Can I Use Car Oil In My 4-Stroke Snowmobile: Detailed Answer

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Last week my friend canceled our sledding for the weekend. Why? Because there was a “glitch” in his sled. After further prodding, he admitted to having used car oil in his snowmobile, and now he suspected it had somehow skewed up his sled. Huh!

Well, people, I tell you that is a very valid theory because indeed car oil can actually get dangerous for your precious 4-stroke snowmobile.

In this article, we have tried to discuss why car oil can or cannot be used in snowmobiles!

What Are 4-Stroke Snowmobiles?

  • The 4-stroke snowmobile refers to the sleds that feature a 4-stroke engine. In general, the 4-stroke engine is known to provide much better fuel economy when compared to the two-stroke engine.
  • A 4-stroke snowmobile engine is also more reliable.
  • These engines are known for their quiet and much smoother operation.
  • As most 4-stroke engines use 4-stroke oil which is almost fully synthetic in nature, in low environmental temperatures this oil is supposed to provide better lubrication.

4-Stroke Snowmobile Engine Oil

As we already know, a 4-stroke snowmobile engine requires to be fuelled by the 4-stroke snowmobile engine oil. 

  • For the 4-stroke engine oil, the use of the word fuel is tricky because the oil works differently on the engine. It does not fuel the engine per se. 
  • What a 2-stroke engine oil does is that it is used and burned up with the working of the engine. But the 4-stroke engine oil does not burn with the fuel. Rather they go around the engine and its parts. It is while making this circulation. That the oil lubricates different parts.
  • During this lubrication, the oil is also known to disperse the most of heat and removes other impurities.

Car Engine Oil 

  • Most car engine oil can be two-stroke. The two-stroke engine oil can be semi-synthetic in nature.
  • This said you can realize that car engine oil in most cases is heavier and has less fluidity than proper snowmobile engine oil.
  • This might become a problem for your 4-stroke snowmobile engine because there the engine parts require the kind of fluid lubrication provided by its oil.
  • Thus, car engine oil might not be able to meet that end.

Therefore, using regular Car engine oil for your 4-stroke snowmobile is really not recommended.

Final Words

The best way to choose your snowmobile engine oil is to consult the manual given with the sled itself. It is the best and safest option for your sled. Other improper use of oil can lead to irreparable damage to your snowmobile. 

Hope this article was helpful enough!

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Author

Thomas Miller
My name is Thomas Miller, and I live in Minnesota. I have been riding snowmobiles for the past 10 years. I'm completely in love with snowmobiling because it's fun, relaxing, and a great workout.