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[PMitchell]

I can only think of one possible benfit of using ester based fully synthetic oil - it has good detergent properties and flows well when cold, so if you are looking to do a slow engine flush in the winter, robert's your fathers' brother, otherwise use the GM10/40, and change it regularly (I do mine every 5K because I run on LPG so not much carbon contamination, and I use the car 95% on motorways so it's not under stress), it's cheaper than milk, or the 5/30 longlife.  If you don't have a trade club card, you can always either a) get one, or b) use neo brothers, I think they sell the 10/40 for 12 quid / 5L and the 5/30 for 19 quid.  They are a saab agent - GM in other words.

Oil is cheap, way cheaper than a broken engine, change the oil and filter regularly and use what the engine maker recommends for use in it, they probably know best. It'll last you forvever.

I've just had much work done on mine (due to age mostly) it needed, lambda sensors, plugs, cam box gaskets (no, the breather wasn't blocked, they just got old and went hard) and unfortunately both coil packs as they got mullered by the oil that they got cooked in for the last 2k miles.   Anyway the point is that when the cam covers came off I was curious to see what the cams, tappets, etc all looked like and the good news for me is that they look absolutely fine and with no significant wear, still have honing marks on.  The metal surfaces everywhere were also clean, not gooey or clogged with any goo or blackness.

I also did a compression test (and cam splash feed test just to see if everything was OK - bit messy!) and all cylinders are within 2PSi across the 6, so no real problems anywhere.  How many miles - 135,000 so far and it runs like new.  The 5K oil and flter changes clearly haven't hurt it.

Also now I have new O2 sensors and plugs, and coils, it does about 3 MPG more at 33MPG average, and over the weeks mileage - around 700 I manage an average speed of about 60 miles per hour, so it's not idling either!
ACEA A3 is a decent spec and if it gets B4 it's about the same as the GM long life spec anyway.

Cheers

Paul

[Cliffo B]

I've just gobbled all my stock of crispy popcorn

[Cliffo B]

Sorry just could'nt resist

[Cliffo B]

seriously Mobil 1 over the years has proved itself to me when treatment is started on low mlge engines and as of yet I've got to see my 1st mayo or get blocked breathers

[Kevin Wood]

I've just gobbled all my stock of crispy popcorn

Now.. What type of oil did you pop it in? Vegetable? rapeseed? Nut? Lard?

[Cliffo B]

Olive Oil of course Kevin 

[Kevin Wood]

Olive Oil of course Kevin 

Oooh! Surprised at that. Doesn't handle high temperatures well...

[Pitchfork]

Why, before the advent of synthetic & semi-synth were high performance engines run on Castor oil (Castrol R)?

[Kevin Wood]

Why, before the advent of synthetic & semi-synth were high performance engines run on Castor oil (Castrol R)?

I think it was because it is relatively stable at high temperatures and good under extreme pressures. It doesn't last well, though, and is prone to forming deposits in engines so it's no good for road use.

Oh, and then there's the smell.

Kevin

[aaronjb]

Changed the oil on my car and a friends 2.2DTi yesterday - 8k since mine was done and it was a bit dark, but not too bad.. apparently two years (and I don't know how many miles) since Mark changed his:



If you slopped it up the side of the bucket .. it just stayed there and stained it black! It looks more like the evil entity that swallowed Tasha Yar (for any Star Trek fans out there) than oil. Not that Mark cares - that's twice in 4 years & 60k he's changed the oil and the car gets run on all sorts of things (veg oil mix, old engine oil, etc) and amazingly all he's had to change is a set of rear pads and the exhaust. I wish I had his luck, I really do..

I don't think even fully synth could save him, though