Car Overheating in Dubai? 5 Ways Your Engine Oil is Failing You
Car Overheating in Dubai? 5 Ways Your Engine Oil is Failing You The sight of a car’s temperature gauge creeping into the red is a driver’s nightmare, especially on a 45°C afternoon on Sheikh Zayed Road. While most people immediately blame the radiator or coolant, a far more common—and dangerous—culprit is often overlooked: your engine oil. Your car’s coolant system is only designed to remove some of the engine’s heat. A significant portion of that heat—up to 40%—is managed by the engine oil, which circulates, lubricates, and carries heat away from critical components like the pistons, bearings, and valvetrain. In the extreme conditions of Dubai, your engine oil is under immense stress. When it fails, it’s not just a minor leak; it’s a direct cause of overheating and catastrophic engine damage. Here are the 5 primary ways your engine oil is failing and causing your car to overheat. 1. The Oil Level is Too Low When your oil level is low, there isn’t enough fluid volume to properly absorb and transfer the heat generated by the engine. The small amount of oil left is forced to circulate more rapidly, spending less time in the oil pan to cool down. This superheats the remaining oil, making it completely ineffective at cooling. Simultaneously, the low level means critical parts aren’t getting the lubrication they need. This leads to a massive increase in friction, which in turn generates even more heat. It’s a vicious cycle that quickly overwhelms your cooling system. Why it’s worse in Dubai: 2. The Oil is Old, Degraded, and “Used Up” Fresh engine oil is packed with advanced additives, including viscosity modifiers, detergents, and anti-wear agents. Over time and under high heat, these additives get depleted. The oil “shears” and breaks down, losing its ability to maintain a stable film. Most importantly, old oil becomes saturated with contaminants (soot, fuel, metallic particles) and loses its thermal stability. It can no longer effectively absorb and carry heat away. Instead, it becomes a poor-performing fluid that allows heat to build up in the engine’s hotspots. Why it’s worse in Dubai: 3. You’re Using the Wrong Viscosity Viscosity is the oil’s resistance to flow. It’s the single most important property for engine protection, especially in Dubai. Why it’s worse in Dubai: 4. Sludge is Choking Your Engine The Data:result of missed oil changes and stop-and-go driving. This sludge does two things to cause overheating: Why it’s worse in Dubai: 5. It Has Lost Its Lubricity (Friction Failure) This is the core of the problem. The primary job of oil is to create a thin, strong film between moving metal parts. When this film fails—because the oil is too low, too old, or the wrong viscosity—you get friction. This isn’t just minor wear and tear; it’s a fundamental failure. The pistons grinding in the cylinders, the bearings spinning without a buffer—this friction is the source of the excess heat. Your car’s cooling system is designed to handle the heat of combustion, not the added, intense heat of a self-destructing, high-friction engine. Why it’s worse in Dubai: How to Prevent This: Your Oil is Your First Line of Defense Don’t let a 100-Dirham oil problem turn into a 15,000-Dirham engine replacement. Your engine oil is the lifeblood of your car. Treat it as the critical cooling and protection component it is, and your engine will survive even the most brutal Dubai summer.









