Hi,
I noticed Repco's latest catalogue has a decent price on the 20L container of Castrol RX Super 15w40 Diesel Oil. ($99 per 20L)
I read up on the Product data sheet from Castrol's webpage and it claims it is safe for petrol engines.
I understand Diesel oils have a higher detergent level, can this damage any components in a petrol engine?
Has anyone used Diesel oil in a petrol engine before? Was there any long term damage or immediate problems?
Thanks!
This is not a Ozbargainer way to save.
Would you put food for cat to dog?
What are you trying to do? I assume not use it as fuel, that wouldn't work very well, I assume as lube oil to clean an old engine which some search hits suggest, but not for use on a long-term basis.
Not for use as fuel, just to put into an older petrol engine that's been sitting in the driveway for a while. Has some lifter ticking which might be caused due to the oil passages being partly blocked. I could try engine flush, but I feel it may be too harsh on the older components and cause more problems.
Well you understand this is at your own risk, maybe you could ask in a car forum. Whatever you do, keep your phone handy in case there is smoke worth posting a video of. :)
What car is this, how many KMs, is it a daily driver, what sort of trips do you do and where/when did it last get a service?
1989 VN Commodore Calais. 3.8L v6. Have had it in the family since new. Was my first P plater car but got rear ended late last year so it's just been sitting there. Start it up every 1-2 weeks so it doesn't seize up on me. Has done 220xxx. Was run on 98 octane whilst I was driving it. Service is due in 5k km. (last service 5k km ago) Was driven almost 2hrs every day to and from work on weekdays. Not much on weekends. Still runs fine, just has a lifter tick.. not sure if I want to sell it (Not worth much anyway).. has lots of sentimental value.
Ok first of all, if you're starting it up every now and again I would make sure the battery is topped up - they take a big current hit each time you crank. If you don't drive it, you won't be giving the battery a chance to charge.
Don't spend too much money on the VN, parts are cheap and widely available but they do not age well. The only additive which I have found to work well in the older motors/diffs to dampen ticking or whining, is the really tacky Morey's Oil Stabilizer. This is a bit of a trade secret, don't tell too many people about this!! ;)
Use 1L less engine oil at your next oil change and empty a bottle of Morey's in and see if it helps.
I regularly check the battery with a multimeter and put it on the charger if it requires. It's down to 12.6v so i'll probably take it out and give it a charge tonight.
Surprisingly this one has aged quite well. Paint is in fantastic condition and all panels (except for the boot) are in really good condition. Has lots of paw prints all over it though, the cats like to jump on it and use it as a platform to get closer to the tree where a couple possums call home.
Thanks, Will give it a go. Probably best not to use diesel oil :)
Can you phone Castrol's customer service number to ask?
most oil supplier web sites have 'selection guides' whereby you put in you select your vehicle from a series of drop downs and they provide recommended oils (sometimes they give multiple options). have you tried that?
Yes, I know what oil this particular engine takes but I'm wanting to give it a good clean out as it's fairly old and Diesel oil has far stronger detergents that can clear out carbon deposits. I'm just not sure if this will also damage the engine if used short-term.
OzBargainer's catch the bus in off peak or get a lift from their parents.
From Castrol website-
'As with all API CI-4 and CI-4 Plus qualified engine oils, the phosphorous content does not
comply with Australian Motor Industry agreed limits for catalytic converter equipped petrol engines. The higher phosphorous content may reduce efficiency and/or effective life of catalytic converters.'
I've used some Diesel oils in my bikes before and have used it in my older cars. Some of these oils are dual purpose and rated for use in petrol engines.
Some good reading here if you are interested. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm
if you want to clean your engine youre better off getting an engine cleaning fluid, put that in your current engine oil and idle for 30mins… you can take it for a drive just be gentle as your oil will be thinner so bearings wont be able to support full load.
As for running it long term, as long as the viscosity is the same, thats what determines how it works with given tolerances in plain bearings. If its an older engine you can use thicker oil (higher viscosity), ie go to a 50. It will also stop the engine smoking
If your car hasnt been serviced regularly and the lifters are stuck, then even a clean might not fix this. We had to soak my friend's engine lifters in acid to get them to free up. Service often using cheapest oil for max reliability. btw synthetic is only needed on high temp engines, ie turbo or high performance or for long service interval if youre slack. but then youre running dirty oil for longer.
The buick V6 isn't that sensitive to oils, But I would avoid putting in diesel oil for more than a short term flush. Might be worth while also pricing Repcos own brand oil.
@Forskin
The fully charged voltage of a car battery is 12.6v. This is also provided that the battery voltage is test more than 6 hours after the battery has been charged. Otherwise the residual voltage from the charge can give inaccurate results and make one think that the battery is better than it is.
Also, in case you don't know, your voltage while the car is running is the output from the alternator.
Too many variables, but happy to chat, or if you are close we can catch up. The knowledge is part of my trade, but going through similar currently being crippled from injuries. My current car battery is the original and over 6 years old. I know I will need to replace it and working cost/trade price. At the moment my battery charging is so I can start the car and keep all the fluids moving.
Hit me up if you want to discuss further. Don't forget that in winter, every 1 degree in temp results in a battery voltage drop.
RX Super meets the SL rating for petrol engines so should be fine. The only potential problem is the higher phosphorus content as mentioned above, which may coat the catalytic converter making it ineffective. However I believe the original oil specified when the car was made would have had an even higher phosphorus content.
A 27 year old car with the back end smashed in, lying idle for 8 or 9 months. Oh yeah, don't take any chances with this little gem.
I've flushed 2h petrol landcruiser engine with diesel fuel
Run for a couple of minutes and drain overnight
It's just a fine oil
I have also used diesel fuel to flush engines draining the used diesel fuel through a funnel with a mesh filter then re-flushing with the same diesel fuel multiple times. Sure does leave a lot of crap over the mesh filter in the funnel.
Considering how much an engine costs why on earth are you even thinking about it?