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Tough-Driving Oil

Giving your hard-working engine a helping hand

Proper nutrition is an essential element to every athlete's training regimen to stay ahead, or at least keep up with the competition. Nutrition, however, changes depending on the athlete and sport. The diet for a 125-pound female marathoner is in no way like that of a 320-pound football linebacker. That's because different people require different levels of energy at different times to succeed. Cars and trucks are no different.

Just as athletes vary widely in body and mind (or sport), so do cars in purpose and use. Like athletes, cars require a fuel and maintenance program tailored to their specific needs to ensure optimum performance and long life. For our bodies the proper fuel is served up in four well-known food groups, but for your car the menu is slightly different. The first course is gasoline of the manufacturer's recommended octane rating (or vintage). Next is air, which may vary greatly depending on where you live—a high-quality air filter can help here. And finally motor oil—perhaps the most overlooked aspect of automotive maintenance.

Sure most drivers know to change their motor oil every three months or 3,000 miles—we hope. But how many know that today's oils are highly specialized and formulated to deliver optimum performance and protection based on the type of driving you do? No, we're not talking about whether or not you use your turn signals, or the preferred volume of your stereo. We're talking about the driving habits that impact your engine.

Rough Riders

High performance driving has been around for years, along with oils tailor-made for that purpose. Slightly less known is the idea of tough or severe driving, which refers to driving that occurs under an increased load, such as towing. It also refers to the quick start-and-stop driving commonly found in some commercial vehicles (think of the mailman going door-to-door). These extreme situations often result in premature wear on core engine components and, finally, internal engine failure.

During severe driving, engine temperatures are commonly too high or too low for conventional oils. Cars that are driven only for short periods never reach the proper operating temperature, so water, a natural byproduct of combustion, builds up in the oil. On the other side, engines that operate under heavy load, while towing for example, tend to run at temperatures much higher than normal, causing conventional oils to breakdown much sooner. Over time, cars subjected to tough driving conditions may develop chemical deposits resulting from the byproducts of internal combustion and oil break-down. And left unchecked, tough driving may also result in excessive sludge buildup, which can ultimately lead to complete engine failure.

To manage the stresses of tough driving on today's engines, auto owners can now employ tough-driving oils to prolong the life of their investment. Tough-driving oils are specifically formulated to keep your engine running clean and smooth at a wider range of operating temperatures, as well as help prevent deposits and sludge buildup.

The Secret Formula

The formulation of a tough-driving oil begins with the use of a base oil mixture that is chemically more stable, less prone to burn-off and less impacted by variations in temperature. This higher quality oil also allows easier flow at lower temperatures, which means easier low temperature starts and reduced starting system stress. It also provides increased resistance to contaminants and better oil film maintenance at high temperatures.

The superior base oils are not enough to make an oil truly suitable for tough driving conditions on their own. These conditions pose a higher risk of oxidation, wear and deposit formation. A quality tough-driving oil will also have increased levels of additives, including anti-oxidants, anti-wear agents, detergents and dispersants. These in the proper proportions provide enhanced protection without sacrificing fuel efficiency or negatively impacting emissions.

With all of these benefits, not to mention the value of protecting your sizable investment, using tough-driving oil in your tow vehicle or short-run car, is clearly the best thing you can do to ensure your engine receives the nutrition it needs to keep going, and going, and going.