Just wondering are all brands of engine oil the same ( for a car)?
also, whats the difference between stop and start engine oil and normal engine oil?
also, does engine oil expire?
cheers
Are All Brands of Engine Oil The Same?
ATTS on 26/12/2015 - 12:00
Last edited 27/12/2015 - 12:24
Last edited 27/12/2015 - 12:24
Comments
A wise man I knew in the lubrication industry was fond of saying, "The three most important criteria in lubricant selection are viscosity, viscosity, and viscosity." After that, additives will have a small effect and marketing claims even less so.
Here's an intro from Shell … yes, I know they sell oils.
Can anyone point me to a car that has blown up from regular oil changes with cheap oil?
My point being that for average Joe who is not a race driver, any cheap oil that is on special and meets spec will be fine as long as it is changed regularly.
My point being that for average Joe who is not a race driver, any cheap oil that is on special and meets spec will be fine as long as it is changed regularly.
but….but…..if I use competition grade oil in my sh!tbox, that is gonna make it full sik bro!
Wallah bro! I put that stuff in my Toyota Starlet…wallah it flew like a rocket!
Which cheap oils are you referring to? Castrol 5W-30 is on special at SCA sometimes for $38 I think. I usually stock up on as many as I can.
No and viscosity.
Correct viscosity > frequency of oil change > mineral/semisynth/synthetic type.
The answer to this and almost any other question about motor oils and fluids can be found at
bobistheoilguy.com
Probably one of the best online resources for automotive lubricants and advice about how they work and the best types to use for given applications.
Looks like you might be into riding bikes…
If so You Must use a NON friction modified oil or you will damage the wet clutch friction linings by using normal car oil as it may contain any number of friction modifiers from MOS2 to PTFE and anything else in between.
The additives in oils can be expensive so They vary in quality and quantity and composition from one brand of oil to another.
Diesel oils for example caltex delo 400 usually contain no friction modifiers so Can be used in water cooled bikes with no issues.
Also there are different categories of base oil stocks used in each brand and type of oil product.
For example cheap oils will use all mineral base stocks mid price oils blend in some synthetic base stock with the mineral oil to give the oil better lubrication qualities under extreme conditions such as high heat or rpm.
Ask a dozen people about oils and your likely to get almost that many opinions on which oil is best.
I've built and rebuilt a lot of engines including diesel and two strokes as well as stationary engines and can vouch that the type of oil used and how long between changes makes a huge difference to wear and engine killing sludge build up internally.
Horses for courses.
You usually get what you pay for.
If you have a specific application in mind I might be able to offer a suggestion.
Stop and start oils usually have very low viscosity so They flow fast around the engine plus higher amounts of moly and or zinc to help provide extra wear point plating in critical areas of the engine, conrod bearings as well as camshaft lobes and followers etc.
Oils most definitely are not oils. They are chemical soups. With wide and varied ingredients and resulting performance levels for each application.
Engine oil doesn't go off or expire but Personally I wouldn't use anything that's older than 3 or 4 years old as the additives may degrade with time and oil does oxidise when exposed to air so It turns into sludge inside the engine faster.
"You usually get what you pay for."
Price paid has nothing to do with quality.
I recently bought 30 litres of Valvoline engine armour for my bike for about $2.50/litre.
Is it any less quality than the same oil purchased for its usual price of $8.40/litre?Bargains can be had/ bought/found for oils as with most things.
Using the rrp as a guide is what I was referring to in this instance.
sorry, i should of been more clean in my post, I was asking about car engine oil ..
Valvoline Engine Armour is car oil
It is also bike oil, it just doesn't have a picture of a bike on the bottle…………or the excessive price tag to go with it.
You usually get what you pay for
As most OzBargainers know, this seldom happens…
In my cheap run around cars I use whatever is cheapest, generally it is Gulf Western for $9.99, but I occasionally use name brand oil when on special ie:$14.99. In one of the cars I have done 100,000kms in it, it has done a total of 185,000kms, I flog the shit out of it everytime I drive it and it's is still going strong, doesn't use oil etc, thats even after being driven for 1 week with virtually no oil in it and knocking sound for 300kms. I always change the oil and filter after 7,500kms.
In my good cars (modified performance) I use Mobil Delvac Diesel Oil and change oil and filter every 5,000kms as it has more detergents in it.
For me, frequency of oil and filter change is the most important, for non track cars anyway.
http://aws.lasoomedia1.com.au/imageicon/sca/prod/j00570045/c…
$9.99 Lol… thats too much… time to stock up.
Opinions? OK, so full disclosure: Penrite is my preference from a quality point of view. They have a high Zinc range that are great for engines >10000km; (I only have older cars).
Most important thing is to change the oil and filter enough. Most cars' schedules call for it every 10,000 and that's just fine but beware that some manufacturers that make fridges and other things face challenges writing manuals about machines, so if they are an appliance maker try to improve their approach.
Many manufacturers are now moving to longer-life oils to reduce service intervals. This is mostly false economy in an old car so long as you can have the oil changed very cheaply (eg DIY unless you find servicing deals that are actually cheap rather than hiding ways to spend more).
I notice the viscosity on a lot of cheap oils drop off after 3000km use, I'm not sure if they are breaking in or breaking down at that point but it doesn't happen with oils that use high quality esthers, so I move away from the multinational oil companies ranges to find something that is formulated with more care. I'm not sure how close one can get to oils refined straight from the pipe but I don't think it is very far. And an Ad Agency-guy's idea of the same thing sold at a high-price (in their most exciting wet dream of packaging-p0rn).
If you want to save; find the right oil and buy it in bulk on sale. A stack of good quality cheap filters (originals are always good if not the best) to go with it (buy online in bulk) and change it DIY every 3-6 months. A 20L can will last you well over a year. (Tip: Sometimes you need o-rings or copper crush washers to stop the underside of your car getting greasy from seeping sump plugs).
BTW, finding the right oil means starting with the manufacturer's recommended viscosity. Don't try changing that for summer or winter because most engines maintain a fairly constant temperature unless you are living in freezing conditions for extended periods.
In order of what matters:
- Doing a regular oil change.
- Using the right oil viscosity for your engine.
- Regularly changing the oil filter when you change the oil.
- Engine oil brand.
Do # 1 first, worry about brand last.
These are generalisations but yes there is difference between oil brands but its not justified by the price. The law of diminishing returns applies. ie. a $60 brand vs $30 brand does not mean that the $60 brand will provide +100% power increase or double the kilometers between oil changes.
In the old days the brand of oil mattered more than today. Engines have evolved to be much more tolerant of average performing oils. The oil channels in modern engines are WAY better. Due to environmental and fuel economy regulations all manufacturers continually spend big dollars on engine research and development. This results in lower friction internals combined with less oil required. Newer engines have less design flaws involving sludge in the oil channels or cavitation.
As long as your car is unmodified and the oil changes are done as specified in the log book I believe all the popular brands are more than good enough for daily commuting.
Oil doesn't really expire as long as the bottle has not been opened. Over 3/4 of the oil is made up of base oil which never expires. The remaining 1/4 or less is made of additives. Am guessing most of the chemical additives should not be very reactive compared to injector cleaner/octane booster. eg. rust inhibitors.
Don't have to throw away over expired oil as you can still use it as a cheap pre-flush when you need to flush out super crappy dirty oil.
Below is an introductory video on YouTube describing some basic oil terminology (eg. viscoscity, base oil, additives):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se8-W7rK0H4Below is a comparison video of a full synthetic Castrol Magnatec vs Nulon on a HSV R8 producing +2% power increase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CmSo_4kmOY
Everyone will have their own opinion. At the end of the day if you get the right viscosity for your vehicle any brand will be fine. Synthetic oil is more expensive but will have a greater service interval.