MR2 Roadster Owners Club

The tile says it all please coment with Make, model and viscosity

All i know is its Texaco (sorry, was put in at the service)   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

Service bloke said Magnatec, receipt says 5W3

Neither really means a thing to me.

Do not use synthetic

I use Magnetec which I believe is 5W-30

There was lots of threads on this on the old board which I dont think you can access now

Pete   s:) :) s:)

Peter,

I've been one of the people advocating against synthetic in the past as well, mainly as it burns without smoke, so you cannot see if it is.

However regular oil checks aside it will be the same viscosity as semi or dino juice if you pick it like for like, so I'm re-evaluating my original thoughts.

I'd be interested to hear your resaoning aginst it fi different from the above.

There are lots of views on this subject and at the end of the day (Ihate that expression) it must be best to follow what the manual says

However  taken from archive


What is the proper type of oil to use in my car?

Marty believes (and has proved with personal tests) that synthetic oil is the best all around oil for cars.

He recommends Castrol Syntec 5w50 oil for most cars.   This oil gives you the cold oil pressure you need and when the car warms up, it gives the protection of the 50 weight oil.  No carbon based oil can do this.   Synthetic oil saves gas (petrol), gives quicker starts, helps save weaker engines for a while.

The main thing to remember is to change oil every 3 months or 3,000 miles, no matter what.  Use the correct oil weight for your car.   This is usually in the owners manual and on the fill cover.  If your car calls for 5w30, then use 5w30 in the cold winter time or you will have problems with your car.   The old timers that tell you to us 10w40 all year long are outdated and have been proven wrong many times.  If your car calls for 5w30 and you have tight valve clearances on your engine and you use 10w40 your car will not start in the winter time when it is cold because the valves will be held open too far from lifters being pushed too far by heavier, slower moving oil.

In other words I dont know  !

The answer to your original question Magnetec 5W-30

Sorry

Pete   s:( :( s:(

Interesting snippet from Gerald (Chief performance engineer at TTE and responsible for the development of the forthcoming turbo kit)........

He recommends a "20W60 fully synth oil, but this may prove hard to find and be rather expensive", so suggests using something like a 15W40 fully synth mainly because "Esso produces one and they are one of the prime sponsors of the F1 team"

Well that's let the feeline loose amongst the avians so I'll retire to watch the fun from a safe distance......  s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:

Mark,

Can you post links to some of the articles you find whilst researching the problems experienced by people using Magnatec 5W30 for extended periods of time.

I would like to add that given the dramatic increase in oil consumption that I saw in my original (2001 40,000 mile) '2 when I switched to using Magnatec, along with the number of small oil leaks that developed around the same time, I am most definately going to be avoiding it at all costs in the future.

Well heres one,

 m http://www.mx6fun.sumy.ua/articles/auto ... change.htm (http://www.mx6fun.sumy.ua/articles/auto-guide/oil-change.htm) m

I didn't bookmark most of them but if you googel magnatec problems and look past the first 5 pages or so yu start to get to some interesting stuff.

basically seem that it's great from cold (as per the bottle) but seems to get far to thin when heated up which ties in with the issies we bothe experienced with oil leakage around the timing chain tensioner, and possibly I'm still researching this the diesel like noise James Blackmore and myself are experiencing.


Also see this post from a MK2 tubby owner, scroll down to the il bit

 m http://www.btinternet.com/~netsurf/mr2t/mr2tfaq.html (http://www.btinternet.com/~netsurf/mr2t/mr2tfaq.html) m

the comments about magnatec appearing to be used easily by the engine are typical of what I'm finding.

Heres a link for some general oil info.

 m http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/ (http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/) m


I'm pretty sure I'm going to try a Mobil1 15w50 for an oil change over xmas and see if the noise gets any better, it's due anyway as, per our discussion magnatec gets very thin and dirty after 5000 miles.

Toyota GB are adament that you should not use fully synth oil in your Roadsters. To quote them "it's too good".

They have said that most people who use FS oil notice an increase in oil consumption as it is so fine.

However the strange thing is that Jemca Toyota insist on using FS oil. This would then be interesting as I was told by Toyota GB that if you have used FS oil and this has, either directly or indirectly, caused problems then you may not be covered under your warranty.

Granted, I also was advised not to use it by a dealer as it isn't noticeable when it burns.

However as for the too thin, i expect that is because most people who use fully synth end up with 0W something, Mobil1 for example is available in 0W40 and 15W50 I've never yet seen the latter as few places stock it. Consequently the assumption is that it's the fully synth thats the problem when in actual fact I think it's more that most people pick up very thin fully synth because that's all they see.

If you pick like for like viscosity surely theres no difference between fully synth and anything else?

Quote from: "SteveJ"Interesting snippet from Gerald (Chief performance engineer at TTE and responsible for the development of the forthcoming turbo kit)........

He recommends a "20W60 fully synth oil, but this may prove hard to find and be rather expensive", so suggests using something like a 15W40 fully synth mainly because "Esso produces one and they are one of the prime sponsors of the F1 team"

s:!: :!: s:!:     s:oops: :oops: s:oops:   That's a typo Steve, I've just re-checked my original notes - it should say 10W60 fully synthetic oil (which btw is just so happens to be what I already use).

Oh, and just to clarify - that specification is needed only for turbo cars, not NA.

Quote from: "markiii"If you pick like for like viscosity surely theres no difference between fully synth and anything else?

No there isn't, and your comment regarding available choice could well be near the mark.

The main reason that people are disuaded from using it is that there can be issues from switching from mineral to full synth based oils, especially in older cars, or very new cars. This is to do with the FS oils stripping away residues left by combustion of the mineral oils around the valves and rings, potentially leaving 'gaps' where detonation could occur. My knowledge on this is a bit vague, so best to search around.

My 2p worth...

Rightly or wrongly, I've used Mobil1 0W40 for the last nearly-20k miles (the first 10k were on the original dino juice), and not noticed any problems; negligible consumption (only ever topped up less than a 1 litre bottle in that entire mileage, trackdays aside), no significant clatter, etc, etc.

I've certainly not read all there is to read on the subject, but I do remember reading some stuff that disproved the "synth is too thin" (even at 0W) theories. You can't have oil that is too thin; the thinner it is, the better it reaches all those hard-to-get-to places, especially when cold.

Although I do use synth oil on a regular basis, (Shell Helix every 5000 miles - I forget the viscosity) having studied the properties of oil and its lubrication effects during periodic stripdowns of a slightly larger engine(Gas turbine - 500ton - 380,000bhp) I can honestly say that the lubricating medium is not nearly as important as the build tolerances of the parts being lubricated. If the parts in question are perfectly machined, and perfectly installed, then you could reliably lubricate with recycled Comma multigrade. The better refined stuff ("Synthetic" is a bit of a misnomer, it still comes out of the ground, the synthetic stuff is just better refined and gets a lot more care and attention when its made along with some of the choicer additives) is simply better at taking up the slack and keeping the less well made or installed metal parts from touching each other. Manufacturers have taken advantage of this by making things such as main bearings smaller to reduce overall engine sizes, the problem is than that oil is under far greater pressure...

The main thing to watch for is viscosity, as the engine will be designed with particular oil flows to particular places, messing with viscosity screws up all those flow rates, and too much oil in certain places can be as devastating as to little. (cylinder walls spring immediately to mind)

Incedentaly, not using synth oil "because you cant see it when it burns"  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

1. You can see it quite clearly when it burns. Long ago I had an Escort turbo that did 140,000 miles on Mobil 1, changed religously at 6000 mile intervals, and I can assure you that when it was struck down with one of its more expensive mechanical calamities, the smoke was quite visible.

2. If your burning oil, then you're a long way past where changing the oil is going to make any difference to your engines health!

One day, perhaps dealers will shock us all by employing a few more  people who actually know about cars!

Quote from: "pmdye"You can't have oil that is too thin; the thinner it is, the better it reaches all those hard-to-get-to places, especially when cold.

Yep, the better it is at reaching those hard-to-get-to places, especially those hard-to-get-to places that you really don't want it to get to.

Any small hole or worn down part and FS oil will find its way through.

Quote from: "GSB"1. You can see it quite clearly when it burns. Long ago I had an Escort turbo that did 140,000 miles on Mobil 1, changed religously at 6000 mile intervals, and I can assure you that when it was struck down with one of its more expensive mechanical calamities, the smoke was quite visible.

Yes, I can attest to that one too - both when the turbo in my Ren 5 GTT expired (twice! ahem. Oops) and when I was p****ng oil out of the 300ZX.. Rather good at making smokeclouds  s:) :) s:)

I've always used fully synth in my cars - Mobil 1 0W40 in the Renault 19 16v (good engines, large tolerance though, and always burnt oil, no matter what the viscosity - next owner managed to shear the flywheel off the crank though!  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  ), Mobil1 15W40 in the Ren 5 GT Turbo, Castrol RS 10W60 in the 300ZX.. '2 is currently running on whatever the dealer put in it, though, as it's still under warranty..

Several of those engines had been stripped down and inspected - and none showed any signs of oil-related wear..

I'm not sure what's in mine  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  , it's whatever my dealer uses.

After all the horror stories from SC in the old days, I'm a bit sceptical of using synth, and as Aaron said, while it's under warranty I'm cool with whatever the dealer does use. Might find out just out of interest though...

First 10K - whatever Toyota filled it with ( a semi-sythetic I believe)
Thereafter have used Mobil 1 0W-40  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:) :) s:)  for the following 2 services.

Fine so far, no oil consumption.

Re: the debate on engine wear vs oil type IMHO change filter and oil regularly and don't abuse the engine when cold is probably more important than which branded oil you use (assuming it meets the necessary standards in the manual).

on a simple matter, foes anyone know what the original car oil is and when should the first change take place? should it be at first service or sooner?  s:?: :?: s:?:

Quote from: "colindanks"on a simple matter, foes anyone know what the original car oil is and when should the first change take place? should it be at first service or sooner?  s:?: :?: s:?:

Not sure on the type of oil, but the first change is at 10k miles or the first year, so the first service.

Quote from: "Slacey"Not sure on the type of oil, but the first change is at 10k miles or the first year, so the first service.

Over here they recommend an oil+filter change after 3000km's break in period. And then the 1st normal oil change at 15km/1year service (counting from zero, not from the extra oil change).

Quote from: "pmdye"My 2p worth...

Rightly or wrongly, I've used Mobil1 0W40 for the last nearly-20k miles (the first 10k were on the original dino juice), and not noticed any problems; negligible consumption  "synth is too thin" (even at 0W) theories. You can't have oil that is too thin; the thinner it is, the better it reaches all those hard-to-get-to places, especially when cold.

 That's true. You can't have a oil too thin.
 Toyota Portugal recommends for the mr2 Mobil 1 (0-40).
 I use it and get negligible consumption, not to say, no consumption.

Interesting take on Synthetic v Dino juice. The quote below s from an SCC article on tuning the RX7, however the cat issue probably applies especially with teh known fact that toyota don't use very high quality cats.

Dino or Synthetic motor oils? That's the big question. While Mazda Corp. has officially forbid the use of synthetic motor oils in their rotary engines, Mostly Mazda strongly recommends the use of Redline synthetics products, in the motor, differential and in the transmission. The unofficial "inside story" behind Mazda's statement is quite interesting. Apparently, in the early 1980s, Mazda's racing team had lubrication problems using a certain brand name synthetic motor oil. Instead of disclosing the particular oil brand and potentially getting faced with a lawsuit, Mazda made an unfair general statement, suggesting that all synthetic oils were incompatible with their rotary engines. Redline motor oils have been successfully used in rotary race motors for nearly two decades. Their motor oils offer improved film strength over other motor oils, synthetic or non-synthetic. Synthetics also extend the life of the turbochargers by resisting bearing "coking" typically associated with traditional oils. We used Redline 10W/40 high performance motor oil for Project RX-7. At over six dollars a quart, it is hardly inexpensive. However, a good motor oil is the best insurance against premature engine wear.

Evidence supports that synthetic oils may not burn as cleanly as dino oils. According to Mostly Mazda, this residue may potentially cause premature clogging of the catalytic converter over a very long period of time. This relatively minor problem is easily remedied by catalytic converter replacement. Such maintenance is far less expensive and time consuming than replacing engine or turbo damaged by insufficient lubrication.

Quote from: "markiii"Interesting take on Synthetic v Dino juice. .[/color]

 I remember that in a previous car (a diesel peugeot) I used a semisynthetic oil (recomended by the dealer), and then after a year and 30000km, I have changed for Mobil 1 (0-40) and get a big increase in oil consumption.
 I return to the previously used oil and get normal consumption (almost nil).
  So, perhaps it's a bad idea to change for synthetics if you didn't began with synthetics.
 
 I have once read in a magasine a test that shows that 80% of worn out in a motor happens when you turn it on (and the engine is cold). If you use a  very thin synthetic oil you can have better lubrification when the motor is cold, and therefore have less worn out. Syntetic oil has also a better behaviour in very high temperatures.
 
 I never heard about synthetic oil leaving more residous, but if this is true it's not good. Where do you get that information from?  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

I'd say the reason you had icreased consumption with the Peugot was the 0w40 oil not the fact it was synthetic, I assume the previous dino juice wasn't a 0 rating?

the excerpt was taken from SCC a US tuning magazine.

Well I got round to changing the oil yesterday. An easier enough job except that t change the filter you need to remove all the plastic nappies.

that was a pain.

I ran a flush additive through first as changing to a fully synth from teh magnatec. I was surprised just how thin and black the removed oil was.

I'm alos surprised how thick the 15/50 looked in comparison. Still first impressions are that teh engie is noticably quieter and smoother. Whether it fixes my diesel noise I wil have to waiti and see.

A little tip for anyone changing their oil, the filter is abnormally small, make sure you removal tool fits. It's not very amusing when the car is empty of oil, your lying under it and then find the damn thing don't fit.

Quote from: "markiii"Also see this post from a MK2 tubby owner, scroll down to the il bit

 m http://www.btinternet.com/~netsurf/mr2t/mr2tfaq.html (http://www.btinternet.com/~netsurf/mr2t/mr2tfaq.html) m

the comments about magnatec appearing to be used easily by the engine are typical of what I'm finding.

Heres a link for some general oil info.

 m http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/ (http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/) m


I'm pretty sure I'm going to try a Mobil1 15w50 for an oil change over xmas and see if the noise gets any better, it's due anyway as, per our discussion magnatec gets very thin and dirty after 5000 miles.

My ears are burning  s:) :) s:)

Yes, old (ie from 3-4 years back) formulation semi synthetic Maganatec did seem to be used by my old Mk2 Turbo - about 2.5 litres per 6,000 miles. There wasn't any noticeable smoke screen, it just disappeared.

I switched to fully synth Mobil1 15W50 in the Mk2 (and probably what I'm going to use in the Roadster) and the oil consumption dropped to about 1 litre per 6,000 miles - and was stable at that whilst I put on another 100,000 miles on the car and engine.

One thing I would say though - my old Mk2 Coupe with a 3S-FE engine *did* burn oil, this apparently is a problem as well with the US 5S-FE engines too. The engine was completely rebuilt under warranty, but even after the rebuild the oil consumption problem remained   s:? :? s:?  - I then resigned myself to needing to top up the oil fairly regularly.

Since 5 years:

15 W 40 mineral oil - no synthetic...still the 1st SB   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

mines still on whatever they put in at the first service, and will stay that way all the time the warranty lives...   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Has anyone used Castrol RS as it's currently reduced to half price in my local Halfords, £17 something from £35! The thing is it's a 0w40 rating.

I was looking at my oil the other day and noticed i was down to about half full/empty which ever way you want to say it!

I was wondering as i don't know what oil was used to fill the car last service as it wasn't my car would it be best to drain off the oil and fill it with some new oil? If so can anyone recomend any as I am a bit confused with this post so far! Also how much oil is the difference between empty and full on the dipstick?

Regards

Dom

Quote from: "SteveM"Has anyone used Castrol RS as it's currently reduced to half price in my local Halfords, £17 something from £35! The thing is it's a 0w40 rating.

I would guess that it would be too thin at 0w.

Quote from: "Dominic_Gregory"Also how much oil is the difference between empty and full on the dipstick?

I believe it is just under a litre from low > full.
As for your question of draining the unknown oil and refilling, I would if only for peace of mind.

Quote from: "Dominic_Gregory"I was wondering as i don't know what oil was used to fill the car last service as it wasn't my car would it be best to drain off the oil and fill it with some new oil?

Halfway...you can pretty much ignore it. It doesn't have to be at full all the time  s;) ;) s;)  But you can top it off with any good oil if you wish. It doesn't have to be the same that's in there now.

QuoteIf so can anyone recomend any as I am a bit confused with this post so far! Also how much oil is the difference between empty and full on the dipstick?

Your owners manual can recommend it, if you can't find good answers here  s;) ;) s;)

I believe the empty-full is 1 liter.

Quote from: "Slacey"

Quote from: "SteveM"Has anyone used Castrol RS as it's currently reduced to half price in my local Halfords, £17 something from £35! The thing is it's a 0w40 rating.

I would guess that it would be too thin at 0w.

I've been using 0w40 and it has been just fine  s8) 8) s8)

Im using Millers 10w60 fully syntetic oil in my 2

When I took my 2 in for 30K service they gave me an oil top up kit.  This consisted of 1ltr of Magnatec 10w 40, a paper funnel and some clean up stuff.

As Toyota gave me this I presume it is what they recommend.

I purchased my 2000 Spyder with 20,000 miles on the clock and switched almost immediately to Mobil1 synthetic oil with the TRD filter.  Now at 32,000 miles and not burning a drop between changes.  I change the oil at 5,000 mile intervals.

Quote from: "stubob"This consisted of 1ltr of Magnatec 10w 40, a paper funnel and some clean up stuff.

As Toyota gave me this I presume it is what they recommend.

It's what they sell - it's still rubbish, though  s;) ;) s;)   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Mine got treated to Castrol Edge Sport (replacement for the RS fully syn. range) 0W-40 last change - so far it's using zip oil.. (must check it this evening, actually).

im using magnatec and have hardly used any seems ok  to me ?

Quote from: "edward.carter"I'm using magnatec and have hardly used any seems ok  to me ?

If you search around on here, there's quite a few posts about how it breaks down at high temperatures etc.  One of these days, I'll ask Oilman over on IMOC what he thinks of it and get a definitive answer  s:) :) s:)

From memory it's not a fully syn. PAO oil anyhow, which gives it a big black mark in my book  s;) ;) s;)

think i might treat myself to a trd oil filter and some better oil   s:) :) s:)

I'd reccomend teh K&N oil filter

ithas a nut welded tpo teh bottom which means you can remove and tighten with astandard ratchet.

getting a filter removal tool on the roadster is a major PITA

cool will check them out   s:) :) s:)   ta

Quote from: "markiii"getting a filter removal tool on the roadster is a major PITA

It is? Took me 30secs with mine  s;) ;) s;)  (Claw style one that a ratchet goes into)

ok they will fit, but the tightening grip type are useless.

besisde you have a "unique" way of changing your oil
  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Selenia 10w40.  No oil consumption   s:) :) s:)

Quote from: "markiii"besisde you have a "unique" way of changing your oil
  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

 s:P :P s:P   s:P :P s:P  Careful, or I'll be taking embarassing photos of you tomorrow  s:P :P s:P

just bought some new oil for topping up that castrol edge isnt cheap is it!!  halfords 4L £37  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

Quote from: "edward.carter"just bought some new oil for topping up that castrol edge isnt cheap is it!!  halfords 4L £37  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

Indeed not, but it's good stuff.. The 0W-40 doesnt' seem to be burning off in my car either, which is nice  s:) :) s:)

well ive gone from 10-40 magnatec to i think it was about the same 10-30/40 on the service now topped up with this so see if i notice any change

ive just put in some castrol gtx 10/40... is that ok?

car seems to be fine with it  s:) :) s:)

Quote from: "edward.carter"well ive gone from 10-40 magnatec to i think it was about the same 10-30/40 on the service now topped up with this so see if i notice any change

Glad to see your off that orrible stuff magnatec

I've spent the last 5K miles using Motul 5W-40 under the advice of Simon at Opie Oils. After speaking with the guys at Thor I've just changed to Mobil1 15W-50, as they reckon the Motul stuff was way too thin.

The Motul was causing my engine to be very noisy when warm, which has (so far) been solved by the Mobil1 stuff. There was a rather large clanging sound when cold-starting with the Mobil1 though, so it'll be interesting to see if that changes over time.


I'll let you all know which I prefer.

you mean motul 5w40?

That's what I said.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Quote from: "Ekona"That's what I said.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Quote from: "Ekona"That's what I said.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I'm really going to have to confiscate that edit button
  s:D :D s:D

Or you could stop picking up every single mistake I make and posting it in the main forum areas. There is a PM button, y'know?!

 s:wink: :wink: s:wink:   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:


Or I could stop making silly mistakes... Meh, I prefer my first option.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Quote from: "markiii"

Quote from: "edward.carter"well ive gone from 10-40 magnatec to i think it was about the same 10-30/40 on the service now topped up with this so see if i notice any change

Glad to see your off that orrible stuff magnatec

well I have only put 0.5 litre of the new stuff in and difference is noticable already, cold tappety noise has gone engine seems quieter and feels like its picking up quicker in the lower rev range. All that from 0.5 litre. I thought it was expensive at £37 for 4 litres, but it is worth every penny.

do a full oil change and see it improve even more

Hi to All

Originally car was on Magnatec from its last service with the previous owner (I think 5W30) now, for last 200 miles, on Motul 300V 5W30

The difference is quite marked. On the Magnatec there was a lot of clatter when the engine was hot. A good thrashing made it sound quite mechanically harsh.

With the new oil, the engine is generally quieter and when very hot does not clatter like it did with the Magnatec. Biggest difference is now that the harshness has gone under hard accelleration.

Engine had light brown deposits visible under filler neck and on dipper. Now clean just like it ought to be. Will post when oil consumption has been assessed.

Update on oil consuption

Oil useage over the first 2800 miles is so low as to be unmeasurable. So far, so good.

Update on oil consuption

Oil useage over 8000 miles still no movement on the dipstick. Good stuff.


Chris

I bought my '2 in June, it's W reg with fairly high mileage about 86K.  It had just had a full service and the garage had used fully synthetic Castrol Magnatec, guess it's the 5W50 as I've had to top it up already after only a couple of thousand miles.  Not had any trouble with the engine re: noise.  Will need to change it again soon so now wondering about the fully synthetic mobil 1 10w40 as this is what the toyota dealer in Bristol North use and seems from the above thread it's popular with several of you guys... being a newbie I've been reading and taking on board a lot from the forum - useful stuff if a little confusing at times!

magnatec doesn't come in 5w50 IIRC

Quote from: "BenJones"I bought my '2 in June, it's W reg with fairly high mileage about 86K.  It had just had a full service and the garage had used fully synthetic Castrol Magnatec, guess it's the 5W50 as I've had to top it up already after only a couple of thousand miles.  Not had any trouble with the engine re: noise.  Will need to change it again soon so now wondering about the fully synthetic mobil 1 10w40 as this is what the toyota dealer in Bristol North use and seems from the above thread it's popular with several of you guys... being a newbie I've been reading and taking on board a lot from the forum - useful stuff if a little confusing at times!

Hi Ben

Magnatec is not fully synthetic at all. It has a small synthetic ester component. The commonly available Mobil 1 is 0w40 and that is fully synthetic. I have run many cars on it over the years and never suffere any engine wear to worry about even at high mileages.

Currently running a fully ester synthetic Motul 300V. I went 5w30 and find it to be very good. Oil consumption has been undetectable over 3000 miles. Some reckon this a bit thin for trackdays or turbo modded use, but the oil is available in thicker grades as well. See  w www.opieoils.co.uk (http://www.opieoils.co.uk) w  for more info. Only potential problem of running a synthetic after highish miles on mineral oils is the potential for seals to wash out the carbon layer and weep a little or bits of carbonised deposits breaking off and blocking your oilways. If the engine looks very clean inside, this sould not be a problem, but if you have deposits visible in the cambox, it may not be such a good thing to run a highly detergent synthetic like Mobil 1 or 300v. Call the guys at Opie, they are very helpful.

Chris

Silkolene Pro - S 5w-40

Gods own fully syhnthetic (genuine) oil. have used it previously on my 106 track car and noticed a significant improvement in oil temps over mobil 1.

£35 for 5l though, but well worth it.

I cannot recommend this oil enough.

I bought my '2 in June, it's W reg with fairly high mileage about 86K. It had just had a full service and the garage had used fully synthetic Castrol Magnatec
- Commonly refered to as "magnashite". Until I really researched oil technology I too used this, falling foul of their glossy ads. They were actually taken to court in the US for implying that their product was fully synthetic.

Thanks for the advice, it was actually the 5w30 that I'd put in there.  Definitely going to change it for something like the Silkolene at next service then!

The recommendation according to my database is as follows:

5w-30 for VVTi's and 10w-40 or 5w-40 for others.

As to synthetics, of course they can be used, they are merely better oils that stay in grade for longer and therefore can cope with extended drain periods without losing viscosity (stay in grade).

The question is do you need them?

The answer to this is simple.

YES if your car is modded, driven hard or tracked

NO if the car is a stock street car and not stressed

Synthetics are better for turbocharged cars because they car more thermally stable and are less likely to carbonise in the bearings.

See my next post for the benefits of synthetics.

Cheers
Guy

Why are synthetics better?

The basic benefits are as follows:

Extended oil drain periods
Better wear protection and therefore extended engine life
Most synthetics give better MPG
They flow better when cold and are more thermally stable when hot
Esters are surface-active meaning a thin layer of oil on the surfaces at all times

If you want to know the reasons why then please read on but, warning - Long Post!

Stable Basestocks

Synthetic oils are designed from pure, uniform synthetic basestocks, they contain no contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal and oxidative break down.
Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic lubricants operate with less internal and external friction than petroleum oils which have a non-uniform molecular structure.
The result is better heat control, and less heat means less stress to the lubricant.

Higher Percentage of Basestock

Synthetic oils contain a higher percentage of lubricant basestock than petroleum oils do.
This is because multi-viscosity oils need a great deal of pour point depressant and viscosity improvers to operate as a multigrade.
The basestocks actually do most of the lubricating. More basestocks mean a longer oil life.

Additives Used Up More Slowly

Petroleum basestocks are much more prone to oxidation than synthetic oils. Oxidation inhibitors are needed in greater quantities in petroleum oils as they are used up more quickly.
Synthetic oils do oxidize, but at a much slower rate therefore, oxidation inhibiting additives are used up more slowly.

Synthetic oils provide for better ring seal than petroleum oils do. This minimizes blow-by and reduces contamination by combustion by-products. As a result, corrosion inhibiting additives have less work to do and will last much longer in a synthetic oil.

Excellent Heat Tolerance

Synthetics are simply more tolerant to extreme heat than petroleum oils are. When heat builds up within an engine, petroleum oils quickly begin to burn off. They are more volatile. The lighter molecules within petroleum oils turn to gas and what's left are the large molecules that are harder to pump.
Synthetics have far more resistance as they are more thermally stable to begin with and can take higher temperatures for longer periods without losing viscosity.

Heat Reduction

One of the major factors affecting engine life is component wear and/or failure, which is often the result of high temperature operation. The uniformly smooth molecular structure of synthetic oils gives them a much lower coefficient friction (they slip more easily over one another causing less friction) than petroleum oils.
Less friction means less heat and heat is a major contributor to engine component wear and failure, synthetic oils significantly reduce these two detrimental effects.
Since each molecule in a synthetic oil is of uniform size, each is equally likely to touch a component surface at any given time, thus moving a certain amount of heat into the oil stream and away from the component. This makes synthetic oils far superior heat transfer agents than conventional petroleum oils.

Greater Film Strength

Petroleum motor oils have very low film strength in comparison to synthetics. The film strength of a lubricant refers to it's ability to maintain a film of lubricant between two objects when extreme pressure and heat are applied.
Synthetic oils will typically have a film strength of 5 to 10 times higher than petroleum oils of comparable viscosity.
Even though heavier weight oils typically have higher film strength than lighter weight oils, an sae 30 or 40 synthetic will typically have a higher film strength than an sae 50 or sae 60 petroleum oil.

A lighter grade synthetic can still maintain proper lubricity and reduce the chance of metal to metal contact. This means that you can use oils that provide far better fuel efficiency and cold weather protection without sacrificing engine protection under high temperature, high load conditions. Obviously, this is a big plus, because you can greatly reduce both cold temperature start-up wear and high temperature/high load engine wear using a low viscosity oil.

Engine Deposit Reduction

Petroleum oils tend to leave sludge, varnish and deposits behind after thermal and oxidative break down. They're better than they used to be, but it still occurs.
Deposit build-up leads to a significant reduction in engine performance and engine life as well as increasing the chance of costly repairs.
Synthetic oils have far superior thermal and oxidative stability and they leave engines virtually varnish, deposit and sludge-free.

Better Cold Temperature Fluidity

Synthetic oils do not contain the paraffins or other waxes which dramatically thicken petroleum oils during cold weather. As a result, they tend to flow much better during cold temperature starts and begin lubricating an engine almost immediately. This leads to significant engine wear reduction, and, therefore, longer engine life.

Improved Fuel Economy

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic oils are tremendous friction reducers. Less friction leads to increased fuel economy and improved engine performance.
This means that more energy released from the combustion process can be transferred directly to the wheels due to the lower friction. Acceleration is more responsive and more powerful, using less fuel in the process.

In a petroleum oil, lighter molecules tend to boil off easily, leaving behind much heavier molecules which are difficult to pump. The engine loses more energy pumping these heavy molecules than if it were pumping lighter ones.
Since synthetic oils have more uniform molecules, fewer of these molecules tend to boil off and when they do, the molecules which are left are of the same size and pumpability is not affected.

Synthetics are better and in many ways, they are basically better by design as they are created by chemists in laboratories for a specific purpose.

Cheers
Guy

One of the problems with the MR2,  discussed before on this, is the difficulty owners experience reading the rather odd dipstick.  It is just possible that misreadings on some 2's has led to very low oil levels and perhaps the odd case of more serious damage from time to time?  My oil is light and difficult to see on the 'probe', but is there a darker and 100% suitable oil for the 2 which will show clearly on the 'probe'?   S'man.

Toyota do recommend 5W30's. We sell alot of Toyota's own over the counter to vvti owners.

I have read this in another forum as a solution to reduce oil consumption, do you think this make sense?:

"I also own a 2001 VVT-I Avensis ( with oil burning issue ). I recently had it serviced & was advised that a new type of oil had been used. 3500 miles later, & the oil level is still on Max mark.

I believe they used 15W/40 Mobil 1 oil."

Using a 15W/40 oil will reduce consumption? I guess it's due to viscosity, right? Will you try it?

Thanks in advance!

That is just an increase in viscoisty thats stemmed that, however it is a step backwards. The 5w-30 oils are refined semi synthetics, the 15w-40 are basic mineral multigrade and quality wise not so good. If you are using a lot of oil increase the hot end viscosity, so try a 5w-40 instead of a 5w-30.

Cheers

Guy.

Quote from: "oilman"That is just an increase in viscoisty thats stemmed that, however it is a step backwards. The 5w-30 oils are refined semi synthetics, the 15w-40 are basic mineral multigrade and quality wise not so good. If you are using a lot of oil increase the hot end viscosity, so try a 5w-40 instead of a 5w-30.

Cheers

Guy.

Hi man,

Thanks for the advice. The thing is I'm already using 5w40 Esso Ultron. So think need something thicker. What about Mobil 15w50, is a mineral oil, right?

Thank you!

Mobil 1 15w-50 is full synthetic, 10w-50 is better then 15w-50 as it flows better from cold.. protecting quicker. try one of those.

Cheers

Guy.

Am going in for a 40k/4yr service next week and decided to supply my own oil to get something better in there rather than the 10w-40 bulk buy stuff that Mr T told me they put in everything!!

Got recommended Motul 8100 Eco-nergy 5w-30 by Guy at Opie and with members discount and current offers at Opie got 10litres for £42.39 rather than normal rrp of £62! - Thanks Opie, very impressed so far.
Mr T wanted to charge me the same amount for 3.7litres of their 'unbranded' bulk buy 10w-40!!!

Will post feedback after my service next week but just wanted to post to you let you know that current offers at Opie really give some good savings.
I now have enough for the service, an intermediate change and some spare   s:D :D s:D  

Andy.

im about to do a service, are people still happy with their choice of mobil 1, 10-50 / 15-50, before i go out to buy some?
also how many litres do i need?

if it's an N/A 10w40 is plenty thick enough only go thicker if turboed

yes its an N/A, i see the opie web site recomends 5-30, im even more confused now !!!

what they reccomend isn't necessarily what our collective experience dictates

i can only find 0-40 mobil 1 and 15-50, have mobil1 stopped doing a 10-40?

mobil 1 range in teh Uk seems quite restrictive

I suggest Motul or Silkolene from Oilman

Out of interest I'm N/A and running Castrol Edge 0W30.

It's what Opie recommended to me once upon a time, best place to buy it is Morrisions in 1L bottles.

anyone know where i can get 10 50 from.  my cars on 10 40 semi and is burning about 0.5L per 3,000 miles when ragged n not when driven smooth.  The burning seems to be when the engine is hot so presumably i need i need an oil that copes with a hotter temp.  I have read this topic and it is confusing as analising poetry.

Motul 8100 5W-40 from Opie, that they recommended to me once.

Mine is an N/A running an emanage blue.

Nick, might have to try your morrisons stuff.. could save a few quid.

Alex

Quote from: "phillmat"anyone know where i can get 10 50 from

Silkolene 10w50 (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-1145-silkolene-pro-s-10w-50-ester-synthetic-oil-for-high-performance-engines.aspx)

0-40 Mobil 1 fully synthetic

Quote from: "philster_d"0-40 Mobil 1 fully synthetic

Phil I have about half a bottle of this you can have if you want - free gratis - I use 5w-40 now.

DON'T GET HUNG UP ON THE GRADE;
The figure 5W50 or 10W40 etc is the viscosity of the oil. That means as most people have said, the thickness or runniness of the oil when cold and hot. The most important item here is the quality of oil as well. That is specified as in SF, SG, SH etc. This determines how many different types of additives are used in the oil. The problem in my experience with fully synthetic oil is that it "is too good" and lubricates items too well. An example is a motorbike with a wet clutch. Run on FS oil and the clutch slips really quickly when used in anger.

Another example but the other way round is a Isuzu Trooper that had 10W40 put in it and wouldn't start. This was because it has a crankshaft speed sensor fitted and the fuel is shut off unless it spins at a certain speed. In this case it couldn't spin fast enough on a cold morning. We changed the oil to Mobil 1, (5W50) and hey presto, off she went.

Buy the oil for your conditions; With warmer winters now, 10W40 should suit everyone in the UK. Make sure you buy a good quality one though like a SG or SH grade.

Mobil 1 oil has been rebranded / replaced by BP Visco 5000. (Mobil and BP are the same company) You will find BP alot easier today in the UK. It is now graded as 0W45 rather than the older 5W50.

I hope this helps people find it easier.

Every time MrT do a service they very kindly leave me a full bottle of Shell Helix Plus either 5W or 10W - 40 on the passenger seat! Not sure why the variance   s:? :? s:?

I've just read through the oil topic and now I am more confused than ever on what oil to put in my x reg 1.8vvti mr2 roadster. All I know is that the book states to use SAE 5w - 30.  I try to let the engine warm up before being heavy on my accelerator but I work next to a motor way so this becomes difficult.

Thanks

(belated) thanks liz.

I have a bottle for the oil change but some flushing sounds like a plan.  s:) :) s:)

Phil.

Quote from: "leigh"I try to let the engine warm up before being heavy on my accelerator but I work next to a motor way so this becomes difficult.

Firstly, I know this is a debatable topic and I agree with both camps, but engine load is as important as engine revs. Its good to keep the revs low when the engine's cold but its also just as good to accelerate gently until the engine is warm too.

If you've got to pull onto a motorway whilst your engine is cold, this is no problem, just gently accelerate to say 60-70 mph and cruise until you're warm, job done! Cruising at these speeds requires very little engine load.

Jason

Absolutely right advice there, be gentle with her.

Don't labour the engine and don't rev it hard.
Relaxed smooth driving until the car's up to temperature.
I't's actually probably better to live next to a motorway for warming up an engine on the move as you (hopefully) have fewer stop start situations and the engine isn't being thrashed beteen traffic lights   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Castroil 5w30, synthetic blend.

is this one of the longest running threads, by chance?!

My motorist store(BMS)recommends fully sinth which i bought and used,took my 2000 '2 for dealer servive mot,they used semi sinth and pointed out that in had oil leak near crank case near belt.i think this could be down to fully sinth being too thin as have been driving on semi for a bit now and oil leak seems to be static,i'm going to get my engine steam cleaned to find out if leak has stopped.Tray underneath car catches leaks so hard to tell till mr t points these things out to me.


ps does anyone know how to load own pic to avatar?

Fuchs Titan XTR 5w-30  (fully synthetic) - with a UFI filter (pack from OpieOils)   s:) :) s:)

Motul 300V 5w30.  s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:

5w40 for me to cope with spirted driving, 10w50 when i stick the turbo on in thesummer.

5W30 Cos thats what Halfords Said I needed!
Went for a Semi Synth this time around

I'm on Halfords Semi-synth 5w30, at least until I do the next oil change. Then I'll probably use a full synth 5W30, because that's what Toyota recommend!   s:D :D s:D

Anyone tried Millers CFS Motorsport oil? IT is a fully synthetic ester enhanced oil. Spec looks good, 5W40 version would suit a hard driven N/A car perhaps?

Chris

Pretty sure thats the stuff that HyperSports used to use on mine, but this was before Chris left as I havent been back since

Quote from: "ChrisGB"Anyone tried Millers CFS Motorsport oil? IT is a fully synthetic ester enhanced oil. Spec looks good, 5W40 version would suit a hard driven N/A car perhaps?

Chris

Yes, I use it on an Elise as it's got great reviews and i'll carry on using it.

Hey Guys!

I just bought my roadster about a month ago, took it through its service about two weeks ago, and i just checked the oil level, its down to practically zero...the guy at the garage (who i trust quite alot as he looked after my old car very well and serviced it regularly and that ran smoooooooothly everytime he did!) but from the yaris to the mr2 he has used the same oil... 10/40 semi-synthetic... from the flow of the conversations below thats bad... so simply, whats good?

cheers!  s:D :D s:D    s:D :D s:D    s:D :D s:D

Quote from: "furkh"Hey Guys!

I just bought my roadster about a month ago, took it through its service about two weeks ago, and i just checked the oil level, its down to practically zero...the guy at the garage (who i trust quite alot as he looked after my old car very well and serviced it regularly and that ran smoooooooothly everytime he did!) but from the yaris to the mr2 he has used the same oil... 10/40 semi-synthetic... from the flow of the conversations below thats bad... so simply, whats good?

cheers!  s:D :D s:D    s:D :D s:D    s:D :D s:D

I don't think it will be bad, but probably not the very best if you mod the car and drive it very hard for sustained periods in hot weather. I am going up a grade this time from Motul 300V 5W30 to Silkolene Pro S 5W40. The 5W is the important bit around winter time where the oil is thickest on cold startup, so a 5W something will be better in the winter.

It all depends on how the car is used, how often you change your oil, what mods you have etc. The semi synth may be OK for a short drain interval, or may be burning off as a result of not being up to the job, but the 1zz is not the most stressed of engines (does have relatively high piston speeds mind you), but can run its oil hot. I would keep a very close eye on the oil level if you are seeing such a drop over such a short period, could be your engine is suffering the oval bore syndrome to some extent if it is an early car.

What is best is often debated but I prefer a fully synthetic with esters. The Silkolene Pro S is well regarded around here, I like the Motul 300V as well and Gulf sell a fully synthetic 5W40 ester oil through Opie Oils. I would have a tendency to avoid the 5W30 if you have high oil consumption. My feeling is 5W40 may be less prone to getting past the rings, but I may be wrong.

My feelings on the 5W30 are that when things get really, really hot (sustained 1st 2nd 3rd full throttle hard running on very hot B roads), I have had what might be the tiniest hint of bottom end contact, as soon as it cools a little it seems to go away. With the car being remapped soon and probably being run leaner (thus hotter), I thought it a good time to go a grade thicker.

Chris

Right, I've dpoken to a couple of garages as well as reading the comments on here and decided to go for Magnatec 10w40. Straight away there is slightly less sounds from the engine (a lot quieter in idle) and there is no smoke from the exhaust, where as with the cheaper oil there was a bit of smoke at idle and under hard acceleration a big puff of smoke...

I will keep you posted on the oil consumption over the next 500 miles..!

I believe Magnetec needs to be changed quite often (perhaps every 3k or 5k?) as it thins itself quite quickly with use in the 1zz. Someone else who knows for sure can confirm.

Morris's 5W/30, (semi-synthetic), as recommended by local MrT, 4 x Ltr, £27.36 (with 10% discount) but VAT to be added.

Quote from: "Silverman"Morris's 5W/30, (semi-synthetic), as recommended by local MrT, 4 x Ltr, £27.36 (with 10% discount) but VAT to be added.

well, after wasting money on the Magnatec oil (which thinned out after just 1000 motorway miles (at hig revs) i tried the Mobil 5w/30 semi-synthetic... and the engine runs smoother, no puffs of smoke any more and its not burning away as fast anymore... so sticking 5w/30 is a great option (i now know) and the Mobil stuff seems to run real smooth! thanks for your help guys!

magnatec is absolutely useless

It is over priced for what it is.

Cheers

Guy

In search of the Holy Grail - the perfect  oil for the MR2 - has certainly generated a lengthy thread.

Lots of oils claim to be semi or fully synthetic...but the oil industry has yet to define exactly what 'synthetic' means:
 
 m http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/imag ... 0v%202.pdf (http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/images/The%20Truth%20about%20SYNTHETICS%20v%202.pdf) m

In my opinion a mineral based 5-30 oil is fine for everyday MR2 motoring. After all it's just a basic Toyota engine. Change it more frequently - as a precaution - if most of your journeys are short...and leave the expensive specialist oils for those who like to do track days or have over-stressed their basic engine through additional mods...

Just replaced the black smelly goo in my engine with - Millers Oils XFS 5w40 Oil - Petrol 5 Litre (5484GG) £38.99 from A1 Motor spares, Grimsby - not cheap so hope its worth it

Bit of blurb from website,
Fully synthetic high performance petrol / diesel engine oil formulated to meet the latest requirements for engines operating under severe conditions

APPLICATION:
For use in current and late model cars where this type of advanced engine oil is called for by the manufacturer, especially modern high performance vehicles.

USER BENEFITS:

Full protection provided even under extreme operating conditions including long service intervals.   Its use is essential in modern cars to enable fuel economy to be maximised.

This engine oil will ensure that full lubrication is achieved both at low and high operating temperatures.

PERFORMANCE PROFILE:
API SL, CF
ACEA A3-02 and B3-98
Mercedes-Benz 229.1
Porsche
VW 500.00, 501.01, 502.00, 505.00
BMW Longlife 98

Only just filled up, not even started the engine yet so will let you know how it performs after a few drives compared to running on 5W30 previously

It's pretty decent stuff, it will be fine

Hey everyone!  I just picked up a '91 MR2, looks like an N/A but with aftermarket air intake, exhaust, and a whole lot of other stuff.    s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:    It is pretty sweet; just happened to be luck that I found it.  Anyhow, I am in the midwest U.S. and I was considering putting 5w-30 in it until I found an empty bottle of Mobil 1 full-syn 15w-50 behind the driver's seat!  The bottle claims the thicker content provides greater protection for higher performance engines... What do you think though?  Is this too thick of an oil to be using?  I guess I am going to assume that full-syn has been used in this car so that's what I'm going to put in but... comments/suggestions on grade??  Thanks in advance!    s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

Hi Starry,

I'm afraid this club and forum is dedicated to the MR2 Roadster (2000+). As a result, you'll get much better advice from the other MR2 owner's club which is for all models! http://www.mr2oc.co.uk

Ah-- thanks!

Quote from: "Starry"Hey everyone!  I just picked up a '91 MR2, looks like an N/A but with aftermarket air intake, exhaust, and a whole lot of other stuff.    s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:    It is pretty sweet; just happened to be luck that I found it.  Anyhow, I am in the midwest U.S. and I was considering putting 5w-30 in it until I found an empty bottle of Mobil 1 full-syn 15w-50 behind the driver's seat!  The bottle claims the thicker content provides greater protection for higher performance engines... What do you think though?  Is this too thick of an oil to be using?  I guess I am going to assume that full-syn has been used in this car so that's what I'm going to put in but... comments/suggestions on grade??  Thanks in advance!    s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

Starry,

Yes the oil should be fine, whats the climate like where you are?

Cheers

Guy

I use Motul 5w40 8100 XCESS. I got an analysis done at 3k miles of use and another at 6k miles, will post results once they are both in.

I would be interested to see those as well, I would suspect that at that mileage the oil will be tip top.

Cheers

Guy

As of 3k miles Iron and Aluminum were both high, this is on the 2zz-ge motor with unknown miles (got it from MWR).
Aluminum was at 11 vs avg 3
Iron was 20 vs avg of 7
Silicon was 19 vs avg of 12

All other metals were below avg or equal.

SUS Viscosity at 210*F = 67 (should be 65-76)
cSt Viscosity at 100*C = 12.15 (should be 11.6-14. s8) 8) s8)
Flashpoint in *F = 405 (should be >390)
Fuel % = <0.5 (should be <2.0)
Antifreeze % = 0
Water % = 0
Insoluble % = 0.3 (should be <0.7)

Once the second analysis gets back i'll upload the digital copies for you to look at. I am curious what the aluminum content might mean. After the 6k mile sample was taken I changed the oil again, I am considering using the 300 V in the same weight (5w40 recommended for the 2zz by lotus).
This sample had one timetrial event (sustained periods in lift, I put 20 miles on my car at this event). As well as an 8 hour trip to and from Houston.

Quote from: "Peter Laborne"Toyota GB are adament that you should not use fully synth oil in your Roadsters. To quote them "it's too good".

What they mean is that nearly all their other cars are boring econo boxes and its too much trouble to keep synthetic oil in the stores for the few performance cars they service.

Its utter baloney to claim synthetic oil will leak out of the seals because its too fine or whatever.  I have been driving my MR2 Roadster using synthetic oil for seven and a half years and 53,000 miles and have never yet to had add oil between the services.

Halfords do an interesting 5w/50 synthetic track day performance synthetic that I'm planning to put in at the next service.  I got this mainly because it came with a free set of high quality screw drivers at the time.

See  m http://answers.halfords.com/answers/402 ... ion=113565 (http://answers.halfords.com/answers/4028/product/282673/questions.htm?expandquestion=113565) m

I'm sure the only reason that Toyota says that about the oil is that they don't want the engine to get too much protection, so it would last too long and they wouldn't get to sell a new one.

When it comes to oil viscosity, synthetic or mineral makes no difference. They can't say an oil is too thin because it's synthetic - all of the thickest oils we sell (10w-60 and 20w-60) are synthetic.

5w-50 oils aren't great generally. They contain high polymer levels to cover the 5w to 50 viscosity gap, but those polymers are often quickly broken down, so in a few weeks, the 5w-50 is a 5w-40. Halfords oils are pretty basic, so their one will break down fairly quickly. You're better of spending the money on a decent 5w-40

Quote from: "oilman"Halfords oils are pretty basic, so their one will break down fairly quickly. You're better of spending the money on a decent 5w-40

The guy in the store, who seemed like an enthusiast, assured me Halfords synthetic oils were all supplied by Shell.

In my experience not all own brand products are bad at either Halfords or in food stores.  It very  much depends who the supplier is.  Still if its a track day oil I suppose you could be right.  As its unopened I will take it back and see if they will allow a swap, even if costs a few quid extra.

It doesn't really matter who made it for them, and Shell isn't anything really special when it comes to engine oil anyway. Companies like Halfords approach oil blenders and say that they need an oil that meets a few criteria and then select the cheapest. As long as it can meet the basic requirements, they aren't too fussy about the rest. The additive package will be much lower quality than in one of their own oils and the one they are making to sell on will be just scraping the bare minimum.

Some own brand stuff is ok, it just depends what you are using it on

Quote from: "oilman"It doesn't really matter who made it for them, and Shell isn't anything really special when it comes to engine oil anyway. Companies like Halfords approach oil blenders and say that they need an oil that meets a few criteria and then select the cheapest. As long as it can meet the basic requirements, they aren't too fussy about the rest. The additive package will be much lower quality than in one of their own oils and the one they are making to sell on will be just scraping the bare minimum.

So as you seem to be an expert in this field then which oil (presumably a Synthetic one) would you recommend using in the MR2 Roadster?

Answering my own question Mobil 1 10W/50 I believe?  Although somebody claimed it was now rebranded BP there was still plenty of Mobil synthetic oil in Halfords when I last looked a few months ago.

5w-30 or 5w-40 synthetic would be my choice, from a reputable brand.

Cheers

Guy

Quote from: "oilman"5w-30 or 5w-40 synthetic would be my choice, from a reputable brand.

What about Mobil 0W-40 then?  Too expensive or any other reason not to use it?  Or what about their 0W-30 "fuel economy" mix?

See  m http://www.mobil-1.co.uk/cms/Mobil1_Fue ... 0W-30.aspx (http://www.mobil-1.co.uk/cms/Mobil1_Fuel_Economy_0W-30.aspx) m

However they seem to like the Halfords 5W/50 track day oil at  m http://passionford.com/forum/general-di ... ost4472966 (http://passionford.com/forum/general-discussion/323671-halfords-motorsport-oil-5w-50-track-day.html#post4472966) m

More favourable reviews on the Halford Track Day oil at  m http://www.scoobynet.com/general-techni ... x-oil.html (http://www.scoobynet.com/general-technical-10/678748-halfords-track-day-oil-wrx-oil.html) m

Perhaps you work for one of the big well known oil company brands though?  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Have a thorough read through this thread. All the questions are answered here. The Silkolene Pro s and Pro R have covered many track days in many memebers cars, many of them turbo conversions and none of them have suffered oil failure.

If you want to save a few quid, try the cheaper stuff. We generally like the good stuff because it lubricates the engine, does not shear down or boil off and it keeps the oilways nice and clean throughout the service interval. You get what you pay for. Shell have done bad stuff in the past and don't sell anything spectacular at present, so would not be keen on having their product in my sump. If you want a known MR2 compatible quality oil, go Silkolene Pro s or R or Motul 300V. There are other good oils too. Have a look in the link in Oilmans signature to see who he works for and what products he can offer.

Chris

Quote from: "Capvermell"

Quote from: "oilman"5w-30 or 5w-40 synthetic would be my choice, from a reputable brand.

What about Mobil 0W-40 then?  Too expensive or any other reason not to use it?  Or what about their 0W-30 "fuel economy" mix?

See  m http://www.mobil-1.co.uk/cms/Mobil1_Fue ... 0W-30.aspx (http://www.mobil-1.co.uk/cms/Mobil1_Fuel_Economy_0W-30.aspx) m

Nothing wrong with Mobil 1 0w-40, we sell it and its very popular. You dont get much choice with 0w-40 so your kind of limited to Mobil and Castrol, both good but there is as always better if you want it... Such as some of the ester base synthetics mentioned in this thread.

The 0w-30 is a good oil, but the MR2 is supposed to be a sports car. I would use a sport orientated oil assuming its been used that way.

Quote from: "Capvermell"However they seem to like the Halfords 5W/50 track day oil at  m http://passionford.com/forum/general-di ... ost4472966 (http://passionford.com/forum/general-discussion/323671-halfords-motorsport-oil-5w-50-track-day.html#post4472966) m

More favourable reviews on the Halford Track Day oil at  m http://www.scoobynet.com/general-techni ... x-oil.html (http://www.scoobynet.com/general-technical-10/678748-halfords-track-day-oil-wrx-oil.html) m

Not a fan, its not a real synthetic and made to a cost that is as low as possible.

Quote from: "Capvermell"Perhaps you work for one of the big well known oil company brands though?  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Nah, I work for myself  s:) :) s:)   m http://www.opieoils.co.uk (http://www.opieoils.co.uk) m

Cheers

Guy

Quote from: "oilman"Not a fan, its not a real synthetic and made to a cost that is as low as possible.

Do you have some firm empirical evidence for its third rate formulation though or do you just assume that is bound to be the case because of its price point and it being an own brand product?

The policy of big corporate high street retailers on own branded products is somewhat inconsistent and varies very much according to what the product actually is and who supplied it.

Would you say that Mobil's 5W-50 Rally oil is in practice also suitable for everyday press on sports car use (so long as you don't mind paying the few quid extra) or would it suffer some of the problems of Halfords track day oil of breaking down more quickly and not lasting the full service interval at the original specification?

You seem hell bent of doing your own thing, so why don't you just get on with it, Opie oils have given some top notch advice, plus other members have also, who have a lot more experience when it comes to oils used in the MR2.

This thread is about "oil used" not who makes what for how much, if you want to talk about that the finer points of manufactured oils etc, I suggest you start a new thread in the general section.

Mod's you can either remove this or leave it - it's up to you.

Rob.  s:evil: :evil: s:evil:

Quote from: "Capvermell"

Quote from: "oilman"Not a fan, its not a real synthetic and made to a cost that is as low as possible.

Do you have some firm empirical evidence for its third rate formulation though or do you just assume that is bound to be the case because of its price point and it being an own brand product?

The policy of big corporate high street retailers on own branded products is somewhat inconsistent and varies very much according to what the product actually is and who supplied it.

Would you say that Mobil's 5W-50 Rally oil is in practice also suitable for everyday press on sports car use (so long as you don't mind paying the few quid extra) or would it suffer some of the problems of Halfords track day oil of breaking down more quickly and not lasting the full service interval at the original specification?

Yes I do, weve had it chemically tested. But, to be honest you dont need to do this to work out what it is. The fact of the cost of it means it will not be a true pao (group IV) synthetic as they are expensive to make, thus expensive to buy and Halfords would not be making a small or no margin just to be nice to the customer! So, we know this is a group III oil (hydrocracked). We also know that due to the large viscosity gap between 5w and SAE50 the oil needs to be filled with additive (viscosity index improvers) to allow the oil to bridge this gap through the temperature range. The improvers get used up so soon your 5w-50 is like a 5w-40 and so on. This is why you dont see many 5w-50 oils on the market, less additive the better! Some of the most stable oils out there are racing 0w-20 oils.

The Mobil 5w-50 oil does suffer the same large viscosity gap problem but it will use better quality additive package, polymors etc.

At the end of the day, its your car and you can put in it what you want  s:) :) s:)

Cheers

Guy

Quote from: "oilman"Yes I do, weve had it chemically tested. But, to be honest you dont need to do this to work out what it is. The fact of the cost of it means it will not be a true pao (group IV) synthetic as they are expensive to make, thus expensive to buy and Halfords would not be making a small or no margin just to be nice to the customer! So, we know this is a group III oil (hydrocracked). We also know that due to the large viscosity gap between 5w and SAE50 the oil needs to be filled with additive (viscosity index improvers) to allow the oil to bridge this gap through the temperature range. The improvers get used up so soon your 5w-50 is like a 5w-40 and so on. This is why you dont see many 5w-50 oils on the market, less additive the better! Some of the most stable oils out there are racing 0w-20 oils.

The Mobil 5w-50 oil does suffer the same large viscosity gap problem but it will use better quality additive package, polymors etc.

Thank you Guy for the above information, that certainly sounds pretty convincing if you have had it chemically analysed.   I was only asking because large multiples like Halfords do get special deals from suppliers that no one else gets.  For instance Amazon are selling new TomTom Live sat navs with a 12 month Live Services card subscription at half their already market beating price of £66 (so only £33 compared to many retailers charging £79.99 for the 12 month Live Services card).  Now I am sure that deal is only funded by TomTom having given Halfords a special deal on the Live services card packs during the three month promotional period in order to ramp up sales of the new Live series units.

So anyhow its back for me to Halfords with the unopened 5W/50 Track day oil to see if I can talk them in to swapping it for petrol vehicle Mobil 1 of some variety (not 5W/50) subject to the payment of any difference in price.  I don't have the actual receipt but I can print out the credit card statement with the purchase from my online card statement.

 s:roll: :roll: s:roll:    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

swapping the 5w-50 for a different oil is the best thing you can do with it.

i'm opting for the mineral based mobil 15w-30 for my next service i think... any thoughts? that's switching from 5w-40 fully synth.

The reason is i noticed a the car using oil and had to top up, i want to see if a thicker oil at lower temps 15w-30 is the same after x amount of miles/months use. its easy enough to change i figure so worth a punt. Although i appreciate there will be cold weather in the forthcoming months perhaps not suiting the oil choice  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

i've done 8,000 on 5w-40 fully synth

Quote from: "m0jo"The reason is i noticed a the car using oil and had to top up, i want to see if a thicker oil at lower temps 15w-30 is the same after x amount of miles/months use. its easy enough to change i figure so worth a punt.

That's called an oil leak and I'm sure its not caused by the synthetic oil.  I have used Mobil Synthetic oil for 45,000 miles and never yet had to top up.

15W-30 mineral oil is going to be bad for engine wear on start up and under any hard acceleration when the engine is hot.  Surely a semi-synthetic 10W-40 or 15W-40 oil would be your best bet if you really think this will make any difference to your oil leak problem.

once upon a time this thread started out as a survey not a discussion thread, technical assesment e.t.c

Quote from: "m0jo"i'm opting for the mineral based mobil 15w-30 for my next service i think... any thoughts? that's switching from 5w-40 fully synth.

The reason is i noticed a the car using oil and had to top up, i want to see if a thicker oil at lower temps 15w-30 is the same after x amount of miles/months use. its easy enough to change i figure so worth a punt. Although i appreciate there will be cold weather in the forthcoming months perhaps not suiting the oil choice  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

i've done 8,000 on 5w-40 fully synth

I'd be surprised if that slows the leak. Oil is most likely to leak when the engine is hot, when the oil is thinnest and a 15w-30 is going to be thinner than a 5w-40 when hot. A 10w-50 would be a better choice for trying to stop the leak

maybe i'll just stick to the halfrauds stuff then oh and thats not a dig too

I checked opie oils site, was just delivery that made it more expensive then popping into halfords, got my gearbox oil from yourselfs   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

or find teh leak

Quote from: "markiii"or find the leak

Its not that bad, but when i get my coolant replaced at Rogue i'll book some of there time to have a father round

I am very happy with Castrol 0W30 European formula (GC). I have been using it for 2+ years now and I have been getting a safe 8000 mile interval ( I try to change the filter at 4K). I am sure there are comparable or even better choices but I have good access to a supply and its reasonable in price (around $6 (US)/L)

I have been sending samples of oil to a company called Blackstone labs  m http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ (http://www.blackstone-labs.com/) m  at 5K and then at 8K. It cost $20 (US) and the information provided says a lot regarding engine wear and other diagnostic information that I find very beneficial. An example is my last test showed higher then normal silicon. inspecting my air box I find one of the clips was not properly fastened.  I took one interval to 10K and it was passable but the additive begin to break down so I settled on 8K to be sure I get max life from an expensive oil without diluting its properties and causing harm to my engine.

not sure if you guys have such companies. Truckers (lori drivers) use them here almost exclusively to keep up with their engine maintenance and establish proper intervals for fluid changes that keep profit margins as high as possible.

Depennds on how old the car is as to what U put in it, plus how U drive it

new - about 5yrs 0w/30 (40)
5yrs to approx 10yrs 5/30 older 10w/40
older still 15w/30
anciient 20w/30

5, 10, 15 etc w is the weight of the oil, No is the operating temp range for the engine a newer car usually takes a sythetic thinner oil (5w.30), harder weariung, semi synth is a mix between fully man made (synthetic) and mineral, (natural)
synthtic is higher refined that mineral plus has additives to make it harder wearing and less smokey. Even if you've got an older car you can put a thinner oil in it, especially if you give a bit of umpti, as it get around the engine quicker. To be perfectly honest the only things that will damge your car are
Not having any oil in it at all, builds up friction, causes heat means bits blow up and weld together id run continuoulsy
Serioulsy overfiling it with oil, oil is a liquid it does not compress (principle of Hydraulics) severely overfill it and you might as well fill the engine with concrete!


I use Magnetec which I believe is 5W-30

give the age of the car a 15w/30 is more common to use, if you hammer the car a bit a 10w would be better given it moves around the car quicker, smei syhth or mineral ar most commnio fo r that type of oil, higher spec newere models ie taking 5w or 0w are almost certanly fully syth

Quote from: "oilman"

Quote from: "Starry"Hey everyone!  I just picked up a '91 MR2, looks like an N/A but with aftermarket air intake, exhaust, and a whole lot of other stuff.    s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:    It is pretty sweet; just happened to be luck that I found it.  Anyhow, I am in the midwest U.S. and I was considering putting 5w-30 in it until I found an empty bottle of Mobil 1 full-syn 15w-50 behind the driver's seat!  The bottle claims the thicker content provides greater protection for higher performance engines... What do you think though?  Is this too thick of an oil to be using?  I guess I am going to assume that full-syn has been used in this car so that's what I'm going to put in but... comments/suggestions on grade??  Thanks in advance!    s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

Starry,

Yes the oil should be fine, whats the climate like where you are?

Cheers

Guy

Dillon, I don't really understand why you are recommending those oils. As a car gets older and the mileage goes up, you may want to increase the hot viscosity of the oil a little, perhaps from a 5w-30 to a 5w-40 or 10w-40, due to the wear on the piston rings (and only then if there is a lot of wear), but I don't see why you would want to use an oil that is so thick when cold.

The MR2 roadster engine is a reasonably modern one and like other modern engines it's designed to use an oil that is fairly thin (0w or 5w) when cold so the cold start wear is minimised. Why make it struggle to push thick oil around the engine when a thinner oil is a better choice? By the way, the w does not stand for Weight, but stands for Winter as that represents the cold (zero celcius) viscosity.

Synthetics, mineral and semi synthetics aren't quite as simple as they seem.

Group I (Mineral Oils)

These are derived from petroleum and are the least refined. These are used in a small amount of automotive oils where the applications are not demanding.

Group II (Mineral oils/Semi Synthetic)

These are derived from petroleum and are mainly used in mineral automotive oils. Their performance is acceptable with regards to wear, thermal stability and oxidation stability but not so good at lower temperatures.

Group III (Basic Synthetic)

These are derived from petroleum but are the most refined of the mineral oil basestocks. They are not chemically engineered like synthetics but offer the highest level of performance of all the petroleum basestocks. They are also known as "hydrocracked" or "molecularly modified" basestocks.
They are usually labelled/marketed as synthetic or semi-synthetic oils and make up a very high percentage of the oils retailed today.

Group IV (True Synthetic)

These are polyalphaolefins known as PAO and are chemically manufactured rather than being dug out of the ground. These basestocks have excellent stability in both hot and cold temperatures and give superior protection due to their uniform molecules.

Group V (Ester Synthetic)

These special basestocks are also chemically engineered but are not PAO.
The main types used in automotive oils are diesters and polyolesters. Like the group IV basestocks they have uniform molecules and give superior performance and protection over petroleum basestocks. These special stocks are used in all aviation engines due to their stability and durability. Esters are also polar (electro statically attracted to metal surfaces) which has great benefits. They are usually blended with Group IV stocks rather than being used exclusively.

It is common practice for oil companies to blend different basestocks to achieve a certain specification, performance or cost. The blending of group IV and V produces lubricants with the best overall performance which cannot be matched by any of the petroleum basestock groups.

Semi synthetic oils are a blend of group I, II and III.

I have recently bought a Mrs 2001 full body kit with wolf race alloys it is the s model. 5 speed 1.8 vvti what oil should I use ?

Hi

I would use a 5w-30 oil
 
 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx) m
 
The best ones there are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Motul 300V and Redline, but the Motul X-Max, Fuchs Supersyn and Fuchs XTR are good cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

[MOD]Chit-chat removed.[/MOD]

I use Liqui Moly 10W/40...the only one oil with MoS2 additive here.

I am not a big fan of the Liqui Moly.

i bought xtr fr now until i do an engine flush next year when i am going to change oil filter and put in the more expernsive oils.

Thanks again TIM

Just drained out the unknown very black stuff the car came with and put in Mobil Super 3000 Formula FE 5W/30 (which according to the label is Fully Synth / API SL). Engine now noticeably smoother and quieter.

Searching here:

 m http://www.exxonmobil.com/pdssearch/search.asp (http://www.exxonmobil.com/pdssearch/search.asp) m

only comes up with an 'X1' version of this oil which is higher spec than the one I got. My guess is that the one I bought is now superceded, which is probably why halfrauds are now knocking it out at 22 quid for five litres.

Might try Carlube Triple R 5W/30 next time around (also avaiable as a 5w/40) available here:

 m http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Car-Mainte ... vt/0290716 (http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Car-Maintenance/Carlube-Triple-R-Fully-Synthetic-5w-30-Motor-Oil-4ltr/invt/0290716) m

An API SM rated fully synthetic for under a fiver a litre - sounds good to me.   s:D :D s:D

If that sounds too cheap, it seems that Motorworld will happily charge you about a tenner more for it  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

also worth checking your local Mr T, bought Toyota oil 5lt £13.76 last week  s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

is that for a 5W/30 as recommended?

If so that sounds like a good deal, although surely only a semi - synth at that price.

A basic semi-synthetic at that price, remember that semi-synthetic only means part of the oil is 'synthetic' (it's a modified mineral oil), so it may only be a couple of percent to keep the price down

Quote from: "oilman"it may only be a couple of percent to keep the price down

interesting.

Surely semi should actually mean half or half - way (e.g. semi - detached)

I've certainly not seen many 2% detached houses.

I would have thought that your average oil buyer (myself included) seeing semi - synthetic on the label thinks 'it's not a full blown synthetic, but it's not a basic mineral, it's half way in between, that'll do"

When in fact it could be nothing of the sort   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  

Semi - synth is obviously a very vague term that benefits the oil producers more than the consumer. I do always try to dig a bit deeper, e.g. the API rating, but there generally isn't much else to go by on the label. Think I'll go for fully synthetic from now on - like my Mobil oil claims to be on the label, even though Halfrauds describe it as a semi - synth on their website  s:? :? s:?

Oil labelling is a very 'optimistic' thing. There is a post further up the page about oil basestocks and helps to explain oil labelling a little.

Group three is the tricky one, it's very open to interpretation. All of the cheaper 'synthetics' you see are group 3, I don't think there is anything under £40 (when at full price) for 5l on the market that is a genuine synthetic. Some oils, such as Magnatec and Fuchs XTR are labelled as synthetic, but as they are so close to semi-synthetics, we sell them as semis, rather than optimistcally calling them full synthetics.

Semi-synthetics are always a mix of group 2 and group 3 basestocks, don't be optimistic and think they are part genuine synthetic. And as I said before, semi just means part rather than half

Also, there are the additives used in the oil to consider, the cheaper the additive pack, the lesser the oils properties.

Anti-Ageing Additives (oxidation inhibitors)

At higher temperatures, oil molecules react with the oxygen in the air. In addition, metal surfaces act as catalysts to such reactions. The results of oil ageing are:

Increase in viscosity (oil thickening)
Formation of residues (coke, sludge, etc.)
Corrosion resulting from the acids formed

The inclusion of antioxidants in lubricant formulations can either avoid or retard these effects. Proven oxidation inhibitors are nitrogen, phosphorous and sulphur compounds (amines, phenols together with zinc, calcium, etc.).

Detergent and Dispersant Additives (dirt carriers)

The task of these additives is to hinder the coagulation of oil-insoluble residues such as resins and asphalt-based oxidation products and thus combat sludge deposits and oil thickening.
Moreover, these additives dissolve residues (cleaning effect) and neutralise acids. These additives can sometimes include succinimides, neutral metal sulpho-nates, phenolates, phosphates, thiophosphates, polymer detergents, amine compounds, sulphonates, highly molecular organic lime, lead and zinc salts, etc.

EP Additives (Extreme Pressure additives)

EP or anti-wear additives are used to increase load carrying capacity and reduce wear in boundary friction conditions (e.g. on cams, gear teeth, tappets, etc.). They work by forming metallic surface layers which prevent roughness peaks from welding together in boundary friction conditions and enabling metal surfaces to slide without wear by reducing friction.

The following agents are sometimes used:
zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate, tricresylphosphate,organic phosphates as well as sulphur and nitrogen compounds.

Viscosity Index Improvers (VI improvers)

These are substances (oil-soluble polymers) which improve the viscosity-temperature
behaviour of mineral oils, i.e. they reduce the influence of temperature on viscosity. At low temperatures, they improve flowing characteristics and at high temperatures, they increase viscosity.

Products used include polymethacrylates (PMA), olefincopolymers (OCP), polyisobuthylenes (PIB) and styrol-butadien-copolymers (SBC).

As VI improvers are very shear-sensitive, multigrade oils with wide viscosity ranges (i.e. 5W-40, 10W-40 etc.) should be formulated with unconventional base oils (e.g.hydrocracked oils, polyalphaolefins) which have much better natural VI characteristics.

Pour Point Depressants

Oils get increasingly viscous as their temperature falls until they cease to flow and start to solidify. This is caused by the crystallisation of paraffin molecules. The inclusion of additives such as polymethacrylate, alkyl-phenols, naphthaline with chlorinated paraffins, propylene-copolymers, etc. lowers the temperature at which solidification occurs.

Anti-Foaming Agents

Polysilicones (silicone polymerisates), polyethyleneglycol esters, etc. reduce foaming caused by churning. Excess foaming (air-oil mixtures) can result in inadequate lubrication. Seizures to bearings can occur if the oil pump draws oil-air foam instead of oil.

Friction Modifiers

These are surface-active substances which reduce frictional losses in boundary friction conditions and create defined frictional behaviour. This improves the efficiency of machinery. The substances used include fatty acids, fatty acid derivates, organic amines, amine-phosphates, etc.

Cheers

Tim

Royal Purple 10-30, 10,000 mile intervals between changes, change filter and top off every 3,000. At filter change, oil is, well, still purple, at 10,000 miles appearance is that of just changed Dino. Average in-town 34 MPG (sane driving), normal driving, my normal at least, about 30 MPG. Power band about 2200 rpm, idle at 600-625. This synthetic test has been ongoing for the last 5 years

hi,just replaced my mgf that i had for 6 months with a mr2..........if i can be of assistance,we now have 3 toyota's in our family,avensis,yaris and now the mr2.
the oil i use as recommened by my mechanic from the past 25 years is 5w30 semi-synthetic......if certain folk wish to waste their money on magnetic,which i admit
to having used myself in the past,then that is their choice,i have just found a store near to myself selling 5ltrs of carlube 5w30 semi-synthetic for £16......hope
this helps..........chris

There is a reason the Carlube is cheap, it's made with cheap ingredients

Dear Oilman

I have a 53 Roadster, I do around 2,500 miles per year including a lot of 1 mile station runs. I stay below 3,000 rpm until the engine's hot and then usually shift between 4 and 5k (no track days). The place that services the car uses Fuchs Titan as standard but as its only about a fiver a litre I'm assuming it's the cheapest group III type.

I'm happy to pay for whatever gives the engine the best protection. I would appreciate your recommendation given the usage noted above.

Thanks

Phil

Hi Phil

For that price I guess they are using the Titan XTR 5w-30, not a bad oil, but not the best oil for hard use.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx) m

The best ones there are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Motul 300V and Redline, but the Castrol Edge, Motul Eco-Energy, Fuchs Supersyn and Millers XF are good cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

Cheers Tim and thanks for the link

Couldn't work out why the Motul 300V was so much cheaper than the other two - until I realised the price was for 2 litres rather than 5!

Phil

Yeah, that stuff is never cheap, very good though

Hey guys, need some advice on oil.

I recently bought my 2002 MR2 and even though it has only 25k and FSH it has not been cared for that well, or rather known how to be cared for. Like the tyres and brakes they are in good condition but old. The oil is my biggest concern. The garage obviously topped it up and it appears rather clean but how do I know the quality of it and what to do next? My plan is to get rid of all the current oil and replace with a good quality semi-synthetic for a few changes before moving onto fully synthetic (in case it has only mineral in it which I read does not mix well). Also, I am tempted to go with a 6 month oil change regime, would 5w30 October to March and 10w40 March to October be a good idea? I am obviously thinking in terms of seasonal temperatures. It gets very frost up north.

Regards,

Dean.

Hi Dean

If you think it hasn't been well looked after the best thing you can do is drain out the oil that is in there, put in some cheap (the cheapest you can find) mineral oil and run the car for 15 minutes to an hourso the oil gets nice and warm. After running it, drain out the mineral oil and put in the correct oil.

I wouldn't bother with 6 month changes, just go for a 5w-40 all year round.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx) m

Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Millers CFS, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. The Motul 8100 X-Cess, Millers XFS, Fuchs Supersyn and Mobil Synt S are good, cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks Tim   s:D :D s:D

Hi oilman.

I have a 2000 mr-s with 90,000k on the clock. It was imported in 2008 n iv had it since. It had a service at purchase n once with me both with oilchange n I'm pretty sure it was semi synth put in. I'm taking the car to have a service in feb with a few bits added, manifold, performance oil filter, new sparks plugs ect n iv been running it on premium petrol for most the time, but as it's a daily runner now n again I put normal in as I might b abit skint   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:   it has a induction kit so obviously pulls in colder air in winter.

Should I change over to 5w40 fully synthetic next change?

Matt

Hi yes if you want to step up from a semi synthetic 5w-40 synthetic is ideal for all year round use.

Loads of good ones to choose from  m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx) m

Cheers

Guy

I've read through this thread, but I'm still unsure. I've had my '2 for about 7 months, have done about 6k miles.
Check the oil regularly and it's still full but is getting grubby (not black but dark).
What's the best oil I can put in as I would like to care for my car and make it last?

id go for a good 10w40 if your staying n/a

Yeah, staying NA. Cheers  :-) :-) :-)

A 5w-40 synthetic will give better cold start protection and there is a good choice of top quality oils.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx) m

Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Millers CFS, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. The Motul 8100 X-Cess, Millers XFS, Shell Helix Fuchs Supersyn and Mobil Super 3000 are good, cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

After reading the reccomendations of Oilman, bought some Castrol Edge yesterday for an oil change I was gonna do on the "2".  After changing the gearbox oil on Saturday, I couldn't be asked to do the engine oil the day after, because the Mrs had me doing our rather large lawn which took me about 2 and a half hours that morning, so took the car to National Tyres and asked them to do it and I would supply the oil (the Castrol Edge), but they said they don't do oil changes on a Sunday, plus they can only use their own oil for oil changes, I asked them what oil they use and to my surprise amongst a number of oils they use Castrol Edge was one of them, I took the car down today and had the oil change done, £38.70, then took the Edge back to Halfords and had a refund of £39.99, "happy days".

Of course, they could have put anything in......................................

the amount of time you spent waiting for them to do it, you could have done it yourself

Castrol Edge is apparantly an oil that they use, but to my knowledge they only use it on a car that has manufacturer specifications to meet, such as BMW, Audi, Merc, etc etc. As your MR2 doesn't have specs like that to meet, I would expect them to use a 10w-40 semi.

Maybe not such a good idea then,  I suppose if you do it yourself at least you know what's going in there.   s:? :? s:?       Will probably change the oil again after about 4000 miles anyway so will do it myself then just to be on safe side,  s:) :) s:)

I'm using a generic 10w40, but i should probably note my exeriences with an oil additive i tried this service.

Previously between buying the car in December i have noted the oil will reduce to zero in about 1200 miles from a full dipstick, so thats about 300m per litre i guess.

First fillup - Generic 5w40 Fully synthetic - Burned in about 1200 miles
Second fillup - Castrol GTX 10w40 FS - Burned in about 1300 miles
Third fillup - Carlube 5w40 Semi-Synthetic - Burned most of it by the service, maybe 900 miles

Full oil change in service with new filter, and the addition of an oil additive, cant remember the name of the product but it was made by Wynns, result - Checked at 500 miles - Still full, no evidence of oil loss. Obviously i'll report back shortly with some more miles but its looking good.

Glad to here it seems to be slowing, but keep checking v v regularly at that rate of loss!
When my engine went pop the oil level was fine one weekend and starved the next.

Hi

I think it really depends on your budget, but try to get the best you can as for what it actually does!, I use Millers 10W 60 on my car.

Castrol Edge 5w-30. Half a litre top up in 5000 mls, pre facelift...   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

Quote from: "A E W Graphics"Hi

I think it really depends on your budget, but try to get the best you can as for what it actually does!, I use Millers 10W 60 on my car.

  s:D :D s:D  Probably should point out my car: MK lV Toyota supra turbo   s:) :) s:)  , i was always told that a normall engine of any size best to use 10w 40 and if it has a turbo go for 10w 60, but thats just my 2p worth   s:) :) s:)

Whoever told you that about oil grades for NA and turbo engines would be better off not advising people on oil grades.

A good example are Evos, Imprezas and Skylines (you could also put Supras in there as well). Many of the turbo versions, when standard, use a 5w-30 and have no problems at all with that. If the engines get modified a little, a 5w-40 is a better choice and if they get to silly power, a 10w-50 or 15w-50  is a better option. Not a 10w-60, it's just way too thick and won't flow as well when hot.

People that recommend 10w-60 for performance cars tend to do it based on outdated information. It used to be that if the car was producing a lot of power, a thick oil was put in and the oil would breakdown to a thinner grade due to the shearing forces of the engine. Modern oils are much more stable (generally). A 5w-40 will stay as a 5w-40 from when it's put in until it comes out, so a thick oil that breaks down isn't needed.

Cheers

Tim

Quote from: "oilman"Whoever told you that about oil grades for NA and turbo engines would be better off not advising people on oil grades.

Hi Tim

It was the people @ Fensport performance who said about the oil!, but thanks for the info - gave some food for thought   s:D :D s:D

Quote from: "oilman"Whoever told you that about oil grades for NA and turbo engines would be better off not advising people on oil grades.

A good example are Evos, Imprezas and Skylines (you could also put Supras in there as well). Many of the turbo versions, when standard, use a 5w-30 and have no problems at all with that. If the engines get modified a little, a 5w-40 is a better choice and if they get to silly power, a 10w-50 or 15w-50  is a better option. Not a 10w-60, it's just way too thick and won't flow as well when hot.

People that recommend 10w-60 for performance cars tend to do it based on outdated information. It used to be that if the car was producing a lot of power, a thick oil was put in and the oil would breakdown to a thinner grade due to the shearing forces of the engine. Modern oils are much more stable (generally). A 5w-40 will stay as a 5w-40 from when it's put in until it comes out, so a thick oil that breaks down isn't needed.

Cheers

Tim

TTE reccomended a 10W60 for teh TTE turbo kit

Have you got a link to that info?

Cheers

Tim

I was there in a meeting with TTE when the Chief Development Engineer on teh project told me

does that count?

I'm surprised by that. I guess there must be something about that turbo that requires the 10w-60, because the engine itself doesn't. We've found that generally the Supras get on best with a 5w-40 or 10w-40 and only when they have a big power gain (usually a big single turbo) then a thicker oil, 10w-50 or 15w-50 is required.

Cheers

Tim

Holy Sh*t!!!!!

I didn't realise oil was such an issue. We are on our second '2' the first being pre facelift. That had oil changes at service intervals and nothing else. Cried when it went.
Now I have a facelift - the car that is  s;) ;) s;)  - I think I may have to pay more attention. It's a commuter, will stay standard and does 2k a month....... 36k on the clock now, just been serviced by dealer and is everyhting we wanted. Think it will be having its dipstick pulled today.

A friend of mine can get a large staff discount at 'Halfrauds' which I can use to my advantage to buy oil. The only problem is they don't really stock much I like the look of. The only one I'm tempted by is Castrol Edge. Does anyone else use this or have an opinion on this oil and what grade would be best?

Thanks.

I use 5w30 Castrol Edge in my 2 and I also use it I'n my M3 as it's the only one recommended by BMW, no issues with this oil at all.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: "smarty2072"A friend of mine can get a large staff discount at 'Halfrauds' which I can use to my advantage to buy oil. The only problem is they don't really stock much I like the look of. The only one I'm tempted by is Castrol Edge. Does anyone else use this or have an opinion on this oil and what grade would be best?

Thanks.

The Castrol Edge oils are pretty good, not the best for an MR2, but you could do a lot worse.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks Oilman. Which would be best for year round use 5W40 or 5W30?

I'd use the 5w-40, good cold start protection and thick enough so that it doesn't get burned off too quickly.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks, I'll give it a try then and see how it goes.

What do you think of w5-50 oils (like Redline) for spirited driving and some track days use in warm climate?

Not great really, the viscosity gap is too large, so the oil breaks down to be a 5w-40 or 10w-40 pretty quickly. Redline oils are very good though

Thank you very much for the prompt reply! Could you please suggest an alternative? The engine is 1zz , factory reconditioned block with 50000km under its belt and stock except a Fidanza flywheel and custom exhaust (full,including a Euro4 free catalyst), a custom "Markiii" type duct and ITG panel air filter.Thanks again!  s:D :D s:D

Any idea how hot the oil is getting?

Thanks for the advice, I decided Halfords could poke off and placed an order with someone who knows what they are talking about, ie you, for Shell Helix (taking advantage of the free postage offer of course!)

Thanks again.

Quote from: "oilman"Any idea how hot the oil is getting?

Not really, I do not have an oil temp gauge, but considering that yesterdays ambient temperature during the track day was between 32-34 degrees , well ...
Anyway, since I am going 2zz soon enough, a temp gauge and maybe a pressure gauge are going to find their place somewhere in the car!
With the w5-50 Redline I change every 10000km and in between I have to add less than 1 quart. I am open for any suggestions about the grade and the brand.
Thanks again for your time!

I'd probably go for a 10w-50, what ones are available to you?

I think that I could find anything either locally (Greece) or by mail order... Redline offers a w10-60 but I am not aware of any 10-50.

Perhaps try the Redline 15w-50

Thank you very much for the tip!
Should I consider Motul 5100 or Castrol gtx or Silkolene in 10w-50 grade also?
A local technician told me that with 15w-50 maybe the vvti would not function properly.

5100 and GTX are fairly basic oils, I wouldn't recommend them for track use. Which Silkolene oil is it?

Cheers

Tim

The PRO S.

That's about as good as oil gets, I'd go for that

Thanks Tim! I will try it next time (next month).
Cheers
Nick

Good morning to all!
Tim, after a brief search in my area, I was not able to locate a dealer with available stock of the Silkolene/Fuchs PRO S 10W-50. Instead I found the PRO 4 PLUS 10W-50, which as I was told , is the same oil plus the additives for motorcycle engines (anti-shear, anti-foaming etc). What do you think? Should I take it instead of the PRO S?
Cheers,
Nick

It is the same oil, including the additives  s;) ;) s;)  Will be perfect.

Thank you Tim! I will proceed with this oil tomorrow and I will let you know after the next track day.

It should be absolutely fine, but let us know.

Cheers

Tim

After 3000 kilometers, which included a track day in ambient temperatures over 35 deg C, i had to add less than 300cc and the motor sounds healthy!
It is a pity for a nice motor to be removed, but I am going 2zz next month!
Thanks again Tim

Good to hear it's working out

Right,  Full major service time for the 2 next week,    s:) :) s:)    Soooo many comments on oils on here!      But have decided to go for Fuchs Xtr 10w 40 from Opies, A great price too!    Also gone for MT- 90  gear oil, the trouble is i ordered 2 bottles and since noticed i will need 2.2 quart for the 6 speed,  So does anybody know if it could be topped up with what ever Mr T uses?  or is it not wise to mix?   As its not cheap stuff- im hesitant to buy another bottle for .2!   s:| :| s:|  

Cheers   s:D :D s:D

Hi, Thanks for the order  s:) :) s:)

With the gear oil, yes you can top up with something else no problem.

Cheers

Guy

Had the Full Major Service done today at Mr T, I supplied them with engine oil (Fuchs Xtr 10w 40 )  and transmission oil ( Redline MT- 90 )   And what a difference it has made!  :-) :-) :-)    Feels like a different car- gear changing is awesome!  All i need now is the TRD quick shift!  :-) :-) :-)       Cheers Opies !   Fantastic service!

Ps  Didn't need  the 3rd bottle for the  0.2 of mt-90 as it never drains completely out so 2 bottles for the 6-speed is fine!

Excellent, glad you had good results!  s:) :) s:)

Hi there, I'm new to this forum. I'm using Total (previously Elf) 5W-40 fully synthetic oil API SM. Is this any good? This is supposedly their top range oil.

Greetings Tim!
Do you think that I should keep using the same oil with the 2zz?
Thanks again!

Hi Nick

Yes, I'd stick with the Pro S.

Cheers

Tim

Hi Tim!
The Pro S are in the 2zz and all looks fine so far.
If I may ask something on behalf of a friend with a Mazda 2 who uses Torco SR5 5w40. Do you know this oil? If yes what do you think?
By the way could you please send me by PM a quotation for 5 liters of the Pro s and the Pro 4 plus (both in 10w50) delivered in Athens Greece?
Thanks again!

Hi

I think the Torco is okay stuff, I'm not really familiar though.

All the prices for the shipping and oils are on our website.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks a lot Tim!
You will be hearing from me before the next oil change!

Question.......mobil 3000 5w/30 fully synth went in at last service,
 OPIEOILS have got a good deal on fuchs titan xtr 5w/30 high performance.

 any opinions on these oils please..........  s:) :) s:)

Just ordered some Fuchs 10w 40 from Opie for mine.

Trying out Millers CFS 5W40 at the moment. Seems to keep the engine quiet and smooth even after extensive "exercise". Usual good price and fast delivery from Opie Oils.

Chris

Guys just a question about oils .... Is it ok in basic ways of putting it , mix oil? As I'm not sure what oil is in there now , but is 1/2 was down the dip stick , so would like to top up what should I do ?  Complete change my oil ? Or just buy some 5w30 oil?

Oils mix fine and it's definately better to add something rather than let it run low.

Any good deals on 5w-30 at the moment ? Bit strapped for cash but don't want cheap crap ?

I use Millers fully syn 5w30, pay about £20 for 5litre.  s:) :) s:)

Quote from: "JoniiBoii"Any good deals on 5w-30 at the moment ? Bit strapped for cash but don't want cheap crap ?

No really good deals on 5w-30s at the moment, other than the Fuchs XTR (a bit basic)or Fuchs Pro S (still not a cheap option)

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30-engine-oil.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30-engine-oil.aspx) m

You are fine using a 5w-40 and the Fuchs Supersyn is a bargain at the moment.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40-engine-oil.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40-engine-oil.aspx) m

Cheers

Tim

Quote from: "russw69"I use Millers fully syn 5w30, pay about £20 for 5litre.  s:) :) s:)

Sure that's not a semi-synthetic?

Is this one any good oilman?

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-754-castrol ... -ford.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-754-castrol-magnatec-5w-30-a1-fully-synthetic-engine-oil-recommended-by-ford.aspx) m

But it says ford? But sure there's not an oil only fords can use?

It's okay, but nothing special. Personally I'd go for the Fuchs XTR over that, much better value.

Cheers

Tim

Do you have a link at all ? Sorry to be a pain my computer broke and having to use my phone for the passed two weeks ! SUCKS!

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-991-fuchs-t ... e-oil.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-991-fuchs-titan-xtr-5w-30-high-performance-fuel-economy-synthetic-engine-oil.aspx) m  this the one ?

Yes, that's it.

Cheers

Tim

hi i have a tf300 only done 18k would this be ok
 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-984-fuchs-t ... e-oil.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-984-fuchs-titan-supersyn-5w-40-high-performance-fully-synthetic-engine-oil.aspx) m

also going to do the gearbox oil with this as i heard it improves changing
 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-1016-red-li ... 0-gl5.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-1016-red-line-synthetic-gear-oil-75w-90-gl5.aspx) m

Yep, ideal for the engine.

For the gearbox I would go for the Redline MT90 instead.

Cheers

Guy

Quote from: "oilman"Yep, ideal for the engine.

For the gearbox I would go for the Redline MT90 instead.

Cheers

Guy

the gl4 one what's the difference from gl5

Quote from: "JoniiBoii"Any good deals on 5w-30 at the moment ? Bit strapped for cash but don't want cheap crap ?

Vauxhall's own brand fully syn 5W-30 (allegedly Fuchs oil) - £60 for 20L on Trade Club.. although you have to find a way of getting a Trade Club card to get it  s;) ;) s;)

Quote from: "vekma"

Quote from: "oilman"Yep, ideal for the engine.

For the gearbox I would go for the Redline MT90 instead.

Cheers

Guy

the gl4 one what's the difference from gl5

The main difference is the amount of EP additive, the GL5 has more.

Cheers

Guy

Can someone suggest which type of engine oil I'm best using here in south Spain?  Obviously, it gets fairly hot here in summer (around 40 degrees C in the middle of summer), so what do you reckon would be a decent oil that won't break the bank?

Btw, in winter it rarely gets near 4 or 5 degrees except first thing in the morning...

A decent 5w-40 or 10w-40 synthetic would be ideal.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx) m
 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-657-10w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-657-10w-40.aspx) m

Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. The Motul 8100 X-Cess, Millers XFS, Shell Helix, Fuchs Supersyn and Mobil Super 3000 are good, cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks Tim   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

im using millers 5w40 fully synthetic on mine £19 for 5 ltrs

Tim, Which one do you prefer for turbocharged MR2 (1ZZ-FE) Motul 300V Chrono 10W40 or 5W40 Power for summer driving only?
Then, does it matter as those racing oils (as far as i know) are not included with those anti-corrosion things (sorry, i don't know the correct word),
as i will change oils after 5000 kilometers? I hope that you understand what i tried to ask.

Any idea how hot the oil is getting on track?

Cheers

Tim

One guy on the Spyderchat has measured 150 °C (turbo and oil cooler) with the Greddy oil temp meter, and meter's scale is 0-150 °C..
I guess the value can't be much more than that, as the engine didn't blew up, but that is too much, i think.
What i have read, the 110 °C would be good maximum (in general), and Motul 300V is ok for 150 °C. Am i right?

Some MR2 turbos can get pretty hot and need a 10w-50 or 15w-50. The 5w-40 and 10w-40 300V is good for 130C. If yours is getting over 130C and you want to use Motul, you need the 300V 15w-50.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks Tim.

I'm using Castrol Edge 5w30 as a top up oil -Expensive but the engine seems to thrive!!  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Hi, would this be a good option for a 2000 MR2 Roadster with nearly 80k?

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-984-fuchs-t ... e-oil.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-984-fuchs-titan-supersyn-5w-40-high-performance-fully-synthetic-engine-oil.aspx) m

Normal road use not tracked etc. Thanks

Yes, it's a very good choice

my car had fully synthetic oil in the sump when i purchased it , and was using over a litre in 500 miles , changed to semi-synthetic 5/30 , comma oil , and it hasnt used a drop of oil for over 1200 miles now ,and the top end of the engine is quieter , quite impressed because the car is on the original engine at 125k.

Hi oilman.

I have a 2003 roadster with 37000 miles. I am not sure now weather to go for part synthetic or fully synthetic 5w 30. My handbook recommends 5w 30 but obviously the car is 10 years old now and the handbook does not specify part synthetic or fully synthetic ?? I am now confused   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Does it burn much oil?

Cheers

Tim

I've gone from doing rediculous mileage when the oil was replaced every 5k miles to low mileage where I do less than 5k a year. Is a once a year oil change enough or should I change more often? Mainly short 6-10 journeys.

Annual changed are fine for that kind of use.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks tim.

No it hardly uses any at the moment, it was 3/4 full when bought 3 months ago and now its between half and 3/4...so I presume that's about right ?

 Its not a turbo and I only do local running around in her as I have a van for work, except obviously when first bought I didn't stop driving her   s:D :D s:D  

Thanks

Mike

Hi

A full synthetic is the best option, but a semi is fine as a cheaper option.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx) m
 
The best ones there are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Motul 300V, Mobil ESP, Castrol Edge, Shell Helix Ultra Extra, Millers XF, Fuchs GT1 and Redline, but the Motul Eco-Energy, Millers XSS and Fuchs XTR are good cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

Hello guys
I've got a 2001 MRS roadster but obviously my manual is in japanese so I don't know what oil to put in it I just checked the oil level and it's pretty low so could do with a top up.
Thanks matt

Hi Matt

I would use a 5w-40 synthetic and you will find those through the link below.

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx) m

Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Millers CFS/CFS NT, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. The Motul 8100 X-Cess, Millers XFS, Fuchs GT1 XTL/Supersyn, Shell Helix and Mobil Super 3000 are good, cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

I'm using Castrol Edge as a "top up" - not burning much - in fact the last top up was minimal (5w-30) 95k on clock  s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:

Ok thanks for the help
Much appreciated

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

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

Cheers

Guy

Mobil.  £39 at Halfords (5L).

That's a pretty good choice

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

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

Cheers

Tim

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?

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

Cheers

Tim

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)

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.

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# (http://www.mobil.co.uk/UK-English-LCW/carengineoils_products_mobil-1-extended-life-10w60.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?

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 (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-articles/10w-60-oil.pdf) m

Cheers

Tim

Quote from: "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 (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-articles/10w-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 (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_165581_productId_787563_langId_-1?cm_mmc=Shopping-_-Google%20Product%20Search-_-Car%20Maintenance%2FEngine%20Oils%20%26%20Car%20Fluids%2FCar%20Engine%20Oil-_-Mobil%201%20Extended%20life%20Motorsport%2010w60%205L&source=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.

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

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.

Quote from: "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.

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.

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 (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-6774-oil-filter-ufi-spin-on-oil-filter-2325100.aspx) m

Cheers

Tim

Thanks guys for the info, will be perchacing soon!

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.

Quote from: "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.

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?

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.

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

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:)

Quote from: "trevsmr2"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.

I absolutely swear by valvoline myself like. Even the rally boys are using it. They say its the only oil they can use that they can smash their sump and still finish the stage, they also say its the only oil they use that comes out in the same consistency it went in. Its all ive ever used and ever will use to be honest.

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Quote from: "trevsmr2"Castrol GTX  5w-30 is on offer @ £12 in asda

Cheers for the heads up!   s8) 8) s8)

Valvoline 5w40, the best....

Anything to choose between identical 5w30 and 5w40 options for a typical '2?

Just asked the exact same question to Oilman.  s:) :) s:)

5w30 is the manufacturer spec and 'right' for the engine. 5w40 is a good alternative if the engine is a bit older and burning a bit of oil, however it can reduce fuel economy slightly.

Doing my oil change tomorrow (and the transmission). In the end I went for Fuchs Titan Pro S 5w40 as I noticed a bit of oil burn when running the engine at high revs for large periods and wanted to see if this stopped it.

May go to  the Fuchs 5w30 with the next change to compare.

Thanks Andy  s:) :) s:)

Valvoline durablend im using and always have on my 2. Ive mentioned this before but I work for stobarts and our rally team reckon the valvoline is the only oil they can use where if they smash the sump on a rally stage they can still finish, because its lubrication is outstanding.  Good enough for a world rally team its good enough for me  s:) :) s:)

Quote from: "AndyM"Just asked the exact same question to Oilman.  s:) :) s:)

5w30 is the manufacturer spec and 'right' for the engine. 5w40 is a good alternative if the engine is a bit older and burning a bit of oil, however it can reduce fuel economy slightly.

Doing my oil change tomorrow (and the transmission). In the end I went for Fuchs Titan Pro S 5w40 as I noticed a bit of oil burn when running the engine at high revs for large periods and wanted to see if this stopped it.

May go to  the Fuchs 5w30 with the next change to compare.

Spot on answer

Hi Guys,

I am literally a first time buyer and my oil light has been flicking off and on, so I am assuming that my oil is running low. I was about to check my oil but thought I would quickly ask the question of which oil is the best to use.

Looking at this website it seems that everyone is using different Oils for best performance, I seem to be having a crappy noise when I shift down in gears, which I hope the oil will fix as it is sounding very rattly at the moment.

Can someone please recommend an oil that has always worked for them?

Do not use your car till you put some oil in I use Mobil 5 30 full synthetic from halfords bout £26 for 5 litres runs fine for 4 years I do change the oil at 2 to 3000 miles so bout twice a year

If it's burning oil, a 5w-40 may be a better choice than a 5w-30 as it will burn off slower

 m http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx) m

Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Millers CFS/CFS NT, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. The Motul 8100 X-Cess, Millers XFS, Fuchs GT1 XTL/Supersyn, Gulf Formula G, Shell Helix and Mobil Super 3000 are good, cheaper alternatives.

Cheers

Tim

going for some fuchs titan gt1 longlife 5w30 fully synth never tried them before assume they are ok? old stuff will be flushed with some cleaner before draining.

The GT1 oils are really good without being overly expensive.

No need to use a flush (and they can be too harsh on the engine), just get the oil hot and drain it out.

Cheers

Tim

cant find a mobil 5w30 semi/part synthetic anywhere   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

Hi

I don't think there is one any more. Their Super 3000 5w-30s are mineral based synthetics, so basically the same as a very good semi-synthetic.

Cheers

Tim

Anyone on here used this before?

as I had to reseal the sump did oil and filter change whilst I was there, now using fuchs supersynth g 5w30 this is also an good one to use for the car?

Hi

That's fine to use, a good oil for the money.

Cheers

Tim

Im using Millers Oils CFS 5w/40 Fully Synthetic - good stuff
Haven't read all of thread just jumped on last page

Yes it is, very good stuff

Hi there thanks for looking at this.  I have a mr2 roadster on a y plate. Brought it 3 weeks ago and never had a problem with her at all.
Then yesterday thought id best check every thing out on the old girl n noticed the oil was abit low.
Plus was jst bout to get ready for work so thought id chuck abit of 10/40 morrisons stuff in....then ten mins on the way to work started runnin a bit rubbish.   Is this a coincidence or have I done it by putting the wrong oil in?  

Any advice is grateful on this.

Thanks guys
  s:? :? s:?

Hi

Did you overfill the oil? I doubt using the 10w-40 would be an issue, but too much oil could be.

Cheers

Tim

talking about overfill, when i changed my filter and replaced the oil mine is just sitting under max and has been fine for the 6months its been in, is the reading off the scale on the stick? checked plugs?

I use Mobil 3000 5w/30 fully synthetic recommended by my garage.

Norman

Quote from: "no1trancefan"talking about overfill, when i changed my filter and replaced the oil mine is just sitting under max and has been fine for the 6months its been in, is the reading off the scale on the stick? checked plugs?

Hi

Sitting just below the max mark is fine, that's not overfilled.

Cheers

Tim

I put Halfords 'Ford' 5w/30 in mine seems OK so far.

Is Halfords oil no good?  my mechanic cursed me for using it.  I thought it was made by Comma?

Back on subject i think i will use 5/40 next time as the car seems to like drinking a bit.

I use Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5W-40 Ester Fully Synthetic in mine has never used a drop in between services

Quote from: "CrazySX"I put Halfords 'Ford' 5w/30 in mine seems OK so far.

Is Halfords oil no good?  my mechanic cursed me for using it.  I thought it was made by Comma?

Back on subject i think i will use 5/40 next time as the car seems to like drinking a bit.

I have used Halfords oil over the years in my other cars (the MR2 gets spoilt with good stuff lol)......never had a problem with Halfords oil though (although i change every 4000-5000 miles),wouldn't pay full price for it,usually buy a few when its a tenner over xmas/new year.......its perfectly adequate but theres better oils out there.

Mobil super 3000 5w-30 fully synthetic is actually only £23.99 at the moment,a fiver cheaper than their own brand 5w-30.

Quote from: "bernie11a"I use Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5W-40 Ester Fully Synthetic in mine has never used a drop in between services

And me, I think it's a great oil. £50 for an oil change; can't complain really.

Oilman seems to think it's one of the best and he certainly knows his stuff.

Quote from: "Markb"

Quote from: "CrazySX"I put Halfords 'Ford' 5w/30 in mine seems OK so far.

Is Halfords oil no good?  my mechanic cursed me for using it.  I thought it was made by Comma?

Back on subject i think i will use 5/40 next time as the car seems to like drinking a bit.

I have used Halfords oil over the years in my other cars (the MR2 gets spoilt with good stuff lol)......never had a problem with Halfords oil though (although i change every 4000-5000 miles),wouldn't pay full price for it,usually buy a few when its a tenner over xmas/new year.......its perfectly adequate but theres better oils out there.

Mobil super 3000 5w-30 fully synthetic is actually only £23.99 at the moment,a fiver cheaper than their own brand 5w-30.

this was the Ford fully synthetic 5/30 and they were selling it for £12 a pop so i bought 3.  I am just going to use it for 2-3000 miles then put something better in it.

I might have to invest in the Fuchs stuff.  Although i am thinking Castrol Edge 5/40 for the next service.  That's what the 200sx got  s;) ;) s;)  tell you what, the Nissan has never used a drop of oil or water.  but then i have had it since it was 5yrs old and the SR20det is bullet proof.

Another thread prompted me to pop in a post:

I had a 5L can of Toyota 5w30 "Fuel Saver" oil I had left over from a previous service pack. So for my twice-yearly oil change I just put in this, instead of shelling out a fortune for my favourite Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5w40 which was in there.

In a nutshell, I regret doing this oil change.
Yes it runs absolutely fine, and it warms up a bit quicker as well (had 10w40 in last time actually ) , but it sounds more labored.
On the Fuchs during the latest Scottish run out, the engine felt amazing when we were out in full force. It responded beautifully, it was "loose", it revved very smoothly and readily. It takes a bit more warming up to get there, but once you're there...so sweet.
On this Toyota 5w30 it's giving me the impression that I shouldn't rev it as high. It feels fragile. Response feels delayed.

Perfectly fine for day to day driving...but this Toyota crap is coming out asap  s:) :) s:)  I think I've just been spoiled by the last few services with Fuchs Titan Race Pro S.

Fuchs every time for me yes it costs a bit more but in the long run well worth it
IMO some things aren't worth skimping on oil & tyres buy the best

Had the car since new and religiously stuck with Magnatec 5w-30 until last year. But as she's getting older I've switched to ECP's reasonably cheap Triple QX 5w-40 (which is a 'proper' FS) for the last couple of changes... definitely slightly quieter when warm now. If it ever rattles on cold start-up I'll switch to a 0w-40.

Iv been using Mobil Super 3000 X1 Formula FE 5W-30 for a while now and thinking about changing  is it a must to do a oil change  flush or can you add a different oil gradually?
My engine seems louder and I use supreme fuel (Texaco or shell but personally prefer Texaco) do that's why you m thinking of changing oil, my car is a x reg but had on engine rebuild 4 years ago any ideas or advice on oil?

I use Fuchs titan pro s 5w40.
I usually get 6 litres delivered from Opie Oils around £55.
If I didn't run a turbo I think I would use something  cheaper tbh.

With mine being an xreg im swaying towards a 5w 40 but then the engine rebuild was only 4 years ago so I'm not sure