Extraordinary prices for mundane engine oil

[gbb]

I was in Asda the other day, i ventured past the DIY , motoring section, they're doing Carlube fully synthetic engine oil at the following prices (I may have them the wrong way round but bear enough)
5w30 for Ford, Land rover etc...4 ltr for £2,56
0 or 5w20 (can't remember which way round it was) 4 ltr for £1.34

I brought some anyway, not even for my car but Itd do for someone with an older car perhaps, just ridiculous prices.

I don't know if its an error, they're trying to clear the shelves or what. The /20 is an unusual grade and there was a lot of it, perhaps it was a stocking error.
Who knows but weird.

 

[Cycleops]

It's the oil extinction people, they've planted a mole in Asda trying to make it extinct.

 

[winjim]

Outside certain enthusiasts, who buys engine oil? My car gets an annual service and every now and then the mechanic changes the oil. I've never had to touch it myself and I have no idea if £1.34 for 4L is a fair price or not.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Going by the thread title I thought this was going to go the other way.

I had a car in the mid nineties that the authorised dealers, in the UK, wouldn’t put the stated manufacturers oil in as it was £12 a litre. They sourced one to the same spec for a fraction of that price.

 

[CXRAndy]

I pay around this price for my oil

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/mobil-1-esp-engine-oil-5w-30-5ltr-521771861

My truck takes just 7 litres

 

[Jody]

Outside certain enthusiasts, who buys engine oil? My car gets an annual service and every now and then the mechanic changes the oil. I've never had to touch it myself and I have no idea if £1.34 for 4L is a fair price or not.

Don't you ever check the fluid levels in between services?

I've seen way too many people over the years that have been left with hefty bills for not checking.

Everybody should keep 1 litre in the boot for top ups when required.

 

[Beebo]

I’m a total motoring idiot.
Does it matter if you put the wrong grade of oil in your engine?

 

[Jody]

That is crazy cheap @gbb

I’m a total motoring idiot.
Does it matter if you put the wrong grade of oil in your engine?

Yes and no. A small top up would make very little difference. Running for any length of time with the wrong oil will reduce the life of your engine.

 

[vickster]

My car uses about a litre of oil every 1000 miles, typical of the model. I think it’s about £8 a litre, get deals on eBay

 

[winjim]

Don't you ever check the fluid levels in between services?

I've seen way too many people over the years that have been left with hefty bills for not checking.

Everybody should keep 1 litre in the boot for top ups when required.

I have checked it occasionally and it has never needed topping up. And if all I'm meant to do is keep a litre in the boot for emergencies, then assuming a reasonable shelf life it could cost anywhere from a pound to a hundred pounds and it would make not a jot of difference to me.

 

[gbb]

I’m a total motoring idiot.
Does it matter if you put the wrong grade of oil in your engine?

Depends. Modern cars get their crankcase gases recirculated into the intake and re burned, reducing emissions. Wrong or certainly inferior spec oils will cause problems with the PCV valve ( the point where these gases pass back into the engine) and it may clog up early, messing with your emissions, performance and engine management.
Also with cars still under warranty, incorrect spec oils will/may invalidate warranty.
Ash points, heat shear points, its all got very complex....but its not too complex to make sure the right one goes in, the spec is in the manual, owners books, just make sure you follow it.
Older cars ?....debatable.

 

[gbb]

I have checked it occasionally and it has never needed topping up. And if all I'm meant to do is keep a litre in the boot for emergencies, then assuming a reasonable shelf life it could cost anywhere from a pound to a hundred pounds and it would make not a jot of difference to me.

I've never had a car that burned oil, but some do, just the way they're designed. You're obv get away with it now, but your next car may be different.

 

[winjim]

I've never had a car that burned oil, but some do, just the way they're designed. You're obv get away with it now, but your next car may be different.

Isn't it something that's been engineered out on modern cars though? I'm assuming my next car will be newer than my current one.

Admittedly our car doesn't have a high mileage.

 

[Beebo]

Depends. Modern cars get their crankcase gases recirculated into the intake and re burned, reducing emissions. Wrong or certainly inferior spec oils will cause problems with the PCV valve ( the point where these gases pass back into the engine) and it may clog up early, messing with your emissions, performance and engine management.
Also with cars still under warranty, incorrect spec oils will/may invalidate warranty.
Ash points, heat shear points, its all got very complex....but its not too complex to make sure the right one goes in, the spec is in the manual, owners books, just make sure you follow it.
Older cars ?....debatable.

So it’s better to have the wrong oil rather than no oil.
But best to have the correct oil.

 

[notmyrealnamebutclose]

Isn't it something that's been engineered out on modern cars though? I'm assuming my next car will be newer than my current one.

might void your warranty (if it has one) if you don't manually check and top up your levels regular