Don’t be fooled anymore! The real culprit behind “oil burning” is actually this “secret” hidden in the engine oil?

The key is exceptional high-temperature stability of engine oil! Engine oil consumption is a persistent problem plaguing countless car owners, and while there’s a wealth of online discussion about it, few truly delve into the core issues. The prevailing view attributes the problem to two main factors: mechanical wear or design flaws in the vehicle itself, and issues with the quality of the engine oil.

Many people’s understanding of engine oil quality stops at “using genuine engine oil from top international brands will prevent oil burning.” However, the reality is not that simple. Today, we will take a deeper and more challenging approach—the extreme high-temperature stability of engine oil—to thoroughly dissect the oil-related causes of “oil burning.”

The difference between “qualified” under conventional standards and “insufficient” under actual working conditions.

The industry consensus on qualified engine oil is that it should use reputable base oils and additives, meet all physicochemical standards, and especially have low evaporation losses and a high flash point. These requirements are certainly correct; they are the foundation for measuring engine oil quality.

Global authorities such as API (American Petroleum Institute) and ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) have also set stringent standards. However, modern engine designs are becoming increasingly compact, and turbocharging is becoming more widespread, leading to record-breaking operating temperatures in critical engine components. The testing conditions under conventional standards are beginning to diverge from the actual extreme operating conditions of engines.

Maxtop’s ultimate challenge: Redefining “thermal oxidative stability”

Maxtop believes that to fundamentally solve the problem of oil burning caused by oil quality, it is necessary to introduce a more stringent testing standard that approaches extreme operating conditions to measure the thermal oxidation stability of engine oil.

This is not simply about raising the flash point; it’s an extreme test of the molecular structure of engine oil.

1. Continuous high temperature test : continuously heated at temperatures ranging from 200 ℃ to 270 ℃ .

2. High-temperature oxidation test: Simultaneously withstand oxidation corrosion at high temperatures of 160 ℃ to 180 ℃ .

3. Ultra-long endurance testing: undergoes 200 to 300 hours of continuous rigorous cycling.

Only through this grueling test can we truly ensure:

Minimal viscosity change : It maintains the designed viscosity at high temperatures and does not become thinner due to thermal shear and thermal decomposition.

Superior evaporation loss : far below industry standards, minimizing high-temperature “burn-off”.

No severe coking : Prevents the formation of carbon deposits and sludge in high-temperature areas such as piston rings and valve guides, thus eliminating oil burning caused by poor sealing.

Unfortunately, globally, we have not yet found any lubricant manufacturer or standards organization that has set stringent requirements for systematically testing engine oils at such high temperatures and durations. This is precisely the quality baseline that Maxtop has consistently adhered to for many years. We have found that testing commercially available engine oils using this standard yields alarming results: some products have astonishingly high evaporation rates at high temperatures; some become severely thickened after testing, significantly reducing their fluidity; and others form large amounts of carbon deposits and coking. This is sufficient proof that they cannot provide stable protection under the extreme operating conditions of the engine, thus becoming the culprit behind “oil burning.”

As an engine oil manufacturer, Maxtop’s mission is to maximize the high-temperature thermal stability and thermal oxidation stability of its engine oils. We believe that only by thoroughly guaranteeing the engine oil’s resistance to pyrolysis at the molecular level can we fundamentally eliminate oil burning caused by inherent quality issues with the engine oil itself.

Our point of view is very clear:

If your car still experiences oil burning after using engine oil that has passed the Maxtop extreme thermal oxidation stability test, then we can almost certainly say that it is a problem with the car itself (such as wear or poor sealing of mechanical parts such as piston rings and valve stem seals), and you should have it checked by a mechanic in time.

Conversely, if the problem is solved after switching to high-quality engine oil, it is irrefutable proof that the engine oil’s high-temperature performance is insufficient.

We understand that addressing this industry pain point requires sustained technological investment and a commitment to challenging standards. We welcome diverse perspectives and better solutions from the industry to jointly drive technological progress in the lubricant sector.

Do you agree that extreme high-temperature thermal oxidation stability, exceeding existing standards, is the key to solving the problem of oil burning on the oil side?