LUBE TALK

TALKING LUBRICANTS

What are Lubricants?? – Take a look

  • Any lubricant (colloquially known as “lube”) is typically a viscous substance introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction and wear between them.   Worldwide, more than 75 million tonnes of lubricants are consumed annually of which, automotive engine lubricants comprise approximately 50%
  • Hydraulic fluids with transmission oils comprise 30% of lubricants volume-wise.
  • Typically lubricants contain between 85 & 90% base oil (most often petroleum fractions, called mineral oils) and approximately, 10 to 15% additives. Vegetable or synthetic fluids are sometimes used as base oils.   Additives deliver reduced friction and wear, increased viscosity, resistance to corrosion and aging, etc.   Sodium and lithium based additives are used in automotive greases to stabilize the grease against high temperatures.  This is particularly important in the grease used to pack wheel bearings, and especially those used with disc braking systems.
  • Non-liquid lubricants include grease, powders (dry graphite, PTFE, Molybdenum disulfide, etc.), Teflon tape used in plumbing, air cushion and others.
  • We at Datex Energy, offer our customers and business partners a wide and comprehensive range of lubricants, greases and specialties, which are of the highest international standards.
  • As a front runner in Petroleum and Lubrication technology, Datex Energy undertakes to search for new dimensions in product development to meet the needs of an ever-changing global marketplace.  Backed by over a century of manufacturing, research & development experience, we are in a position to provide our valued customers very high quality products that go beyond the edge of lubricant technology. With the use of selected petroleum base oils and high performance additive technology, we provide products that are more than value for money.

Looking at Lubricants in-depth

Lubricants in the form of oils play one of the most important roles in the preservation of your equipment. They are vital in preventing wear and distributing heat from friction, as well as in cleaning your engine.   But it’s not only the engine that requires lubricants; other parts of your equipment must be supplied with clean lubricants of the appropriate standard in order to maximize performance and minimize wear.

Friction and the role of lubricants

Friction is generated when two surfaces pass close together, rubbing and creating drag and heat in the process. Any place in your equipment where parts move against other parts generates friction, and this causes both wear on the parts and generates heat which must be dissipated.   Anything which minimizes contact between the surfaces and thus reduces friction is a lubricant, even sound.

The other role of lubricants is to ‘wash’ particles off the moving parts. Tiny particles such as dust can rub and grind the surfaces, causing damage.

Lubricants in your equipment

Your equipment uses lubricants in several places, all of which are vital to its continued functioning.   If your equipment is an automobile, besides the engine, your vehicle requires lubricants in the transmission (auto) or gear box (manual), the brakes, and the hydraulics

  • The most commonly used lubricants in the world are motor oils. These are usually a by – product of petroleum production, called mineral oils, and make up about 90% of the oil your engine uses
  • Other bases used for engine oils are composed of synthetic liquids. These include esters, fluorocarbons, silicon and polyolefin.
  • The other 10 % of motor oil is made up of additives. These improve the performance of the oil by protecting the engine or parts, and improving your car’s performance. They do this by increasing the viscosity of the oil, protecting the engine from corrosion or oxidation, and protecting from contamination and ageing
  •  Many lubricants are now also designed to minimize emissions and reduce environmental impact of driving
  • It is essential that a car’s engine, gears and hydraulics have clean, full oil reserves. This should be done at a full service, but also check these things yourself fortnightly. If you change your own oil, never put it in waterways, down drains or in waste dumps, and never use it to kill weeds, protect woodwork or as heating oil. It should be collected in drums and disposed of by a recycler
  • Use the highest quality oil in your car to maximize its lifespan. Cheaper synthetic oils use low quality esters.   Better quality polyester bases offer better engine protection
  • An oil’s viscosity (its thickness, or resistance to motion), is measured by a number followed by a ‘w’, which denotes the viscosity of the oil when cold.   The higher viscosity, the better protection is offered.   Multiple viscosity oils offer the same protection at different temperatures; normally oil gets thinner as it heats

Follow your equipment manufacturer’s recommendations for oil and ensure the maximum lifespan of its parts.

The role of lubricants in your equipment

Lubricants, whether made from mineral oils or synthetic bases, are vital to the performance of your equipment as well as its lifespan.    Using high quality oils in the engine, hydraulics and gears or transmission is the best way to reduce friction and keep parts clean.    Take care of the vehicle in this easy way, and ensure maximum reliability and performance.

SELF HELP

How to Check Your Oil

Checking your engine oil is an essential task in maintenance.   Without the proper level of oil, your engine is put under unwanted stress and can become damaged severely.    It is highly recommended to check your oil once a week.   Make it a habit before every long journey

Instructions

KEEP THESE HANDY:

  • Quart of Motor Oil
  • Paper Towels
  • Rags
  • Funnel
  • Park the car on a level surface.

Do the following:

  • To get the most accurate reading you want to check your oil when the engine is cold.
  • Pull the hood release lever under the dashboard.
  • Walk around the front of the car, reach under the hood, find the latch and squeeze it. As you squeeze the latch, open the hood.
  • Find the dipstick. This is a long piece of metal sticking out of the engine with a loop at one end, usually located near the center of the engine. Many times it will be labeled with the word “Oil” or brightly colored.
  • Pull on the loop and draw the dipstick all the way out.
  • Wipe the oil off the dipstick with a paper towel or shop rag.
  • Replace the clean dipstick, making sure to push it all the way in, then pull it back out and hold it horizontally in front of you.
  • Look at the pointy end of the dipstick. If the oil on the dipstick is below the line marked “full,” add a small amount of oil. Many dipsticks simply have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines.
  • Add the oil by unscrewing the oil filler cap, which is about 3 inches in diameter and located on the very top of the engine. It will usually be marked with the words “Engine Oil”.
  • Check the oil level with the dipstick after adding oil. Add more if necessary. It’s easier to add more oil several times, then to take oil out.
  • Put the oil filler cap back on and secure it tightly.
Here is a general video showing how to check various fluid levels in your vehicle.

Let us also show you in the video below HOW OIL PRESSURE WORKS

& HOW OIL PRESSURE CAN BE CHECKED

You are invited to visit www.ericthecarguy.com for audio-visual information on vehicle maintainence and care

We also trust visitors to this site have found the video informative.

Selecting the right oil.

Novice do-it-yourselfers are regularly overwhelmed by auto parts store shelves stocked to the ceiling with a rainbow of colored engine oil bottles. Even experienced people can be confused by boastful but carefully hedged claims, new-fangled certifications and confusing specifications.   Also called motor oil, engine oil is one of the most complex, extensively tested and continuously improved components for your engine.  But it’s also among the least understood. Here’s the information to help you make the best choice.

The long and short of it:

For most, here’s all you need to know: Buy a brand – name oil that exactly matches your engine manufacturer’s specifications and certification requirements, and change your oil according to the maker’s recommendations. That will allow your engine to offer maximum performance and last as long as possible. Disastrous consequences await those who deviate from the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Visitors to this site are reminded that the information given above is general in nature and any maintenance carried out on equipment should be done only as per the equipment owners manual and as recommended by the O.E.M.