Engine oil for 8 valve Astra 1.6 (petrol)

[HDi fun]

I'm trying to persuade my father to get his car filled with synthetic oil to cure a problem with emulsion under the filler cap. There's no coolant leaks - the engine has been pressure tested so I'm guessing it's due to cold starts, or more accurately, cold stops.

He seems to think that synthetic is needless when he only does 3000 miles each year, and rarely goes over 40mph. The 40mph bit is a blessing in disguise, his driving is shockingly clumsy and not at all systematic so we're all better off if he keeps it slow.

I think a synthetic oil would be far less hygroscopic than a mineral oil and would probably eradicate the problem. Also, he could probably reasonably leave it in the car for 8000-10000 miles without causing any problems.

Any thoughts, anyone?

 

[jarrus]

Argeed there mate,

My friend also has an 8v astra with a similar problem with "Mayo" under the oil cap.
His is a 1.6 8V 2003, He's kept it really tidy actually.
He uses the GM's own brand 10w-40 Semi-syn goop.

I would say to you father that something like a 5w-40 Fully synthetic would be more preferable for cold starts and short jornies as a thinner oil is more desireable. Fuchs Titan Pro S is good and is reasonably priced (It's the stuff I use.) and come in 5 ltr bottle so no need to buy a top up.
It's ester based so the best you can buy also.

 

[oilman]

I don't think changing to a synthetic oil will make much difference at all, what the car really needs is a good run at higher speeds than 40mph to get the condensation out of the system

 

[HDi fun]

I don't think changing to a synthetic oil will make much difference at all, what the car really needs is a good run at higher speeds than 40mph to get the condensation out of the system

That was my next gambit:-

But he does this in his way and seems to think that sticking it in fourth at 40mph for five or ten seconds will clear it out. He's had it since Jan 2003 and it's only got 58,000 on it.

But he's had the RAC out 3 times. EGR replaced twice; lambda probes every MoT and 2 cats. Yet according to him this is good value motoring and doesn't want to rev his car because he's being sympathetic with the engine. What he's actually doing is bathing it in acidic moist gases every time the engine is switched off.

I was thinking more along the lines of a good half hour to warm things up fully. Check levels etc. dump in a can of Forte Gas Treatment and then another 1/2 hour of pretty hard driving, using all the rev range.

 

[oilman]

Dont bother with any treatments, just a good run with a bit of spirit is all it needs.

Cheers

 

[HDi fun]

Thanks - the problem I have is convincing him that even though it's a lousy car (in my opinion) it will still stand up to being driven in excess of 2000rpm

 

[oilman]

You could tell him you will blow the cobwebs out for him!

 

[HDi fun]

You could tell him you will blow the cobwebs out for him!

There's no way he'll let me drive such precision machinery as that !!!! I'm far too young and irresponsible.

Blimey - I'm only 41 years of age and I have only covered about 700,000 miles in the last 1/4 of a century.

See where I'm struggling

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

wait untill he's asleep or slip him some sedatives, or, take him out in your car first and show what spirited driving really means

It sounds like the only way to sort the car and help him at the same time, my dad is just as stuborn

 

[HDi fun]

wait untill he's asleep or slip him some sedatives, or, take him out in your car first and show what spirited driving really means

It sounds like the only way to sort the car and help him at the same time, my dad is just as stuborn

I'm not driving 35 miles over to their house just to sort out their car. I think I'll just let 'em get on with it.

The problem is that as far as he's concerned it's working perfectly and nearly £1500 in maintenance in the last ten months (2500 ish miles only) is good value. That doesn't include tyres, incidentally.

I could run a vintage Jaguar for less !!

 

[oilman]

Holy crap £1500!! What maintanence has he had done to it?:blink:

 

[obi_waynne]

I knew a guy with a Peugeot TD but he never ever drove it with the turbo! It went in for an MOT test and when the mechanic revved it up they had to evacuate the whole garage because of the sooty smoke it caused!

I think you hit a certain age then this reluctance to understand mechanical things kicks in SO BEWARE HDI et al.

 

[HDi fun]

The bloke is a retired electrical engineering consultant.

He worked as a freelance consultant and used to manage whole teams of designers whose jobs were to design electrical systems for offshore oil extraction platforms. He also worked on Wylfa Nuke (Angelsey); on the Dinorwic Hydro power dam and on the Bacton Gas Terminal. Hardly lightweight minimum wage stuff stuff. I also don't understand someone buying a basic Astra when they can afford something substantially better without comrpomising anything else.

I just don't know what's happened to his IQ the last few years.