Non Detergent Engine Oil
A frequently asked question that continues to arise with car owners is whether to use non detergent engine oil or detergent oil. Detergent oil has been used for more than 60 years, and is still a great lubricant for specific engines today. Non detergent oil is not best suited for all applications, oil distributors normally recommend engine types for specific oils.
It is probably not worth the time to argue over, but there are many mechanics out there that will deliberate about the detergent content in detergent oil. There are mechanics that disagree on the chemical content of detergent oil, some say that it is not present, but a chemical that prevents carbon deposits from coagulating together and forming oil sludge. The oil filter would then remove the bits of carbon before they became a problem for the performance of the engine.
Non detergent oil may also be an effective gear oil for certain types of gear boxes currently in use today. As standard operating procedure, reference your engine’s owner’s manual before using a new or untested lubricant, as the impact of a new lubricant can be serious. In this information age, you can access vital information about your device before adding motor oil so that you can match the application to the correct type of lubricant.
Within the spectrum of lubricants that you may choose from for your selected application, high detergent motor oil is also another option. If you run an engine that needs to stay clean, you may want to consider using high detergent motor oil to keep sludge from developing inside your engines. It is not recommended for all engines to use high detergent oil. It varies by auto tech, but high detergent oil can be used as a viable solution for some engines. Instead of using a more harsh engine cleaner, some like to use motor oil with a higher level of detergent because the cleaning process is more subtle and will be less likely to separate chunks of carbon that could harm engine lubrication. Some auto mechanics are adamant however that flushing oil should never be used as it may be harmful to older seals.