Oil Changes Done Right in Autumn and Winter

As automobiles become more widespread, more and more people own cars, yet many owners know little about vehicle maintenance — especially the more technical matter of lubricant replacement, which leaves many first-time car owners at a loss. For guidance on choosing and changing lubricants in autumn and winter, our reporter interviewed experts from Kunlun Lubricants.
Single-grade and Multi-grade Oils Differ
According to the experts, lubricant products tend to thicken and flow less readily at low temperatures, and in cold weather it takes longer for the lubricant to warm up and reach the parts requiring lubrication, making vehicles harder to start. Therefore, in the cold autumn and winter months, lubricants with lower viscosity and a lower pour point should be chosen for more effective lubrication.
The experts also explained that lubricants fall into single-grade and multi-grade types, and the two have different replacement conditions. Single-grade oils that meet only a low- or high-temperature viscosity grade must be replaced when the season changes. Multi-grade oils basically suit the environmental conditions of most parts of China, so vehicles using multi-grade oil need only be serviced according to the specified mileage interval.
Higher-grade Products Can Replace Lower-grade Ones
Different lubricant grades come with different quality levels, the expert noted. Higher-quality lubricants help reduce wear and extend engine life. In addition, higher-grade lubricants can replace lower-grade products. For example, if a vehicle manual specifies CD-grade oil, then CE, CF-4 and CH-4 diesel engine oils will all meet the vehicle's requirements.
More oil is not always better. Excessive lubricant can actually have a negative impact on the vehicle. Normally, filling slightly below the maximum mark on the dipstick is sufficient.
Choose a Reputable Oil Change Centre
Because changing lubricant requires some skill, most car owners in China do not buy oil and do it themselves. To ensure the quality of the oil change, the experts advise owners to have their vehicles serviced at reputable oil change outlets. For example, starting in November this year, Kunlun Lubricants opened six Kunlun Quick Oil Change Centres in Beijing in succession, and also established quick oil change centres in Shanghai, Lanzhou, Daqing and other cities.
Kunlun Quick Oil Change Centres were established in keeping with Kunlun's philosophy of caring, aiming to provide owners with high-quality, convenient service. The centres use only Kunlun-brand lubricants, fully guaranteeing oil quality. After driving into a centre, owners have their oil changed by professional staff in just over ten minutes, with no labour charge. The centres also offer a range of free value-added services such as air conditioning system checks, brake inspections and engine spark plug inspections, making them arguably the best choice for consumers changing their engine oil.