winter). Oil with the designation 0W lubricates even at minus 30°C, and oil of class 5W increases this value to minus 25°C, 15W – accordingly minus 15°C. The larger the second number, the more temperature-resistant the oil is considered to be at high temperatures. ACEA (Association des Constructeuers Europeen dAutomobiles): the European standards for oil introduced in 1996 replaced the CCMS standards. For carburetor engines, the following groups are offered: A1 (fuel-saving oil), A2 (low-load oil), A3 (oil for heavy-duty operation). For diesel units, a division is given here into B1, B2 and B3. CCMC (Committee des Constructeuers dAutomobiles du Marche Commun): The specification consists of the letters G (petrol) and PD (diesel) and a number. The higher the number, the higher the quality of the oil. API (American Petroleum Institute): the specification consists of the letter S (carburetor engines) and C (diesel engines), as well as subsequent letters. The higher the letter in the alphabet, the higher the quality of the oil.

Motor oil - "learn" from the small print on the can

Conventional all-season oil is quite sufficient for the engine of your Mondeo. However, it is important to know that this "juice" meets the relevant standards. If in doubt, ask your dealer, because suitability should not be judged by the advertising label on the oil can, but by its content. Therefore, read the small print on the can carefully: Ford recommends SAE 5W-30 engine oil for its Mondeo, which meets at least the ACEA A1/B1 and WSS-M2C912-A1 or WSS-M2C913 specifications (diesel oil WSS-M2C913-A or WSS-M2C912-A). If you want to use other grades of oil, they must meet at least the ACEA A3/B3 specification. Oils with the designation API SC, SD, SE or SF (diesel API CC) can even damage your Mondeo.

As soon as the lubricating juice meets the above criteria, you can mix oil grades from different manufacturers. However, you must take into account that the specific properties of the original recipes deteriorate. Each product has its own specific composition, the effectiveness of which may be weakened when mixed with other oils. For this reason, a combination of mineral and synthetic oil also does not make sense. Likewise, you cannot mix pure diesel oils with oils for carburetor engines - in the worst case, this will provoke engine defects.

That puts you on the right track: Mondeo engines are not necessarily designed for expensive synthetic oil. Ford recommends SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade motor oils for our latitude range.

Absolutely normal - low oil consumption

Every engine uses a little oil. Some of it gets into the combustion chamber and participates in the combustion process there. A leaky engine, faulty valve stem gaskets, worn oil scraper rings, too much clearance between the piston and cylinder or too much clearance between the valve guides and the valve stem will all lead to an increase in the normal consumption. When your Mondeo's engine is in good condition, small amounts of oil (0.25 - 0.5 litres) should be added in extreme cases during the prescribed oil change intervals. Diesel engines should not be an exception in this regard either. This only applies to all engines if you change the oil regularly and do not overload your engine with excessively aggressive driving.

Blue tint of exhaust gas is a visual indicator of wear

The blue color of the exhaust gas can indicate the presence of one of the above defects. However, even if the oil level is regularly maintained constant, this is not a reason for joy. Excess fuel and water condensate dilute the engine oil, and its lubricating properties deteriorate. First of all, in winter and mainly when driving short distances, you can observe the following phenomenon - the engine reaches its operating temperature less and less often after a long period of time and the residues may not burn off. In this case, the oil should be changed at shorter intervals; approximately after 6,000 kilometers or once every six months.