Premium oil ? What do you use ?

[Pale Rider]

For my sins I've been using Home Bargains motor oil called Viscol. It costs around £10 for 4.5ltr.
It meets ACEA specs and is rebranded rock oil /Granville. My car takes around 6 litres of the stuff so it works out cheap enough. I usually do the oil changes myself every 5k and use a vacuum pump to change it. That means there's no clambering around underneath trying to undo the sump plug. Just run the car to temp to thin the oil and extract it through the dipstick pipe with the suction pump. What would cost around £80 at the garage inc filter, costs me under £30

I did intermediate oil changes on my Focus cabriolet using a vacuum pump.

Above the service intervals, but I was doing quite a few miles so wasn't keen on using the same oil for a year.

I had some fun disposing of the old oil on one occasion.

I carefully poured it into the shiny Castrol Magnatec 5 litre plastic container, made sure it was wiped clean, and left it by the garden gate.

Sure enough, within a couple of hours someone nicked it.

Would loved to have seen their face when they started to pour their stolen oil.

 

[Cycleops]

Only a special premium oil for the Hispano Suiza of course but Shell 10/50 for the Toyotas.

 

[fossyant]

Euro Car Parts specific spec for the cars, usually on 50% off discount code.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I did intermediate oil changes on my Focus cabriolet using a vacuum pump.

Above the service intervals, but I was doing quite a few miles so wasn't keen on using the same oil for a year.

I had some fun disposing of the old oil on one occasion.

I carefully poured it into the shiny Castrol Magnatec 5 litre plastic container, made sure it was wiped clean, and left it by the garden gate.

Sure enough, within a couple of hours someone nicked it.

Would loved to have seen their face when they started to pour their stolen oil.

I hope this is just a fable.
Someone irresponsible enough to steal stuff will not responsibly dispose of that old oil. I bet it was poured into a ditch somewhere.
Keep control of your hazardous waste and don't let it get into the hands of scumbags.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Following on from the fuel thread, I was researching the cost of a service kit for my lowly Astra and it occured to me...in some cases, £70 for a gallon of no doubt high quality oil. What sort of cars (exotics excluded) are these oils designed for ? Does anyone use them for more modest cars ?

Yes, even modest cars may require high-spec oil. For instance, turbo diesel cars with DPFs require a low-ash oil that won't block the exhaust particulate filter. This oil is more expensive than oil for non-turbo petrol cars, but can last for 15 000 miles in some cars. Paying double, or even triple for oil that lasts double that of other oil, makes a lot of sense. The cost of servicing, downtime etc is often overlooked. I service my own car but it is something I'd rather not do all that often, hence I happily pay for long-service oil, even though it is expensive.

Turbo cars require oil that can operate at a higher temperature in the parts which rotate at very high speeds - 100 000 + RPMs in a turbo.
Again, there's no need to put that oil in a non-turbo car.

It pays to know exactly what oil is specified for your car even when you don't service your car yourself.

For instance, most high-end VWs require a 507 specification oil but all the local garages in our area only use 505, which is inadequate. Some of them are not even aware (or don't care) that 505 will block the filters and reduce service life.

Bicycle chain oil on the other hand...

 

[Drago]

Paying double or triple makes no sense. The car manufacturer tells you what is suitable by designating an ACEA spec. An expensive oil that meets that spec has the same very tightly defined performance attributes as a cheap one that meets that spec - the same thermal stability, the same viscosity shear rates, etc. Using an expensive oil that meets the required spec brings no benefits over using a cheap one, other than to the oil company shareholders.

This works in much the same way that a cheap pint of beer contains just as much liquid as an expensive pint of beer. Both slake thirst just as effectively and make you need a wee just as often.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Oil is Oil.

Unfortunately not

Many Japenese cars need regular top ups.

Had many many Japanese cars & the only one that ever needed topping up was a MR2 MK3, with the 1ZZ engine, Toyota got that one very wrong, took them 4 years to realise & it cost them a packet.

 

[figbat]

An expensive oil that meets that spec has the same very tightly defined performance attributes as a cheap one that meets that spec - the same thermal stability, the same viscosity shear rates, etc. Using an expensive oil that meets the required spec brings no benefits over using a cheap one, other than to the oil company shareholders.

Not quite. ACEA specifications are generally minimum acceptable requirements. I liken it to a high jump competition - if you scrape over the bar with a bit of a wobble you have cleared the jump. If you sail over the bar with copious clear air between you and the bar, you don't get any extra credit, it's still just a clearance. You have clearly gone well beyond the minimum requirement though. It is then left to the oil manufacturer to find ways of describing their differentiated performance beyond what a pass/fail ACEA spec will tell you. I can tell you from personal experience that there certainly are differences between oils. Whether those differences matter to you is your call. For an "oil is oil, spec is spec" proponent, chances are the marginal gains won't matter.

 

[derrick]

I use the cheapest oil thet meets the required ACEA spec. It either meets the spec, or its doesn't. Theres more guff talked about oil than there is about Brexit on here.

I sorted that for you.😂😂

 

[figbat]

The car manufacturer tells you what is suitable by designating an ACEA spec.

Increasingly, car manufacturers are not relying only on ACEA specs. Many of them, especially in Europe, consider the ACEA spec to be a foundation upon which they build their own specifications, which add OEM-specific testing and performance demands. This is where some oil suppliers play a little fast and loose with descriptors, with phrases such as "meets the requirements of..." or "recommended for use where XYZ specification is required". This can mean that they haven't actually obtained the OEM's formal approval but have taken a judgement that, in their opinion, the oil will probably be OK for it. Most OEMs have a formal approval process requiring significant test data which can be very expensive and time-consuming, making an informal suggestion of approval an attractive prospect, albeit with potential warranty and other issues.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

No idea what goes into the cars but I only use Rock Oil oils and coolants and Hi-Flo filters in the bike.

 

[Levo-Lon]

5w30 Mobil 3000 fully synthetic about 30 quid for 5l my van needs 3l for a service
I only do about 5-6 k a yr.

 

[Drago]

Increasingly, car manufacturers are not relying only on ACEA specs. Many of them, especially in Europe, consider the ACEA spec to be a foundation upon which they build their own specifications, which add OEM-specific testing and performance demands. This is where some oil suppliers play a little fast and loose with descriptors, with phrases such as "meets the requirements of..." or "recommended for use where XYZ specification is required". This can mean that they haven't actually obtained the OEM's formal approval but have taken a judgement that, in their opinion, the oil will probably be OK for it. Most OEMs have a formal approval process requiring significant test data which can be very expensive and time-consuming, making an informal suggestion of approval an attractive prospect, albeit with potential warranty and other issues.

That is also a load of guff,.by the car companies (not you).

In the main that's a mechanism by which they can tighten and control warranty pay outs, encourage drivers to keep their cars in the dealer network for servicing, and also make a bit of money on the side by accepting fees from oil manufacturers withing to seek accreditation for their product. Not used an oil that has the Mercedes Benz, VW or BMW technical approval rating? Kiss that warranty claim goodbye, you tight fisted git.

None of this guff goes on with military equipment or aircraft that use oil, the industry accreditation applies absolutely.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

That is also a load of guff,.by the car companies (not you).

No it is not.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Paying double or triple makes no sense.

Don't take my words out of context. I said: "Paying double, or even triple for oil that lasts double that of other oil, makes a lot of sense. The cost of servicing, downtime etc is often overlooked. "

Here's how I arrived at that statement.

To change a car's oil requires you to book your car in, have someone collect you from the garage and take you back to work or home.
Then, for a day or half a day you do not have the use of your car.

Put a price on that, factor in inconvenience, time, cost of not doing business that day or replacement car etc.

Let's say that price is 50.

Now, let's say the cost of the oil change labour is another 50.

Let's price the oil at 40.
Price the filter at 15.

That's 155 in total.

You do that again 10 000kms later. That's 310 in total, for 20 000 kms.

Now for the other scenario with more expensive oil .

Inconvenience, 50, labour 50, filter 15, oil 80. That's 195. for 20 000 kms.

It is cheaper and certainly far more convenient.

I could play it differently and factor in premature failure of DPFs or the cost of clearing fouled intake ports (direct injection cars require low-mist oil to keep intake ports clear from PCV fume buildup) or even engine longevity. But I think I've justified my statement adequately.