Finding Correct Engine Oil

[Dishan Francis]

guys, i have new fit aria 2008 i'm going to do my first service in next week. i'm going to do it with stafford, i'm in trouble to find good engine oil for it. one of friend said castrol magnatec or gtx is good but im confused with this synthetic level, 5w-20, 10w-40 etc. i even ask from stafford they said any will go with it but im dought that, can you experts help me on this ?

[g-unit]

Use Toyota motor oil 10W-30. Best suited for engines done under 100,000 k.m. Change your oil and filter every 5000 k.m.

[civicferio]

  On 10/28/2011 at 1:36 PM, Dishan Francis said:

guys, i have new fit aria 2008 i'm going to do my first service in next week. i'm going to do it with stafford, i'm in trouble to find good engine oil for it. one of friend said castrol magnatec or gtx is good but im confused with this synthetic level, 5w-20, 10w-40 etc. i even ask from stafford they said any will go with it but im dought that, can you experts help me on this ?

If you are going to do the service with Stafford they know the correct engine oil for it. it is not a big deal. why are you worry lot about that ?

As I know 5W-20 is the recommended oil for better fuel efficiency. You can also use 10W-40. then efficiency is bit less ( negligible).

have you got owners manual?

Edited October 29, 2011 by civicferio

[nexus]

  On 10/29/2011 at 4:38 AM, g-unit said:

Use Toyota motor oil 10W-30. Best suited for engines done under 100,000 k.m. Change your oil and filter every 5000 k.m.

i'm confused here he is going to stafford to service his car and you telling him to use toyota motor oil in a honda?.

[tiv]

Speaking of oils; any idea about the best oil for a Hilux? D4D(2KD), oil change almost there..

Thinking about either Toyota motor oil or Mobil MX... Experts?

Edited October 29, 2011 by tiv

[g-unit]

  On 10/29/2011 at 10:02 AM, nexus said:

i'm confused here he is going to stafford to service his car and you telling him to use toyota motor oil in a honda?.

It's just another brand of oil dude. No big deal. There's no law written or un written saying that you can't use it in any other motor other than Toyotas. In fact it's probably the only 10W-30 oil available freely. Hence Stafford or any other agent should not have a problem with it.

[NRX]

Going to service the car for the first time, what is the correct engine oil for a FB13 (GA14DS engine) ?

[Batteries]

  On 10/31/2011 at 11:02 AM, NRX said:

Going to service the car for the first time, what is the correct engine oil for a FB13 (GA14DS engine) ?

If it’s over 100,000 k.m use 10W-40.

[NRX]

  On 10/31/2011 at 11:48 AM, Batteries said:

If it’s over 100,000 k.m use 10W-40.

Yep, it's over 100K, what about 5W-40 ? *scratches head*

[g-unit]

  On 11/1/2011 at 10:38 AM, NRX said:

Yep, it's over 100K, what about 5W-40 ? *scratches head*

If i'm not mistaken you get 5W-40 or 50 only in fully synthetic guise. It's also better for cold weather running. Isn't that a bit too much for a fb13? My suggestion would be 15W-40. It's the most common viscosity band available here.

[fonfe]

i only ever use castrol oil in my cars and on cars i work on but i havent seen it sold anywhere in lanka?

using the correct grade of oil is VERY important, some engines will even missfire from cold if the incorrect grade is used and always buy the best quality oil you can afford, after all its the only thing stopping your engine from grinding itself apart from the inside out.

use this catrol link if you are ever in doubt of what the correct grade is

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/iframe.do?categoryId=9024084&contentId=7044829

[The Don]

Chaps, what matters most is that the engine oil is good quality oil and is of the rating specified for your car/engine. If in doubt refer to the user manual or search online with the engine number or car model.

But some common sense guidance

1. Do not spend extra money on synthetic engine oil for cars which are rarely used. Just use good mineral or semi synthetic oil and change oil at least once a year.

2. If you use the car regularly do an oil change every 5-10000km as it varies a bit depending on the quality of the oil.

3. Ignore the W figure of the rating (5W or 10W or 15W) the W stands for winter and is irrelevant in the SL context.

4. Good quality mineral oil like Lanka super is perfectly adequate for most cars as long as its the correct viscosity.

5. Most cars after 1990s recommend 5W-30, 10W-30 or 15W-30 though in the SL context using 10W-40 seems to be acceptable though it could reduce your fuel economy a bit (the second rating denotes thickness of the oil). I've not seen any modern cars recommend the 10W-50 variety of oil.

6. Castrol, Shell, BP etc etc are all good oils, even the Ceypetco and Indian varieties (I am a little weary of the Caltex fully synthetic due to some issues reported, you can find out by searching on the forum). What is more important is that you get the correct grading and change it regularly depending on usage !

6. If in doubt consult the manual !!!!

[Nadeera Wijesinghe]

Hi Guys,Need help. I recently bought a used 2007 (Brandnew) Suzuki Swift Beetle (Japanese) 1.5Ltr automatic transmission car. The previous owners have only done the 3 warranty services from A*W (Service record says GTX -L oil used). The 10,000km/12 months service done at 6900km before 5 months. Now the mileage is 7600km.

1. The owner's manual backcover says SAW 0W-20 engine oil. The graph inside book shows 10W-30, 10W-40, 15W-40 & 20W-40 are suitable for the temperature range in Sri Lanka. Since I am staying in a remote area not planning to go to agent to do service. What are the engine oil brands in Sri Lanka suitable for this?

2. Also since 1.3ltr engine is common for this model, I am in doubt to find the correct oil filter for this 1.5Ltr engine?

3. The owner's manual says replace engine oil & filter every 7500km under severe driving conditions (15000km under general conditions). In Sri Lanka I think severe conditions apply. So what are your recommendation on this?

Can some expert help me on this? Thanks in advance.

[Mani]

You should follow the severe service schedule in SL.  As for oil, 10w40 to 15w40. If you're in a hot hilly area you can go with 20 weight. FYI. Lower the number thinner the oil. If my memory serve me right, the first number is when the oil is at operating temperature and the second is when it's 'cold'

Factory will often recommend the thinnest oil they can get away with since they are trying to hit an emissions target.

[kush]

Your manual will define severe driving and is usually:

Very cold/ hot climate

Very short stop/ start journeys (sales people etc.)

Very high speed driving

In my opinion none of them apply, according to my knowledge your car needs oil change every 15k or (12 months) stick to it and save the money and the environment. Service stations, oil suppliers recommend frequent changes as they make money selling oil.

Stick to the manufactures recommendation.

Since the engine is new use 5-30, 10-30, 15-30 grade which is what A*W recommend, Caltex, Mobil and Toyota have them.

[CARBON B4]

Don

5. Most cars after 1990s recommend 5W-30, 10W-30 or 15W-30 though in the SL context using 10W-40 seems to be acceptable though it could reduce your fuel economy a bit (the second rating denotes thickness of the oil). I've not seen any modern cars recommend the 10W-50 variety of oil.

Mani

You should follow the severe service schedule in SL. As for oil, 10w40 to 15w40. If you're in a hot hilly area you can go with 20 weight. FYI. Lower the number thinner the oil. If my memory serve me right, the first number is when the oil is at operating temperature and the second is when it's 'cold'

Guys, there is some contradiction and confusion here on the actual meaning of 5W-40, From what I understand both the numbers 5 and 40 denotes the viscosity range. Since the oil thickens when cold and thinner when hot, the 5W shows winter, so the entire first number and the W can be ignored for Sri Lanka and what is relevant is the last digit. And smaller the last digit lower the viscosity or in other words thinner the oil. Thinner oil= less friction = better performance = better fuel economy.

This is whats on Wiki, but its not very clear on how to interpret the range.

Grades

Range of motor oils on display in Kuwait

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has established a numerical code system for grading motor oils according to their viscosity characteristics. SAE viscosity gradings include the following, from low to high viscosity: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 or 60. The numbers 0, 5, 10, 15 and 25 are suffixed with the letter W, designating their "winter" (not "weight") or cold-start viscosity, at lower temperature. The number 20 comes with or without a W, depending on whether it is being used to denote a cold or hot viscosity grade.

[Nadeera Wijesinghe]

Can some expert tell me how to find the correct engine oil filter for this car? Since most of the cars of this model comes with 1.3Ltr engine, I'm in doubt whether they will put the same filter for my 1.5Ltr engine......

Catalogue does not have any part number for the oil filter

[CARBON B4]

My guess is the filter maybe the same for both 1.3 and 1.5 , best is to just call up the agents or go to Pitstop when you are in Colombo and buy one.

Also if every you change the type of oil its always best to change the filter as well.

[Nadeera Wijesinghe]

Thanks All... I called pitstop... its same engine oil filter for 1.3 & 1.5

Thanks a lot.......

[Nilantha]

i do repair my diesel engine. cost was 140,000/- re-boring did by Edirisinhhe Brothers Autocort peliyagoda. juse after repair BAS told me to use DS40. so i used first time DS40 and changed after 500km next after 1500km next after 3000km after that i use toyota engine oil but oil was burning. after 4000km i changed to Mobil Delvc 15w-40w it was also get me oil burning. now i again change it to DS40 now not oil burning. i can't understand why this happen. but when i using Mobil Delvc engine run just like petrol engine. very smooth and low noise and low vibration. but oil burning like old engine. so now using DS40

[The Don]

  On 11/18/2011 at 1:39 PM, Nilantha said:

i do repair my diesel engine. cost was 140,000/- re-boring did by Edirisinhhe Brothers Autocort peliyagoda. juse after repair BAS told me to use DS40. so i used first time DS40 and changed after 500km next after 1500km next after 3000km after that i use toyota engine oil but oil was burning. after 4000km i changed to Mobil Delvc 15w-40w it was also get me oil burning. now i again change it to DS40 now not oil burning. i can't understand why this happen. but when i using Mobil Delvc engine run just like petrol engine. very smooth and low noise and low vibration. but oil burning like old engine. so now using DS40

Nilantha, did you verify if it was burning oil or oil was disappearing due to another issue. Both oils are the same viscosity at running temperature so I'm not sure what's going on!

[Amila G]

Here's my 2 cents,

Always use multigrade oils (like 10w 30, 15w 40 etc) reason:

Oil is thick when cold and thin when hot. When you start the engine it s cold (~25 - 30 C here) and the oil is thick. So it s hard for the oil to go through the engine and lubricate properly. So we need a thinner oil when starting up. When the engine heats up oil gets thinner. So if we use a very thin oil it's better for start up but will be like water when the engine is at the operating temperature(~100 C). A thicker oil (like 40 grade) is good when the engine is hot but increase the engine wear during startup.

This is where multigrade oils come in. They are thin enough when cold to lubricate during cold starts and thick enough at the operating temperature to properly lubricate.

For what I've read, even the 0w-XX oils are not thin enough for start up in the morning so lower the W number it's better. Also 90% of the engine wear occurs in the time that takes the engine oil to reach the operating temp. That's why they tell you to not to rev the engine immediately after starting.

If you use a better oil it'll hold up it's viscosity better in hard conditions without breaking down will clean up the engine properly.

Always Use a high quality multigrade oil and change regularly and it s the best thing that you can do to ensure the longevity of the engine. Synthetics are even better if you can afford

Another thing not all 40 oils have the same thickness. The 40/30 actually defines a thickness range. So it is possible for a one 40 grade oil to be thinner/thicker than another. (Get the oil spec from the manufact's site if you need).

I currently run toyota 10w 30 on my 96 corolla CE110 (diesel). It's a good oil and gives good acceleration and fuel economy. Last time I checked over 500km of driving , the car had done 15.75 km per litre. (mixed driving city & out).

But it consumes a bit of oil. (has got 190,000+ on the odo). So I'm thinking on moving to mobil delvac 15w 40 with the next filter change. I guess 30 is too thin as the engine is a bit worn out.

I change oil every 5000km and filter every 10000km.

So the summary : Always use a good multigrade (synthitic if possible) oil and change regularly.

[kalana]

i have serviced my suzuki swift 1.3l(2008) from the agents before 5 days and they recommended the castrol 10W 30 oil for the engine. but the last time i serviced from some other place they used 20W 50. obviously 20W 50 is way thicker than 10W 30 so i am wondering if it has done any damage to the engine. any ideas guys ?

[kush]

  On 11/18/2011 at 8:05 PM, kalana said:

i have serviced my suzuki swift 1.3l(2008) from the agents before 5 days and they recommended the castrol 10W 30 oil for the engine. but the last time i serviced from some other place they used 20W 50.  obviously 20W 50 is way thicker than 10W 30 so i am wondering if it has done any damage to the engine. any ideas guys ?

Is your car Indian, 2008 Jap need 0-30,5-30,10-30 oil, check your manual

[Sylvi]

  On 11/18/2011 at 6:14 PM, Amila G said:

Here's my 2 cents,

Always use multigrade oils (like 10w 30, 15w 40 etc) reason:

Oil is thick when cold and thin when hot. When you start the engine it s cold (~25 - 30 C here) and the oil is thick. So it s hard for the oil to go through the engine and lubricate properly. So we need a thinner oil when starting up. When the engine heats up oil gets thinner. So if we use a very thin oil it's better for start up but will be like water when the engine is at the operating temperature(~100 C). A thicker oil (like 40 grade) is good when the engine is hot but increase the engine wear during startup.

This is where multigrade oils come in. They are thin enough when cold to lubricate during cold starts and thick enough at the operating temperature to properly lubricate.

For what I've read, even the 0w-XX oils are not thin enough for start up in the morning so lower the W number it's better. Also 90% of the engine wear occurs in the time that takes the engine oil to reach the operating temp. That's why they tell you to not to rev the engine immediately after starting.

If you use a better oil it'll hold up it's viscosity better in hard conditions without breaking down will clean up the engine properly.

Always Use a high quality multigrade oil and change regularly and it s the best thing that you can do to ensure the longevity of the engine. Synthetics are even better if you can afford

Another thing not all 40 oils have the same thickness. The 40/30 actually defines a thickness range. So it is possible for a one 40 grade oil to be thinner/thicker than another. (Get the oil spec from the manufact's site if you need).

I currently run toyota 10w 30 on my 96 corolla CE110 (diesel). It's a good oil and gives good acceleration and fuel economy. Last time I checked over 500km of driving , the car had done 15.75 km per litre. (mixed driving city & out).

But it consumes a bit of oil. (has got 190,000+ on the odo). So I'm thinking on moving to mobil delvac 15w 40 with the next filter change. I guess 30 is too thin as the engine is a bit worn out.

I change oil every 5000km and filter every 10000km.

So the summary : Always use a good multigrade (synthitic if possible) oil and change regularly.

'Amila G',

Very good post by you have lot of educational value for mew motorists.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.