Lubricants frequently asked questions

Engine oils are made up from three important ingredients – base oils, viscosity modifiers and performance additives. These are carefully selected and skilfully blended to enable the oil to provide maximum engine protection.

You should change your oil and filter at or before the end of oil-change intervals indicated by your vehicle manufacturer. These are based on distance travelled or time. Regular oil changing helps to keep your engine oil in good condition and provide the best protection for all of your engine components.

We have put Shell’s years of know-how in oil development into every aspect of the Shell Helix formula – from the base-oil technology through to the additives’ selection and blending. We have also channelled the experience we have gained in supporting leading racing teams, such as Scuderia Ferrari, into the Shell Helix formula. It is designed to meet challenges, so no matter how stressful your driving conditions, Shell Helix will help to clean and protect your engine.

Adding an uncontrolled volume of additives to your oil is like putting salt on your dessert. It takes years of additive blending experience to come up with the right formula for Shell Helix oil, and the way the various additives are mixed in with the base oil is crucial to the oil’s overall performance. So our strong advice is “do not add additives” if you aim to get the most from your car. The addition of additives may lead to expiration of the vehicle manufacturer’s guarantee.

Not changing your oil on a regular basis can significantly reduce the level of protection provided against engine wear. Engine oil acts as a reservoir for all kinds of by-products that form when the fuel burns, including soot, sludge, water and acidic material, as well as unburned and partially burned fuel. At the same time, the stress placed on the oil during engine operation gradually depletes the components that determine the oil’s performance. Refreshing the oil on a regular basis ensures that the right balance of components is present in the oil.

It also removes waste materials that might otherwise result in increased deposit formation, corrosion of metal components and increased wear.

If you simply keep on topping up your oil, you put more stress on the older oil that remains in the engine. And this stress issue has become worse in recent years as lighter, modern engines now run with about 25% less oil in their sumps. Shell Helix oil has a powerful ability to clean up your engine components and goes on keeping engines clean through to the next oil change.