jon62 Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Just wondering, is it better to use budget oil and change every 3K or to use expensive oil and change every 6K? Or is it not that simple? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Just wondering, is it better to use budget oil and change every 3K or to use expensive oil and change every 6K?Or is it not that simple? On an old, worn engine with significant piston blow-past I'd use a good oil but change it more frequently (to deal with the contamination that the blow-past will cause). On a healthy engine, use an oil to the manufacturer's spec and change it at the recommended interval. "Budget" oils can be a problem, specially in the case of turbodiesels - you can have the oil breaking down at high temperature and leaving carbon-deposits in the turbo oilways. Equally, if the engine has hydraulic tappets or is something like a TD5 where the camshaft also activates the injectors, cheap oils do not always have adequate levels of the high-pressure additives needed to prevent wear here. Me? I have a TD5 and change the oil every 12,000 miles or every year, whichever comes first. And I use an oil to the appropriate Land-Rover specification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon62 Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 OK, mine is a 200tdi, with 120K miles, I do get a puff of black smoke on start up, but other than that I think it is in good nick. Thanks for the quick response. Oh, and a P38 which I could try using water instead to put it out of its misery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dailysleaze Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Depends what you mean by budget. I buy Wilko Semi-syn 10W40 (£14.50 for 5 litres) and change it twice a year, but it exceeds the spec (300Tdi) being a A3/B3 oil, although it may not have the additives of a Castrol Magnatec, etc. The more expensive oils may have additives that last longer, which may be equal to a cheaper oil being replaced more frequently. But there's so many other variables as Tanuki said. Barring an engine strip down and/or oil analysis, anything else is conjecture. Spend as much as you need to make yourself feel good. I do get a puff of black smoke on start up, but other than that I think it is in good nick They all do that so don't worry about it being an indicator of health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.