(T) Oil

I bought a 1ltr can of top up oil in December 2019 from the dealer from whom I bought the car( new in June 2018) I told the Spares Dept what the car was (2018 Panda 4x4 TA) and they sold me the 1ltr can of Castrol Magnatec 0W-30 C2 (Incidentally I have just been checking the price on the invoice and although I was DEFINITELY sold Castrol Magnatec the invoice says" HELIX ULTRA ECT C2/C3 0W3... " I did not notice this at the time) I was charged £21.05 for 1ltr.

My local Halfords today has 4ltr cans of Castrol Magnatec 0W30 C2 at 30% discount ie £24.50, so I bought a can.

Two questions here,
1 Is there more than one type of Castrol Magnatec 0W.30 C2? Halfords assured me if it was C2 0W30 then it was OK despite having different coding after the "C2" on my "dealers" can?
2 If they are the same how can dealers justify £21.05 for ONE ltr and Halfords sell it, ata profit for £24.50 for FOUR ltrs?

To clarify the above the designation of both the "dealer" oil and the "Halfords" oil are ;
SAE 0W-30 ACEA C2; PSA B71 2312
The dealer oil is called " Magnatec Professional"
Halfords oil is called "Magnatec Stop-start"

Confusing enough without changing the name

Best place for oil specs and recommendations and comparisons would be to look at Castrol's own website. They will explain if there are different oils. Most major oil companies will have an oil finder facility on the site, so see what they say for your car. Likely this is what Halfords have used. Your handbook will show the specs recommended by Fiat.

Whilst any product may have a recommended retial price, any retailer is free to charge whatever they can get away with. Halford have to compete with other retail outlets. Dealers tend to have captive customers. With service and repair work diminishing, dealers will maximise profit wherever they can.
Dealer workshops will often have bulk tanks of oil. The parts department will carry retail pots. Sources may be different. Parts may dual source, and invoice as one description, to avoid doubling up on inventory. I thought this had stopped many years ago, but apparently not. Strictly they have contravened the trade descriptions act, so if the container is still sealed, you could return and demand a refund. If they quibble, calmy suggest you will enquire at your local trading standards office instead, and start to walk away with pot and receipt. They'll probably stop you before you get to the door.

When needing more oil, research what is available from local factors, EuroCarParts, GSF, and CarParts4Less (mail order branch of Euro). See what they have, research the oil manufacturer website to determine correct one for your car, then comapre prices. Register on their sites and await frequent offer emails. They regularly have special offers, in fact CarParts4Less are currently offering 20% off engine oils. (Sorry) https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/?utm...41870242048344

(I have about 2 years worth of oil for the Panda, grabbed a few offers. Might be a bit over the top)

An oil thread..

Personally Ive not strayed from the
'fiats own' Selenia brand..
As the oil does so much more than just lubrication on these motors.

At least yours is clearly of one engine build spec.

My TA's are 2013.. so different to yours.

Changes @2015/16 confuse matters

Charlie

When you ask how dealers get away with charging so much... you answered your own question when you opened your wallet!

Rather than asking how they can charge £20+ for a litre of oil, I wonder why anyone would pay that!

Touche ("e" acute accent) Andy

Interestingly Castrol website cannot recommend an oil for my 2018 TA 4x4, but thanks for the advice

Learnt the hard way from not using Petronas/Selenia oil in my twinair, including MOT failure for emissions (high Lambda due inlet valves not closing qiick enough) and Lambda sensor failure.

The Uniair unit is very sensitive to oil brand it seems. Hydraulic actuation of its components is quite precise in nature.

I guess another make for topups wouldn't be such a problem compared to a full change.

Perhaps that means they do not have an oil that they consider suitable. A very good reason to return for a refund.

Presumably you've had the car serviced, at that dealer? Check the invoices for what they say they used at the service. If as said above, this engine is critical with its oil, keeping those service receipts will be good ammo in case of failure, even out of warranty.

Thanks Bill
Car has not yet been "serviced" as such, as it is less than 2 years old and has only done 6000 odd miles. It did go back to the dealer for the £95 wash and tyre kicking exercise!
It is still running on the dealer fill of oil at delivery, with about 1/2 ltr of top-up oil subsequently.
What is interesting is that the dealer who sold me the car, is the same dealer that sold me the bottle of Castrol Magnatec "Professional".
If I had not enquired of the Forum I would have (very reasonably surely) assumed Dealer used that oil ie Castrol Magnatec
Dealer is some distance away from me and I am off to Switzerland shortly (by train) but when I am back I think a visit and a long face to face conversation is required

Back in @2005 our local'ish
multifranchise place ( who were actually fine for warranty work) always charged for Castrol..
in a non.fussy 1.1 panda I wasnt over concerned.. but summised if they used 'cheap local alternatives'

I may as well find a
cheap local alternative garage

Couple of points there:

Unlike a bike.. which is shipped in a crate..and assembled locally

The panda will have driven 5 to 150 miles before sale
'odometer reset at point of sale' legally!

And all those 'performance gains' you will have noticed are the result of 'break.in'

All that shaved metal is either circulating.. or slowing up your filtration

My last bike (Italian) had mesh screen filters you removed and washed in fuel before re.use
They caught a LOT of 'build junk'.

Sealant..filings etc

With this in mind my TA had regular oil and filter changes up to 20k.
Nowadays its 12k apart its completely oiltight

You can choose ANY fiat approved workshop for servicing..

My old diesel used a fantastic Alfa dealer specialist.

The TA went to a small workshop run by the mechanics of Oxfords FIAT dealer that closed..

These have since all closed



Do have a great trip..

Weve flown into Italy for a couple of self.organised rail tours..excellent

And having had my family fly into the 'french end' of Switzerland while working out there
We are jealous..

Charlie

Thanks Charlie, we are hoping for plenty of snow, but it looks a bit unlikely at the moment
Guzzi, Morini, Ducati, ? What's your obsession?

Do you blame yourself, even a little?

Perhaps we could persuade you to visit a few of the less than helpful dealers, see if you can have the same effect?

I wish I couldve got the 'transit centre'off the approved list

As for that 'fishy lot 'in Wiltshire..
Well if they continued charging for services they were not providing.. their demise shouldnt be too shocking