No, unless it is the simplest lubricating oil, consisting of almost pure base oil, and there are no prescribed specifications.

No, the OEM either strictly prohibits the use of any aftermarket oil additive or strongly recommends that they be avoided.

Though base oil forms the largest part of lubricant composition, the true performance is given by the additives.

Oil drain intervals are set by the OEM.

No, always observe the oil drain intervals specified in the operating manual or on-board service booklet.

Oil drain intervals can be extended when following maintenance recommendations of OEM together with used oil analysis.

Timely maintenance, quality of spare parts, quality and performance of the oil filter, fuel quality, oil viscosity class, oil specifications, overall engine condition, operating conditions, environmental conditions, etc.

During extremely long drain intervals, oil additives will deplete over time, and contaminants can get into the engine oil during operation.

All lubricant recommendations are written in Owners Manual/User Manual, if the user manual is not available or vehicle is very old, you can always contact your car dealer.

Lubricant manufacturer, lubricant brand, viscosity class, OEM approvals, manufacturing date and batch number.

No, the approvals are usually valid from 2 to 5 years depending on the OEM. Approvals can be extended at the request by the manufacturer provided that the quality of the oil or formulation has not changed.

Usually, you can mix lubricants of the same quality and viscosity class. However, it is advisable to use lubricants in their pure form to unlock their true performance.

In general, any oil is better than nothing at all, but you need to consider the application and the right viscosity grade. Also think about changing the oil as soon as possible.

Using oils not recommended by the OEM can potentially damage the application. When there is a need to top up with unapproved oil it usually means a mixing of used oil with fresh oil. While fresh oil is within specification it can be that a used oil is not well characterised. Used oil may contain high amounts of water, it may have been in service for extremely long periods, it may even be a mixture of products itself and there can be differences in additive chemistry. Also, the performance of the mixed product may be unpredictable and no oil company will guarantee a particular performance level for their product if it has been mixed with a competitor’s grade or a product designed for a different application. Whenever mixing is necessary, only a small amount (10 % of total volume) of the new product should be added to the existing oil.

Mixing mineral oil with any type of synthetic lubricant is usually not recommended although they are compatible with eachother. Mixing lubricants of different base oils always has an impact on the performance level of the final product. Some synthetic base stocks such as polyglycols are incompatible with mineral oil.

Mixing different types of synthetic oils are not recommended. Synthetic lubricants are tailor-made for very specific applications and their individual characteristics may be impaired if they are mixed with others.

Yes, however, there is a possibility that synthetic engine oil with better cleaning characteristics dissolves dirt generated in the engine over time.

The complexity of lubricants is increasing in time due to environmental regulations, fuel composition, engine and after-treatment technology and OEM requirements.

The minimum quality level for engine oils is set by the ACEA European Oil Sequences.

To, the color of the oil varies greatly due to the additives it contains.

No. Although most modern engines run on low viscosity oils to increase fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions, in older engines, low viscosity engine oils may not have sufficient load capacity, resulting in a sharp increase in engine wear.

The right viscosity class ensures lubrication, easy starting and smooth engine operation.