Totally reveals oil recipe

Totally reveals oil recipe

What do motorcycles, gasoline or diesel cars and trucks have in common? You need engine oil. But what exactly makes the oils different? Can you pour car oil into a motorcycle or drive a Euro 6 diesel with truck oil? We wanted to know more about it, so we sat down with Martin Reeschuch from the technical support department at Total Austria to tap into his know-how and find out what modern engine lubricants are really about.

Automotive economy: Mr. Reeschuch, what is the difference between two-wheeler, car and truck engine oils?
Martin Reeschuch:The fundamental difference lies in the base oil. Between two thirds and three quarters of the finished end product depends on the base oil. No matter how expensive, sophisticated additives you can mix in, if the base oil is unsuitable, the additives can no longer save it. The selected base oil determines the basic properties. In the areas of application mentioned, we now only speak of synthetic oils, as mineral oils would have certain deficiencies due to modern requirements, for example more frequent change intervals.

The difference isn't just in the base oils, is it?
Of course not. Motor oils for motorcycles, for example, do not contain a special additive: the “friction modifier”, a friction modifier that ensures certain emergency running properties in passenger cars. In addition, most motorcycles also use engine oil to lubricate the gearbox and clutch. If you were to fill in car oil with the right viscosity, the clutch would begin to slip. Motorcycles also have to cope with significantly higher speeds, which places different demands on the lubricant. You don't have to worry about the ash deposits like in diesel cars and trucks. And then economic aspects come into play: with a motorcycle, which is a hobby for most people, oil consumption costs are irrelevant. For cars, oil change intervals are much more important, and for transport or construction companies that have huge fleets, oil consumption is a noticeable cost factor. But: Certain Euro 6 truck lubricants can also be used in Euro 6 diesel cars without any problems and without long-term damage.

Does this mean that the know-how of the lubricant manufacturers lies in the exact formulation of the respective engine oils?
Yes, but not only. Nowadays it is more important to bring as many properties of the end product as possible into the base oil. This is referred to as “functional base oils”. An example: Many 0W-20 oils are used today. In order not to impair the fuel saving potential through additives, attempts are made to impart certain cleaning effects to the base oil in order to avoid having to use the necessary additives later. Which in turn result in an interaction - such as an increase in the amount of sulfate ash - that is not needed in exhaust gas aftertreatment. The sooner you reach the final function, the better. The more suitable the base oil is, the more likely I am to have success with the final product.

What are the lubricant additives all about? Is this a big secret, or does every brand manufacturer know what formula is needed to meet each manufacturer's specifications?
Once you have selected the right base oil, you buy the packages you need from the additive manufacturers. Here again it depends on my selected base oil and what I actually need to meet the specification. Of course, there is active collaboration between the respective specialists. In principle, it is known how to fulfill the respective requirements, although achieving the goal can be a difficult journey. What I would warn you about: adding additional additives to engine oils that have already been additived.

Why, obviously additives are important components in modern engine oils?
That's true, but additives always interact. For example, if I pour a Teflon additive into a fully formulated motor oil to reduce friction, an additive already contained in the lubricant pounces on it and insulates it. The additive that was added for cleaning. Even before the Teflon particles can settle on the cylinder wall, they are bound and isolated. And then you're surprised that carbon deposits are deposited in various places in the engine like in the 1950s because the detergent (cleaning additive, note) has already been used up.

In short: “A lot helps a lot” is rather counterproductive here?
Sometimes. There are additives that are still effective after the fact, but for the average driver, the engine oil that is prescribed by the manufacturer and meets the specified specifications is completely sufficient - because the manufacturers have also thought something about their factory specifications.

The trend towards ever thinner engine oils cannot be overlooked. Why is that? And do you need your own start-stop oils?
The thinner oils are necessary to achieve the correspondingly low CO2 values ​​in the test cycles. You get the most out of it in the warm-up phase, i.e. before the engine has reached its operating temperature. Here you can immediately tell whether the lubricating film is thicker or thinner. There are actually no special start-stop oils. The requirements of the start-stop mechanisms are already included in the standard oils specified by the manufacturer. In my opinion, any fuel economy oil can also be advertised as a start-stop oil if you want to.

“What I would warn you about is adding additional additives to engine oils that have already been added.”MARTIN REESCHUCH, TECHNICAL SUPPORT TOTAL AUSTRIA