What do you think are the top oil brands?

[waynne]

What do you reckon that the top oil brands are? Do you think it matters much as long as you get the right viscosity?

[HDi fun]

I think that brands vary widely. It's the ability of the oil to stay in grade over it's service life. I currently use AMSOIL 5w/40 DEO, Millers XFD is also good.

[waynne]

Has anyone done an oil benchmark test? It would be a great nerdy thing to read! I think oil must rate as one of the most important parts of a car.

[pgarner]

i know amsoil have done a ballbearing wear test. which shows theyres is the best, but of course it would be.
theses more to it than viscosity. if you were to put miniral oil in most moderen engines it would wreak them petty quickly. yet the viscosity could well be right.

[HDi fun]

Mineral oils won't usually stand the thermal shock of a modern turbo installation and will cause it to fail prematurely.

[waynne]

I see people at Halfords buying oil. They just start reading the back of the bottle and then go along the row.

I don't think they even notice the SAE ratings, I imagine this is what they are thinking as they pick up the 0/20 "Ah performance oil that is good! But hey look at the price, this 30/40 sludge maker is cheaper, but I think I go with a brand I trust so Magnatec 20/40 it is."

Then you get oils rated as 0/30 formulated for Ford turbo engines and another 0/30 formulated for VAG turbo engines? Is there really this much difference that an oil of equal SAE needs a rating for a certain brand of engine?

[HDi fun]

Manufacturers use their own brands and standards - this is the really daft bit - in order to make it SIMPLER for the car owner!!!

VAG diesels with PD injection don't like full synthetics for some reason. I'm buggered if I know what it is.

You also need to consider API and ACEA specs very carefully. SAE alone is simply a measure of viscosity of the oil when it's new.

[StevieDB9]

I just changed my oil today. I always use castrol, partially because I was in their labs and partially because it passes VW testing! Used the Castrol Edge stuff (which isnt the cheapest by a long shot!) and used Castrol Magnatec for my dad's focus.

[HDi fun]

AMSOIL's not bloody cheap either. Fifty four quid for five litres. That said, it really does stand up to long service. Send off a sample to the lab after 20,000 miles and get a surprise. Just change filter in between and max out level on the stick.

[StevieDB9]

I was £44 for 4 litres. I like the sound of this AMSOIL stuff though, sending samples off to a lab floats ma boat. I take it you cant buy it in Halfrauds?

[HDi fun]

Nope, you can't. The only place I've ever bought it in the UK is from performance oils limited. Opie oils (cornwall) stocks it as well. Both do mail order.

I've been very happy with the stuff - my car has an oil temp guage as std. and the oil oil temperaures are 10-15 celcius lower than I was getting with Miller's synthetic stuff.

Previously it could hit 130-140 degrees, which is too high in my opinion.

The AMSOIL stuff stays in grade as well.

[pgarner]

ill second the amsoil. the highest if seen my oil was 115 degrees and that was with a bit of caning, put the foot down through a twisty road for around 10 mins. started when the oil was showing 90 degrees.

got it from performance oils as well. heres the link to the VW 503 rated.
ordered one day at around 2pm and it was here the next day. think demon tweeks sell some of the range but not all of it

[HDi fun]

If you're near Great Haseley, Oxon then you can collect from the warehouse and avoid the delivery charge. I picked up 5 litres a couple of weeks back and was given 2 for 1 because the containers had defective seals. Therefore they could not be legally delivered by post or courier.

[waynne]

Might get some of that myself - my service is due in the next 400 miles.