The need to refill the oil in the engine of your car will probably be encountered sooner or later by every driver. TotalEnergies suggests what to do in a situation where there is no adequate supply in the trunk for the popular "top up".
Example two - the light came on while driving on a curve, but went out after a while. The forces acting on the oil during cornering cause it to move in the oil pan. It is likely that its level is already close to the minimum.
Example three - the light came on after starting the engine and does not go off. The oil level is rather certainly already at the minimum level, or even below.
In any of these cases, stop the vehicle as soon as possible and check the oil level with a dipstick.
How to read the readings?
Most oil dipsticks have two markers - a minimum level and a maximum level. The oil trace should be between these markers. On some car models, you will still find a third marker on the dipstick - the upper maximum level. This usually applies to diesels equipped with a diesel particulate filter, where the oil level rises due to dilution with fuel. Either way, the oil level should never go below the marker indicating the minimum condition.
Andrzej Husiatyński – Technical Department TotalEnergies Marketing Poland.
Is driving with minimal oil harmful to the engine?
Driving with full use of power, dynamic, in the mountains or with a trailer will already have a negative effect on the engine, in which "oil is at a minimum". Oil also acts as a coolant, and if there is little of it - the temperature of selected areas of the engine can enter dangerously high levels. It is also dangerous to overflow in the oil sump on turns - if there is little oil, the oil sump can be temporarily exposed in a critical situation.
It is also unacceptable to knowingly continue a trip with a low oil level, as the oil level can drop below the minimum at any time
Is driving with oil levels below the minimum harmful to the engine?
Even if nothing happens temporarily, operating the engine with an oil level below the minimum will shorten the life of the drive unit. This is because a number of parameters will deteriorate - such as the cooling of the engine with oil or the removal of contaminants (despite adequate dispersion, the oil will not be able to capture all the soot). Oil which is too little overheats, and this further deteriorates its parameters.
What kind of oil to add?
https://totalenergies.pl/dobierz-olej-0
Just enter the data of your car and the application will suggest which oil will be the best choice.
If we're in a tricky situation and don't have any information about what kind of oil we need, it's worth choosing the best product (implicitly, the most expensive one), because then there's the greatest chance that it will meet all the requirements of our engine. If there is only one oil at the station, of average grade - it can also be used in an emergency, because it is better to add anything than nothing.
Andrzej Husiatyński – Technical Department TotalEnergies Marketing Poland.
How much oil to add?
About TotalEnergies Marketing Polska:
TotalEnergies Marketing Polska has been operating in Poland since 1992 and has an established position on the engine oil market. It offers products of two well-known brands TotalEnergies and Elf. Since 2008, TotalEnergies also offers bitumen products and is present in the market of industrial special fluids. The company has also been operating on the fuel sales market since 2009. In 2021, TotalEnergies opened the first car washes and launched a project to create a charging network for electric vehicles.
About the TotalEnergies Marketing Services:
TotalEnergies Marketing Services offers its professional and private customers a wide range of energy products and services - petroleum products, biofuels, charging and related services for electric vehicles, road and marine gas - to support their mobility and help them reduce their carbon footprint. Every day, over 8 million customers visit our 16,000 service stations around the world. Number four in the world in lubricants, we design and market high-performance products for the automotive, industrial and marine sectors. In order to best respond to the needs of our B2B customers, we deploy our sales force, our international logistics network and our diverse offer. We operate in 107 countries, where our 31,000 employees are close to all our customers.
About TotalEnergies:
TotalEnergies is a multi-energy concern that produces and sells energy on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gas, renewable energy sources and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to creating ever cheaper, clean, reliable and accessible energy to as many people as possible. Active in over 130 countries, TotalEnergies focuses on sustainable development in all its dimensions, in particular in the area of its projects and business operations, which are to contribute to increasing the quality of life of people around the world.
Contact TotalEnergies:
Bartosz Cyran | bartosz.cyran@proautomotive.pl | +48 662 454 679.
Legal Notice:
The terms „TotalEnergies”, „TotalEnergies Company” or „Company” in this document are used to refer to TotalEnergies SE and consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Similarly, the words „we”, „us” and „our” may also be used to refer to these entities or their employees. Entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly holds shares are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE is not responsible for the actions or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a range of economic data and assumptions made in the particular economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove inaccurate in the future and are subject to many risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries undertakes to publicly update any information or forward-looking statements, objectives or trends contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information regarding risk factors that may affect the financial results or operations of TotalEnergies is contained in the most recent Registration Document, the French version of which has been filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and in Form 20-F filed with US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
