Oil & Filter Change...

avantra

We have an Almera 1.4 and I do the oil change myself. I use in the last 3 years Tesco 10w-40 semi-synth (£7 for 5 litre) and a filter from motaquip (£2.1).

If you do this every 6k miles the chain cam engine in this car stay happy and clean.

Stephen_Leak

northern_munky wrote: »

15W40 may be OK for you, but I think it's a bit too 'thick' and would go for the 10W40, you didn't say what model car you had. If it's a Ford with a Zetec engine then 15W40 is definitely NOT OK, you need to choose wisely

For the old "Silvertop" Zetec engine, Ford's Technical Service Bulletin No. 83/1994 (Dated 30.09.1994) recommends 10W30. Some National branches appear to use 10W40: I say appear, as (following a telephone conversation with the area customer service manager) they may be using 10W30 but booking it out on the receipts as 10W40.

In any event, as I get mine changed every 5000 miles (approx. 6 months), I reckon clean 10W40 is better then dirty 10W30!

dellfanatic

avantra wrote: »

We have an Almera 1.4 and I do the oil change myself. I use in the last 3 years Tesco 10w-40 semi-synth (£7 for 5 litre) and a filter from motaquip (£2.1).

If you do this every 6k miles the chain cam engine in this car stay happy and clean.

Ahhh brilliant a fellow almera owner I don't know whether you experience this but when I start the car from cold, I get a clicking as if it's a diesel. The sound then disappears within half a second or so. It's happened 2-3 yrs now.

dellfanatic

What Castrol Magnatec? I saw an advert on tv some time back - does it really help protect the engine "from the very start" of a journey even when cold?

Stephen_Leak

Castrol Magnatec's marketing is brilliant - it isn't actually magnetic! Therefore, the only way it could cling to the parts of a non-moving engine would be by being a thick as a whale omlette!

cajef

dellfanatic wrote: »

What Castrol Magnatec? I saw an advert on tv some time back - does it really help protect the engine "from the very start" of a journey even when cold?

Erm! thats what all oils are designed to do, as previously stated just a clever marketing ploy to make you think it is something special.:rolleyes:

Fran

Changing the air filter is eazy peazy. Lift lid, unclip filter, stick new one in place, clip back, shut lid (bonnet!).

dellfanatic

Fran wrote: »

Changing the air filter is eazy peazy. Lift lid, unclip filter, stick new one in place, clip back, shut lid (bonnet!).

Thanks - I've done the air filter before myself, the oil filter is something else isn't it though? Not sure I should bother with a few £ saving just to become a grease monkey

Fran

dellfanatic wrote: »

Thanks - I've done the air filter before myself, the oil filter is something else isn't it though? Not sure I should bother with a few £ saving just to become a grease monkey

I was considering it once but agree it's not a job I'd want to do!

avantra

dellfanatic wrote: »

Ahhh brilliant a fellow almera owner I don't know whether you experience this but when I start the car from cold, I get a clicking as if it's a diesel. The sound then disappears within half a second or so. It's happened 2-3 yrs now.

Sound like a bit of chain rattle, but (A big BUT) 90's Almera's are starting to show their age now, if it ain't broken...

Keep changing the oil+filter every 6k , check the back brake pipes as these tend to rust in the Almera's (Big MOT failure).

Flush the radiator and change the coolant every 30k, change brake fluid every 40k.

If you stick to this rejime she will last for a very long time indeed. Our 96 Groove is just touching 299k and still on the original clutch and gearbox and the the 1.4 engine is good and powerfullas always.