Technical Oils: Same Grade, Different Brand

[SB1500]

Does anyone here think this could cause a problem?

I use Castrol Magnatec Fully Synthetic 5W-40 C3 on my Panda

I'm in need of more oil and funds are low, I was considering getting some Tesco or Halfords brand stuff of the same grade to top up my oil.

Could using different brands like this do any harm?

 

[koalar]

Mixing same grade fully synthetic oil will not harm the engine. Having enough oil is more important than the type

http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/motoring/cars/using/2016/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-car-oil

 

[Sweetsixteen]

A lot of nonsense is spouted about wines, and it's getting that way with oils.

I have one vehicle on almost 200k miles, and a friend on 320k miles, and we both use cheap oils. Never any mechanical trouble.

If you have a car under warranty, then make sure you always use the specified oil. Oils and engines are made so well today that using a brand not specified by the manufacturer is not a big deal.

Obviously make sure that the oil spec (as you've said 5W-40 for example) is within normal limits. And especially with a diesel having a dpf use low ash oil.

Others will no doubt have different views!

 

[SB1500]

Thanks guys.

Any idea what the C3 and C2 part of the specification code means?

Saw the 5W-40 with C2, but I've been using C3

 

[koalar]

A lot of nonsense is spouted about wines, and it's getting that way with oils.

I have one vehicle on almost 200k miles, and a friend on 320k miles, and we both use cheap oils. Never any mechanical trouble.

If you have a car under warranty, then make sure you always use the specified oil. Oils and engines are made so well today that using a brand not specified by the manufacturer is not a big deal.

Obviously make sure that the oil spec (as you've said 5W-40 for example) is within normal limits. And especially with a diesel having a dpf use low ash oil.

Others will no doubt have different views!

Agreed

Tesco and the like just buy it in. Most likely from the same production line.

 

[koalar]

C3 engine oils are suitable for diesel engines fitted with diesel particulate filters (DPFs). Very similar to C2 but without fuel-economy requirements

C2 engine oil is suitable for diesel engines fitted with diesel particulate filters (DPFs), this specification is very similar to ACEA C1 but with a marginally higher SAPS limit

Guess Castrol use standard labelling

Both okay in a petrol


In fact in amateur 750 car racing they use to use tractor oil as was more suitable for the higher pressures of tuned engine

 

[jimboy]

Blimey! another oil thread. More emphasis should be put on regular oil changes with what ever oil you choose. It's already been said mixing same spec different brand is not a problem.

By the way I'm a wine drinker, but that's a different story all together.....

 

[irc]

Any recognisable brand, right grade, right spec, changed at right interval, not using cheap filters. Seems to have worked for me.

I try not to leave buying oil & service parts until just before I need them. There's usually cheap offers at Asda/Morrison's/Tesco or on Amazon but I have found that what I want is rarely at the lowest price when I would actually need it. Doesn't cost me anything to store a can of oil for a few months, and the savings can be 50% or more.

I do tend to avoid brands that I have never heard of, from shops I have not used before, because I wouldn't be surprised to find that some scrote in the supply chain has been cutting corners (short shelf life, rebottled from damaged containers, etc.). I've never found the need to risk it, because whatever oil I want is going to be on offer somewhere, before I need it.

 

[Thefox]

I'm in the motor trade and don't know anyone that would use supermarket brand oils.
You should always use the correct grade and spec of oil.
I've never seen any car manufacturer or garage using a super market brand oil.!
My advice is go to your local motor factors, choose the ones that local garages would use. If you use the incorrect grade/spec of oil and you have a mechanical engine fault whilst in warranty period then it could affect warranty.

 

[jimboy]

I think we all know/said the correct spec should be used. The oil industry is a multi billion outfit & every one wants a part of it. Supermarket oils obviously don't make their own engine oils, they buy in from a source which is probably supplying many outlets such as Halfords & the like. Basically most/all from the base stock sources. Read the label simple.

Being in the motor trade you should know/realise garages get their oil usually in bulk from either where that fleet is told, even family owned businesses will look at bulk buying from probably the same places as the rest.

 

[Sweetsixteen]

I'm in the motor trade and don't know anyone that would use supermarket brand oils.
Not many friends, huh?
You should always use the correct grade and spec of oil.
As already said.
I've never seen any car manufacturer or garage using a super market brand oil.!
You're not alone! Probably not one of us has seen a manufacturer buy oil from a supermarket either!
My advice is go to your local motor factors, choose the ones that local garages would use. If you use the incorrect grade/spec of oil and you have a mechanical engine fault whilst in warranty period then it could affect warranty.
As already said.

Lighthearted responses in bold!

 

[dozer]

Why not use a supermarket brand of oil?? It's either comma or fuchs oil in a bottle with the supermarket label on but nearly half the price. Like scania truck oil is made by Morris oils but a lot more expensive because it's got scania on the drum.

 

[jimboy]

Sorry to harp on about this. It's been covered so many times before & by other forums. Simply, the car servicing & all that comes with it, is a multi billion industry as I've said so many times. I'm in my sixties & have been in & out of the car industry for a few years & I've seen many changes, but something has always remained the same....sexed up advertising telling the motorist what's the best oil you should use & what you should do etc,etc. They are after your money pure & simple. As a cynical git I've "almost" kept away from gizmos, & other magical things that have promised me to improve my chosen vehicle. Even I was young & naive once.... Nowadays there is just so much sexed up advertising claiming things that are just, well bottom line...lies.

 

[Thefox]

What engine is in your panda.?

 

[SB1500]

Mines is the 1.2

I found a 4L bottle of the same Castrol Magnatec 5W-40 C3 in the shed from last year so I filled it up with that.

Next time though it probably will be a cheaper brand. Same grade of course. I can't imagine they will make it blow up since a lot of people probably use them and are none the wiser.

Very good discussion but and I'm interested to hear everyone's view

 

[irc]

Most supermarket chains sell oil from recognisable brands (Castrol, Shell, Mobil, etc). Some also sell their own brand. Most offers are on the big brand ones, so that is what I normally go with. It is often cheaper than the own-brand oil when it's a 2for1 or multibuy.
Not that I wouldn't use, for example, Asda-branded oil if it was available and the best price. It will meet the spec on the can. It wasn't made by Asda. They are not a petrochemical company. They are good at negotiating supply contracts, and pretty efficient at logistics. They would not risk selling oil with their brand on, if it wasn't completely satisfactory. The downside would be too great. I might have reservations if I was servicing a new hypercar, but chances are the supermarket wouldn't stock suitable oils for them anyway. Supermarkets are, after all, trying to sell lots of stuff, so they stock stuff which they can sell a lot of.

In the UK we do still seem to have some hangups about car-related things from supermarkets. In France it is quite normal to get your oil, filters, tyres, bulbs, brake pads, etc. from a hypermarket (I use the local LeClerc when I am there). Same in parts of Italy. Not had to service a car in other countries yet, but wouldn't be surprised if it was similar in most European countries.
Perhaps we are different here after all. But not better.

 

[koalar]

Off topic slightly and I am talking over 10 years ago.

I was in a well known tyre and exhaust branch waiting for some tyres.

I noticed they were sell the oil cheap or expensive and had two hoses labelled above each bay.


Bored I followed each hose back. They went into the same unbranded drum.


Guess the trade price of the synthetic oil ment it was not worth stocking both.


Shows how if you believe something is better you will pay extra for it.


Same with pills. The licence number on the unbranded ones is the same. By law they are not allowed to change anything yet people still believe the branded ones are better.

 

[jrkitching]

I think it's fair to say that if you were to make a list of all the engines in use today and their respective demands upon oil performance, the NA 1.2 FIRE would be somewhere near the bottom of the list.

Anything that will lubricate the engine without harming the catalytic converter and lambda sensors will likely be just fine, and IMO in this engine, a cheaper oil changed more frequently is better than an expensive one left to run for 18000 miles.

The number of instances I've seen of a 1.2 FIRE failing as a direct result of using oil of inadequate quality is basically zero.

Outright failure as a result of some inadequacy in the cooling system is, however, sadly all too common.

So how is it that we regularly spend pages of posts discussing oil and oil change philosophy, yet almost never have the same discussions about coolant brands and coolant change intervals?

 

[Thefox]

It's more critical on the engines that are more advanced like the multi-air, twin air,multi jet or any engine with a timing chain.

 

[PirelliOllie]

My 1.1 Active Eco gets Magnatec 5w40 also.

I think the whole idea with premium oil brands is less the spec of oil which is standardised and more down to just the additives such as cleaning agents etc.

Similar to the premium fuels. Ignore the octane rating and the fuels are the same. It's just different companies use different additives. Admittedly a lot of it is probably placebo.