oilman

Maybe once upon a time, but those days are gone in the automotive world. Some heavy commercial diesels have specific oils, think generators and ships that kind of thing. Cheers Guy

Just about all automotive oils are for both petrol and diesel. You can tell this by the API or ACEA specs printed on the can. Even oils labelled as diesel oils are for both, its just to help the customer. Are you able to find out exactly what oil was used? Cheers Guy

Basic Oil advice from Opie Oils When it comes to choosing oil for your car, this post may seem like going back to basics but we at OPIE OILS are constantly surprised by the amount of people who do not understand what is written on a bottle of oil and therefore have no idea of what they are buying or using. This article should help most car owners as a basic guide, for more detailed information you can always contact us at www.opieoils.co.uk and we will be more than happy to help you. So, to be blunt about the subject, if a bottle of oil does not contain the following basic information then DO NOT buy it look for something that does! 1) The purpose for which it is intended (i.e. Motor oil, Gear oil, ATF etc) 2) The viscosity (i.e. 10w-40, 5w-30 etc for Motor oils and 80w-90, 75w-90 etc for Gear oils) 3) The specifications that it meets (should contain API and/or ACEA ratings) 4) The OEM Approvals that it carries and the codes (i.e. MB229.5, VW504.00, FORD 913A, BMW LL04 etc) Ignore the marketing blurb on the label it is in many cases meaningless and we will explain later what statements you should treat with some skepticism. So, what does the above information mean and why is it important? THE BASICS All oils are intended for an application and in general are not interchangeable. You would not for example put an Automatic Transmission Oil or a Gear Oil in your engine! It is important to know what the oils intended purpose is. VISCOSITY Most oils on the shelves today are "Multigrades", which simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades (i.e. 10w-40 etc) Multigrades were first developed some 50 years ago to avoid the old routine of using a thin oil in winter and a thicker oil in the summer. In a 10w-40 for example the 10w bit (W = winter, not weight or watt or anything else for that matter) simply means that the oil must have a certain maximum viscosity/flow at low temperature. The lower the "W" number the better the oils cold temperature/cold start performance. I.E. 5w is better than 10w etc The 40 in a 10w-40 simply means that the oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100 degC. This is a fixed limit and all oils that end in 40 must achieve these limits. Once again the lower the number the thinner the oil, a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100 degC etc. Your handbook will specify whether a 30, 40 or 50 etc is required. SPECIFICATIONS Specifications are important as these indicate the performance of an oil and whether it has met or passed the latest tests or whether the formulation is effectively obsolete or out of date. There are two specifications that you should look for on any oil bottle and these are API (American Petroleum Institute) and ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Europeens d'Automobiles) all good oils should contain both of these and an understanding of what they mean is important. API This is the more basic of the two specs as it is split (for passenger cars) into two catagories. S = Petrol and C = Diesel, most oils carry both petrol (S) and diesel © specifications. The following table shows how up to date the specifications the oil are: PETROL SG - Introduced 1989 has much more active dispersant to combat black sludge. SH - Introduced 1993 has same engine tests as SG, but includes phosphorus limit 0.12%, together with control of foam, volatility and shear stability. SJ - Introduced 1996 has the same engine tests as SG/SH, but phosphorus limit 0.10% together with variation on volatility limits SL - Introduced 2001, all new engine tests reflective of modern engine designs meeting current emissions standards SM - Introduced November 2004, improved oxidation resistance, deposit protection and wear protection, also better low temperature performance over the life of the oil compared to previous categories. Note: All specifications prior to SL are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date SL and SM specifications, so if you've a recent model, don't bother. DIESEL CD - Introduced 1955, international standard for turbo diesel engine oils for many years, uses single cylinder test engine only CE - Introduced 1984, improved control of oil consumption, oil thickening, piston deposits and wear, uses additional multi cylinder test engines CF4 - Introduced 1990, further improvements in control of oil consumption and piston deposits, uses low emission test engine CF - Introduced 1994, modernised version of CD, reverts to single cylinder low emission test engine. Intended for certain indirect injection engines CF2 - Introduced 1994, defines effective control of cylinder deposits and ring face scuffing, intended for 2 stroke diesel engines CG4 - Introduced 1994, development of CF4 giving improved control of piston deposits, wear, oxidation stability and soot entrainment. Uses low sulphur diesel fuel in engine tests CH4 - Introduced 1998, development of CG4, giving further improvements in control of soot related wear and piston deposits, uses more comprehensive engine test program to include low and high sulphur fuels CI4 Introduced 2002, developed to meet 2004 emission standards, may be used where EGR ( exhaust gas recirculation ) systems are fitted and with fuel containing up to 0.5 % sulphur. May be used where API CD, CE, CF4, CG4 and CH4 oils are specified. Note: All specifications prior to CH4 are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date CH4 & CI4 specifications. If you want a better more up to date oil specification then look for SL, SM, CH4, CI4 ACEA This is the European equivalent of API (US) and is more specific in what the performance of the oil actually is. A = Petrol, B = Diesel and C = Catalyst compatible or low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur). These specs are more commonly found on European oils and in many respects are more important than API for European Manufactured cars. Unlike API the ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows: A1 Fuel economy petrol A2 Standard performance level (now obsolete) A3 High performance and/or extended drain A4 Reserved for future use in certain direct injection engines A5 Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance B1 Fuel economy diesel B2 Standard performance level (now obsolete) B3 High performance and/or extended drain before For direct injection car diesel engines B5 Combines B1 fuel economy with B3/before performance C1-04 Petrol and Light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 low SAPS, two way catalyst compatible. C2-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible. C3-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible, higher performance levels due to higher HTHS. Note: SAPS = Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur. Put simply, A3/B3, A5/B5 and C3 oils are the better quality, stay in grade performance oils. APPROVALS Many oils mention various Car Manufacturers on the bottle, the most common in the UK being VW, MB, BMW, Ford or Vauxhall but do not be misled into thinking that you are buying top quality oil because of this. Oil Companies send their oils to OEM's for approval however some older specs are easily achieved and can be done so with the cheapest of mineral oils. Newer specifications are always more up to date and better quality/performance than the older ones. Some of the older OEM specifications are listed here and depending on the performance level of your car are best ignored if you are looking for a quality high performance oil: VW â?? 500.00, 501.00 and 505.00 Later specs like 503.00, 503.01, 506.00 are better performing more up to date oils but as far as VW is concerned even these have now been superseded by the latest VW504.00 and VW507.00 specifications. MB â?? 229.1, 229.30 Later specs like 229.31, 229.5, and 229.51 are better performing more up to date oils. BMW â?? LL98 Later specs like LL01 and the latest LL04 oils are better performing more up to date. FINALLY Above is the most accurate guidance we can give without going into too much depth however there is one final piece of advice regarding labelling. Certain statements are made on labels that are meaningless and just marketing hype; here are a few to avoid! Recommended for use whereâ?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦ May be used where the following specifications applyâ?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦ Approved byâ?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦..(but with no qualification or specification) Recommended/Approved by (some famous person, these endorsements are paid for) Racing/Track formula (but with no supporting evidence) Also be wary of statements like "synthetic blend" if you are looking for a fully synthetic oil as this will merely be a semi-synthetic. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. The cheaper the oil the cheaper the ingredients, lower the performance levels and older the specs it meets so beware! Cheers Guy and the www.opieoils.co.uk Team

We have 2 lucky winners! They are: Aaron Causley, who's a member of the East of England Bikers forum and Paul Palmer (who frequents the pistonbroke, passionford, scoobynet, uklegacy.com and focusstoc forums). Paul and Aaron both win tickets to the British Superbikes at Silverstone later this month for themselves and a guest as VIP guests of Castrol, general admission for the free practice and qualifying days, plus some top quality, fully synthetic Castrol oil for their car / motorbike. We stock a very wide range of Castrol oils, lubricants and workshop products, so if you're after something for your vehicle, you know where to come ;-) Congratulations to both of you; we're sure you'll have a great day! So... sorry if you didn't win, but there's always the next time. Look out for our September competition, coming soon! Thanks to everyone who entered. The answer was [e] Glen Richards. While you are waiting for our next competition why not take a look at the current offer we are running on cleaning and detailing products? Visit www.opieoils.co.uk for details. oilman

Opie Oils and Castrol bring you a "money can't buy" prize for our August competiton! Yes, those nice folks at Castrol have kindly offered us 2 fantastic VIP hospitality packages for 2 lucky winners and a guest each to the penultimate round of the British Superbikes Championship at Silverstone over the weekend of 25 - 27 September 2009. No purchase necessary. The prizes almost didn't make it further than our office ("oilman + 3") but The Boss intervened ;-) So, get this little lot: * Race Day - Sunday 27 September - Castrol VIP hospitality: o MCE British Superbikes event and a full programme of supporting races and entertainment o Lunch and drinks as a guest of Castrol o A talk from one of the riders over lunch o Track-side access o A walk around the garages * General admission for the British Superbikes free practice and a full supporting programme on Friday 25 September 2009 * General admission for the British Superbikes qualifying and a full supporting programme on Saturday 26 September 2009 * ... and Opie Oils will throw in enough top quality, fully synthetic Castrol oil for an oil change on your car or motorbike 2 chances to win! Sweet :-p This month, you need to name the rider appearing in our cropped down photo from the following 5 choices: a. Karl Muggeridge b. James Toseland c. Roberto Rolfo d. Leon Camier e. Glen Richards Enter here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/british-superbik...ompetition.aspx Good luck! Guy and the team at Opie Oils

Opie Oils are the UK's leading online independent oil and lubricants retailer. We can offer you a really extensive range of oils and lubricants from 8 major oil manufacturers at prices much lower than the high street and main dealers. Our brands include, Silkolene, Fuchs, Gulf, Castrol, Motul, Mobil, Amsoil and Redline. We stock oils and fluids that meet pretty much all manufacturers and international specifications and can deliver throughout the UK. We also sell UFI filters (oil,air,fuel,cabin) Denso spark plugs (iridium and iridium tough) Cleaning,polishing and detailing products from Bild Hamber, Meguiars and Muc-Off Trico Wiper Blades (including Neoform Beam Blades) If you would like any oil advice or a recommendation for your car please feel free to ask and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We offer impartial advice and recommendations from across the 8 major oil brands we stock... and if we don't have an oil or fluid that's totally suitable for you vehicle, we'll say so. The good news is that now that Uk Starlet club is now a member of our club discount scheme so you can get a discount of at least 10% across our entire range. Just choose Vaux Online from the list of clubs and enter your forum user name when you register on our web site - all the prices will then be reduced to show your club discount. We run regular promotions with great prices... and a monthly competition with great prizes! To keep abreast of our offers and competitions, you can keep in touch with us in the following ways: 1. Register on our web site - The best way is to register on our web site and set the "Can we email you?" option to "Yes". You'll then get our newsletter, details of competitions and offers delivered to your inbox, plus you'll be able to see your discounted club members prices as you shop - prices shown will include your member's discount. You can opt out of our email communications at any time, we promise that we'll always keep your details secure and we'll never share them with anyone else. 2. E-mail sign-up - If you want a quick and easy way to see our offers and competitions, just sign up for our newsletters and offers without registerin. 3. Facebook - We've got a new Facebook fan page where we post news, competitions and offers. You don't need a Facebook account to view it, but if you have got Facebook, you can "become a fan" and get notifications via Facebook. 4. Follow us on twitter - our twitter name is opieoils Even if you don't have twitter, you can still view our "tweets" by going to http://twitter.com/opieoils . This info is also available as an RSS feed . Finally, if there are any products we don't stock and you have difficulty getting hold of elsewhere, let us know and we'll see if we can stock them. If we're not doing what you want us to, please let us know! We look forward to being of help. Cheers Guy, Opie Oils You can also contact us by phone on +44 1209 215164 (All oils recommended are available to buy online at my web site)