Another engine Oil question, sorry...

[E55BOF]

I prefer to use branded stuff in the AMGs, but I use Asda's semi-synth in the bikes. I change it every year, and do less than 1000 miles each year, and it's fine.

 

[Gazwould]

Brand is unimportant .

Tried and tested .

A spec is a spec.

The oil industry is standardised .

I've put this oil for several years in a high mileage 18 year old engine that by design the camshaft and bucket tappets are extremely vulnerable .

 

[markjay]

View attachment 117421



View attachment 117422

I'll make a note of that, in the event that I ever buy a Volkswagen, Audi, Seat or Škoda.

 

[E55BOF]

Braver man than I am. Maybe it's not all bollocks, then, but I still wouldn't use it in the M157...

 

[Gazwould]

Here it is.. by the biggest oil analysis lab .

Oil Analysis | Blackstone Laboratories

Learn what's going on in your engine with oil analysis. Our free kits are easy to use and we explain the results in plain English! Since 1985.

www.blackstone-labs.com

Which Oil to Use? | Blackstone Laboratories

www.blackstone-labs.com

"You can go into any mass retailer (Wal-Mart, Meijer, AutoZone, etc.) and buy a 5W/30 (or any other grade) that will perform well in your engine. One of the best-kept secrets of the oil industry is that these store brands are actually the same, quality oils that are produced by the major oil companies. The only difference between these products and the major company brands is the name on the container and the price. Don’t believe us? Try running your own experiment: do a sample on Oil A after a known number of miles, then do a sample on Oil B and compare the wear levels. You may see a little fluctuation, but it’s very rare for one oil to make a significant difference in an engine’s wear patterns."


And...

D'ya Know What Really Grinds My Gears... A Rant About Which Engine Oil Is Best - The Filter Blog | MicksGarage

Right, I'm going to get my apology in good and early because the following rant is probably going to sound like I'm having a pop at car forums, butthat's not the case at all, I'm amember of quite ...

www.micksgarage.com

" Oil Specifications All modern oils are manufactured to meet certain standardised European/US or vehicle manufacturers specifications, you'll see them listed on the bottles. For example ACEA C3 or VW: 504.00 / 507.00. If a cheaper, non-branded oil carries a VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec on the bottle then that means it is 100% suitable for use in any car that requires a VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec. The same goes for a more expensive, branded oil which carries the VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec. It also is 100% suitable for use in any car that requires that spec. But no more and no less. To achieve a VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec an oil must be made up of a predetermined set of ingredients (additives) and it is the same set of ingredients regardless of the brand or price point. With both oils your warranty will be intact and your engine will not know the difference between the two."

 

[E55BOF]

"The same goes for a more expensive, branded oil which carries the VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec. It also is 100% suitable for use in any car that requires that spec. But no more and no less". There's the rub...

I accept that all oils which actually meet a particular spec will achieve the minimum requirements for that spec, but do you not think that major oil companies' flagship oils are likely to exceed that minimum standard, with better additive packages and better base stock? I do, which is why only the good stuff goes into my AMGs.

 

[Gazwould]

They have a set list of ingredients to achieve that manufacturer spec , hard to exceed a best when it contains the top three oil basestocks and additive package concentration is up on their previous best oil standard .




But now and then one can find that information that the manufacturer rarely gives out .

 

[W1ghty]

Thanks markjay, I googled the info needed and it brought me to a pdf from Mercedes which showed which engines are compatible with the engine oil grade.

In the end I went for Mobil 1™ ESP 5W-30 which I believe it can be used on both engines.
I don't know why but I find it so bloody confusing!!

How much was that buddy ?

 

[st13phil]

Brand is unimportant .

Tried and tested .

A spec is a spec.

The oil industry is standardised .

I'm not disputing any of that, but for people with less knowledge about lubricants there is an understandable nervousness about putting the "wrong" oil in their engine and causing expensive damage. The risk of causing mechanical damage is actually quite low unless a totally inappropriate oil is used (e.g. putting hypoid gear oil in an engine), but that nervousness is reinforced by the plethora of manufacturer specifications and the marketing efforts of the big brands. Add in things like DPF's that require low SAPS oils and it's no wonder that people are confused.

The key thing is to understand the minimum spec recommended by the manufacturer for any particular engine, then select an oil that meets or exceeds it and ensure that oil change intervals are appropriate for the use pattern.

 

[E55BOF]

I'm not disputing any of that, but for people with less knowledge about lubricants there is an understandable nervousness about putting the "wrong" oil in their engine and causing expensive damage. The risk of causing mechanical damage is actually quite low unless a totally inappropriate oil is used (e.g. putting hypoid gear oil in an engine), but that nervousness is reinforced by the plethora of manufacturer specifications and the marketing efforts of the big brands. Add in things like DPF's that require low SAPS oils and it's no wonder that people are confused.

The key thing is to understand the minimum spec recommended by the manufacturer for any particular engine, then select an oil that meets or exceeds it and ensure that oil change intervals are appropriate for the use pattern.

I'm not even slightly confused. I'd rather have an oil that exceeds the minimum spec, which is why I'd rather use a premium oil that is more likely to fall into that category. If I knew that the oil in the Asda cheapie bottle was identical to MB's OE stuff - produced by the same manufacturer to the same actual, not minimum, spec - I'd use it in the CLS 63, but I don't, so I won't.

 

[Bellow]

Tried and tested .
.

" Oil Specifications All modern oils are manufactured to meet certain standardised European/US or vehicle manufacturers specifications, you'll see them listed on the bottles. For example ACEA C3 or VW: 504.00 / 507.00. If a cheaper, non-branded oil carries a VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec on the bottle then that means it is 100% suitable for use in any car that requires a VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec. The same goes for a more expensive, branded oil which carries the VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec. It also is 100% suitable for use in any car that requires that spec. But no more and no less. To achieve a VW: 504.00 / 507.00 spec an oil must be made up of a predetermined set of ingredients (additives) and it is the same set of ingredients regardless of the brand or price point. With both oils your warranty will be intact and your engine will not know the difference between the two."

Not 'tried and tested' - nothing more than approval of ingredients.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , before I retired the company I worked for purchased a fleet of diesel VW s

I regiously used the correct oil that cost £15.00 lt.

Most of the lads purchased poor quality oil and one went to Woolies and purchased any thing that was cheap.

Engine fell out of the car !

VW would not provide any warranty work on the car and they cannot be blamed for that action.

 

[st13phil]

I'm not even slightly confused.

I wasn't suggesting that you were confused, rather that the average Joe (or Josephine) who isn't a petrolhead is confronted with a plethora of choice that can be confusing to navigate.

I'm as happy as you to make a personal choice about which engine oil(s) to use, but that doesn't mean everyone else is so confident. I maintain that the simplest thing for them to do is select a product which either meets or exceeds the manufacturer's minimum spec. and to remember that changing a minimum spec. oil at the recommended intervals is likely to have a better outcome than running a higher spec. oil and stretching the oil change interval.

 

[Gazwould]

I didn't just buy any engine oil but followed Blackstone's advice and bought a large volume oil blender's product from a mass retailer Asda .


The oil blender in question is also supplying 'own' brand engine oil for Tesco , Sainsbury's , Euro Car Parts Triple QX , Carlube , Carlube Triple R and
G-Force as well as many automotive products and fluids .

 

[E55BOF]

Fair enough; it's your car. If it was mine, I might do the same. If I could be sure the supermarket oil was as good as it could be, and not just meeting the spec minimum, I'd use it in the AMG.

 

[Gazwould]

The VW 504.00 507.00 would more than do the job and is higher than your MB spec AMG requirement , real synthetics oil basestocks PAO and Esters are as good as it gets also with a high additive package concentration .

If it were not up to scratch my PD engine would of been toast a long time ago as this person understands .

 

[E55BOF]

I'm aware you're a huge fan of the VW stuff, and that you know a bit about oil, but let's just agree to disagree on whether I should put supermarket oil in my AMG, shall we?

 

[Gazwould]

This is the pesky vulnerable VAG PD camshaft .



An inferior oil and it's goosed .





I remember a story of a main dealer supplying for multiple years a guy for DIY services with an older incorrect 10W40 semi synthetic , needless to say...

 

[Ravs88]

How much was that buddy ?

£42 Inc delivery from Carpartsforless

 

[merc estate]

I buy from MB newcastle, you pay more than asda, but i get a good nights sleep.