Which engine oil work best in your car

[Mikeyeo]

Hi all,

 

After reading many postings from members on what engine oil to use for your car, I happened to read through Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) website and below is their recommendation.

 

I hope it helps you to understand better:

 

Just like petrol, engine oil is another vital liquid that no car can run without. As commonly referred to as 'lube' oil, this substance plays a significant role in limiting the engine's wear, influencing its fuel economy and even aids cooling to a certain extent. As with petrol, engine oil is available in several grades or viscosities. Also referred to as 'weight', these are denoted by numbers such as 5-W40. Generally speaking, older cars tend to require thicker viscosities such as 15-W50 while newer cars engines are built with finer tolerances and can use thinner oils such as a 0-W30 weight.

 

What To Do

 

To find out which oil suits your car, refer to the owner's manual or check with your car's dealer. There are many different brands on the market of varying qualities - price is usually a good indicator of how good an engine oil is, so shop around.

 

What It Means

 

The advantage of using a 'lighter' oil is that it flows more quickly to the engine's moving parts during start-up and a thinner oil also helps the engine's fuel efficiency as the moving parts within it have less resistance to work against.

 

Another way of explaining this concept would be to imagine how much more energy you'll need to stir a bucket of thick liquid verses a bucket of water.

 

Unlike petrol, cars are more sensitive to the engine oil that's put in them and as a general rule you should never mix different oils in the same engine.

 

Engine oils also come in three basic categories; mineral, semi-synthetic and fully synthetic. While mineral is often the cheapest, fully synthetic oil is the most expensive as it lasts the longest.

 

Oils 'break down' or loose their viscosity over time or distance driven. When this happens, the engine oil looses its ability to protect the engine. So long-lasting fully synthetic oil will ensure the best protection right up to your next service.

 

Even though most synthetic engine oils claim to be effective way in excess of your car's recommended servicing intervals, you should still keep to the latter schedule to maintain your car properly.

 

[Kelpie]

What you've posted are really common sense at work .

 

For me, I get the engine oil that is friendly to my pocket/wallet, change full syn oil and filter every 5K, ATF every 10K. This should be good enough. I find no fuel consumption difference between 5W30 and 5W40 for my car. So far Amosil Signature series still work best for me as the fuel consumption somehow lower during the period that I used it, don't know what.

 

Regards,

 

[Vextan]

What you've posted are really common sense at work .

 

For me, I get the engine oil that is friendly to my pocket/wallet, change full syn oil and filter every 5K, ATF every 10K. This should be good enough. I find no fuel consumption difference between 5W30 and 5W40 for my car. So far Amosil Signature series still work best for me as the fuel consumption somehow lower during the period that I used it, don't know what.

 

Regards,

 

with due respect, changing fully syn engine oil every 5k and ATF every 10k in my opinion, is wastage. it can easily last at least double that. my previous car a renault, the suggested oil change interval by the AD is 20k. i believe a few other conti cars also.

Edited May 4, 2009 by Vextan

[Amortifiedpenguin]

im using 5w50 for a 7 mth old car consumption is so so for my model. friend's lancer using 0w30???

Edited May 4, 2009 by Amortifiedpenguin

[Kelpie]

with due respect, changing fully syn engine oil every 5k and ATF every 10k in my opinion, is wastage. it can easily last at least double that.

 

I agreed. I'm just being kiasu. Perhaps, I should coincide the change of engine oil, oil filter and ATF at every 10K interval. That would be the max I'm willing to go.

 

Regards,

[Robo]

me 5w30 redline works best so far.. good fc and good power

[Kelpie]

me 5w30 redline works best so far.. good fc and good power

 

I think Amsoil and Redline are reliable brands with expected product results. I now stick to Redline for ATF.

 

Regards,

[Robo]

I agreed. I'm just being kiasu. Perhaps, I should coincide the change of engine oil, oil filter and ATF at every 10K interval. That would be the max I'm willing to go.

 

Regards,

 

nah... not really kiasu. i normally change oil and filter around 8k.

[Kb27]

Redline makes good stuff. I used their Power Steering fluid and MTF as well.

[Cavili]

Schaeffer Oil is good and cheap. Currently using 9000 series fully synthetic 5W-30.

[Watwheels]

To me it's the lubricating properties which are more important cos it will keep the temperature down. I would also like to know how the oil reacts to high temperature over some periods of time.

 

I still prefer higher viscosity oil as it protects the engine more as compare to lower viscosity oil which most ppl like cos of the FC & "power" but the trade off will be that the wear & heat is more.

 

Oil is always working against the enemy call heat. Your engine parts and oil will looses its characteristics under high temperature and long exposure to it.

 

So the question is "which kinda oil you would prefer to use" rather dan "which engine oil work best in your car" cos there isn't this thing called "the best oil", it's what you prefer to compromise.

Edited May 4, 2009 by Watwheels

[Kelpie]

To me it's the lubricating properties which are more important cos it will keep the temperature down. I would also like to know how the oil reacts to high temperature over some periods of time.

 

I still prefer higher viscosity oil as it protects the engine more as compare to lower viscosity oil which most ppl like cos of the FC & "power" but the trade off will be that the wear & heat is more.

 

Oil is always working against the enemy call heat. Your engine parts and oil will looses its characteristics under high temperature and long exposure to it.

 

So the question is "which kinda oil you would prefer to use" rather dan "which engine oil work best in your car" cos there isn't this thing called "the best oil", it's what you prefer to compromise.

 

But how high a visosity would you go? There are even engine oil with no viscosity rating these days.

 

Regards,

 

 

[Trex101]

To me it's the lubricating properties which are more important cos it will keep the temperature down. I would also like to know how the oil reacts to high temperature over some periods of time.

 

I still prefer higher viscosity oil as it protects the engine more as compare to lower viscosity oil which most ppl like cos of the FC & "power" but the trade off will be that the wear & heat is more.

 

Oil is always working against the enemy call heat. Your engine parts and oil will looses its characteristics under high temperature and long exposure to it.

 

So the question is "which kinda oil you would prefer to use" rather dan "which engine oil work best in your car" cos there isn't this thing called "the best oil", it's what you prefer to compromise.

 

Thicker oil don't protect better, that's a misconception. In fact 70-80% of engine wear occurs during start-up and thicker oil is detrimental due to lower start up flowrate. The only benefit of using thicker oil is if your engine hit a higher oil temp, say for example you turbo/super charge it, race/track it or drives at sustain high speed. As a guide, every 10'c increase above 100'c oil temp will need an increase of 1 oil weight, so if you are running at 120'c during NSH run, then you will need a 50wt oil instead of 30wt.

[Kelpie]

Thicker oil don't protect better, that's a misconception. In fact 70-80% of engine wear occurs during start-up and thicker oil is detrimental due to lower start up flowrate. The only benefit of using thicker oil is if your engine hit a higher oil temp, say for example you turbo/super charge it, race/track it or drives at sustain high speed. As a guide, every 10'c increase above 100'c oil temp will need an increase of 1 oil weight, so if you are running at 120'c during NSH run, then you will need a 50wt oil instead of 30wt.

 

Like that for someone who frequent NSH, what is the best compromise 40 wt? I though Genie47 once commented even for high speed on NSH, 50wt is just too heavy. The rationale is you hardly maintain that kind of high speed for too long and consistently.

 

Regards,

[Axela72]

I agreed. I'm just being kiasu. Perhaps, I should coincide the change of engine oil, oil filter and ATF at every 10K interval. That would be the max I'm willing to go.

 

Regards,

 

Does ATF really need to change every 10k? Do we need to flash out 1st before changing or just topping up the fluid only?

[Kelpie]

Does ATF really need to change every 10k? Do we need to flash out 1st before changing or just topping up the fluid only?

 

It is not a must do but good to do. I read from an articule that if ATF is frequently change, drain and refill is good enough. If 60K change once kind, better to do a flush.

 

Regards,

 

 

[Gizmo]

Is there a misconception that running on 20wt oil is no good? Most ppl really sceptical when i say i'm running 20wt...to thin la...no protection la..bla bla bla. OK,i'm using 20wt oil on Honda Stream for the past 4 servicing. Then took other advices to run 30wt oil. Feels like crap !

 

I will go back to 20wt oil.

[Kelpie]

Is there a misconception that running on 20wt oil is no good? Most ppl really sceptical when i say i'm running 20wt...to thin la...no protection la..bla bla bla. OK,i'm using 20wt oil on Honda Stream for the past 4 servicing. Then took other advices to run 30wt oil. Feels like crap !

 

I will go back to 20wt oil.

 

Just want to understand more, what do you mean by "Feels like crap !"? Any difference in fuel consumption?

 

Regards,