What Engine Oil?

[ItalianStig]

hey guys just wondering what engine oil I need my yaris as I have only bought it for my first car as I hope to pass my test at the end of the month

2001 YARIS GS 998CC - Petrol

[powerman]

hey guys just wondering what engine oil I need my yaris as I have only bought it for my first car as I hope to pass my test at the end of the month

2001 YARIS GS 998CC - Petrol

You will need a 5W/30 oil to ACEA A1/B1 specification. Cheapest oil i have found is Havoline Energy from Morrissons 15.99 for 5 litres if i recall.

[ItalianStig]

hey guys just wondering what engine oil I need my yaris as I have only bought it for my first car as I hope to pass my test at the end of the month

2001 YARIS GS 998CC - Petrol

You will need a 5W/30 oil to ACEA A1/B1 specification. Cheapest oil i have found is Havoline Energy from Morrissons 15.99 for 5 litres if i recall.

thanks for the reply powerman, is this only the only the 5W/30 oil the only one I can use or will any other damage the engine

[Madasafish]

I bought my 5/30 oil from our Toyota dealer - under £20 for 5 litres. iirc

[ItalianStig]

I bought my 5/30 oil from our Toyota dealer - under £20 for 5 litres. iirc

ah rite ok...I assume any normal petrol station will sell this oil? and how much oil would i put in if it is near empty as the oil light is coming up

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

I use Mobil fully synthetic in mine. Comes in a gold container.

[ItalianStig]

I use Mobil fully synthetic in mine. Comes in a gold container.

Cheers thanks for the help

[oilman]

As already said, 5w-30 is ideal semi or full synthetic.

Loads to choose from http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx

Cheers

Guy.

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

Beware though, only go for well known brands such as Mobil, Castrol etc. I've used both in both my cars and have never had any trouble.

[oilman]

Not necessarily. You've heard of Castrol and Mobil as they spend a lot more than others on advertising. Silkolene, Redline, Motul and Gulf produce some of the best oils available, but many people haven't even heard of them

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

Many people not having heard of them is also an important factor. Mobil and Catrol for example are well known through advertising but an advantage of this is that a lot of people would have tried them. Thus being able to offer you their opinions as to whether they are good or not. The brands that you mentioned may produce some of the best oils available but according to what source and how many people (i.e. every day motorists) have tried them?

[alfiejts]

I speak with some knowledge - as my family owns an oil & grease company and used to produce oil that was then used and branded by the big names....

There are a number of brands that now use specialist oils and you need to ensure that the oil you buy conforms to their requisite standard. This usually relates to special addatives that the manufacturer needs in the oil to support long service regimes or high performance engines. VW/Audi, BMW, etc fall into this category.

For example, my local motor factors stocks three different 5w/30 fully synthetic oils from the same manufacturer - one to VW/Audi spec, one to BMW spec and one "ordinary" one that's much cheaper...

However if you don't have one of these specialist requirements, then any "ordinary" oil that meets the requisite specification will be OK.

As well as the viscosity (5w/30, 10w/40, etc) there is an "API specification" on the oil can.

The API spec is a level of "quality" that the oil conforms to.

My Mk2 Yaris manual says that petrol Yaris's need oil that conforms to API SL or API SM performance, so you want to look for cans that have API SL or API SM on the label.

If it complies with those specs, then the oil is good enough to meet Toyota's requirements, whatever the brand.

The Diesel Yaris is a bit different and it says it needs any of "API CF, API CF-4, ACEA B1, API CD or API CE".

By all means buy a known brand if you like, but the key is to pick your preferred viscosity and to look for the right "API" quality standard...

Knowing that a branded and unbranded oil often comes from the same supplier, I just look for a cheap fully synthetic oil that meets the requisite API standards....

My preference for fully synthetic is that it doen't degrade over time, so it will offer the same level of protection right up to the next service.

[oilman]

Many people not having heard of them is also an important factor. Mobil and Catrol for example are well known through advertising but an advantage of this is that a lot of people would have tried them. Thus being able to offer you their opinions as to whether they are good or not. The brands that you mentioned may produce some of the best oils available but according to what source and how many people (i.e. every day motorists) have tried them?

We get oils laboratory tested so we can verify they are as good as they say they are. The oils I mentioned are ester based which is the top level of oils, whereas the top Castrol and Mobil oils are the level below that, PAO synthetics. Ester oils are used in aeroplane engines because you need the best oils for aircraft engines as oil failure should not be a possibility. I think that gives a good idea of why the ester based oils are better than the more advertised brands.

[Raeman]

I have some Castrol Edge fully synth in mine at the mo. Costs a bit but the car seems to like it and if the car is happy, so am i

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

Always invest in a good oil. Buying premium oil and changing it regularly is cheaper than buying a new engine altogether because you used a cheaper alternative!

[oilman]

very true

[alfiejts]

I fully agree too.

As an old !Removed!, I remember the time when petrol cars needed their oil changing every 6000 miles max and diesel cars used to need their oil changing every 3000 miles! (but then petrol was 8p per litre too.....)

My diesel Audi is now on a variable service scheme where it monitors how the car is used and its now 19,000 miles since its last service!!!

Needless to say, I change the oil myself halfway between official Audi services (using proper Audi spec oil of course) - well worth an hour's effort and £20 for the longevity of the engine and turbo....

[oilman]

I completely agree with you. The long life service schedules aren't looking as good now as they did. A lot of VW/Audi drivers are reporting a sludge build up, especially with the FSI engines and most people are doing a between service change. Personally I'd just take the car off the long life services and keep to a normal 10k/annual schedule.

[Madasafish]

I fully agree too.

As an old !Removed!, I remember the time when petrol cars needed their oil changing every 6000 miles max and diesel cars used to need their oil changing every 3000 miles! (but then petrol was 8p per litre too.....)

Hmm

I must be a much older !Removed! as I remember 3,000 mile service intervals for petrol cars and diesel cars di not exits in the UK..

My first car - a 1929 Riley 9 - required oil changes every 1,000 miles.

They don't make them like they used to.. thank goodness.

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

As great as it sounds having a car with a long service history I don't trust it one bit. How can some cars run for 20,000 miles without a service or an oilchange? Sounds crazy! It doesn't cost very much to get the oil and parts and do it yourself. As oilman stated, cars with a long service history are starting to suffer so you're better off changing the oil as regularly as possible. I tend to do mine every 10,000 miles.

[Jamesbelfast]

As great as it sounds having a car with a long service history I don't trust it one bit. How can some cars run for 20,000 miles without a service or an oilchange? Sounds crazy! It doesn't cost very much to get the oil and parts and do it yourself. As oilman stated, cars with a long service history are starting to suffer so you're better off changing the oil as regularly as possible. I tend to do mine every 10,000 miles.

I agree some service intervals are much too long but many manufacturers use long service intervals as a selling point but in reality it may actually cause more wear and tear resulting in repairs giving them an opportunity to get even more money out of the gullibe customer.

I change the engine oil on both my cars every 6,000 miles or every 6 months which ever comes first. It is also essential the filter be changed at the same time. No point in puting clean oil into an engine just to flush the dirty filter is there. Rather than spend a fortune on so-called top of the range oil I use a medium priced oil which meet the manufacturers requirements) but obviously change it much sooner. What many people fail to realise that not all oil contamants are black or even coloured some in fact are clear it the form of acids, etc all of which can be produced during the combustion cycle. Yes a top quality oil may be designed to run longer but it will get contaminated. Remember an oil filter will only remove the particulates but not any unwanted chemicals.:)

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

Who in Gods name changes the oil but not the filter?

[oilman]

We're not fans of extended sevice intervals either. Synthetic 12000 miles or 12 months and semi-synthetic 6000 miles or 6 months is sensible.

Cheers

Guy

[Cherry Red Pocket Rocket]

I recall reading somewhere that semi-synthetic is useless and the same as using non-synthetic because the particles break down due to high operating temperatures and renders the oil useless. That you should only really use fully synthetic oil if you want your engine to last in the long run. Would I be correct in saying that?

[oilman]

Are synthetics better?

The basic benefits are as follows:

Extended oil drain periods

Better wear protection and therefore extended engine life

Most synthetics give better MPG

They flow better when cold and are more thermally stable when hot

Esters are surface-active meaning a thin layer of oil on the surfaces at all times

If you want to know the reasons why then please read on but, warning - Long Post!

Stable Basestocks

Synthetic oils are designed from pure, uniform synthetic basestocks, they contain no contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal and oxidative break down.

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic lubricants operate with less internal and external friction than petroleum oils which have a non-uniform molecular structure.

The result is better heat control, and less heat means less stress to the lubricant.

Higher Percentage of Basestock

Synthetic oils contain a higher percentage of lubricant basestock than petroleum oils do.

This is because multi-viscosity oils need a great deal of pour point depressant and viscosity improvers to operate as a multigrade.

The basestocks actually do most of the lubricating. More basestocks mean a longer oil life.

Additives Used Up More Slowly

Petroleum basestocks are much more prone to oxidation than synthetic oils. Oxidation inhibitors are needed in greater quantities in petroleum oils as they are used up more quickly.

Synthetic oils do oxidize, but at a much slower rate therefore, oxidation inhibiting additives are used up more slowly.

Synthetic oils provide for better ring seal than petroleum oils do. This minimizes blow-by and reduces contamination by combustion by-products. As a result, corrosion inhibiting additives have less work to do and will last much longer in a synthetic oil.

Excellent Heat Tolerance

Synthetics are simply more tolerant to extreme heat than petroleum oils are. When heat builds up within an engine, petroleum oils quickly begin to burn off. They are more volatile. The lighter molecules within petroleum oils turn to gas and what's left are the large molecules that are harder to pump.

Synthetics have far more resistance as they are more thermally stable to begin with and can take higher temperatures for longer periods without losing viscosity.

Heat Reduction

One of the major factors affecting engine life is component wear and/or failure, which is often the result of high temperature operation. The uniformly smooth molecular structure of synthetic oils gives them a much lower coefficient friction (they slip more easily over one another causing less friction) than petroleum oils.

Less friction means less heat and heat is a major contributor to engine component wear and failure, synthetic oils significantly reduce these two detrimental effects.

Since each molecule in a synthetic oil is of uniform size, each is equally likely to touch a component surface at any given time, thus moving a certain amount of heat into the oil stream and away from the component. This makes synthetic oils far superior heat transfer agents than conventional petroleum oils.

Greater Film Strength

Petroleum motor oils have very low film strength in comparison to synthetics. The film strength of a lubricant refers to it's ability to maintain a film of lubricant between two objects when extreme pressure and heat are applied.

Synthetic oils will typically have a film strength of 5 to 10 times higher than petroleum oils of comparable viscosity.

Even though heavier weight oils typically have higher film strength than lighter weight oils, an sae 30 or 40 synthetic will typically have a higher film strength than an sae 50 or sae 60 petroleum oil.

A lighter grade synthetic can still maintain proper lubricity and reduce the chance of metal to metal contact. This means that you can use oils that provide far better fuel efficiency and cold weather protection without sacrificing engine protection under high temperature, high load conditions. Obviously, this is a big plus, because you can greatly reduce both cold temperature start-up wear and high temperature/high load engine wear using a low viscosity oil.

Engine Deposit Reduction

Petroleum oils tend to leave sludge, varnish and deposits behind after thermal and oxidative break down. They're better than they used to be, but it still occurs.

Deposit build-up leads to a significant reduction in engine performance and engine life as well as increasing the chance of costly repairs.

Synthetic oils have far superior thermal and oxidative stability and they leave engines virtually varnish, deposit and sludge-free.

Better Cold Temperature Fluidity

Synthetic oils do not contain the paraffins or other waxes which dramatically thicken petroleum oils during cold weather. As a result, they tend to flow much better during cold temperature starts and begin lubricating an engine almost immediately. This leads to significant engine wear reduction, and, therefore, longer engine life.

Improved Fuel Economy

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic oils are tremendous friction reducers. Less friction leads to increased fuel economy and improved engine performance.

This means that more energy released from the combustion process can be transferred directly to the wheels due to the lower friction. Acceleration is more responsive and more powerful, using less fuel in the process.

In a petroleum oil, lighter molecules tend to boil off easily, leaving behind much heavier molecules which are difficult to pump. The engine loses more energy pumping these heavy molecules than if it were pumping lighter ones.

Since synthetic oils have more uniform molecules, fewer of these molecules tend to boil off and when they do, the molecules which are left are of the same size and pumpability is not affected.

Synthetics are better and in many ways, they are basically better by design as they are created by chemists in laboratories for a specific purpose.

Cheers

Guy