What Your Mechanic Knows - Why Choosing the Right Engine Oil Matters

Your car’s engine depends on oil - but not just any oil. The right engine oil keeps everything running smoothly, helps save fuel, and prevents costly damage. Using the wrong oil, on the other hand, can spell disaster.

Engine oils reduce friction between moving parts, helping your engine run more efficiently. Less friction means better performance, lower fuel consumption, and a longer engine life. But oil does far more than that. It also protects the metal surfaces, prevents corrosion, carries away dirt and microscopic debris, and absorbs heat. Without it, your engine would overheat and seize up in no time.

Newer engines often require thinner, low-viscosity oils to enhance fuel economy and performance. For instance, TITAN GT1 LONGLIFE IV SAE 0W-20 – which is a premium performance engine oil in a novel viscosity grade. Specifically designed for modern VW vehicles, for excellent fuel-economy characteristics and reduced CO₂ emissions. Excellent cold starting behaviour, very fast oil circulation, and outstanding performance reserves. With BluEV Technology, additionally applicable in hybrid vehicles of different manufacturers.

Check Your Owner’s Manual Before You Top Up

Car manufacturers publish oil specifications that detail exactly what your engine needs. You’ll find these in your owner’s manual or under your bonnet.

Every car brand, like Volkswagen, has specific oil standards for its engines (e.g., VW 508 00/509 00).

Global bodies like API and ACEA set oil performance standards (e.g., API SN/SP, ACEA C3) that help ensure the oil protects your engine and works with modern systems.

Trusted oil brands like FUCHS clearly show which specs and approvals their oils meet, making it easier for fleet managers and drivers to choose the right product.

You can use the FUCHS Oil Chooser to easily find the right oil for any vehicle. 

The High Cost of Using the Wrong Oil

Using unsuitable oil can lead to:

• Increased fuel consumption
• Reduced engine performance
• Excessive engine noise or wear
• Even total engine failure

Such issues can cause significant downtime and repair expenses — avoidable through proper oil selection and specification compliance.

For more information, follow FUCHS on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn or connect with an expert on https://www.fuchs.com/za/en/contact/ today.

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About FUCHS

FUCHS develops, produces, and markets high-grade lubricants and related specialties for virtually all industries Founded in 1931 as a family business in Mannheim, FUCHS is now the world's largest independent supplier of innovative lubricant solutions, covering almost every industry and application. Today, the company’s 6 000 employees in over 50 countries still share the same goal: To keep the world moving both sustainably and efficiently. 

To live up to this claim, we think in terms of perfection, not merely standards. When developing individual solutions, we enter into an intensive customer dialogue – acting as an experienced consultant, innovative problem solver and reliable team partner. The results we provide meet not only the highest technological requirements but also help customers save on operating costs and emissions. Because at FUCHS, sustainability is not simply an empty phrase, but a mindset – and thus the basis and aspiration of all our business activity.