Confusion With VW Car Engine Oil

A._Badger

If the OP really wants to know about engine oil, he might find the following of use: http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

And thanks, I'll stick to semi-synthetics over straight minerals -as advised for my Honda. They do seem to know a thing or two about engines, after all.

bigjl

Nothing wrong with putting mineral oil in an older car, it is what they were designed to use.

Mineral oil is fine in the correct context, newer more complicated cars aren't the correct context.

But when you start to talk about mineral and synthetic you then have issues about what actually constitutes a proper synthetic oil.


I might have missed something A.Badger but why bring up semi-synthetic and mineral oils in relation to your Honda?

A._Badger

bigjl wrote: »

Nothing wrong with putting mineral oil in an older car, it is what they were designed to use.

True, up to a point. If we were talking about a 1965 Morris Minor, I'd agree. The likelihood, though, is that a 1999 VW wasn't specced to run on straight minerals and if the engine is in reasonable condition, using one wouldn't be the best course of action. If VW specifies a semi-syn for that model, that is what the OP should be using.

bigjl wrote: »

I might have missed something A.Badger but why bring up semi-synthetic and mineral oils in relation to your Honda?

It was specifically in response to the following from Mr Pew Pew Pew Lasers, who earlier wrote:

"Don't bother with the semi-synths, they're a triumph of marketing over substance."

What you might call a sweeping statement - and that's making some allowance for a generous Christmas spirit.

mikey72

For the cost, semi synthetic all the time in mine, a good 10-40 is as cheap as anything else, and it gets changed at the service intervals.
(Apart from the really old engines we have, they get the 20-50 Halfords classic oil)

bigjl

A._Badger wrote: »

True, up to a point. If we were talking about a 1965 Morris Minor, I'd agree. The likelihood, though, is that a 1999 VW wasn't specced to run on straight minerals and if the engine is in reasonable condition, using one wouldn't be the best course of action. If VW specifies a semi-syn for that model, that is what the OP should be using.



It was specifically in response to the following from Mr Pew Pew Pew Lasers, who earlier wrote:

"Don't bother with the semi-synths, they're a triumph of marketing over substance."

What you might call a sweeping statement - and that's making some allowance for a generous Christmas spirit.

I never read pew pews post, I tend not to these days.

I must admit that I haven't used anything less than a semi-synth recently other than in an old Xantia TD years ago that I used to run on vegoil, but I did that so due to some people saying that the oil could be contaminated when run on vegoil, so instead of changing semi synth every 3/4000 miles I used mineral oil, though the XUD engine is indeed a bit of a dinosaur.

Getting back to the Polo, as long as the API spec was correct and it was a 10W40 then I would use it in a Polo, though if I used mineral then I would change it at 5k, as mineral oil degrades much quicker than semi synth.

I think the Chevron diesel oil in Costco is mineral but the Chevron petrol engine oil is a semi synth.

I use the proper Ford oil in my Mondeo (every 6K, rather than manufacturers 12.5k) along with a proper Ford filter, in my wifes Clio it gets fully synth (every 5K, rather than the manufacturers 10k) and a Renault filter, I used Elf the last time, but looking into alternatives, maybe Mobil 1.

Some think I am mad, but I have never had an engine fail yet, and I am a firm believer in changing the oil a lot sooner when a lot of the miles are in a harsh urban environment, which I think London and the SE of England most certainly is, you seem to spend half your time in traffic sometimes.

Though if you read the service book it normally mentions reduced oil change intervals when used in urban stop start driving or dusty environments, they specifically mention cab driving I think, but back home in Scotland I have never seen a car leaving a cloud of burnt oil in its wake, like you do at least once a day in London, in fact in my home town people tend no to buy cars from down south, as they have a habit of being knackered.

A._Badger

I think we've got a similar approach.

When I bought my Honda Accord I specified the use of fully synthetic Mobil 1 in it. The car came back after the first service sounding like a bag of spanners. I queried it with the dealer (a main Honda agent) who said it was my own fault - the car was designed to run on a 10/40 semi and Mobil 1`was 'too thin'.. So I checked with Honda in Swindon - who told me exactly the same thing. So much for the pub wisdom that a 0/40 fully synthetic is always a better bet.

Since then, I've gone back to my old method - using a good spec semi-syn, changed at half the recommended intervals, with a new filter. Ironically, in view of the OP's question, I'm currently using VW's Synta oil, as that's the bulk-buy choice of my local dealer. I go along with him on the grounds that VW doesn't mess about and the oil is most likely made by Fuchs - a premium supplier.

The same principle is applied to our (fairly elderly) Mazda Eunos (Japanese specced MX5) which gets the same oil/filter routine.

I've often been told I'm throwing my money away changing the oil so frequently, but oil is cheap and engines aren't.

bigjl

Sadly German and Swedish now only stock Comma Oil, not the Synta that they used to, or at least not in the store near me.

There seems to be a lot of issues with oil specs these days, probably due to different oil change intervals, variable intervals, extended change intervals and changes to car specifications.

For example my wifes Clio DCi is a 56 plate but they introduced the DPF 1.5DCi Clio at the same time and this causes confusion sometimes, though I read a good article in Car Mechanics Mag a month or so ago on oil, so I am on the hunt again for a better oil at a cheaper price.

mikey72

I use the Vauxhall semi synthetic 10-40W in everything, (branded GM Saab now) the same oil for both petrol and diesel as I get it trade, and the Halfords classic 20-50W in the others. Both appear to do what they should.

Flying-High_2

mikey72 wrote: »

I use the Vauxhall semi synthetic 10-40W in everything, (branded GM Saab now) the same oil for both petrol and diesel as I get it trade, and the Halfords classic 20-50W in the others. Both appear to do what they should.

I use this in most of my vehicles also... This and Carlube 10W/40 Semi as I can this put on a van and have it delivered same day if I have no VX stuff..

The VX stuffs on offer still 4 for 3;) Under £35+vat for 20litres

Someone told me the VX oil was infact FUCHS how true that is I dont know.

A._Badger

bigjl wrote: »

Sadly German and Swedish now only stock Comma Oil, not the Synta that they used to, or at least not in the store near me.

For some reason (probably unthinking prejudice picked up along the way) I used to look down my nose at Comma oil but I've been told by people who know far more about the subject than I do that it's actually quite good.

Similarly, I was brought up to believe in the miracle that was Castrol in all its many forms and, indeed, I used it faithfully, back in XL and Castrolite (summer and winter) days.

Then they let the marketing kiddies run the show, there was the court case with Mobil in the USA, the twaddle about Magnatec and now a confusion of products leading to (in my opinion) overpriced, marketing-led nonsense.

How to trash a once illustrious brand!