{"id":83453,"date":"2023-05-15T19:28:15","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T02:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=83453"},"modified":"2024-12-19T06:35:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T14:35:54","slug":"oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil In the Engine: What Does It Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column83453_ee642c-d2 inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-a0c730  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-deea03\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading83453_fdbf35-88\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The engine oil&rsquo;s main function is to eliminate friction by lubricating the moving parts of the engine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also helps cool down the engine. However, take note that the cooling system is still primarily responsible for cooling your engine with the help of the radiator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Soot and combustion byproducts can accumulate in your engine and jeopardize its efficiency. This is why it&rsquo;s important to regularly change your engine oil change to flush these things out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Engines must have an oil film separating the moving parts to prevent the engine from destroying itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having regular oil changes and keeping the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/motor-oil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"engine oil\">engine oil<\/a> topped off is a critical aspect of engine maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are Engine Oil&rsquo;s Main Functions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lubrication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/engine-oil-basics-sae-ratings-viscosity-additives-and-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Engine oil\">Engine oil<\/a> practically eliminates friction between moving parts in the engine. The hardest working lubricated parts are the connecting rod and main bearings, followed by the piston rings and cylinder walls, and then the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/camshaft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"camshafts\">camshafts<\/a> with their bearings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The hardest working lubricated parts are the connecting rod and main bearings, followed by the piston rings and cylinder walls, and then the camshafts with their bearings.<\/p>\n<cite><em>&ndash;&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\">Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"923\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed-1024x923.jpg\" alt=\"2007 chevy cobalt engine parts destroyed\" class=\"wp-image-84712\" style=\"width:1024px;height:923px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed-1024x923.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed-300x270.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed-768x692.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed-1536x1384.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed-150x135.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2007-chevy-cobalt-engine-parts-destroyed.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Metal components will grind against each other and weld themselves together without engine oil to prevent it. The 2007 Chevy Cobalt engine parts shown in the photo were destroyed after the driver hit a piece of metal in the road and breached the engine oil pan. This engine had to be replaced. | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cooling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that intense heat is being created inside the combustion chamber, the oil flowing inside the engine also plays a role in cooling down the engine. However, since oil doesn&rsquo;t pass through a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/radiator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"radiator\">radiator<\/a> or heat exchanger which cools the oil, the vehicle&rsquo;s cooling system is still mainly responsible for cooling because it uses a radiator to dissipate the heat collected by the coolant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cleaning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Combusting fuel produces soot, acids, and combustion byproducts that typically get ejected from the exhaust. However, sometimes these materials can pass through gaskets and piston rings. Engine operation also creates tiny pieces of abrasive metal as a result of metal components rubbing against each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without oil to carry these contaminants, soot, and combustion byproducts can create deposits that would hinder engine performance and efficiency, while the tiny pieces of abrasive metal can also accelerate wear and tear. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-change-your-oil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Regularly changing your engine oil\">Regularly changing your engine oil<\/a> is important because after 7,500 to 10,000 miles, your vehicle&rsquo;s oil can have too many contaminants and becomes less effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/logos\/badge_wordmark\/full_color\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does Oil Work in a Car?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When oil is pumped through the engine under pressure, it leaves behind a film that makes the surface slippery. This film significantly slows down engine wear because it prevents metal-to-metal contact between components. These occur between valve stems and their guides. Metal-to-metal contact also occurs between the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/piston\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"pistons\">pistons<\/a> and cylinder walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engine oil doesn&rsquo;t just sit inside your engine and slush around except in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/oil-pan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"oil pan\">oil pan<\/a>, which is the reservoir that contains the engine oil. The oil pump draws oil in, pressurizes it through the oil filter and then through a series of passages called the &ldquo;oil gallery.&rdquo; The oil then drains back into the oil pan where the process starts all over. Some elements of the engine aren&rsquo;t lubricated with pressurized oil. They depend on splash oil lubrication, such as the cylinder walls where the pistons travel with their sealing rings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer-1024x703.jpg\" alt=\"diagram showing oil pump relief valve and pickup tube with strainer\" class=\"wp-image-84714\" style=\"width:1024px;height:703px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer-1024x703.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer-1536x1055.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer-150x103.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/diagram-showing-oil-pump-relief-valve-and-pickup-tube-with-strainer.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Diagram showing oil pump, relief valve, and pickup tube with strainer | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Vehicles can either have a wet sump or dry sump oil system in their vehicle. Wet sump systems typically have much larger pans at the bottom of the engine and only a single oil pump. The oil pans in dry sump systems are shallower, with a separate reservoir and two or more oil pumps. A dry sump system has several distinct advantages, such as a lower center of gravity because it uses a shallower oil pan and flexible oil capacity, which can lead to improved cooling. It also allows the engine to sustain high g-forces in corners without losing oil pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oil is extremely important for an engine. It allows it to function for decades and travel hundreds of thousands of miles without needing much maintenance. This is why it&rsquo;s important to keep your engine topped off with oil and change its oil on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to Get New Motor Oil for Your Vehicle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know more about what oil does in your engine, it&rsquo;s easy to see why it&rsquo;s so important. If you don&rsquo;t periodically replace your vehicle&rsquo;s engine oil or you don&rsquo;t top it up when it&rsquo;s running low, your vehicle can have issues like overheating, accelerated engine wear, and more. It&rsquo;s also best to keep a spare bottle of motor oil around for emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, CarParts.com offers a wide range of different motor oils on our easy-to-navigate website. What&rsquo;s more, we make ordering as convenient and as easy as possible. Once you&rsquo;ve picked the type of oil that suits your engine, you can proceed through our safe and convenient checkout. We&rsquo;ll ship your order of motor oil straight to your door. It&rsquo;ll be quick too, thanks to our strategically located warehouses. Your order can arrive in as fast as two working days if you&rsquo;re within the continental US and order by 12 PM ET.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&rsquo;t wait until you&rsquo;re in desperate need of motor oil before buying some. Have a spare quart or two ready just in case. Buy new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/motor-oil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"motor oil\">motor oil<\/a> at CarParts.com today.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Engines must have an oil film separating the moving parts to prevent the engine from destroying itself. Having regular oil&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":83478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52,3747],"tags":[2994],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-83453","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diy","8":"category-engine","9":"tag-motor-oil","10":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Oil In the Engine: What Does It Do? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about the main functions of engine oil and how it\u2019s able to reduce wear and tear in the engine this article. Read more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Oil In the Engine: What Does It Do? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about the main functions of engine oil and how it\u2019s able to reduce wear and tear in the engine this article. Read more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-16T02:28:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-19T14:35:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/replacing-car-engine-oil.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"968\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/oil-in-the-engine-what-does-it-do\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"4\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. 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