All you need to know about checking the quality of lubricant for the engine before purchasing it. How to distinguish original engine oil from fake How to check machine oil at home

Must be carried out regularly, in accordance with all the recommendations of the manufacturer of the car to avoid any troubleshooting. In some situations, the driver wants to test the quality of the product used by him because of certain features in the process of its operation. Ultimately, such an inspection, accordingly, the driver makes a final decision on whether the engine oil is needed or not.

However, before carrying out such procedures, you need to understand correctly how to check motor oil .

Preparing for verification

Initially, in order to at least be able to check the engine oil, we must get its original sample. Motor oil from the engine is extracted using a special measuring probe almost the same way as its level is checked if necessary.

Further, in order to ultimately, we gained really reliable information from checking engine oil, it is necessary to make the condition of our sample ideally correspond to the condition in which the entire volume of the product is in the engine. For this, the oil is best to remove all after the preliminary launch of the engine of the car to its full warm-up, as well as turn on the cooling system. Subsequently, such a procedure engine is faded and the sample is extracted.

What are the parameters and how to check the quality of engine oil?

If you have not yet disassembled how to check engine oil, the first thing you should look at is the degree of its transparency, as well as its color. If you can easily see the dipstick itself, and the oil itself has a yellow or light brown color, then it is still quite suitable for use.

If the droplet of engine oil is quite cloudy, and it has a dark brown, dark gray or even black, then in this case you found the first indicator that if the oil is even able to provide due efficiency, this efficiency will be on the most The minimum mark, and it should be replaced urgently. In this case, there may be only those oils in which all sorts of additives are used, and in this case the darkening may well be determined by the presence of certain cleaning products or the development of these additives.

Next, to continue checking the car, you need to drop on the usual sheet of filter or standard papers. After a certain waiting time, when the stain left by oil is already driving a little, check the degree of pollution, the color and structure of the remaining deposits.

If, after you started checking the oil, insoluble particles began to be gathered in the center of the left spot, and the kernel itself has a dark brown or completely black color, then you observe the excessive pollution of the oil. If, in the process of rubbing the stains, you also found some metal particles, then this indicates that the testing of motor oil has also shown also destroying processes inside the motor system. In this case, you need to immediately contact specialized auto repair shops so that the masters carefully checked the car, they revealed the source of such particles in the oil and corrected all the problems present.

If you saw a light gray or light brown bezel along the edge of the overshadow spot, these are soluble oxidation products and many other reactions in oil, the number of which will increase over the operation of motor oil and reduce its resource.

Compare oil

In addition to the use of standard methods, how to check engine oilIt is best to achieve maximum efficiency to compare this oil with the one that was in the engine before the last replacement. In this case, you can more clearly draw your attention to the difference in transparency and color drops, and the reference spot on paper will also show the same number of all sorts of impurities formed in the process of its work.

Determine the degree of contamination, the presence of additives, water, antifreeze and fuel in it without special laboratory equipment and reagents.

The method of drip test

This method is based on the study of a paper chromatogram, its visual assessment and measurement of the diameters of the oil drop zones.

Chromatogram consists of 4 zones:

1 – core (The center of the drop), corresponds to the primary zone of the oil drop to its spreading on paper. All heavy insoluble mechanical impurities (dust, dirt, metal particles, soot, coke) settled here. There is no kernel in pure oil.

2 – edge zone In the form of a dark rings. Contains low-soluble organic impurities. None in very clean and very dirty oils. During the operation of the oil, the diameter of its edge zone increases.

3 – diffusion zone Oils with easily soluble organic impurities. It consists of products of oxidation and decomposition of oil additives.

4 – clean oil zone. It is rare enough. His appearance indicates the deterioration of the washing-dispersing properties of the engine oil, or on a certain amount of fuel in it. The wider ring, the greater the amount of fuel is contained in oil.

Performing drip test

To check the washing-dispersing properties of oil and evaluating its degree of contamination by drip sample, it will be necessary to the deoxy filter "Blue Ribbon" or white filter paper.

You can use the filter for the coffee maker. In extreme cases, porous white office paper with a density of 80 g / m 2 will be combined. Smooth, glossy or embossed paper for these purposes is not suitable.

Place the paper strictly horizontally on a smooth surface that does not have absorbent properties. From a height of 5 cm, apply a drop on paper heated to 90 0 s.

Dry a sheet of paper in the oven at a temperature of 100 0 s for 1 hour. At room temperature, the drying will take from 12 to 24 hours.

Upon completion of dripping drops, proceed to the analysis of the results obtained.

Chromatogram analysis

The suitability of engine oil to operation is determined by calculating the CMD washing-dispersing capacity and the coefficient of the presence of mechanical impurities of CMPR. They are calculated, measuring the diameters of the kernel D1, the edge zone D2, the diffusion zone D3 and using simple formulas:

KMD \u003d D3 / D2

CMPR \u003d D1 / D2.

The washing-dispersing capacity of the oil is considered weakened if the KMD is greater than 1.3, the excessive presence of mechanical impurities will indicate the CMPR value above 0.75.

It can be judged on the quality of the oil, visually comparing the characteristics of the chromatogram with the following color tables and diagrams.

Core and edge zone

Diffusion zone

The boundary between the diffusion area and the area of \u200b\u200bpure oil

Clean oil zone

The suitability of the engine oil directly indicates the color of the kernel and the diffusion zone: what they are lighter, the workability of the oil. In the process of oil operation, with an increase in the number of mechanical impurities, the kernel and the diffusion zone on the chromatogram will be purchased a darker shade, and the edge zone will gradually disappear.

As the content of additives and the oil loss decreases its washing-dispersing ability, the chromatogram diffusion zone will decrease, and the area of \u200b\u200bpure oil will affect the outlines and increase significantly in size.

Good luck to you! Nor nail or rod!

Motor oil is one of the main consumables that car owners regularly buy. And the sellers are unclean on the arm they do not miss the opportunity to earn on such a running product. You can jump on the counterfeit when buying both expensive and cheap oil.

The main danger lies in the reduction of the engine motor test due to the inconsistency of the falsification of the stated characteristics. For the manufacture of fake, fraudsters most often use the cheapest mineral oil With a minimum number of additives, or even without them.

The resulting product that already does not match the tolerances of manufacturers becomes too liquid with increasing temperature and, on the contrary, it is thick with its decrease. In both cases, this leads to insufficient lubrication of loaded knots, increased friction in them and premature failure.

Distinguish original oil from fake appearance It is quite difficult, but still there are several ways. That's what you need to pay special attention when choosing and buying.

What to pay attention to when buying engine oil

1. Price

Launched on 10-20% price tag almost certainly talks about fake. Even large dealers with large sales volumes oil manufacturers provide a discount of just a few percent. There can be no speech about small stores: all the shares and sales in them are nothing more than fiction.

It is possible to run into the fake in a large trading network, which sells original oils and has all the necessary certificates. In this case, the wine falls on unscrupulous vendors adding a certain amount of counterfeit to the batch of real oil.

So as not to cause suspicions, scammers most often sell fake oil Only a little cheaper than the original. Therefore, in addition to the price, you need to look at other factors.

2. Place of purchase

In doubtful places like the market or little-known online stores, there are more chances to run into a fake, although everything is not so unequivocal here. In major trading networks, the risk of buying incomprehensible bodhaga at the price of the original is significantly lower, but it is impossible to completely exclude it, unfortunately.

Choosing a place to purchase, follow common sense. Give preference to verified stores and car services that will value with your reputation. If there are problems, decent dealers usually go to meet.

3. Packaging

This is the main way to combat counterfeit. Manufacturers create multistage protection with holograms, two-layer labels, covers with complex seals. The design of the canister is constantly changing, and with all the diversity of oils to consider the differences of each of them simply impossible. Let us dwell on the general signs that will help.

Canister

The original container is made of high-quality plastic (sometimes with splashes), iridescent on the light, like metallic paint. The surface of the canister should be smooth, with smooth seams, as well as without burrs, shells and any other casting defects.

Fake plastic canister is often inhomogeneous. The walls of the container are shifted, the spike places of two halves are clearly visible. In particularly launched cases may even attend nasty smell. Unlike the original, handicraft canisters sin with uneven marking of the oil level scale or using color labels instead of casting.

Cap

The covers on the canices also have several ways to protect. The first is a ring-filling with a mustache, which fixes the lid on the neck and breaks when opening. Some manufacturers are additionally applied to the side surface of the lid and seals barcode or logo. It is impossible to re-combine both parts of the inscription, and it clearly indicates that the canister was opened.

It does not work out without protective holograms that glue on the lid and shimmer into the light. At different angles, they can see changing symbols, original or genuine inscriptions, indicating the authenticity of the product. Some of the holograms are destroyed when opening the canister.

In fake holograms or absent or are static.

Often fraudsters do not bother with repetition of the Röbebert cover, making them narrower, or forget to perform engraving. On the feeding, the cover is often held without a locking ring on a seal, and trite with glue. Maybe the opposite - when the lid dangles and the oil begins to drip, if you turn over the canister upside down.

Label

The most complex element of packaging, equally, employee for both information and protection. The appearance of the label should not cause any suspicion. All manufacturers original oils Use labels with high-quality printing. They are pasted exactly and without bubbles, and it's not so easy to pose their nail.

The fake will give a poor-quality label with poor printing, uneven fonts, or even alto spelling. Images and colors on counterfeit products look faded and blurred. Gradients and flower transitions are missing.

Manufacture date

Other important features that will immediately issue a fake is the date of manufacture, the party number and shelf life. In the original oils, the production date makes itself up to a second and cannot be the same on different canices. The dates stamp must be clear, no blows and other flaws on it are not allowed.

At the bottom of the canister usually indicates the date of manufacture of the container itself. Of course, it must be earlier than the production of oil, and coincide with the label specified on the label. It is also worth paying attention to the presence of marks of the shelf life and the party number. Often they are absent on fakes.

How not to run into the fake

It is best to buy oil from official representatives and in large stores working directly with oil manufacturers and their distributors.

Find regional dealers and official sales points on the site of the oil producer. There is also easy to check whether the chosen store is an authorized partner or not. The appropriate information is on the websites of Shell, Mobil, Castrol, Liqui Moly, Zic, Elf, Total and other oil producers.

When buying, it will be worth checking out from the seller a dealer certificate confirming the originality of products. The document is assigned to the manufacturer's seal and may contain holograms. Usually such certificates are stored in the store's office in the frame in the prominent place.

If doubts arose already after purchase, then for authentication, you can take advantage of special services that manufacturers themselves provide. For example, Castrol will allow the unique twelve-digit code from the hologram on the canister by SMS, through mobile app, on the site or by call to hot line. In a similar way, other companies are also working.

How to understand what you bought fake engine oil

1. Difficult launcher Engine. Poor quality oil overly thick at low temperatures. In addition to the lack of a launch, it entails insufficient lubricant and failure of loaded engine nodes.
2. Elevated oil consumption. The need for a constant teller also indicates a fake, especially if it was not observed before the replacement. The reason lies in the banal oil burnout during operation due to non-compliance with the parameters.
3. Change of consistency during freezing. Dedovsky method allowing to check fake. If doubts arise, you can take some oil and put in the freezer for several hours. With the original oil nothing happens, the counterfeach is simply will frozen and become drum.

Anyway, with any suspicions, it is still better to merge dubious oil and replace it with good. The cost of buying another canister will be an order of magnitude less than on the engine repair.

How to distinguish from fakes popular oils

Finally, consider the key signs of original oils of popular manufacturers and the types of protection they use.

Castrol

Castrol cans and even barrels for wholesalers are numbered by unique codes on holograms that allow you to check the oil to originality through the official

Check the quality of engine oil in all parameters at home is an almost unreal task due to the lack of special equipment. But to estimate the condition of the mixture, plus it is possible to determine the need for its replacement to a new one.

Starting a fluid test at home, follow:

• warm engine;
• stop force aggregate, allow the mixture the mixture from the engine to the pallet;
• get the dipstick, drop some quantity motor fluid on a white napkin or sheet of paper;
• leave the napkin in the horizontal position of the hour at 2 (more than);
• determine the condition of the fluid for the left-handed spot.

Figure 1. Oil stain

After testing to test the quality of engine oil at home, we obtained the result shown in Figure 1.

Let's analyze the condition of the mixture of the mixture. To do this, highlight the zones:

• 1 - core, denote its diameter D1, mm;
• 2 - the edge zone of the nucleus - d2, mm;
• 3 - dispersed zone, denoted by D, mm;
• 4 - Clean oil zone, is not needed for calculations, there may be absent when testing.

Calculate the area of \u200b\u200bdiffusion characterizing the dispersing abilities of the engine fluid by the formula: DS \u003d 1- (d2) 2 / d 2. The resulting number should exceed 0.3 conventional units, otherwise the dispersing properties of the fluid is bad - the mixture is replaced.

Checking the properties of motor oil at home - video

Visual estimate

Not every car enthusiast will want to make calculations to assess the quality of the car. Therefore, taking a sample from the engine, having obtained an oil stain, estimate the state of the fluid according to the criteria:

1. The edges of the spots are smooth - good detergents of the mixture, there is no water.
2. The drop spread out, formed several zones - the mixture is not old.
3. The motor mixture is thick, does not spread - the liquid requires replacement.
4. The presence on the metal particles on the napkin - internal parts are abrase in the motor, oil does not have good anti-emission properties.
5. Brown, gray bezel along the edges of the stains - there are insoluble particles formed in the oxidation reaction. The fluid must be replaced: with an increase in the mileage, the amount of impurities increases.

To facilitate the task, point out: the machine shown in Figure 1 is satisfactory:

• it has good dispersion properties: DS \u003d 1- (d2) 2 / d 2 \u003d 1-17 2/31 2 \u003d 1-289 / 961 \u003d 1-0.3 \u003d 0.7 conventional units;
• has smooth edges;
• spread, forming four zones.

Motor mixture - Figure 2 It is better to replace.

Figure 2. Oil stain

Evaluating the quality of engine oil at home, take a lubricant for the standard that was poured initially if you have a canister with a car. Compare the mixture of the canister with a liquid extracted from the exhaust engine.

Many car enthusiasts before the fill of the acquired mixture into the engine pour some new oil into a plastic cup, give it to stand up two days without any impact. This method allows you to estimate the quality of the engine fluid: the product that smelled to the fraction is not worth using for the motor.

The effective method for determining the fluidity will leave some liquid in the cold in the winter for 12 hours (winter oil or all-season oil), then check whether the liquid should be crystallized - fluidity is the main condition for starting the motor without warming up.

Summer oil classes are heated in a container on the plate and look, whether the mixture will burst, if the fluid is withstanding the temperature test, retain its structure - it can be used in summer with a large motor load and high temperatures Beyond the car.

By purchasing engine oil, use the specified methods, make sure that the mixture will protect the engine from premature wear. Remember, there are situations where the oil needs to be replaced earlier than the planned replacement, you can learn about this by using the "oil stain" method.

What distinguishes oil 5w - 40 from 10w - 40? What engine oil is better: Shell, Mobile or Castrol? What kind of oil must be poured into a diesel engine?

Affects the normal operation of the engine, its resource, fuel consumption, dynamic characteristics Machines, as well as the amount of lubricating fluid leaving in the avgar. All performance indicators of engine oil can be found only with the help of complex chemical analysis. However, the most important of them, speaking that the lubricating fluid should be urgently changed, can be checked independently.

How to check oil quality

Appearance canister and labels on it

Currently, in stores, along with licensed oils there are many fakes. And it applies to almost all lubricating fluidsrelated to the medium and highest price range (for example, Gazpromneft, total, LUKOIL and other). Their manufacturers are attempting to protect their products as much as possible. Last Trend - Online check using codes, QR code or visiting the manufacturer's website. The universal recommendation in this case does not exist, since each manufacturer solves this problem in its own way.

However, for sure when you purchase, you need to check the quality directly canisters and labels on it. Naturally, it should cause operational information about the fuel in the canister (viscosity, standards API and ACEA, automakers tolerances, and so on).

If the font on a label of low quality, it is pasted at an angle, easily dugs - then, most likely, before you counterfeit, and, accordingly. From buying it is better to refrain.

Definition of mechanical impurities

Motor oil quality control can be carried out with a magnet and / or two glass plates. To do this, take a small amount (about 20 ... 30 grams) of the oil tested, and put an ordinary little magnet in it, and give to stand for a few minutes. If there are many ferromagnetic particles in the oil, most of them adhere to the magnet. They can be seen visually or touch the magnet to the touch. If there is a lot of similar garbage - such a bad quality oil and it is better not to use it.

Another test method in this case is using glass plates. To check, you need to put 2 ... 3 drops of oil on one glass, and after it is confused on the surface with the second. If in the process of rubbing the metal creak or crunch will be heard, and even more so, mechanical impurities will be felt - then refuse to use it.

Oil quality control on paper

Another simplest test is to put a sheet of clean paper at an angle of 30 ... 45 ° and drop a couple of droplets of the tested oil on it. Part of it is absorbed into the paper, and the rest of the volume is cut through a paper surface. To this follower and you need to carefully look at.

Oil should not be very thick and extremely dark (as a resin or tar). The following should not be observed small black points that are metal expenses. There should also be no separate dark spots, the oil trail should be homogeneous.

If the oil is of dark color, but it is quite liquid and clean, then, most likely, they can still be used, and it is quite good quality. The fact is that any oil when entering the engine literally when running a few tens of kilometers, it starts to darken, and this is normal.

Tests at home

You can also conduct tests with a small amount of purchased oil, especially if you for any reason you doubt it. For example, a small amount (grams of 100 ... 150) put in a glass glass or flask and leave for a couple of days. If the oil is low-quality, then the likelihood is that it will be stirred by fractions. That is, there will be heavy parts on the bottom, and on top - lungs. Naturally use such an engine oil is not worth it.

Another small amount of oil can be frozen in the freezer or on the street, provided that there is a very low temperature. This will give an approximate understanding of low-temperature characteristics. This is especially true for cheap (or fake) oils.

All-season oils are sometimes heated in a tiglet on an electric stove or in a brass cabinet at a constant temperature close to 100 degrees Celsius. Such experiments allow us to judge how quickly the oil burns out, and whether it is not separated by the factions mentioned above.

Viscosity at home can be checked with a funnel with a thin neck (about 1-2 mm). To do this, take the same amount of new (with the same declared viscosity) oil and lubricating fluid from the crankcase. And pour each oil in a dry funnel alternately. Using the clock (stopwatch), it is possible to easily calculate how many drops of one and the second oil jumps in the same time. If these values \u200b\u200bare very different - then the oil in the crankcase is desirable to replace. However, the decision to take this and on the basis of other analytical data.

Indirect confirmation of oil yield is its grown smell. Especially if there are many impurities in it. When such an aspect is revealed, it is necessary to carry out additional checks, and if necessary, replace the lubricating fluid. Also an unpleasant grown smell may appear in case low level Oils in the crankcase, so in parallel check this indicator.

Another "home" test. The algorithm for its implementation is the following:

• warm up the engine operating temperature (or skip this step, if it is already done);
• drown out the engine and open the hood;
• take the rag, get the oil dipstick and gently wipe it dry;
• again shove the probe in his planting and get from there;
• visually to estimate how the oil drop is formed on the dipstick and whether it is formed at all.

If the drop has an average thickness (and not very liquid and not thick), then such oil still can be used and not changed. In the case, if instead of the formation of a drop, the oil simply flows over the surface of the probe (and even more so it is very dark), then such an oil is subject to a speedy replacement.

Value for money

The ratio of low prices and high-quality oil can also be an indirect attribute that sellers are trying to implement counterfeit. No self-respecting oil producer will not significantly reduce the price of its products, so you should not succumb to disposure of unscrupulous vendors.

Try to buy motor oils in proven stores with a contract with official representatives (dealers) producers of lubricating liquids.

Drip sample oil

However, the most common way, with which you can determine the quality of the oil is a drip sample method. It was invented by Shell in 1948 in the United States, and with the help of it you can quickly check the condition of the oil with only one of his drop. And it can even make a newcomer driver. True, this test sample is used most often not for fresh, but for the already used oil.

With the help of a drip test, you can not only determine the quality of the engine oil, but also check the following parameters:

• state of rubber gaskets and engine seals;
• motor oil properties;
• the state of the engine as a whole (in particular, whether it needs in major repairs);
• determine when you need to change the oil in the machine motor.

Algorithm for performing a test oil test

How to make a drip sample? For this you need to act according to the following algorithm:

1. Heat the engine to the operating temperature (one can approximately + 50 ... + 60 ° C, so as not to burn when taking the sample).
2. Prepare a pure white sheet of paper in advance (its size does not matter much, the standard A4 sheet is folded in two or four layers).
3. Open the filler cover of the crankcase, and with the help of the probe to apply one or two drops on a sheet of paper (at the same time you can check the level of engine oil in the engine).
4. Wait 15 ... 20 minutes so that the oil is pretty much absorbed into the paper.

Assessment of the quality of engine oil occurs in the form and appearance of the resulting oil stain.

Please note that the quality of the engine oil is worsening on the exponential law, that is, avalanche-like. This means that than older oil - The faster it loses its protective and detergents.

How to determine the quality of oil by type of spots

First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the color of individual four zones formed within the stain boundaries.

1. The central part of the stain is the most important! If the oil is low-quality, then there are usually particles of soot and mechanical impurities. For natural reasons, they cannot absorb paper. As a rule, the central part of the stain is darker than others.
2. The second part is the directly oil stain. That is, the oil that has absorbed into paper and does not have additional mechanical impurities. The darker the oil is the older. However, additional parameters are needed for the final solution. W. diesel engines The oil will be darker. Also, if Diesel is strongly "smoking", then in the drip sample there is often the boundary between the first and the second zone, that is, the color changes smoothly.
3. The third zone removed from the center is represented by water. Its presence in oil is undesirable, but non-critical. If there are no water - the edges of the zone will be smooth, close to the circumference. If there is water - the edges will be more zigzag. Water in oil can have two origins - this is condensate and coolant. The first case is not so terrible. If antifreeze on the basis of glycol got into the oil, then a yellow ring, the so-called crown will take place on top of the zigzag border. If there is a lot of mechanical sediments in oil, then soot, dirt and impurities can be not only in the first, but also in the second and even the third circular zone.
4. The fourth zone is represented by the presence of fuel in oil. Therefore, in good engines of this zone should not be or it will be minimal. If the fourth zone takes place, then the engine revision is necessary. The greater the diameter of the fourth zone, the fuels in oil more, which means, and there should be more concerns of the car owner.

Sometimes an additional test is carried out to assess the availability of water in oil. So, for this, the paper is burned. When the third zone is burning, then a characteristic crackling sound is distributed, similar to a similar crack in the burning of raw firewood. The presence of even a small amount of water in oil can lead to the following unpleasant consequences:

• Worsen protective properties Oil. This is due to fast wear Washing and dispersing additives in contact with water, and this, in turn, leads to increased wear of the part of the piston group and speeds up the engine contamination.
• Pollutants are increasing in size, thereby scoring oil channels. And this negatively affects the lubrication of the engine.
• The hydrodynamics of lubrication of bearings increases, and this negatively affects them.
• The freezing temperature (frozen) oil in the motor increases.
• Changes in the engine, it becomes fat, albeit slightly.

With the help of a drip method, you can also find out how good the dispersing properties in the oil is. This indicator is expressed in conditional units and is calculated according to the following formula: DS \u003d 1 - (D2 / D3) ², where D2 is the diameter of the second zone of the oil spots, and the D3 is the third. Measure better in millimeters for convenience.

It is believed that the oil has satisfactory dispersing properties if the DS value is not lower than 0.3. Otherwise, oil requires an urgent replacement for a better (fresh) lubricating fluid. Specialists are recommended conduct drone test of engine oil every and a half or two thousand kilometers car.

The result of the test of the drip sample is reduced to the table

Remember that color changes in the same side does not always talk about changes in the characteristics of the oil. We have already mentioned folly blackening. However, if the car installed gas equipment (HBO), on the contrary, the oil can not be black and even have a more or less light shade even with a significant mileage of the machine. But this does not mean that they can be used forever. The fact is that in combustible gases (methane, propane, butane) from nature less than additional mechanical impurities, which pollute the oil. Therefore, even if the oil in the car with HBO does not get dark to a large extent, it still needs to be changed according to the schedule.

Advanced Drip Sample Method

Above the classic method of performing drip samples was described. However, currently more and more motorists enjoys a more advanced method developed by Motorcheckup AG, located in Luxembourg. In general, it represents the same procedure, however, instead of the usual clean sheet of paper, the company offers a special paper "filter", in the center of which is a special filter paper, where you need to drop a small amount of oil. As in the classic test, the oil will spread into four zones for which it will be possible to judge the state of lubricating fluid.

In some modern engines (for example, the TFSI series from the concern VAG) mechanical probes were replaced by electronic. Accordingly, the car owner is deprived of the opportunity to independently take the oil sample. In such cars there is both an electronic level and a special quality sensor and an oil condition in the car.

The principle of operation of the oil quality sensor is based on the control of the change in dielectric oil permeability, which varies depending on the oxidation and the amount of impurities in oil. In this case, it remains to hope for "smart" electronics or seek help in a service center so that their employees checked the oil in the engine crankcase of your car.

Some manufacturers of motor oils, for example, Liqui Moly. (Molygen series) and Castrol (EDGE, Professional series) are added to the composition of lubricate liquids, glowing in ultraviolet rays. Therefore, in this case, the originality can be checked using the appropriate flashlight or lamp. Such a pigment is maintained for several thousand kilometers of run.

Portable Pocket Oil Analyzer

Modern technical capabilities Allow the quality of oil is not only "to the eye" or using the drop test described above, but also with the help of additional hardware. In particular, we are talking about portable (pocket) oil analyzers.

In general words, the procedure for working with them is to put a small amount of lubricating fluid on the working sensor of the device, and the analyzer itself, with the help of its software tools determine how good or bad is its composition. Of course, he will not be able to fulfill full-fledged chemical analysis and give detailed information about certain characteristics, however, to obtain a common picture of the state of engine oil for the driver of the information provided, it is quite enough.

In fact, such devices have a large amount, and accordingly, their capabilities and features of the work may differ. However, most often, like popular Lubrichek, they are an interferometer (instruments operating on the physical principle of interference), with which the following (or some of the listed) indicators can be defined for oils:

• number of soot;
• degree of oxidation;
• nitigation degrees;
• degree of sulfate;
• phosphoric antisaded additives;
• water content;
• glycol content (antifreeze);
• diesel fuel contents;
• gasoline content;
• total acid number;
• total alkaline number;
• viscosity (viscosity index).

Characteristics of motor oils

In physical and chemical analysis of engine oil: viscosity index, ash content, alkaline numbers And other indicators. What does it say about? Consider the impact of the basic technical characteristics on the quality and properties of the engine lubricant

The size of the device, its specifications And so on can be very different. The most advanced models are displayed on the screen the check results for a few seconds. They can transmit and receive data through the USB standard. Such devices can even be used in quite serious chemical laboratories.

However, the most simple and cheap samples are simply shown in points (for example, on a 10-point scale) the quality of the test engine oil. Therefore, for the ordinary car enthusiast, it is easier to use exactly such devices, especially considering the difference in their price.