Whats The Best Oil?

[gezy]

Just wondering what the best oil for my 1996 SI is?

[Airbag]

Just wondering what the best oil for my 1996 SI is?

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Check the handbook for the correct weight and specification. You then have a choice between ordinary mineral oil, semi-synthetic or fully synthetic like Mobil 1. As long as it's a well-known brand you should be ok, and there are plenty of studies on the internet to say that changing the oil every 5000 miles is good. Change sooner than 10,000 miles if the service life is poor - lots of short journeys, cold starts, or high speed driving.

My optimum oil maintenance is a 5000 mile oil change, then let the dealer do it at the next 10,000 mile service. A lot of people change oil at 3000 mile intervals, but that seems a bit of overkill. But hey, it's their money.

Turbochargers like regular oil changes , so on a turbo- engine I''d tend to use a fully synthetic ( better lubrication, supposedly more resistant to higher temps.) and change it at 5000-7000 miles.

* Don't forget if it's a diesel use a diesel rated oil.

Now having said that, I don't worry too much if my car goes 10,000 miles without an oil change, because sticking to Toyotas 10,000 mile service interval, I've never had a car wear out on me yet. So I change at 5000 miles for cheap insurance. OIl is cheaper than engine wear.

I use Halfords ( UK car store ) synthetic for 5000 mile changes, because it's often for sale on a two-for-one sale offer. That keeps the price down. I'll buy enough for two changes, so I've always got cheap synthetic in the garage. I've used Castrol and Silkolene before. Everyone has their preference. I buy on price.

As to whether synthetic is worth the extra, I noticed a very good increase in power and smoothness on my RAV4 diesel (turbo) when I did a 5000 mile oil change with Halfords Diesel synthetic. I'll try (petrol) synthetic in the T Sport in a couple of months to see if I feel a difference in that.

See here for a long-term test of USA oils, and note how viscosity on the test samples actually increased during the oils life. Older oil still seems to protect your car, until it either breaks down, thickens to the consitency of mud or the additives get used up.

Up to a point.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html

[RWD]

I would go for Castrol GTX Magnatec. Might be a bit expensive but it is amazing stuff!!!!

[oilman]

It depends whether you mean best quality or best price, they are two different things.

I would use a 5w-40 fully synthetic if you want the best protection and top of the tree would be pao/ester proper synthetics.

If you mean best price then any old 10w-40 semi-synthetic will not cost you much at all but will not give the same protection long term and will need changing more frequently.

Cheers

Simon

[CraigR]

It depends whether you mean best quality or best price, they are two different things.

I would use a 5w-40 fully synthetic if you want the best protection and top of the tree would be pao/ester proper synthetics.

If you mean best price then any old 10w-40 semi-synthetic will not cost you much at all but will not give the same protection long term and will need changing more frequently.

Cheers

Simon

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The man knows his stuff for sure.

Silkolene PRO S 10w-50

Motul 300V 5w-30

[oilman]

If you're using any of these oils then you know your stuff too ;)

Both proper pao/ester synthetics and race spec!

Cheers

Simon

[Scottish_SR]

He isnt called oilman for nothing! lol :P

[Twincam.GTi]

I find that a 10w- 40 oil for most post 1982 normally asperated cars is fine but change oil at least every 4000 to 5000 mile or twice a year, which ever is sooner.

Silkolene PRO S 10w-50, Mobil 1 Motul 300V 5w-30, Castrol GTX Magnatec etc, are ideal in Turbo charged/ high performance cars of the 1990's onwards.

However Silkolene PRO S 10w-50, Mobil 1 Motul 300V 5w-30, Castrol GTX Magnatec and so on are not any good in say an old engine that has done a high millage and always run on 'single grade oils' (ie. the old SAE 30 or SAE 40) or a good old 20w-50 grade all applicable to cars from the 70's, 60.s, 50's and further back in time. In fact a fully synthetic oil would soon wreck an old engine as the 'cleaning' properties of modern oils would remove old deposits which have built up in the engine over the decades.

So in my case I change the oil twice a year in my vehicles, (cars and motorbikes every 6 months 'cause I don't build up the miles) with Morris's or Castrol 10w40 Semi synthetic in my post 1980 vehicles and any 20w50 'normal' in my 70's & 60's Jalopies, if runing a vehicle from the 30's to 50's I use single grade SAE30 or SAE40.