Services and Information

"We at Century Motors are environmentally responsible and properly dispose of the used oil.

Did you know that the used oil from one oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water - a years' supply for 50 people!"

Oil Change

The oil used in your car has two primary ingredients: base oil and additives. The base oil allows the motor oil to perform its vital function - lubricating the engine's moving parts to protect them against wear and tear caused by friction. The additives provide additional engine protection by helping prevent the oil from deteriorating under the extreme temperature conditions in the engine.

An engine is made up of a large number of important moving parts, such as pistons, crankshaft, valves and the camshaft, etc., and engine oil plays several important roles in ensuring that these all work together properly.

  1. As a lubricant. Reduces friction and wear that occurs when parts move against each other, for example between the cylinder liner and piston ring, or the camshaft.
  2. As a coolant. Absorbs the heat produced in the engine combustion chambers and piston undercrown area, cooling the engine and helping to prevent overheating.
  3. As a sealant. Seals the space between the piston ring and the cylinder liner to prevent combustion pressure (engine power) from escaping.
  4. As a detergent. Prevents waste matter resulting from combustion and impurities produced by oxidation from sticking to the engine interior, helping to keep it clean.
  5. As a rust inhibitor. Neutralises acids produced by combustion gases, preventing rusting and corrosion.

Why do you have to change oil, and what happens if you don't?

Engines work through the process of burning fuels such as gasoline. As a result, non-combustible by-products such as residual gases and soot are produced. Engine oil captures and prevents these impurities from coagulating inside the engine and works to keep it clean but as it does this its effectiveness diminishes. The effects of combustion heat and oxygen in the air can also cause engine oil itself to deteriorate, and therefore it is essential that the oil be replaced after a period of use.

Continuing to use engine oil past the manufacturer's recommended drain interval can cause a build-up of sludge, which could inhibit piston ring movement and in the worst case can cause the oil to become sticky and tar-like, leading to engine trouble. Replacing the oil flushes out the dirt, impurities, water and other particles that adversely affect the engine. To protect your engine and keep it running smoothly, it advisable to change your oil on a regular basis.


What sorts of intervals are recommended for changing engine oil?

The standard criteria for changing engine oil are distance and time. The actual trend for oil change intervals as specified by the manufacturers is trending towards 10-15,000km plus (or once a year), to really keep an engine consistently working in prime condition people often replace their oil at shorter intervals. Furthermore, for vehicles that have higher power output, turbo cars and diesel cars, or those on severe drive cycles, short change cycles are recommended depending upon conditions of use.

It may seem strange, but using your car for short trips only (such as a quick 10 minute or so visit to the local supermarket) means that the engine oil does not heat sufficiently and water and fuel can accumulate in the engine, leading to a build-up of sludge and rust, and causing wear. So, in actual fact, the belief that the car has not covered much distance and therefore changing the oil isn't necessary is misled. The true condition of the engine oil in a car is difficult to assess and careful regular maintenance is important to maintain peak performance.


What is the difference between synthetic oil and mineral oil?

Mineral oil is derived from crude oil. Once gasoline, kerosene, diesel, heavy oil, etc. have been distilled from crude oil, the heavy remaining constituent is refined to produce mineral oil, which forms the main ingredient (often termed the base oil) in some engine oils, gear oil, and so on. Engine oils that are produced using this mineral oil and enhanced with chemical additives, are known as 'mineral based oils'. Since mineral oils are derived from natural products they all have a level of impurities present which reduces performance slightly.

Synthetic oil, on the other hand, is chemically produced from a resource such as naphtha. Compared to mineral oil, it contains almost no impurities and has far superior characteristics, including viscosity and resistance to extreme heat. Because of its extremely high performance and quality synthetic oil, which is chemically engineered, is targeted more toward applications where maximum performance is required.

A combination of these oils, which mixes mineral and synthetic oils together, can be known as 'part synthetic oil'.


Used Oil Management Program

Used oil is exactly what its name implies, any petroleum-based or synthetic that has been used. During normal use, impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water or chemicals, can get mixed in with the oil, so that in time, the oil no longer performs well. Eventually, this used oil must be replaced with virgin or re-refined oil to do the job correctly.

We at Century Motors are environmentally responsible and properly dispose of the used oil. Did you know that the used oil from one oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water - a years' supply for 50 people!