Quote:
|
Originally Posted by cammedvtr
i just use normal oil from my local motor factor (to citreons hand books spec), i have 93000 miles on the clock and its never missed a beat and she slighty modded. Ive had her since she had 35000 mine on the clock and my bro did the serives on her after the warranty ran out because the car belonged to his mate. i work on the theary(sp)avarage quality oil and 3000 miles changes. but every ones differnet.  |
Indeed there are different schools of thought about cheap oils changed regularly but there are no real factual arguments, here is my opinion.
Cheaper oils are in the long run a false economy, In the first mile the higher volatility, inferior anti-wear performance and poor temperature resistance of a cheap grade of oil will start to show. Obviously, there will be no immediate effects. The whole point of top quality oil is long-term performance retention, which is particularly valuable to people who actually own the car they drive. The ‘performance’ enthusiast will want to retain the new-spec BHP figures, and the cost-conscious will want to see good fuel economy with 100,000 on the clock.
Cheap oil, (particularly 10W/40 or thinner) evaporates quickly, and the vapour is drawn into the combustion chambers via the crankcase ventilation system. This means calcium and zinc oxide deposits (from oil additives) which will cause pre-ignition, so the knock sensor retards the ignition, giving less power and poor fuel economy. The deposits also contaminate the exhaust catalyst, leading to high emissions and MOT failure. How much does an average catalyst box cost these days?!
In most cases synthetic oils (proper ones that is) are the way to go if you intend to keep the car or the car is somewhat special or used hard.
Cheers
Simon