Why your car uses more oil in some situations than others: "It's very important to keep your vehicle at the correct operating temperature."

The temperature indicator on our dashboard is perhaps one of the car components we pay the least attention to. But keeping our vehicle at the correct temperature, which is typically around 85ºC for diesel and around 90ºC for gasoline, is vital for its proper functioning . At Talleres Ebenezer, they emphasize the importance of maintaining the correct operating temperature in our car in one of their latest TikTok videos, where they already have more than 285,000 followers: "This is the key to understanding why your car uses more oil in some situations than others . And why it's so important to keep your vehicle at the correct operating temperature," warns Juan José, a specialized mechanic.

And one of the car components that suffers most from temperature fluctuations is the pistons. This is explained by the expert using a simple example involving a metal ring and ball: “Notice how the metal ball fits through without a problem. But what happens? If we heat the ball, it no longer fits into the ring because the expansion has caused it to grow in volume. Coolant and oil flow through an engine block, lubricating and cooling the components. If this expands more than the cylinder, it will seize. And if the components are cold , there will be too much clearance,” the mechanic reflects in the video.

Knowing (and seeing) this, you don't have to be a genius to realize that any acceleration from a cold engine is counterproductive for the engine. It's better to wait until it warms up: "That expansion will tighten the components much more, so the compression is correct," Juan José reminds us.

That's why it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the temperature indicator. If it's in the middle, it's working optimally, while if it's below that mark, it means the engine is still cold. And if it's too hot ... it's time to take it to the shop.

At Talleres Ebenezer, they say, "Temperature is not only important for engine lubrication, but also for performance. For optimal combustion, the car delivers maximum power and performance with the lowest fuel consumption and the lowest polluting emissions," the mechanic concludes. In short, "The car is prepared to work at its operating temperature, neither colder nor hotter," Juan José recalls.

And before finishing, the mechanic gives a warning to those who risk removing the thermostat : "Removing the thermostat to make a car run at a lower temperature... That's not ideal, and I'm proving it to you." Remember, the thermostat is always active , both when the engine is cold and when it's hot, functioning like a valve that opens and closes the coolant flow to maintain optimal engine temperature.