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Wrong Oil but...


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So I changed the engine oil on my 19J 2.5TD as part of the preparation for a trip this summer. I had perhaps pored 2/3 of the 5l bottle in when I realised the label on the back said for Petrol Engines :-(

What is the difference between oil formulated for petrol v's diesel engines?

Should I swap it out immediately or will it be OK in there for a year?

thanks in advance,

Numpty oil changer

( Rich )

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I think Diesel specific oil has more detergent in it as Diesel's are dirtier than petrols...

Tough call on whether to swap it or not - it probably won't do any harm as oil technology and the detergents within have progressed a lot in the 20 odd years since the 19J was designed, but I'm not really an expert in such matters!

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It wont hurt , just change it a bit earlier than the diesel oil (based on mileage) otherwise if not reached a year will be fine . When that engine was current , it was not unusual just to use multigrade engine oil of whatever persuasion, never heard of anything untoward :)

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It's honestly not a seriously-demanding engine as regards oil characteristics: truth is, back in the 1980s everyone used an API SF/CD-rated oil [the "S" part being for Spark-ignition engines, the "C" bit being for Compression-ignition engines].

These days pretty much every decent branded oil way exceeds these obsolete ratings; the generic stuff I used this spring to fill my lawnmower was API SJ/CI-4 rated. In performance terms all 21st-century oils - even the mid-price brands - are way better than anything the 1980s designers/specifiers of LR engines could have imagined.

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Oil specifically for diesel engines has, as Jon said, a special detergent in it to compensate for the fact that diesel oil will contaminate the oil.

Oil designed for petrol engines doesn't have this detergent additive as any petrol contamination of the lubrication oil will, as the oil heats up, evaporate, diesel fuel of course wont evaporate and will reman in the oil.

To be safe I would advise changing the oil and oil filter after no more than 2000 miles - no later - the diesel contamination will render the oil into a thicker solution (greater viscosity) and this could damage the oil pump and even clog up oil ways in the engine, when cold you might even find the engine difficult to start as the thicker oil solution will require a greater effort by the starter motor.

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It's honestly not a seriously-demanding engine as regards oil characteristics: truth is, back in the 1980s everyone used an API SF/CD-rated oil [the "S" part being for Spark-ignition engines, the "C" bit being for Compression-ignition engines]. These days pretty much every decent branded oil way exceeds these obsolete ratings; the generic stuff I used this spring to fill my lawnmower was API SJ/CI-4 rated. In performance terms all 21st-century oils - even the mid-price brands - are way better than anything the 1980s designers/specifiers of LR engines could have imagined.

This.^

If it has an API C*** rating (hopefully better than CD !) and an ACEA B or E rating it's a dual rated oil and fit for task.

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Many thanks to all for the replies.

The oil is rated as ACEA-A3,B3 and API-SL,CF . So, if I read that right,

  • this is rated for compression engines ( the C bit) ?
  • It's better than CD ( the CF bit?)
  • it will be OK in the engine for a reasonable length of time / miles?

cheers,

Rich T

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