Mobil 1 Synthetic oil?

slow_saver

I own a Ford Mondeo 2.2 TDCi, I have had the car serviced at the main dealers/ Kwik fit (last service) and the car has always had the 5W-30 semi synthetic oil in it at service time, but I have got 12 litres of Mobil 1 0W- 40 Synthetic oil and I was wondering if I could use this in my car when the next service is due, the guy at Kwik fit said don't use it because it's too thin(?) anyway I asked at a Ford main dealer and all they said was if you want to use it then you can, but its not the "recommended" oil, which leaves me a bit confused as I thought Mobil 1 was the best oil you can get!:huh:

flyingscotno1

slow_saver wrote: »

I own a Ford Mondeo 2.2 TDCi, I have had the car serviced at the main dealers/ Kwik fit (last service) and the car has always had the 5W-30 semi synthetic oil in it at service time, but I have got 12 litres of Mobil 1 0W- 40 Synthetic oil and I was wondering if I could use this in my car when the next service is due, the guy at Kwik fit said don't use it because it's too thin(?) anyway I asked at a Ford main dealer and all they said was if you want to use it then you can, but its not the "recommended" oil, which leaves me a bit confused as I thought Mobil 1 was the best oil you can get!:huh:

There is a lot more to oil than a brand name like Mobil1. They are all formulated for specific reasons, so it could well not be good as Kwik Fit man said esp. since there are differences in the viscosity numbers.

Best check your manual- see what it recommends- diesels can, in my experience, use more oil than petrols, and are more fussy with oil depending on manufacturer.

AdrianHi

slow_saver wrote: »

the guy at Kwik fit said don't use it because it's too thin(?)

That's a bit amusing. I'll explain, forgive me if you know this already.
Lets take the 5W-30 oil.
5W means viscosity rating 5 for Winter (i.e. cold conditions start), W just stands for winter. Low number, thinner oil when cold, which means easier starting and it gets around the engine a bit quicker to start lubricating. The lower this number is the better, but it makes it harder to get the oil to be viscous enough at higher temperatures.
The 30 number is viscosity at 100 DegC so 30 is thinner than 40 at 100DegC.

So when cold the Mobile 1 0W-40 is thinner that the 5W-30 but the other way round when at 100DegC.

The right viscosity at 100DegC depends on the engine and use but in the main 30 to 40 is going to be OK, 40 better for higher temperatures resulting from driving the engine harder.

I'd prefer a so called full synthetic oil over a semi-synthetic as it is better at resisting carbonising which means less black deposits in the oil and around the engine especially in high temperature areas like turbo components. Diesel turns the oil black pretty quick anyway. The "full synthetic" has a longer service life too, doesn't break down as quickly.

Semi-synthetic is up to 20% synthesised oil (full synthetic) mixed with regular "un-synthesised" mineral oil.
Synthesising oil molecules to get the properties you want is the you get a multigrade oil that can have such a wide range of viscosity such as 0W-40 and longer life for extended service intervals (such as 20,000 miles) which we see on some newer cars now.
"oilman" from opie oils posts a lot of detailed information about oils on many car forums, that's my source.

Premier_2

You can't get thicker than a kwik fit fitter!

Premier_2

AdrianHi wrote: »

... Low number, thinner oil when cold, which means easier starting and it gets around the engine a bit quicker to start lubricating. The lower this number is the better, ...

...except it provides less protection at low temperatures due to its lower viscosity.

Most engine wear occurs when the engine is cold.

The balance has to be achieved between having an oil of high enough viscosity to provide adequate protection and low enough viscosity to achieve rapid/efficient circulation.

I would would recommend following the manufacturers recommendations on oil. They spend an awful lot of time & research on establishing the correct one to use to give optimum protection (and in the case of Ford multi valve engines, changing that original recommendation when they found they had got it wrong initially )

Cumbrian_Male

Check the API numbers if it satisfies what it says in your manual then use it. Mobil 1 is a true fully synth also not just a cracked ester.

goldspanners

in your manual it will offer this oil as a suitable alternative,but not the best one for your engine.

slow_saver

I always thought Mobil 1 was one of the best oils you can get, it passes all the API #'s, but Ford don't actually recommend it (but then they wouldn't cos they want you to get the car serviced at their dealers using their rip-off priced oil!) I was also wondering about this as my mate has a Golf TDI PD and they have (VW) changed from the PD semi synthetic to fully synthetic, so perhaps I should just use the Mobil 1.

molerat

Mobil 1 is one of the best oils providing that it is suitable for your car. VW have very specific synthetic oils for their engines that meet the VW 50X.XX requirements. There is a fully synthetic oil that meets Ford spec but Mobil 1 does not meet that specification.

AirCooledHeaven

Premier wrote: »

...except it provides less protection at low temperatures due to its lower viscosity.

Most engine wear occurs when the engine is cold.

The balance has to be achieved between having an oil of high enough viscosity to provide adequate protection and low enough viscosity to achieve rapid/efficient circulation.

Protection has nothing to do with viscosity in a modern engine, older engines with bigger clearances between components maybe. The key to preventing all the cold start wear is to get the oil where it needs to be as quickly as possible, and for this you need low viscosity.

AirCooledHeaven

slow_saver wrote: »

I own a Ford Mondeo 2.2 TDCi, I have had the car serviced at the main dealers/ Kwik fit (last service) and the car has always had the 5W-30 semi synthetic oil in it at service time, but I have got 12 litres of Mobil 1 0W- 40 Synthetic oil and I was wondering if I could use this in my car when the next service is due, the guy at Kwik fit said don't use it because it's too thin(?) anyway I asked at a Ford main dealer and all they said was if you want to use it then you can, but its not the "recommended" oil, which leaves me a bit confused as I thought Mobil 1 was the best oil you can get!:huh:

Mobil 1 will be absolutely fine in your Mondeo. I would use it myself without question if I could afford it. Kwik Fit will only ever recommend something that they can sell you, the last thing they want is a guy turning up with his own oil. They have a 100 gallon drum of some generic oil they're making a big margin on...