What oil do you use? LCR and LC

verbal_kint

Active Member
Apr 15, 2010
639
31
North West Kent
If you are doing regular changes then all oils of the type you mention will do.

But I personally would avoid the real cheap ones from Wilko's, Asda and the car boot sale. Fuchs or Triple X, ECP's own brand has never given me a problem.

If you go the long-life route then I would go to a higher end brand like Fuchs, Millers, Shell etc. Try the oil finder on Opies site and get a forum discount.
 

Zardoz

Active Member
Sep 6, 2016
525
214
North West
I've been using Opie oils for mine and the Mrs car's old changes for the last couple of years, didn't know there was a forum discount! Couple more months and they need servicing so I'll know for next time, ta.

Not the same engine (dirty diesel) but I usually go for Millers or Fuchs.

Not sure how much discount you get from the forum but if you order through them on eBay its normally free delivery.
 
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andycupra

status subject to change
5w 40 is correct.

Many people will recommend going for 5w30 and see it as am 'upgrade', however I would recommend staying with the 5w40
Among other reasons.. I recommend staying on 5w40 and not changing to 5w30 as this would be counter intuitive to provide the correct protection - on a simple basis as an engine ages/wears gaps increase rather than decrease and so any change in oil in terms of protection would be better served by increasing viscosity rather than decreasing as would be the case with 5w30. (or sticking with original spec)

The other thing to consider when people provide advice is what do they actually mean by better performance? this may come down to what your objectives are...
* a lower viscosity oil may provide better performance in terms on drag on the engine, so this would relate to power and engine performance.
* while based on what the main objective of the oil - ie to protect, then stick with the 5w40.

(although not really a major concern between 5w 40 and 5w30, oil pump rates and other concerns should be considered if making significant changes to viscosity used).

With regular 6 month oil changes, good quality semi synthetic would likely be perfectly fine, as the main drawback would be degredation over time, but with 6 monthly changes ithis is not really an issue. (even at 12 months is not a notable issue)
However it is clear than synthetic oils do offer better protection over a wider operating window and so synthetic oils are the better option. (but do look for good quality so its a true synthetic) id prefer a longer 9 month change with better quality oil than 6 monthly with a cheaper oil if cost is a concern..
 
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Connorg115

Active Member
Aug 29, 2017
397
66
United Kingdom
5w 40 is correct.



Many people will recommend going for 5w30 and see it as am 'upgrade', however I would recommend staying with the 5w40

Among other reasons.. I recommend staying on 5w40 and not changing to 5w30 as this would be counter intuitive to provide the correct protection - on a simple basis as an engine ages/wears gaps increase rather than decrease and so any change in oil in terms of protection would be better served by increasing viscosity rather than decreasing as would be the case with 5w30. (or sticking with original spec)



The other thing to consider when people provide advice is what do they actually mean by better performance? this may come down to what your objectives are...

* a lower viscosity oil may provide better performance in terms on drag on the engine, so this would relate to power and engine performance.

* while based on what the main objective of the oil - ie to protect, then stick with the 5w40.



(although not really a major concern between 5w 40 and 5w30, oil pump rates and other concerns should be considered if making significant changes to viscosity used).



Thanks for your help! 5w40 it is then!
 

Homer Simpson

Active Member
May 12, 2014
229
22
I just go to TPS and get their Quantum Oil. Prices are very good and it's the correct stuff.

I recently bought some Platinum for my TDI and it was around £12 for 5L. The LL3 5w30 wasn't much more. They did ave 10% off ut even without this it is very competitive.
 

BenCupraR

Active Member
Mar 23, 2017
31
0
5W40 Quantum Platinum fully synth - same stuff it comes out of the factory with and not too badly priced.

Others may be able to confirm but i believe it is made by Castrol and is cheaper than the flashy packaged castrol own oils.
 

Alexis27

Active Member
Dec 20, 2009
2,095
451
Manchester
Yep, it’s just Castrol Edge Titanium. It’s half price at Tesco at the moment, so you can pick up for less than Quantum at the moment.
 

weasley

Active Member
May 19, 2017
137
4
South Oxfordshire
5w 40 is correct.

Yep, it is one of the correct options.

Many people will recommend going for 5w30 and see it as am 'upgrade', however I would recommend staying with the 5w40
Among other reasons.. I recommend staying on 5w40 and not changing to 5w30 as this would be counter intuitive to provide the correct protection - on a simple basis as an engine ages/wears gaps increase rather than decrease and so any change in oil in terms of protection would be better served by increasing viscosity rather than decreasing as would be the case with 5w30.

This assumes that the engine wears out beyond the ability of a 5W-30 to 'fill the gaps', which is highly unlikely. Besides, what gaps are we talking about? The crank journal bearings are essentially self-filling, so will entrain oil as they rotate and generally operate in a hydrodynamic mode so all they need is a good supply of oil, which the pump provides. Ring/liner contacts are most critical at top-ring turnaround, but with liner and ring plating these days they don't wear a lot and the different in viscosity between a 5W-30 and 5W-40 at top ring reversal temperatures will be pretty small. Cam-on-follower is the highest contact stress but these rely as much on surface protection additives as viscosity.

...(or sticking with original spec)

Factory-fill oil is/was...?!

(although not really a major concern between 5w 40 and 5w30, oil pump rates and other concerns should be considered if making significant changes to viscosity used).

Yes, sort of, but oil pumps are positive displacement type so will push the same volume regardless of the viscosity. How well this then permeates the various working parts of the engine can be a factor, but at working temperature there will be pretty much no difference between a 5W-30 and 5W-40, given that the engine has to work and not wear out during warm-up, when the oil is far thicker anyway.

With regular 6 month oil changes, good quality semi synthetic would likely be perfectly fine, as the main drawback would be degredation over time, but with 6 monthly changes ithis is not really an issue. (even at 12 months is not a notable issue)
However it is clear than synthetic oils do offer better protection over a wider operating window and so synthetic oils are the better option. (but do look for good quality so its a true synthetic) id prefer a longer 9 month change with better quality oil than 6 monthly with a cheaper oil if cost is a concern..

I advise it is best to stay away from how the oil is described in terms of semi- or full-synthetic and focus more on what performance it gives. This is demonstrated by the specifications and approvals it holds*. VW's specs are well-known challenging specs to achieve, so a 5W-30 that has reached this level has had to include some decent base oils and additives simply to jump this hurdle. Oh, and some 0W-30s are approved too.

Don't get me wrong, a 5W-40 meeting 502 00/505 00/505 01 is a decent oil and good for these engines, I just wanted to put across a bit of extra food for thought to at least not worry anybody running 5W-30 or 0W-30 (which is also a decent choice).

*Read data sheets and labels carefully - some say something like "meets the requirements of ..." or "suitable for use where ...... is specified". This often means that the oil is not formally approved by the OEM in question, but the oil maker has made a judgement call. It is quicker and cheaper to do it this way, but without a formal approval the OEM can offer no support, if needed.
 
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