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What does engine oil do?

I’m trying to take better care of my car. I know it’s important to perform engine oil changes often, but what exactly does engine oil do?

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Kathryn Mae Kurlychek · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Giving your car some extra attention never hurts! Engine oil’s primary role is to lubricate and protect your engine’s components. But how does it do this?
By lubricating the moving parts of your engine, engine oil decreases friction between the components, protecting them from unnecessary wear and tear or rubbing together. By decreasing friction between parts, engine oil also helps keep your engine cooler.
Engine oil also typically has additives that help protect and preserve your engine, including detergents (to help keep your engine clean), viscosity improvers (to enhance your car’s fuel economy), and pour point depressions (to help keep your engine running in low temperatures).
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