Choosing The Right Engine Oil

[Releesh]

^^ Viru @

I actually filled same oil in both vehicles from same bottle. Is it oil in motor cycle gets more heated and dameged earlier due to it doesnt have cooling system other than air cooling. That may be the reason in bike engine oil has less oil life (2K km) and car same oil life is more(10k km).

Even though motor cycle is just 150 cc and it uses 1.25 ltr(including oil filter capacity) and the car engine is bigger block with 1300 cc and only 3.5 ltr. Also i had to replace the oil in bike within 1.5 months(2k km) and car 5-6 k km in 7-9 months.

One more thing i noticed is though when we check a drop of oil in car which has golden colour ,when we drain the oil we could see it in all black colour. may be it comes out with the waist deposit on the lower levels of engine.

 

[joni_rajpura]

i found castrol CRB Turbo from the market @ 1450rs for 5ltr bottle
and the shop keeper also have servo 15w40 @1100rs but it didnt have ch4 like CRB Turbo have

 

[Viru]

@Reelesh Those are the most evident reasons. It may also be a result of bike engines being carbureted as opposed to fuel injected which can sometimes lead to faster fouling of the oil. I remember even my M800 (Carbureted) would go through oil a lot faster than my Estilo does, despite having a smaller engine block!

The oil often comes out a lot darker than we see on the dipstick because a lot of the dirt and debris collected by the oil settles at the bottom of the oil sump, but is pulled out when the oil is drained.

@joni I'm sorry to say this, but that is a rather low-grade, outdated oil and I wouldn't expect any improvement.

 

[Lewisavinash]

@Releesh you are right TVS Victor has Speedo till 140, In my case speed is faulty and i have removed the gear and cable for speedo, I have the top speed reading from my GPS :-), The Road was NH4, May be i have recieved a well tuned model :-) and one more thing i have tuned my CLR to lean mixture :-)

 

[Kichu]

Third free service done :
Oil change
Filter change
Cabin air filter
0w 20 castrol oil
General check up
Tyre rotation

Hi Viru,
Kindly see the above quote. This is not from the MASS that I had referred before and it is not even from the state Kerala.


One more from another TAI member.

HI all,
I was very busy @office so could not post much and could not take the car for service for a long time, and the 20k mark was reaching so i took HIM to garage yesterday.

Details
20,000 KM service
KMs : 19845

Bill details (major items only)
Coolant : 206
Brake fluid : 136
MGO (0w20) : 1124
MGGO (17w90) : 791

Labour paid service 20k : 850
Coil spring pad change : 400

Total bill amount : 5260/-

Now quoting few of your words from various posts from the thread ("Engine Flush / Synthetic Engine Oil for 7.5 Years / 31K Run Honda City?" )that you said against my info from my MASS..

"Destroy that MASS for revenge! "
"I'm serious dude, 0W is way too low for indian climate, you're putting your engine at risk!"
"Have you ever considered WHY 0W20 isn't available in India? The answer presents itself!"
"For the 10000000th time, I said 0W20 oil is not for Indian conditions."

Information from various sites about the INDIAN Honda Amaze
"Honda has also developed a new 0W20 rated semi-synthetic oil for this made-for-India engine."
"A special ultra low viscosity (0W20 grade) semi-synthetic diesel engine oil is used. Honda co-developed this oil with Idemitsu and JX Oil."

I also heard(not sure), even in the Ford INDIAN ECOBOOST's user manual, in addition to 30grade oil a 20grade oil is also listed in the recommended engine oil column.
So its not just the MARUTISUZUKI and the MASS.

Viru, long back we had 20w-50 grade engine oil for most of our car in India(I mean in 1980s or before).
Where as at present most of the newer cars which are made up of newer technology uses lower viscous grade engine oil.
Remember, the temperature at present is much more higher than the older times due to the causes like greenhouse effect and global warming. So according to your concept, the grade that we must use should be the same/higher viscous grade than what we had in our 1980s(its just an example for making it clear, since you considered only the climate of a region)
So engine oil grade is NOT JUST (I didn't say not at all) about the climate of a region.


Regards.,

 

[Viru]

Thank you for taking all of my quotes out of context again, just to alter the implications.

I stand by myself.

 

[Swapnil]

I am not sure if this is a right thread to ask, but I have a query on the oil to be used in a motorcycle.
I own a Bajaj XCD 125 dts-si (September 2007), with 47,000 kilometers on the oDo. All along I have been using the Bajaj recommended oil which is of the 20 w50 grade. Don't know if it is mineral or semi synthetic or synthetic. Off late, I have been hearing a lot of good reviews about the Motul family of synthetic oils. Has anyone used this oil? I plan to do some very long drives on my XCD and am eager to try Motul, the 300V.

 

[Viru]

Honestly not sure about Motul oils. I'm sure someone here would have experienced it though.

How does the Viscosity and Friction rating compare to the Bajaj oil?

 

[Swapnil]

I have not used Motul either, however the Bajaj Oil is not so good. The engine feels rough and less eager to rev, after few kilometers of driving.
I wrote an email to the Motul customer care for knowing about their dealership in my city, however they haven't yet reverted. I am very eager to use the 300V in my bike and go on a very long drive

 

[Viru]

I wish you luck! But what are the specs of the Motul and how do they compare to Bajaj?

 

[ameyam]

Ok, now you have put oil into my head

The 1st service of my Swift is due on Saturday and I have been contemplating insisting on having my engine and gear box oil replaced to remove the fine metal power that gets into the oil from the running-in. If so, should I go with a specific brand / type of oil or just what the company uses? For that matter, is the oil change absolutely necessary?

Ameyam

 

[Swapnil]

I wish you luck! But what are the specs of the Motul and how do they compare to Bajaj?

Motul, the 300V can be used in the XCD, as per the Motul website. It does not specifically mention XCD 125, but okays it for the 'Pulsar family of engines from 125 to 220 cc', so guess it should be safe.

Ok, now you have put oil into my head

The 1st service of my Swift is due on Saturday and I have been contemplating insisting on having my engine and gear box oil replaced to remove the fine metal power that gets into the oil from the running-in. If so, should I go with a specific brand / type of oil or just what the company uses? For that matter, is the oil change absolutely necessary?

Ameyam

Why the gear oil? Gear oil change not required, I think.

 

[Releesh]

@Reelesh Those are the most evident reasons. It may also be a result of bike engines being carbureted as opposed to fuel injected which can sometimes lead to faster fouling of the oil. I remember even my M800 (Carbureted) would go through oil a lot faster than my Estilo does, despite having a smaller engine block!

The oil often comes out a lot darker than we see on the dipstick because a lot of the dirt and debris collected by the oil settles at the bottom of the oil sump, but is pulled out when the oil is drained.
.

Viru@

i changed my esteem engine oil yesterday after 6K km run servo 20 W 40 to mobil 10 W 30 oil. as per the shop owner it is the best oil, though other brands available.

Both shop owner and my mechanic rejected my synthetic oil plan and told me to use the mineral only and change it on a 5K km interval.
As per mechanic, though the company suggests 10k km interval, it is better to change the oil at 5k interval in cars which run more than 50-60 k km(mine is 73k km now). As per him carbon deposits will be more after this much kms and also he told this mobil oil is advanced one and 20w 40 is enough for my car.
After oil change he started the car immediately and raised. he told me that some tarpet sound is coming and need valve adjustment. What is your suggestion

 

[ameyam]

AFAIK semi-synthetic oils are better. Mineral oils have a lower flash point and burn off quickly with no residue but have better lubricating properties and are not prone to sludge formation. Natural oils have a high flash point and don't burn off soon, so there will be some lubrication at all times. However when these heat up, they form long chain polymeric compounds. This forms the sludge we get in oils sometimes. Semi-synthetic oils are a mix of both and hence provide the best compromise. That's why most companies suggest semi-synthetic- that way even if the oil level is low, lubrication is not affected.
Coming back from the chemistry lecture above, I have some experience with Motul and it is a good oil. However, best to use the same specification as recommended by the manufacturer as they have the benefit of all the testing the manufacturer conducts

Also, AFAIK, changing the oil shouldn't require you to reset the tappets

Ameyam

 

[Viru]

Ok, now you have put oil into my head

The 1st service of my Swift is due on Saturday and I have been contemplating insisting on having my engine and gear box oil replaced to remove the fine metal power that gets into the oil from the running-in. If so, should I go with a specific brand / type of oil or just what the company uses? For that matter, is the oil change absolutely necessary?

Ameyam

How many Kms has your car done? How have you found the performance so far?

Viru@

i changed my esteem engine oil yesterday after 6K km run servo 20 W 40 to mobil 10 W 30 oil. as per the shop owner it is the best oil, though other brands available.

Both shop owner and my mechanic rejected my synthetic oil plan and told me to use the mineral only and change it on a 5K km interval.
As per mechanic, though the company suggests 10k km interval, it is better to change the oil at 5k interval in cars which run more than 50-60 k km(mine is 73k km now). As per him carbon deposits will be more after this much kms and also he told this mobil oil is advanced one and 20w 40 is enough for my car.
After oil change he started the car immediately and raised. he told me that some tarpet sound is coming and need valve adjustment. What is your suggestion

A typical trick being played by the service center to fleece you for more money! Mineral oil wouldn't be able to remove any of the old Carbon deposits the way Synthetic would, despite the change interval.

Changing the oil should not affect the tappits at all. Either that noise was there before, or the mechanic did something sketchy.

AFAIK semi-synthetic oils are better. Mineral oils have a lower flash point and burn off quickly with no residue but have better lubricating properties and are not prone to sludge formation. Natural oils have a high flash point and don't burn off soon, so there will be some lubrication at all times. However when these heat up, they form long chain polymeric compounds. This forms the sludge we get in oils sometimes. Semi-synthetic oils are a mix of both and hence provide the best compromise. That's why most companies suggest semi-synthetic- that way even if the oil level is low, lubrication is not affected.
Coming back from the chemistry lecture above, I have some experience with Motul and it is a good oil. However, best to use the same specification as recommended by the manufacturer as they have the benefit of all the testing the manufacturer conducts

Also, AFAIK, changing the oil shouldn't require you to reset the tappets

Ameyam

I like the scientific explanation!

As previously mentioned, consumer-grade synthetic oils are never purely synthetic, but just a blend with very high percent of synthetic. This is why I believe it provides an excellent balance of the mentioned effects.

We've also discussed the prudence of considering a change in oil grades elsewhere on this forum, let us know what you think about it.