That Oil question again...

[RugbyPete]

The previous owner of my car has been using semi-synth 10w-40 own brand stuff.

I want to go synthetic, and so have just bought some Havoline 5w-30 for £25.

I like Havoline. It passes all the tests and requirements needed for your average Joe, but without being cheap and nasty, right price for oil I think.

I didn't choose Mobil 1, as I've not quite forgiven it after using 0w-40 on my 200sx which had 85k on the clock, by 97k the piston rings were shot and engine overhaul was require (by the person I sold it onto thank goodness!), this was changing it every 3000k aswell, total overkill for modern synthetics. I'm sure it didnt cling to my engine once it settled.

So, I think 5w-30 is a good comprimise. It will give good start up lube aswell as consistent 100 degree driving, its synthetic and at £25.

As time goes on however, as I go over the 100k mark, should I maybe look at going 5w-40 for uk driving conditions? Bearing in mind outside temperature is barely ever 'hot' so startups are generally between 0-12 degrees and when up to operating temperature the thickness will keep the oil in the engine opposed to leaking everywhere. I've seen some 10w-60, what application other than REALLY worn low revving engines would you use that stuff?

[WildCards]

Am I being dim? What's the question Pete?

[RugbyPete]

yep, correct.

[Paul Beazer]

?? :inquisiti

[WildCards]

It's alright, dim mode off.

I dunno

[RugbyPete]

Going a bit mad today :)


The question I was asking, was mainly if I'm on the right track and what oil should I consider after 100k?

Can't really tell you the condition of the cars life other than its been serviced on time by garage stamps....

[WildCards]

Oil is like tyres in that you should buy the best you can afford. I guess by switching to fully synth is the best thing you can do. I've never heard of switching grades of oil as an engine ages though.

[RugbyPete]

Hmm, yeah, ish. I believe, like tyres, the latest newest, hyped brand is often overkill for the need, and inefficient for the pocket. Often its the difference between this much:
[-----------------------------------------------------]
and this much
[--------------------------------------------------------]
Vesus a crude mineral giving performance of this much
[--------]

Eagle F1's were £120 a couple of years back, now they're sub £40 along with some impressive (still) Toyo's and NS2 Nankangs. Still great tyres, nothings changed, but something new is out. Obviously if you spend £7 per tyre you end up with a 'LingLong' that will put you in a hedge.

Same with oils. If you buy high quality, from any make, it will meet your requirement, so £25 for Havoline is justified when Mobil1 costs £40 for the same amount. I also googled to find others whos small end died shortly after switching.

I just hear far too many people harp on about buying things for their car, 'only the most expensive is the best' when I'm a supporter for the underdog. Example, chap at work buys Yokohama tyres, screws his face up at anything else, doesn't think a car can be fast and reliable unless its a v8 or above and so-on. He is a prime example of someone who's not willing to research the hard facts and pays a premium for the privilege! Same goes for a lot of NUR-spec stuff and the like, some of the air filters from HKS for example, even though costing £300 actually performed really bad in independent tests compared to a £50 k&n

I don't know what Im really getting at here, nor aimed at anyone directly, but 'labels' rant over!

Back to topic, has anyone else considered a different grade oil now things like seals may not be as tight as they used to be?

[I-S]

Amsoil 5W30.

[Kieran]

Back to topic, has anyone else considered a different grade oil now things like seals may not be as tight as they used to be?

My VR-4 has 106,000 on the clock and is happy with Amsoil's series 2000 0w-30. I think what you must bear in mind is that (provided it's always been looked after) these engines don't start getting sloppy and loose - take PSB's V6... that engine is (i think) near 140,000 miles and if you peer in through the oil filler hole, the cam followers don't have the usual wear scars you might expect.

Havoline.... Are you sure it's synthetic and not just a 'Hydrocracked' oil? That seems VERY cheap for a true PAO/Ester based oil...:inquisiti

I know where you're coming from Pete.... I mean, I'm a polishing fanatic yet I haven't commited to a Porter Cable yet, simply because I think there are other (cheaper) products that will do just as well. Same with tyres, I think it's wise to stick with a respected 'quality' make, but putting ninja grippy tyres on a normal car is well into the land of diminishing returns IMHO. Same with spark plugs.... HKS S40i or Denso IK24s (or whatever heat range is the equivalent).... Same difference, except for price!!


Fluids are one of the few areas however that experience has taught me that only the best will do.... I'll have to disagree with you on that one. Sure, havoline/millers/duckhams meets the specs it needs to, but there's more to it than that.... Even our little Golf gets Amsoil in him.... for the difference, I think it's worth it!

[thecustomer]

it's risk vs reward, isn't it?

the 'risk' in Havoline is small/tiny, but the cost if something goes wrong with any oily bits is likely to be hig/expensive.

Which I guess is why you hear so much about amsoil: it costs a few quid more, but might reduce the risk of something expensive going wrong.

Each to their own

Will

[psbarham]

take PSB's V6... that engine is (i think) near 140,000 miles and if you peer in through the oil filler hole, the cam followers don't have the usual wear scars you might expect.


148000 miles thankyou /pan

[RugbyPete]

Also, to add, my fathers Audi 80 sport left him with 380,000 miles on the clock. All he did was service it regularly and to be honest MOST of it was motorway miles but still it did them on one engine. He wasn't a mechanic or an enthusiast but he would keep an eye on levels and service at an Audi dealer without fail.
He would generally use any decent 'sports' grade oil available. Considering it was an A reg from the 80's he wont have ever used synthetic I suspect, I remember a variety of oils he used from Duckhams through to Castrol, and he finally let it go in 1999 when he sold it to a race driver who then went to modify and race it. He then bought another Audi, a replacement A4 2.8 Quattro, which more thankept him happy, and will probably keep it until its done 400+ too, I suspect now on synthetics that Audi put in.

This makes me think, if a well designed car is generally looked after and not ragged daily, the empasis on oils etc. can often be over exagerated, except on the race track where engines take a real hammering for long durations, requiring cutting edge technology to make the engines last longer under pressure not found on the roads.

A performance Havoline has to be 10 times the performance of oils found 20 years ago, I believe there aren't many 'bad' oils left on the market but we're just nitpicking because we have more stats and the internet. Yes oil 'Y' may be twice the viscosity of oil 'X', but two times 'perfection' is over the top in my mind.

Just my thoughts...

[Lillywotsername]

I'm a polishing fanatic

No !!!!!!
Who would have thought that.... Would never had guessed K.

Sorry /Hijack

[I-S]

Ok... Let me put it this way:

Amsoil 5W30 after 2000 miles: No lash adjuster tick.

Two days later, Rock Oil Strata "Synthetic" 5W30: Lash adjuster tick from cold for 2-3 minutes.

Going by what my engine tells me, Amsoil is more than a little better.

[Dexxx]

Don't we have a poll for what OIL we used on our car???

[Rambaud]

Oil changed at 9k service by Mitsi garage with 5W-40 Formula Excel - mileage was 118,950.

Oil changed again 2 months later at 121,636 by ATS with 5W-30 Shell Helix.

Mileage is now 124,230, and I have some Amsoil 0W-30 to go in. The Shell was always an intermediate "flushing & cleaning" stage. Tappet noise has been reduced but is still evident.

Amsoil is due to go in next week, if I have the time.

My intention is use the best but reduce the oil & filter changes to 12,000 mile intervals.

[RugbyPete]

I'm possibly going to do similar, especially over winter time when its freezin out and I'm really not interested in rapping my knuckles on cold wet metal

for that sort of milage out of an oil, amsoil works out quite cheap really

[Rambaud]

A few years back (Audi 90 quattro), I sent off a 5000 mile oil sample for testing which was found to be still in grade. So I changed from 3 month/3000 miles interval to 6 month/6000 miles interval. Oil was Mobil Synta, IIRC.

[Dexxx]

Could any1 pls tell me what type of oil should I use?? I have a 99 Galant V6 2.5 SOHC engine. I know it should be "FOR SERVICE SE" or higher but what is the proper SAE Viscosity number? It says it depends on the atmospheric temperature. Ours probably around 28-36C? So will I be using SAE 20W-40? I'm asking this as it may relate to the cloud of smoke my muffler's been puffing out. What brand of oil is good? Pls. give me some pointers. TNX!

I'm a newbie. w/ a new car (well a 2nd hand car that is)

[bradc]

I would suggest a 5w40 or similar