Engine Oil

[Brenah]

Hay guys.

Just wondering what other VZ owners use as there engine oil for the Alloytech.?

Iv'e done 2 services now with Castrol Edge 5-30W at 5,000km intervals.

First service i did, the oil came out really black and sludgy, i don't think the person who owned it b4 me did a oil change at all.

With the Castrol its still got a golden tint and perrrs the best its ever perrrd

Cheers

Brendan

[richardpalinkas]

i just use normal 10w40 or 10w30, hasnt done anything bad yet, i will probably be going 5w30 castrol edge just so it can have some good stuff in it for willowbank and C4C

[RiCeY]

Black and sludgy is a very very bad sign. It wouldnt have been your choice of oil that caused it but the lack of servicing by the previous owner.

If youre lucky it wasnt too bad and has cleaned itself up, otherwise your engine is a ticking timebomb Im afraid.

Did you change the oil filter cartridge?

[azazeldeath]

To answer your question I use Royal Purple oil in my car. Once every 6 weeks I run diesel oil through the car for 2000km then flush it before putting Royal Purple back in.

[richardpalinkas]

once every 6 weeks? or 6 months?

[Trent L]

Well I just thought I'd give Penrite HPR 5 a try. 5W-40 and I'm happy so far, especially on these colder mornings.

Mind you some gorilla must have tightened up the to of the filter - so it was a marathon effort to get it off & replace the cartridge - but all good now.

[azazeldeath]

Every 6 weeks. Though I supposed I could cut it back down to 6 months.

[WogBoyz]

To answer your question I use Royal Purple oil in my car. Once every 6 weeks I run diesel oil through the car for 2000km then flush it before putting Royal Purple back in.

every 6 weeks you add diesel for 2000 then do an oil change?, wow waste of oil, just change it every 5000 and u wont have any problems

[azazeldeath]

I learnt very young that if you want a healthy engine you need good quality oil and regular changes.

Plus my mums Commodore is almost the complete opposite in servicing. And honestly it runs like crap now. And I noticed the same in friend's Alloytecs. So I would rather spend more money on the oil then the rebuild later on.

[Brenah]

Cheers for the reply's fellas.
Yeah i change the oil filter cartridge each time.
When sludge came out, it came out first, then the black oil. I didnt run very smooth when i first got it at 120k. But after the Castrol Edge changes it has smoothed it right out. Now at 130k.

Another thing, have i heard wrong or right. Can you get a higher flow oil filter?

Cheers

[azazeldeath]

For the V8 you can, I cannot find one for the Alloytec. I could be wrong though.

[WogBoyz]

I learnt very young that if you want a healthy engine you need good quality oil and regular changes.

Plus my mums Commodore is almost the complete opposite in servicing. And honestly it runs like crap now. And I noticed the same in friend's Alloytecs. So I would rather spend more money on the oil then the rebuild later on.

yeah i use royal purple too and there oil filter, even changing at 5000 the oil is still perfect, changing it as early as you do is just wasting oil and will be doing no better then leaving it too 5000 then changing it with the filter

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

A higher flow oil filter means bigger holes in the filter, which means more contaminants can get through.

Diesel oil for 2000ks.....apart from a different additive to keep the soot from building up, there is no difference. In fact, most petrol and diesel oils are the same. Petrol engines don't soot up, so there is no point in running a specific diesel oil in them.

Cold starts kill oil more than distance does. You will reduce the oil's lubricating ability by cold starts and less k's than you will by continuous long runs. Change the oil more in winter than summer, regardless of k's and you will do your engine a favour.

3 times a year is good, November, May and August.

[IPCOlsenVZ]

Brenah – you are using a great lubricant for your application and interval, i wouldn’t change it.

Azazeldeath – you’ll wear out the threads on your sump and filter cartridge before your motor wears out with that short interval.

Not_an_abba_fan – 3 changes a year regardless of kms is seriously intense for 6L sump.

[WogBoyz]

Brenah – you are using a great lubricant for your application and interval, i wouldn’t change it.

Azazeldeath – you’ll wear out the threads on your sump and filter cartridge before your motor wears out with that short interval.

Not_an_abba_fan – 3 changes a year regardless of kms is seriously intense for 6L sump.

Yeah, abba has a point however, i live up in Cairns so i dont have really freezing cold starts, so changing at 4000/5000 for me is plenty i reakon

[azazeldeath]

I should point out I do around 10,000-18,000km a month somehow (I think its from cruising idk)

[IPCOlsenVZ]

Azazeldeath - Well I guess you don't have a choice but to change it every 6 weeks.

[WogBoyz]

I should point out I do around 10,000-18,000km a month somehow (I think its from cruising idk)

man thats some serious kms!

[azazeldeath]

I know, but I am glad its a decent car to do it in.

[HoldenOnn]

I change both the VZ Calais and the VE Berlina oil every 5,000kms or 6 months (whichever occurs first).

2004 VZ Calais Alloytec190 - Mobil Super 2000 Semi-Syn - 10w40

2008 VE Berlina V6 - Mobil Super 2000 Semi-Syn - 5w30

Both cars have done around 110,000kms. I don't have a huge reason as to why I use different oil except to say that I owned the VZ Calais for 2 years before the VE arrived on the scene and I did my research and felt comfortable with the 10w40 choice.

Whereas with the VE, it had been serviced for the 2 years of its life and used 5w30 and I just continued with this viscosity.

Both vehicles run smooth and quiet and have no cold startup rattle at all.

Both cars see a mixture of stop start driving and open highway long trips. Throughout the 5,000kms between oil changes, neither car needs topping up with oil. I fill with the new oil to just a couple of millimetres above full mark.

I don't see a need to use full synthetic or high end expensive oil. Especially considering that our cars are not driven hard or under extreme duress. I believe that its better to use good quality oil and change a little more often, than to use the highest priced full synthetic and change at 7,500kms.

Just my opinion and information. Hope its informative for you

[Torquative]

and if it helps, we've always run Magnatec in the Adventra since brand new, the Equipe since we've had it @40 000 kays and my Acclaim since I got it @90 000 kays.

The Adventra is now on 130 000 kays, no issues. Equipe is 100 000 no issues. The Acclaim was a cop car in Western NSW, so I'd say regular servicing but with perhaps cheap oil. Anyway now with 180 000 on the clock still no issues. We do them every 10 000 kays.

Ive run the Edge sport in it twice, once for a track day at Oran Park in 40 degree temps and once for a skidpan day in October on a mild day. About to do a track day at Eastern Creek and just sticking to Magnatec due to cost.

I should also point out the Adventra is used for towing heavy loads, and the Acclaim cops a hiding fairly regularly (its done a transmission already).

so yeh, no dramas betwene 100 000 - 180 000 kays across 3 alloytecs in 3 very different cars, just using Magnatec and regular oil and filter changes.

[km5]

castrol magnetec 10w40 all the way for me!

[ADR 40]

Penrite Everyday Full Synthetic 5W-50

[OS-Mike]

Mobil 1 super synthetic 5w30 oil and filter every 15,000km

[Whitesack07]

Is oil with a Grade of 20-50 to thick?