Car engine oil, expensive (castrol) vs cheaper brand? Just paying for the name ?

Danny_G

If doing a car engine oil change, every 6 months,

does it matter too much whether the oil you use is expensive castrol 5w 40 or a cheaper brand of 5w40?

or not really, and you are just paying for the brand/name?

(both would be purchased from a car part shop)
and both would be Semi Synthetic

This is for an oil change to be done every 6 months,

for car - Seat Leon 2008 model, Petrol.
Car Milage is 70,000, doing 10k Millage a year.




Will the cheaper 'less known' brand one used everytime cause any long term damage/wear and tear to the part

Edits in Bold above

canadabob

Hello Danny,

All motor oils have to meet a fairly high standard, so it doesn't make sense to buy by Brand name, except that if there's one brand that I wouldn't touch (with a barge pole) it would be Castrol, as a retired Tribologist / Lubrication Engineer I could go on all night about the grade of the base oils that Castrol have used over the years.

Are you using regular oil, semi synthetic or synthetic oil ? other than that 5w 40 seems to be a bit on the heavy side, does the engine have a lot of miles on it ?

motorguy

Unless its a high performance petrol variant of a Leon, i'd be sticking in a standard brand oil.

The differences are like the differences in fuel - the base product may have come out of the same hole in the ground, but you're paying for the additives, etc that are added, much moreso with part synthetic / synthetic oils.

Danny_G

canadabob wrote: »

Hello Danny,

All motor oils have to meet a fairly high standard, so it doesn't make sense to buy by Brand name, except that if there's one brand that I wouldn't touch (with a barge pole) it would be Castrol, as a retired Tribologist / Lubrication Engineer I could go on all night about the grade of the base oils that Castrol have used over the years.

Are you using regular oil, semi synthetic or synthetic oil ? other than that 5w 40 seems to be a bit on the heavy side, does the engine have a lot of miles on it ?

Edited above:

but here are your answers,

both oils, cheaper VS big brand would be Semi Synthetic.


Car Millage is 70,000, doing 10k Millage a year.



You wouldn't touch Castrol? didn't know it was that bad, shocking. Thanks though

sevenhills

Danny_G wrote: »

for car - Seat Leon 2008 model, Petrol.
Car Milage is 70,000, doing 10k Millage a year.

Castrol recommends for your Seat Le!n, 1P (2005-2013)

EDGE 0W-30

I would personally opt for a cheap oil.

debtdebt

On a big standard car like that, I wouldn’t even bother with two oil changes a year. I’m sure an annual oil change would suffice.

System

Why would you change the oil every 6 months? It's not 1970 any more so unless the manufacturer says it has to be changed at that point there's no reason to.

AdrianC

There are plenty of reputable brands that aren't "household names". I'd not be bothering with the various factor own-brands, but mainly because there's rarely any actual saving compared to known brands from a specialist retailer.

wgl2014

OP - Which engine do you have?

Personally I would go for a fully synthetic oil and annual oil changes. The oil is a little more expensive but should last longer between changes. Sign up to a couple of online suppliers mailing lists and buy when on offer, Halfords also have some good offers.

Don't get too hung up on brand, as long as it meets the correct specification it will be fine.

The only proviso for the above is that you don't have a turbocharged or tuned engine, then a 6 month oil change could be a good idea.

sevenhills

Tarambor wrote: »

Why would you change the oil every 6 months? It's not 1970 any more so unless the manufacturer says it has to be changed at that point there's no reason to.

I think it can only be a good thing to change the oil more often. Its thinner oil these days, but its changed for the same reason.

fred990

Find your local VAG TPS and ask them. Often discounted from the parts club prices so pretty cheap gets cheaper! Quantum oil, it's what the main dealer would use.