Oil

[birdy]

5.30 only to be used in very cold climate oil is too thin for uk use and is unsuitable for engines of high mileage and wear .10/40 and 15/40 are capable of coping with well below zero temps .

[madbri]

right i changed my oil 2day! over due as done 10 000 miles warm the enginge up 4 10 mins and droped out no probs but very black chainged oil filter put 15/40 in as free . right this is where id like some feedback? ive read up all about heaters to no sucsess with any think but since changing oil temp alot better heater to fucin hot and no need to state the rest ie enginge so much queiter and less desiel nock but the other think once again read up bout touque sleeve and the erg valve mod because of smoke and i mean sometimes muc off black smoke but then just like that it cleared but now next to no smoke how can al this b down 2 oil change thanks by the way its a 2.5 nanna

[winterheating]

right i changed my oil 2day! over due as done 10 000 miles warm the enginge up 4 10 mins and droped out no probs but very black chainged oil filter put 15/40 in as free . right this is where id like some feedback? ive read up all about heaters to no sucsess with any think but since changing oil temp alot better heater to fucin hot and no need to state the rest ie enginge so much queiter and less desiel nock but the other think once again read up bout touque sleeve and the erg valve mod because of smoke and i mean sometimes muc off black smoke but then just like that it cleared but now next to no smoke how can al this b down 2 oil change thanks by the way its a 2.5 nanna

theres no lies in the fact that oil is the life blood of an engine

which 15w/40 though mineral or semi

the thick sludgy crap in the old oil reduces the oils heat transfer ability throughout the engine(specially if it were just mineraloil), also now it has nice clean oil lubricating the pistons, so less blowby and/or a cleaner burn.also could have easily lost its viscosity.

[winterheating]

Just backs up what most have agreed over and over again.Diesel 2.5 di needs 10/40 15/40. In uk 5/30 only to be used when temps fall below 10% .Some will try and save face by claiming temp is and has been below 10 deg for a while but in the main uk is normally warmer than 10 deg .

would it not be better to say that 5w-40 should be used when temps drop as that chart only indicates what viscosity they recommend by the shaded part,

[winterheating]

Have a look here.... http://www.ratwell.com/technical/OilSelection.html

Under Engine wear: All these oil recommendations from VW are fine except they forget to mention one important detail: they are the recommendations for a NEW engine. As the engine ages, the bearing clearances increase and you need to use a thicker oil to maintain proper oil pressure. What's good for your engine isn't necessarily good for someone else's engine simply because of the difference in mileage and actual wear.

thats a good link that, but did you actually read it all .....

''After reading the TDS for modern oils and seeing the updated charts, I think most of us can agree that chart in the owner's manual is out of date and that the oils have improved''

makes perfect sense, thats why the handbooks, and info on TIS and any new info from ford will always state to meet the appropriate specs, back in the stoneage the 5w-30 oil will have had totally different specs to the 5w-30 semi you get today, so i think i'll still keep using 5w-30 semi in my dads mk5 as recommended....these days.

[darkbluevanman]

There's no problem with using 5w30? My point is that you can use a host of other oils viscosity wise and compound wise.... it doesn't HAVE TO BE 5w30?... anyway! Is it a Diesel oil your using?

[darkbluevanman]

Just read madbri's post... about engine being quieter etc.... this is what lead me to the oil on my bike? As other threads, I've been having problems with my carbs, it would appear that for a short while the fuel has been going in the cylinder when stopping and then into the crankcase, effectively THINNING the oil? I only realised this as the motor was ticking (as though a tappet had come loose), checked oil (which had only been in for 30 miles (10w40 semi)) and it was overfull (fuel adding volume), drained it off (was like pi$$) and chucked some fresh in, ticking gone , surely you can see the theory in this?

[darkbluevanman]

http://www.aa1car.com/library/motor_oil_605.htm

As a rule, overhead cam (OHC) engines typically require thinner oils such as 5W-30 or 5W-20 to speed lubrication of the overhead cam(s) and valve-train when the engine is first started. Pushrod engines, by comparison, can use either 5W-30, 10W-30 or 10W-40.

Di is pushrod.

As mileage adds up and internal engine wear increases bearing clearances, it may be wise to switch to a slightly higher viscosity rating to prolong engine life, reduce noise and oil consumption. For example, if an engine originally factory-filled with 5W-30 now has 90,000 miles on it, switching to a 10W-30 oil may provide better lubrication and protection.

I would imagine pre 90k Di's aren't that common!

Please understand this is not to dismiss 5w30 as being the wrong oil, I'm just trying to show it has alternatives!

[madbri]

darkbluevanman carefull u read 1 of my posts and didnt slate it any way now me vans sexy and warm will i get a better mpg or am i dreaming

[darkbluevanman]

darkbluevanman carefull u read 1 of my posts and didnt slate it any way now me vans sexy and warm will i get a better mpg or am i dreaming

Sorry mate, I've let myself go lately.... and do you mean your not getting 50 mpg already

[darkbluevanman]

Interesting snippet from the above mention site:

''For diesel engines, API has a separate rating system. The current category is "CI-4" (introduced in 2002 for newer diesels that have exhaust gas recirculation). The previous CH-4 (1998), CG-4 (1995), and CF-4 (1990), can all be used in older four-stroke diesel engines. CF-2 (1994) is the API classification for two-stroke diesels.''

Di has gas recirculation (or most should have )

Two stroke diesel: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/diesel-two-stroke1.htm

[winterheating]

There's no problem with using 5w30? My point is that you can use a host of other oils viscosity wise and compound wise.... it doesn't HAVE TO BE 5w30?... anyway! Is it a Diesel oil your using?

yeah i agree with that, i was just intrested in what reasons other viscosity oil that is recommended is used for.

going back to the 5w-30 semim, these days being suitable for an engine that it may not have been 10,15years ago, does that mean that all other oils have changed also

are modern oils now not as specific for diesel and petrol engines, i was thinking this myself today, and couldnt see any thing on the ford formula e 5w-30 to say wether soley petrol or diesel
but what it does state is it is for optimum performance and maximum economy and protection where years ago you could only have an oil to do either.

like you say about engine oil thinning by fuel, also coolant thins oil really badly, so any vehicle thats had water in the oil should be flushed well and as soon as possible.

also an engine oil can increase viscosity, (must be something to do with deposit build up) so i think thats another big reason for oil recommendations changing as different oils are developed, to reduce the chance of this more than other types of oil can at that time.

[tranzite]

Hi tranzites!...

Bloody hell what a nightmare palava just to suss what to put in for a simple job like an oil change.

I've got a '98 2.5l non-turbo (does that mean it is a Di then?) LWB Hicube converted to a DIY camper van. 107,000 miles on it.
Had it nearly 6 months now.
Will it be a mk 3, 4 or 5? how do i tell?
It's been running pretty smokey which i thought could be put down to the cold weather. Grey smoke for quite a while warming up e.g 1/4hr, that turns to black at higher revs ( this bit probs not due to cold weather?). It has an Uberspacher thingy hydronic water heater too, now connected just to the rad, which used to be for a hot water supply in the back when it was a works van once.
I must admit i know very little about engines.

When i first bought it i was told the engine had only done about 3000 since last change, but that last change is now about 18 months ago.

I put some stop smoke treatment in, occasionally RedEx, and have now changed air filter too. Each seems to have had only a little impact on reducing the smokiness. Now I' doing the oil and filter.

Haynes says 10w/30 to API SH/CD, ACEA A2-96 and B2-96 or A3 -96 and B3-96.

Halfords oil guides less specific just say 5w/30 .. but asked a couple of their assitants and they say no, use 10w/40.
Autospares in Daventry, very near Ford Tech college, sells Motorcraft, says he'd really recomend 10w/40.
CES in Telford, their system says 5w/30 or 10w/40 A3/B3 or 15w/40 A2/b3 or A3/b3.

It's enough to send you bonkers!. That's 3 weeks gone since i wanted to do the simplest of jobs, because of too many different opinions. I want to get it right to make sure I'm eliminating problems correctly to get rid of the smokiness, aswell as to be using the right oil, of course.

Looking it up on the internet has at last been a great help, but not without having to draw my own conclusions from 6 pages of discussion on this really helpful forum.

I was kind of more hung up on whether I should be concerned that Haynes say ACEA A2-96 and B2-96 or A3 -96 and B3-96, whereas the Halfords stuff, ford recommended 5w/30 or 10w/40 is bloody A1B1, and most other suppliers are also A1B1.
I haven't a clue what these codes mean. How important are they? None of you have even mentioned it! So does that mean it doesn't matter? I see the quoted Ford manual pages say for diesel engines, A3/B3 or A1/B1, so the Halfords stuff will, finally, actually be ok!

Well a bit of info on that would help, but I don't want to throw a spanner in an already tangled and confused issue!

My conclusion is, with 107,000 miles on clock, the weather soon to be warming up, to go for

Diesel Semi-synth 10w/40

and bo#@%$€ks to the A/B code for this time. That's whats already in it. Perhaps the oils not done too many miles, maybe 8000 now, but its more an issue of the oils age in my case, as its had about 18 months use, if the van seller was truthful saying he last did it 3000 miles ago (as at sale) in Sept 08.

The ford WSS-M2C13 ... A or B codes don't seem to be quoted much on oil bottles, but some do and Halfords 5w/30 semi for example is WSS-M2C13-B, ACEA A1/B! not sure what the 10w/40's say as i was sent on a 5w/30 mission to begin with!

Will return to let you's no if the smokiness goes. Thanks to all the contributors on this subject, I guess none of you are far from right or wrong!

This is another subject ... the tyres on it when bought... they are 225/70 R15 C at 44psi .... but Haynes say should be 185 R 15 C 6PR fronts at 55psi, rears at 36 psi.
Have they been changed correctly, to take account of more? weight at rear ... gas bottle, cupboards, cooker, sink, food in cupboards?

[dibs]

Called in at my local Ford dealer today to see if they would do a trade price service kit. Yes, was the answer . Great, but....... they could only supply me with an oil filter Not only did they not have any 10w/40 in stock (the recommended oil on their system btw), but they informed me that they can't even get it from the suppliers Useless This is the same dealer in Ashton Under Lyne that quoted me over £15 for a dash bulb!!

[MrMPuk]

Called in at my local Ford dealer today to see if they would do a trade price service kit. Yes, was the answer . Great, but....... they could only supply me with an oil filter Not only did they not have any 10w/40 in stock (the recommended oil on their system btw), but they informed me that they can't even get it from the suppliers Useless This is the same dealer in Ashton Under Lyne that quoted me over £15 for a dash bulb!!

Recommended oil on fords system for the 2.5 is 10w40 mineral oil or 5w30 semi, bet they had loads of the semi.