Oil Type

[iansjones]

Hi,
Just wondering what type of oil people use.
i.e. Fully Synthetic etc.


I use part Synthetic i think. Is it better with Synthetic?
Can i just use that next time i do a change if it is?

Thanks
Ian

 

[extreme-4x4]

well i bought the cheep stuff from the motor factors they said it was what was needed for the truck, i went back 2 days later to get more in case i ran out , they said i can only use semi or fully synthetic,,,

i had a row obviously...... but you can never win even with a receipt

 

[Toolbox]

Ian,

The oil specified for the 3.0 is a higher spec than the 2.7 engine, a semi synthetic is fine as long as it conforms to API CF4 or higher. Use of fully synthetic is not needed and not recommended if you haven’t been using it before.

What grade have you been using?

 

[Deleted account DD]

Surely though using fully synthetic would not cause any harm and if youre going to hammer the vehicle it would be a belt and braces quality back up :?:

Personally I'm using magnated semi synthetic 10/40 at the mo because it was on a VERY good offer in Makro 8) I've noticed all technical data refers to various grades but after consulting the "knowledgable friend" who has ran terranos for many miles he had no problems whatsoever on that grade, changing it every 6 thousand for good measure.

Seems sensible to me 8)

 

[Toolbox]

Problems can be had if the engine has not been run on fully synthetic from new the higher the mileage the bigger the problem, carbon and crud build up from mineral oil is cleaned away by synthetic and can cause blockages in the engine and filter, if your going to use it then it is best to run for a short wile before dropping it and changing the filter again to act as a flush for the engine.

Good quality mineral oil changed at regular intervals is ample for the 2.7 engine, why throw money away.

 

[Deleted account DD]

Hmm.....I'm not remotely convinced by that argument. :wink:

I have always ran my vehicles on good to excellent quality oil and changed it around the 9000 mile mark.

I started that on a vauxhall Astra GTE. They were prone to premature cam shaft wear which was a combination of materials used in the cam plus oil feed and quality under duress (well....they made to be thrashed :lol: ) I had it from new and after the warranty period did all my own servicing. I used a top quality synthetic and never had any head problems on it at all whilst I watched others fall by the wayside during the 106 000 miles I had it.

I have followed that principal on all my DECENT cars (new & s/h) and never experienced oil related problems (I have ran some sheds that burnt or leaked nearly as much oil as petrol but thats another story
:lol: )

As for the gunk and crap problem. I would want that shifting or preventing anyway, a decent mineral oil with a respectable level of detergent would shift it anyway or surely continuing to use cheapo that allowed it would ultimately choke it?

Particularly relevant I would have thought when on the 2.7s at least I'd be gutted if it didnt sail past 100 000.

To use an analagy a during discussions an "oil" chemist told me:

If youre about to be lowered on a rope , one holds your weight but one will hold twice your weight and both are available which one will you choose ?

Therefore if you have oil that performs well to a level but you use your car regularly to that level (towing etc) but theres another that............... :idea:

Considering all of the above, surely the price difference (which isnt much) is acceptable :?:

I would also add that the nice chap at Castrol (not the advice above that was much closer to home :wink: ) via their helpline hands out decent advice , of course they have an interest in you buying their product, but when I spoke with them re my last car they guided me towards an oil type and explained why. The recomended one was definitely not one of their premium products, he explained why I would be wasting my money on that , didnt feel misled at all and went and bought some Millers :lol:

 

[willow]

Thanks from me all really interesting stuff here
Although I may not be a terrano owner for long if all goes wrong :smile: :wink: :x :roll:

 

[greek_dave]

Halfords currently have a deal of Castrol Magnatec.

Buy a 4 Litre tub, and get a 1 Litre tub free.

I just got 5 litres of 5-30 for £28.99 as my Mavericks service is due. I always take my own oil as the garage's just puts some cheap 10-40 in.

 

[Toolbox]

Hmm.....I'm not remotely convinced by that argument. :wink:

If you have been using mineral oil for a long period and change to fully synthetic it will clean up varnish on component surfaces as a result of thermal and oxidative degradation of the mineral lubricant. When one switches from a mineral-based engine oil to a synthetic-based oil, the varnish layer will be removed by the ester in the synthetic oil and become suspended.
However, suspended material can rapidly clog filters and can block oil flow passageways and lead to component starvation.

I am not saying synthetic is not better than mineral oils, the constant viscosity lubrication propertys alone will prevent engine wear when the engine is cold. But just be aware of potential problems

Just to add Semi synthetic oil contains far more mineral based oil than synthetic.

 

[Deleted account DD]

Yes, agreed, theres no doubt that the synthetic will do a better job of cleaning an engine, but and a big but is that the detergent ability is not exclusive to synthetic. It exists in mineral blends too.

Therefore:

If your engine has a significant amount of so called varnish you are heading towards problems in any case :?: It is not a stable product, it is a coating formed by oxidisation of the oil. if your piston rings are well worn, oil seals not too good any more at sealing washing away the varnish may cause leaks or lowered compression. Generally however a "varnished up" , I prefer gummed up as a term, engine is on the downhill run IF theres so much that shifting the stuff causes blockages. If that volume of it exists its already on the way to blocking the smaller ports and feeders by its own fungal type growth.

Synthetic oil (or semi) is also considered to be better at handling the very contaminants that cause sludge and gum as well as the products themselves. Its more uniform nature (we're getting down to molecular level here 8O ), once youve got the correct viscosity/spec running through , is more likely to consistantly maintain its properties and work load than mineral.

Its the life blood of your engine and as I said I've never had problems switching to and using synthetic. That includes a couple of cars from nearly new (after warranty) as well a Sierra 1.8cvh from 50 000 and a SEAT toledo (1.8 20v) from just under 70 000 to name a few.

Not arguing toolbox :lol: I just often get the impression theres a lot of ill informed anti against synthetic for some reason. That could be because of things like the early claims of a certain company that using it could make your car go faster :wink:


Dave, thats quite a decent price especially from there :lol: I think Makro have a good price going at the mo on magnatec :idea:



ps when refering to "gum" I mean the full range from the hard baked through to the jelly like crap.