Best engine oil to use?

[Paul]

Tim,

Only issue I have with that oil choice is that on these 1.8 16v's after a few years I find that they start using oil.

Did one last week. Customer had changed oil and used Vauxhall's 5w40.

Engine would burn oil from a cold start for about 30 seconds.

I dropped the oil out again, moved to a 10w40 and used some Forte Oil seal treatment. Car has been fine ever since.

Intrested to hear you views.

Who makes the GM stuff Oilman, do you know?

Paul

[Tathan]

I appreciate what you're saying but it's an 1800 Astra. It's made by Mobil anyway iirc, or at least their dexos 2 ones are.

[oilman]

Hi Paul

Not sure who makes the GM oils at the moment.

All of those stop smoke/stop leak/oil stabiliser type products are all the same sort of thing - oil thickeners. They make the oil so thick that you don't lose any, but also so thick that it doesn't help the engine. One I had a look at a while back turned a 5w-30 oil into a 10w/15w-60, so adding one to a 10w-40 could be making it into something like a 20w-70. That really is no good for the engine.

Some engines do just use a drop of oil and there isn't a lot you can do about it while looking after the engine properly.

Cheers

Tim

[wkdkris]

FORTÉ products are good... I have no idea on the oil thickner, but always use Forte engine flush and occ a fuel additive....With a castrol edge full synth oil, never had any issue's.

Paul you know your stuff, i wont tell my granny how to suck eggs.... but if its only eating a small amount id leave it to it, Once got told if a product was supposed to be in there, the oil company would have added it.

[Paul]

Hi Paul

Not sure who makes the GM oils at the moment.

All of those stop smoke/stop leak/oil stabiliser type products are all the same sort of thing - oil thickeners. They make the oil so thick that you don't lose any, but also so thick that it doesn't help the engine. One I had a look at a while back turned a 5w-30 oil into a 10w/15w-60, so adding one to a 10w-40 could be making it into something like a 20w-70. That really is no good for the engine.

Some engines do just use a drop of oil and there isn't a lot you can do about it while looking after the engine properly.

Cheers

Tim

Only use half of a very small bottle.

Sure a strip down of the engine would fix the problem, but on a car worth £400-£500 customer is never going to spend much on it.

[oilman]

You've got a fair point there