Cheap Engine Oil

"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
12/15/2014 at 15:25 • Filed to: None

So I'm changing my oil tomorrow and was thinking of just buying one of the cheaper oils at my local parts store. I was wondering if anyone with any experience could weigh in on whether more expensive oil is worth it (bearing in mind I'm far from a wealthy guy so savings matter.)

DISCUSSION (64)

desertdog5051 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:30

Any oil is better than old, dirty or no oil.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:31

Depends on the certs for it. If it's not certified eight ways from Sunday, run like the wind. Also, there are cheap brands that are worse than other cheap brands. I'd research a bit first.

Ford Motorcraft-branded diesel oil, for example, is reasonably cheap and will do in a pinch for a diesel, but it depends.

Jedidiah > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:34

Traveller's from Tractor Supply is cheap and you can buy it in big barrells that you can connect a pump to. It is really useful if you have many vehicles that take the same grade.

It is also certified by the API and has good additives.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > desertdog5051
12/15/2014 at 15:35

Yeah I only recently bought the car and the most recent service receipt says it's due a change now. I don't have a lot of money at the moment but it's not something I want to put off.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Jedidiah
12/15/2014 at 15:36

All our vehicles take different oil unfortunately. I actually have enough oil to fill my car laying around but it's the wrong grade.

nermal > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:36

I'm of the school of thought that skimping on all fluids (including fuel) and their change interval is a Bad Idea (tm).

Buy the good stuff, and make sure it fits the requirements for your engine.

TheHondaBro > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:36

Whatever you do, don't go for the cheap Valvoline knockoff from the Dollar Tree.

JGrabowMSt > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:37

Oil is cheaper than a motor. Mobil 1 fully synthetic. It's not exactly like comparison shopping in the cookie isle.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/15/2014 at 15:39

I did a little research and several people say they used the brand my parts store usually stocks. Checking the certs is a good point, I'll have to take my owners manual with me tomorrow.

jariten1781 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:40

A lot of the no-brand oils show up with tons of suspended metallic particles when analyzed, most suspect there's a lot of recycled oil in there. It'd be worth spending some time doing the research into them all if you really can't swing a cheap version of a name brand.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > nermal
12/15/2014 at 15:41

Noted. I keep to the intervals but honestly I like to save money wherever I can. Especially when Castrol is over twice the price of the cheaper oil.

E92M3 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:42

How long do you plan to keep the car?

I never understand people who buy the most expensive oil and change it every 3k miles only to trade in the car after 3 years time. You wouldn't do that with a lease, so be honest with how long you'll realistically keep it. Some cars need detailed records to command the highest resale value BUT if the person is too lazy to sell it themselves they are just wasting money. Sure the next owner with appreciate the anal maintenance assuming they get your records passed on. Most dealers throw away receipts for privacy policy reasons.

I also recently saw an article where a few states pulled a handful of cheap brands from shelves and told the manufacturers they could no longer sell in those states because the oil did not meet min standards.

desertdog5051 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:42

Easiest way to compare is look at the API rating. If it meets the same as other brands, you know you're not putting crap into your engine. S is for gas and C is for diesel.

Jedidiah > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:43

Well, damn.

It is still considerably cheaper than other brands and has good certs, so I can still recomend it.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > jariten1781
12/15/2014 at 15:43

Thanks for the info. I've done a little research but many on forums use the cheap oils and dont think about it again so it's hard to get good info.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:44

I use nothing but pure, wild-harvest, deep Atlantic sperm whale oil. Its's $200 per quart, but it complements the whale foreskin leather seats in my Dartz.

midengineer > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:46

Even if you go with a cheaper brand try to be consistent with what you use in the future. It's not great to change the brand/quality of oil in your engine every change.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:47

If you aren't tracking the car or planning on holding onto it forever, it probably doesn't matter much as long as it's from a reputable brand. There's alot of used oil being sold as discount oil at the moment, so I would avoid the super-cheap stuff.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > TheHondaBro
12/15/2014 at 15:47

We don't have dollar tree here so not a problem.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > midengineer
12/15/2014 at 15:48

I plan to as long as I own it. No idea what it's had in it in the last though.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:48

How wrong are we talking? If you normally put 5w30 in and have 10w30, it probably won't matter.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > desertdog5051
12/15/2014 at 15:49

Thanks for the info.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > E92M3
12/15/2014 at 15:51

I'll be keeping it a while but I don't put a lot of miles on it (only 1000 since the start of August). The car isn't worth much so resale isn't something I'm too concerned about, the service history is only semi-complete anyway.

Will with a W8 races an E30 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:52

Here you go:

http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/mot…

Scroll down to a nice one in your weight.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
12/15/2014 at 15:53

I use 5w40 and this is 5w30 so it's not far off but it's also been sat around a while so I'm not sure I trust it.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:55

Probably fine, then. The only major cheap-ish brand I've heard to avoid is QS due to high paraffin content being more hindrance than help - I don't know if their formula today is the same as when the variety I was warned about existed...

Filters - I usually use NAPA Gold or Wix, which are the same thing. Don't use Fram, the alternatives are perfectly good and cheap.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
12/15/2014 at 15:56

I certainly won't be tracking it, I'm set to average about 4000 miles this year 50/50 town and city. I won't be going super cheap but the oil they usually sell there is from a cheaper manufacturer.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 15:57

I read that this vehicle is new to you in the comments. I would buy not crap, but cheaper oil and run it for 500 to 1000 miles then switch to something decent. Lubricating your engine isn't a prime spot to skimp out on, particularly if you drive in a spirited manner. Preventative maintenance has a habit of costing a little more now to save a lot more later.

Just my $0.02

desertdog5051 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:01

It looks like this and is on every container. This way you can make sure what you are getting. The service category is most important.

Kinja'd!!!

MM54 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:05

I put Pennzoil Platinum in my P71... it's overkill (shoot for 4k miles changes) but, even though I don't intend to keep that car much long, I'd rather not run into problems from shit oil.

That said, when I was daily driving my Chevelle, it would go through (burn some, leak some) a quart of oil with every tank of gas. I bought "Wolfs Head" 10w-30 by the case and kept it in the trunk...

(Obligatory: http://mattlachesky.kinja.com/damnit-kinja-1… thank you)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
12/15/2014 at 16:06

Thanks for the info

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:07

Glad to share ;)

LumberJunk > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:10

I have run the cheapest crappy oil in my old Toyota and it was great. I don't know where you live, but in Canada we have strict regulations regarding oil. If your in the US I have no idea. I do remember reading an article about an inexpensive American oil company lying about viscosities. I'd say go with a bargain name brand and change it as soon as the owner's manual says to.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > LumberJunk
12/15/2014 at 16:13

I'm in the UK so I'm not sure what the regulation is really.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > desertdog5051
12/15/2014 at 16:17

but he lives in the UK, which is not in america.

LumberJunk > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:19

I bet there's some good regulations. UK seems to always have better quality stuff than here in North America. :) Some of the other advice people have left here is really good! My take on it is, if they are allowed to call it motor oil, it should probably work as motor oil haha

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > LumberJunk
12/15/2014 at 16:23

Haha we certainly seem to have a bit more regulations and taxes.

Yeah I'm pretty pleased with the replies I've gotten, oppo has been great any time I've had a query.

I do services for the familys cars and just use the cheapest oil since they request it, not had any issues yet...

LumberJunk > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:27

Perfect! :) I find OPPO is a lot more useful than those automotive Facebook groups. They are a scary thing!

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > LumberJunk
12/15/2014 at 16:32

Agreed, certain forums can be pretty unwelcoming too. Oppo is largely pretty friendly.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:35

It really doesn't matter all that much if you use the right weight and don't switch from synth to non-synthetic oil or vice versa - but that said, you can almost always find some decent branded oil on a deal somewhere if you shop around.

Then again, sometimes the cheap oil is on offer:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/prod…

This looks interesting:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/prod…

A quick google suggests it's the same as Carlube synthetic, so I don't know how cheap that price really is.

Oh, and don't forget to check the manual for the specs your car's oil needs to meet, and then check that whatever you buy actually meets them.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 16:43

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely be sticking to the same weight and fully synthetic as the manual suggests. That said I looked through the service receipts and none of the last few say which oil was actually put in so I don't know whether it has a different weight in it now.

I also found a receipt saying it was servived 4000 miles before I got it when I thought it was done 12'000 ago (which is the service interval), but I might still change it for peace of mind.

desertdog5051 > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
12/15/2014 at 16:44

Did not know that. I'm sure they have some type of similar ratings for motor oil there.

jariten1781 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:55

You have Poundland and 99p stores. Same dif...haha.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 16:55

Just some food for thought:
http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/new-jersey-ban…

I'd say it depends on what you consider expensive/cheap motor oil. I used Castrol GTX in all my cars before my FR-S, and an oil change usually cost me around $20 (or £12.80). I definitely don't think you need any really expensive brands, but I'd at least go for a mid-level oil and not the lowest priced guy. One thing to do is look at the fine print on the packaging on the cheap stuff to see if there is any mention of a "better" brand, repackaging and selling to other brands is very common in the automotive world.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > jariten1781
12/15/2014 at 16:56

True, never seen engine oil in any of them though haha.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
12/15/2014 at 16:58

Thanks. I was going for mid range ish sort of oils. Budget brands but not the sort of stuff you see in a blank bottle in a supermarket.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 17:17

Then yeah, those are perfectly fine.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 17:20

Well, if it's not that urgent you might as well give it a few weeks and see if you run across any really good deals on a good brand. Oh yes, also keep an eye out for National vouchers - you can end up with an oil change done by them for less than the cost of the oil and filter, as long as you don't mind telling them to piss off when they give you some bullshit about needing hundreds of pounds worth of repairs.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 17:33

Yeah I'll shop around and see what I can get.

I'll keep a look out for that, although I'm a bit averse to people other than me or my grandad touching my car other than essential stuff like MOTs.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 17:35

There is that, but then again it's an oil change. They'll either do it fine, or screw it up completely - and if a big chain writes-off your car through idiocy, they'll sort it out. Plus, who wants to do an oil change in midwinter if they don't have to?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 17:40

I'm a bit of a masochist and actually like working on cars even if its pouring down so thats isnt an issue haha.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 17:44

Ah, well then, if you ever find yourself in London and it's raining...

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 17:48

Haha I don't think I'll be visiting London again anytime soon. Went once, didn't like it.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/15/2014 at 18:19

I've had better luck with QS than Pennzoil, which also supposedly has a high paraffin content. I've personally done a test on Pennzoil synthetic against Napa brand dinosaur oil. Put a tablespoon of oil on a piece of sheet metal and heat with a small butane torch, Pennzoil boiled and left thick carbon deposits, and Napa did not. But I didn't try this with QS or anything else, didn't have any around at the time.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/15/2014 at 19:16

Wha...t?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 20:06

Me and a friend travelled around London for a day since we were down south for Wimbledon. It was just so busy and dense. I guess its what you get when two guys who've lived up north for all of their lives go to london.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/16/2014 at 09:20

Heh, that's definitely the downside of London. I don't think there's all that much to appreciate unless you live here, other than sight-seeing sort of stuff. When you do, though, you get the benefits of living in a huge city, with the wide variation of stuff to do - among 15+ million people, you're bound to find some who want to do the same things you do.

If you pick the right part of London - often very expensive, some surprisingly cheap - you can find the best of both worlds. There are some greener, quieter parts too.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
12/16/2014 at 10:06

I like newcastle because it still has a lot to do and is a bit less busy. Although I would say that since I live there most of the year...

I think my distaste was because a lot of people do the sight seeing stuff and say how good it was and we didnt enjoy it all too much. Like you say I'd maybe find it more agreeable if I lived there and got used to it.

Plus me and my friends make crappy tourists. We usually like to be somewhere for a specific reason (hence us going to watch wimbledon) or in the pub.

Leon711 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/16/2014 at 11:33

Euro Car Parts usually have a decent brand on sale I use Shell Helix Ultra, when it's on offer it's 20 quid for 5 l

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Leon711
12/16/2014 at 11:51

That's not bad. I found out it was serviced 4000 miles ago so I have time to hunt out good deals on the better stuff now. Will still likely do a change in a couple thousand miles though since I don't know what was put in it last service.

michael bleggi > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/16/2014 at 11:54

"bearing" "weight" lol you made at least two oil-related puns without trying

Leon711 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
12/16/2014 at 11:55

5w-40 , 10w-40 euro car parts say both are fine for 1.3 multijet panda.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > michael bleggi
12/16/2014 at 11:56

Haha I never noticed.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Leon711
12/16/2014 at 11:59

Fairly decent prices, I'll probably order some if I get any money for Christmas and change the oil in January.