How to Choose the Best Engine Oil for Your Car and Bike

Q1. What is the Best Engine Oil?

A. Your Engine Deserves the Best Just as the engine is the heart of your car, engine oil is its lifeblood—keeping it running smoothly, efficiently, and reliably. Choosing the right engine oil isn’t just a maintenance task; it’s a decision that directly affects your vehicle’s performance, longevity, and fuel efficiency.

But with countless options on the market—each boasting different specifications, ratings, and benefits—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

The best engine oil is one that helps your engine run smooth, quiet, and trouble-free in all driving conditions. A good oil protects important engine parts from wear, keeps the engine clean, and maintains the right thickness whether the engine is cold or hot. By reducing friction, it improves fuel efficiency and helps the engine stay cooler. It also supports longer oil-change intervals without compromising safety or performance.

In simple terms, the best engine oil keeps your engine cleaner, cooler, more efficient, and more reliable throughout its life.

At BPCL, we understand that your vehicle is more than just a machine. It’s your companion on every journey, your partner in progress. That’s why we offer MAK Engine Oils —engineered to protect, perform, and prolong your engine’s life, so you can drive with confidence, every mile of the way.

Q2. How to choose the best engine oil for car?

A. Your car is your dream and you always want to give your best. So when it comes to choosing the best engine oil you need to consider the following:

1. Refer to the owner’s manual : Your car oil as mentioned/specified by the vehicle manufacturer in the Owner’s Handbook. If you do not have the handbook you can find it online as well on your car company’s website. Please follow their recommendations this would include the preferred viscosity grade (e.g., 5W-30, 0W-20), performance level (e.g. API/ACEA) and type (Synthetic, Semi-synthetic, or Mineral) based on the engine design and intended usage

When it comes to BS-VI compliant Cars, SUVs & MUVs choose MAK Supreme Synth range of engine oils, with unique additive chemistry for protection of engine components in GDI/T-GDI fitted petrol engines and specially formulated for better protection of engine components and after treatment devices.

2. Driving conditions:

Your everyday driving conditions play a major role in choosing the right engine oil.

If you often drive in city traffic, especially in hot climates, your engine goes through frequent idling, stop-and-go movement, and higher operating temperatures. This puts extra stress on engine parts and can accelerate wear. In such cases, fully synthetic oils with strong oxidation and thermal stability offer better protection and smoother performance.

For highway driving, long-distance travel, or conditions that demand higher torque—such as off-road driving—your engine benefits from oils that have strong detergency and longer-lasting protection to keep the engine clean and performing consistently.

For modern passenger vehicles running on Petrol, Diesel, CNG, or LPG, we recommend MAK ALPHA Zenith, a premium synthetic engine oil that offers quick starts, improved acceleration, and a smoother overall driving experience.

3. Age and mileage of your car: The age of your car and mileage also play a key role in determining the choice of your engine oil. For newer cars, synthetic oil is often recommended due to its long-lasting and superior protective properties. Older vehicles that do not run frequently may want to consider slightly thicker oils which provides better film thickness and protection to aging engine components.

Q3. What is Viscosity?

Ans: Viscosity is the thickness or flow resistance of a liquid—basically, how easily or how difficultly it flows.

• A high-viscosity oil is thicker and flows slowly.
• A low-viscosity oil is thinner and flows easily.

The oil should be thick enough to form a strong protective layer, but not so thick that it creates extra friction between engine parts. In engine oils, viscosity decides how well the oil can lubricate, protect, and flow inside the engine at different temperatures. That is why engine oils have different viscosity grades and you must refer to the manufacturer’s manual to understand what should be the right grade for your vehicle engine oil.

Q4. What do engine oil grade mean?

Ans: In Engine oil grades, such as 10W-30 or 5W-40, tell you how the oil behaves in both cold and hot temperatures. The first number followed by the letter “W” indicates how easily the oil flows when the engine is cold, especially during startup—so a lower number means the oil is thinner and flows better in winter. The second number shows how thick the oil remains when the engine reaches its normal operating temperature, which is important for protection during high heat and long rides.

Q5. What is fully synthetic engine oil?

Ans: Fully synthetic oil is engineered in laboratories using high-quality synthetic base oils. Unlike conventional mineral-based oils, it’s designed to deliver superior performance because they withstand higher temperatures, maintain viscosity over wider temperature range, have lower friction coefficients, and provide consistent performance.

Q6. What is good for my vehicle synthetic or fully synthetic engine oil?

Ans: Choosing between synthetic and fully synthetic engine oil depends on your vehicle’s needs, but in most cases, fully synthetic oil is the better option. Fully synthetic oils offer superior protection, smoother performance, and longer life compared to synthetic oils. They flow better during cold starts, remain stable at high temperatures, and provide excellent lubrication in traffic, long drives, and hilly conditions. This makes them especially suitable for modern BS-VI vehicles, including those with advanced GDI or T-GDI engines, where cleaner combustion and after-treatment protection are essential. Regardless of the type, you should always refer to your vehicle manufacturer’s manual to choose the correct viscosity grade and recommended oil type for the best performance.

Q7: How to choose the best bike engine oil?

A. Your bike is your ultimate go-to-machine providing mobility for every need, Hence, you need it to be fit and fine at your command. To achieve this, you must choose the best engine oil for your bike that directly influences its lifespan and overall performance. You need to understand which engine oil is best for your bike. Here are a few pointers that you must consider while the engine oil for your bike:

When choosing the best engine oil for your bike, always begin by checking the owner’s manual for the correct viscosity grade, such as 10W-30 or 15W-40, Engine oil type and performance level are recommended by the manufacturer. Make sure the oil matches the required specifications like API and JASO, which are essential for proper clutch performance in wet-clutch bikes. Your riding style and your bike's specific needs play a massive role in choosing the right oil. Fully synthetic oils are good for long-distance touring, high-speed riding, and hot weather, offering maximum protection against thermal breakdown. On the other hand, semi-synthetic oils strike a great balance for everyday commuting, while mineral oils remain a cost-effective choice for smaller capacity or older, low-stress engines.

Q8: What is the difference between scooter engine oil and bike engine oil?

Ans: Scooter and motorcycle engine oils are different because their engines and transmission systems work differently. Most scooters use a CVT (automatic) transmission, where the engine oil does not lubricate the clutch. This allows scooter oils to be formulated for smooth power delivery, cleaner operation, and lighter viscosity, without worrying about clutch slippage.

Motorcycles, on the other hand, have a manual transmission with a wet clutch, where the engine, clutch, and gearbox share the same oil. This single oil must perform multiple functions—lubricating engine components, cooling and protecting the clutch, and providing strong wear protection for the gears. Because of this, motorcycles require special motorcycle-specific oils, usually JASO MA or MA2 rated, which ensure proper clutch grip, prevent slippage, and withstand higher engine speeds and temperatures.