How Does Motor Oil Protect an Engine?

Minimizes Internal Engine Wear

Motor oil helps to protect an engine by reducing internal engine wear and friction. As the parts of an engine operate, friction is created. A natural by-product of friction is wear and tear. Motor oil lightly coats the internal engine parts and makes them extremely slippery, which enables them to slide against each other much more easily, reducing overall engine wear and tear.

Absorbs Engine Debris and Wear Particles

Motor oil helps to protect an engine by picking up and carrying away engine debris and wear particles. As an engine operates, small pieces of metal and debris are created through friction. Motor oil, as it circulates within an engine, picks up these wear and debris particles and carries them out of the engine and into the oil filter, where they are deposited.

Disperses Engine Heat

Engine heat is a big factor in engine wear. The higher the operating temperature of a car's engine, the more wear and friction that is produced. Motor oil, in additon to lubricating an engine's internal parts, helps to reduce the operating temperature of an engine by absorbing some of the engine heat created during engine operation. As motor oil circulates throughout an engine, much of the engine heat is picked up by the circulating oil and dispersed as it heads towards the oil filter. Motor oil helps to protect an engine by helping to lower its operating temperature.

Enables Easier Cold Starting

An engine experiences tremendous amounts of wear when it is first started, especially after sitting for long periods of time. Motor oil, even within an engine that has been sitting for long periods, leaves a light coat of oil on the internal parts of an engine, which reduces the wear and tear when a cold, or idle, engine is started for the first time. This reduction in starting-related wear and tear protects an engine from a significant source of deterioration.