What oil are you using?

[New_and_proud]

Ok thanks for the help
Much appreciated

[Patch]

I'm using 0w - 40 at the moment...  No idea if it's good or bad???    s:?: :?: s:?:

[oilman]

0w-40 syntehtic is fine for the engine, what brand is it?

Cheers

Guy

[Patch]

Mobil.  £39 at Halfords (5L).

[oilman]

That's a pretty good choice

[manchestermatt1986]

are these fully synthetics ok for in the coldest of winter?

[oilman]

Yes, they're fine in winter. Oils designed for the coldest temperatures (0w-X oils) are all synthetic.

Cheers

Tim

[Neary]

I did a filter and change with mine on a  5W/30 Part Synthetic, its consumption has been brilliant, Mobil, should i opt for full synthetic next time?

[oilman]

It's up to you, but a full synthetic will offer more protection.

Cheers

Tim

[novacaine]

I use valvoline synpower 5w30 and the car seems to like it - runs smoother than it did on its previous oil (no idea what that was as I have only had the car for a short while)

[typeHspyder]

I am using 5W-30 Castrol Edge w/syntec and Bosch DistancePlus oil filter, just bought the car recently with 103K miles.  Driven it over 800 miles since then while checking the oil level regularly and its been steady.  After switching to castrol oil, I noticed a difference in acceleration.  I think the prior owner hasn't change the oil in a long time because the old oil came out like mud water.

[Capvermell]

There don't seem to be any opinions in this thread so far on Mobil 1 10W60 "Extended Life" fully synthetic oil.

See  w www.mobil.co.uk/UK-English-LCW/carengin ... 0w60.aspx# w

This is specifically recommended by its manufacturer (Mobil/BP) for older or very high mileage vehicles with claims it has "extra seal conditioners to help prevent oil leaks" and "higher viscosity to help reduce burn off in older engines" and "more anti-wear additives to help protect worn engines".   With the oldest 2s now coming up to 14 or so years old (and therefore presumably some of them having covered 150,000 miles) is there any possible merit in using this oil in higher mileage older Roadster engines and/or engines that are specifically having problems with visible oil leaks and/or using a lot of oil.

I have just bought 5 litres of Mobil 1 5W30 ESP for my upcoming service and major brake overhaul (new discs and pads all round and replacement of probably 2 calipers) on my 10 year old 73,000 mile car and this appears to be the correct manufacturer oil spec for the car and the claims by Mobil that it protects the emissions system are also attractive but I am just wondering if oilman has a view whether our engines will ever become so old and leaky that Mobil 1 10W60 or any other 10W60 oil is actually a better option?  From what I have read so far in this thread oilman doesn't seem to believe that a thicker oil than a 50 is appropriate in our vehicle.

Oddly Mobil's own standard recommendation for the car (based on the number plate which produces the correct engine spec) is their 0w40 New Life oil.  But then they go on to say:-

Alternative recommendations, Engine (Petrol), >2000: <-29°C to >38°C, 5W-30; -18°C to >38°C, 10W-30; -12°C to >38°C, 15W-40; -7°C to >38°C, 20W-50

As temperatures below -7C (and especially needing to start up at below -7C) are very rare here in the South East of England it seems that Mobil think a 20W-50 is fine for that situation so presumably use of a 10W-60 is no problem for the cold temps I'm likely to experience.  However I think oilman will say that a 60 is too thick for our engines or is this offset by the special additives that Mobil have put in this oil?  If nothing else a 60 is surely likely to lead to substantially worse fuel consumption than a 5W30 (even if it stops oil leaks and oil consumption) as presumably the thinness of a 30 at standard motorway cruising speeds (i.e. no more than about 85mph in 5th) means substantially less friction for the engine when cruising at this speed compared to a 60?

[oilman]

It's no good for your car at all, then again, a 20w-50 isn't unless you are somewhere like Saudi.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-art ... 60-oil.pdf m

Cheers

Tim

[Capvermell]

It's no good for your car at all, then again, a 20w-50 isn't unless you are somewhere like Saudi.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-art ... 60-oil.pdf m

So you think Mobil are basically misleading customers with their marketing pitch for this oil then (older and high mileage vehicles but no mention of needing to use the oil only in very hot countries).  Halfords also sell it in the UK on the basis that it is an oil for "motorsport"  See  m http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... e=shopping m

Also N.B. that despite its rating of 10W60 that this is a fully synthetic and not a mineral oil.

If you read all of my previous post you would see that I had actually ordered 5 litres of Mobil 1 5W30 ESP (5W30 being the recommended manufacturer specification for the MR2 Roadster) but was just asking why this 10W60 Mobil 1 synethetic oil existed and was being marketed in the UK with its pitch that it is for "extended life" and/or older vehicles.  If it is only for Saudi etc then it seems odd that Mobil are allowing it to be actively marketed by the biggest high street motor factor chain in the United Kingdom (Halfords).

Also Mobil themselves actually list their 0W40 New Life Mobil 1 synthetic as being their recommended oil for the MR2 Roadster on their UK website although they do list their 5W30 Mobil 1 Oil as being a legitimate substitution for this.  My main concern about 0W40 in my 10 year old car is that might help to encourage oil leaks that would require a seal change in hotter weather.  Also the car might spend several months in Spain this summer.   Another reason why I suppose the 0W40 oil might have been a better choice.

[oilman]

I wouldn't say they are misleading customers, they just aren't telling people that it's not suitable for the vast majority of cars. It is fine to use in post 2000 M-series BMWs, some Alfas, Some Ferraris and a few Astons, but not a lot else, so while there is some UK use for it, it's not an overly popular oil. There are several tuners that recommend a 10w-60 for anything quick though and that seems to be the majority of the market for 10w-60s. They are wrong, but as they are tuners, people listen to them and put 10w-60 in their Imprezas/Evos/Skylines, even though their engines are not getting anywhere hot enough to need an oil that thick and certain cars like Imprezas have more than their fair share of engine failures.

Technically it is suitable for motorsport use and if Halfords are selling it as a performance oil that's fair enough, it is for performance cars. It's not for all performance cars though. Most use a 5w-30 or 5w-40 as standard - Porsche, most Ferraris, Lamborghini, Evos, Imprezas, Skylines, pretty much all hot hatches, etc etc etc.

The standard grade for a MR2 is 5w-30, but as they can burn quite a lot of oil, the 0w-40 is a sensible option. If yours burns oil, I'd probably go for a 5w-40 as there are a lot more to pick from than with 0w-40s.

Cheers

Tim

[JamesCar]

Hi oilman, just a quick question as there's so many recommendations going around, what oil would u say for my 2? It's. A 2004 with 35000 on the clock, was thinking castrol edge or Fuchs silkolene pro s,what would u go for? Also what about oil filters? Should I get one from Toyota? Cheers.

[Capvermell]

Hi oilman, just a quick question as there's so many recommendations going around, what oil would u say for my 2? It's. A 2004 with 35000 on the clock, was thinking castrol edge or Fuchs silkolene pro s,what would u go for? Also what about oil filters? Should I get one from Toyota? Cheers.

I expect oilman will say any 5W/30 synthetic oil is fine although I think you will find almost no support for the use of Castrol oil in these parts from either oilman or almost any other forum member.  Mobil 1 is 5W30  fine or otherwise you can use Fuchs Silkolene 5W30 or one of the other less well known but even better quality 5W30 specialist synethic brands recommended by oilman.

[oilman]

Castrol oils are fine, there is nothing at all the matter with their oils, except they are a bit expensive for what they are. If you are looking at the Edge or Pro S, I'd go for the Pro S as it's ester based, making it a step ahead of the Edge.

We've got filters from Mahle, UFI and K&N, all of which are very good. The most popular one for Toyotas is this one

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-6774-oil-fi ... 25100.aspx m

Cheers

Tim

[JamesCar]

Thanks guys for the info, will be perchacing soon!

[Jepson246]

I was planning on going out in a minute and topping up with the 10w -40 castrol I just bought, is this wise. I haven't seen a mention of this oil.

[Capvermell]

I was planning on going out in a minute and topping up with the 10w -40 castrol I just bought, is this wise. I haven't seen a mention of this oil.

What oil is in the car already?  Is it already 10W-40 or the manufacturer recommended 5W-30?

If you already have 10W-40 in the car then topping up with a bit more won't make much difference but it would be better to change to a 5W-30 synthetic when you have the next oil and oil filter change.  If deviating from 5W30 then a synthetic 0W40 or 5W40 seems to be the main preferred choice amongst forum members,  However 0W instead of 5W increases possible leakage on older engines, even though it would further reduce engine wear if using the car in very cold conditions (like Alaska or Canada in the winter cold).   An oil with an upper number higher than 30 will increase fuel consumption and as I understand it is only necessary if the car is being raced and even then no more than a 40 oil or at the very outside 50 is likely to be beneficial.  The engine better withstands very extreme use with the thicker oil at high temps but at the price of increased fuel consumption, especially in long distance runs at a constant speed on the motorway.  Synthetic is nearly always better than a non synthetic or semi-synthetic and you currently appear to possibly be using a non synthetic oil?

[Nickcv]

I visited ATS for an oil and filter change in December. They used Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30. Total cost £60 and they gave me a litre bottle to take away. Pretty good value I thought considering the cost of 5 litres of fully synthetic oil', new filter and the aggravation of doing it myself.

[trevsmr2]

Castrol GTX  5w-30 is on offer @ £12 in asda

[Jepson246]

After posting that I got out my oil and realised it is infact 5w - 30 which was already in the car so it's all good!  s:) s:)

[Capvermell]

Castrol GTX  5w-30 is on offer @ £12 in asda

A lot of oil at Halfords is currently down to only £10 for 4 litres including various types of 5W30 synthetic.   Allegedly this is specifically for Fords or Vauxhalls but it says against both the Ford and Vauxhall specific oils that they can also be used in several other makes (although they have never done a Toyota specific 5W30 synthetic).  I would have thought the own brand synthetics that claim to only be for certain manufacturer's formulations have not moved well and that Halfords may go back to a general 5W30 synthetic for all car makes Halfords own brand once they have cleared out this little lot.

I just paid £38 for 5 litres of Mobil 5W30 but I would be more confident that is good for 20,000 miles (about how often a decent synthetic oil actually really needs changing with a synthetic in normal non racing use despite the proclivity of those of you who enjoy car maintenance to change it every 5,000 miles or so) than one of Halford's own brand 5W30s.  Having said that these 5W30 synthetics can't have been that bad in order to come up to main motor manufacturer OEM synthetic specs.