Folks,
I picked up some synthetic oil from GSF in Sheffield yesterday. At a good price.
I intend to run a fully synth in my XM 2.5 as a "life-prolonging" exercise (there have been hostoric issues with cam lobe wear on this engine, so I understand), to make life on the short runs a bit easier, and for the simple fact that Mrs G. is not always as sympathetic as she should be on short runs from cold.
It's Quantum Syntha. Gold API SJ/CF ACEA A3 B3. With a Volkswagen label on it.
However, the front of the can says "...approved for use...gasoline engines". No mention of diesels.
I take it that this is OK for my XM? Are there any addtives, etc, in a semi-synth. that are missing in the fully synth. which make it unsuitable for diesels?
Comments welcome.
Cheers
rg
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The short answer it that it is not OK. Diesel oils have extra detergency to keep the extra soot in suspension.
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GWS,
Thanks for the response.
I thought that fully synthetic was about as "detergenty" as you could get? Hence the need to "flush" an engine that has run on non-synth. before changing to a fully-synth - it can dislodge all the muck which "lesser oils" miss..
Or maybe not.
Other opinions?
rg
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using a synthetic in an engine that hasnt been regulaly servced could well do this yes,
in truth most oils will be suitable for petrol or diesel
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it will be fine mate
API sepcs - SJ (s for spark ingition - petrol)
CF (Cfor compression ignition diesel)
ACEA -A3 - petrol spec B3 diesel spec
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As mentioned above, B3 is the spec for modern diesels/turbo diesels including HDi and Common Rail with "normal" oil change intervals. B4 is required for extended change intervals.
There are apocryphal tales of problems associated with switching to fully synth later in a cars life, including the gradual breakdown of carbon deposits that may subsequently settle on the bearing face of the turbo.
Personally I'm perfectly happy running my 2.4JTD on semi-synth and would be wary of changing now at 30,000 miles.
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rg - relax, don't worry. It is AOK. (assuming that your VW diesel does not require one of those very special VW synthetic oils? )
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It's going into a Citroen XM and a Vauxhall Monterey.
The XM has been on semi-synth all it's life (78K) and the Monterey (136K) fully synth since I got it at 67K. The Monterey is used for towing and the turbo spins for most of the time when lugging 2700kgs up the M1 at 60mph, (hence the synthetic).
rg
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Vauxhall don't offer a dedicated diesel oil.
They suggest their semi-synthetic product, is the prefered choice.
Usually buy 3 get 1 free & low priced, anyway.
Made by Esso/Comma too.
VB
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yep, the only paticuly special diesle is the VW PD range, requiring VW505.01 most other oils cover both a petrol and diesel spec - those that dont have it on the can probably meet one but its left off for marketing reasons
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This one has "approved to VW502.00/505.00(01/97) on the front.
£19.00 inc VAT from GSF.(5ltrs)
rg
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VW 502.00 and 505.00 are only suitable for older VAG (Skoda, Seat, Audi, VW) tdi engines NOT Pump Duse (i.e.pdi) engines. Under no circumstances should oils of these specifications (synthetic or not) be used in pdi engines. There has been considerable posting in this forum on this topic over the last year or so.
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bertj
As per the posting above, this oil is for a '96 Monterey (Isuzu 3.1 TD) and a Citroen XM 2.5 TD, so I take it that there will be no problems..
rg
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That's fine, it's just the so and so VW pdi engines that need this exotic oil!
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Just for the record. None of VW 505.01 spec oils are fully synthetic. For instance Millers 505.01 is semi synthetic. I understand that a synthetic, diesel specific oil, should never be used in the pdi engines. VW 505.01 has a specific additive required by the mechanical injectors on the VW engines.
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It says "Fully Synthetic" on the front of the bottle..
rg
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thats cos its only 505.00 not 505.01
cant see any reason a 505.01 cant be fully synth anyway tho
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Life was so much more simple in the days of Castrol R and Duckhams 20/50.
(Has anyone seen a pump-action forecourt 2-stroke oil dispenser in recent times?)
Give me back my Puch Maxi and Garelli 50 ("ying-ying-ying")
rg
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