ARTICLE: Synthetic oil vs Mineral oil

Ravi Yadav · 19th April 2007, 17:13

Hi ,
I wish to switch to a synthetic oil for my 10 years old maruti 800 (1,00,000km) done.Which one should i go in for and what API specifications should i look out for when buying the oil.
I am a bit confused with API specifications like API SF/CC ,API SM/CF etc.Can someone explains the tech. behind these alphabets.

tsk1979 · 19th April 2007, 17:34

Car Bibles : The Engine Oil Bible

S is for petrol, C is for diesel
So API SF/CC means it meets SF for petrol and CC standards for diesel
For petrol the best you can get is SM right now.

Ravi Yadav · 19th April 2007, 17:51

Hi tsk1979,
Thanks for the tech info.The shell helix ultra 15w50 has a specification stating as "Shell Helix Ultra exceeds the requirements of all major car manufacturers and industry standards API SJ/CF and ACEA A3/B3/B4-98" . Now can i use this in my vehicle .

nitrous · 19th April 2007, 18:10

Ravi, dont forget to flush your engine before changing to synthetic oil.

Ravi Yadav · 19th April 2007, 18:43

Hi Nitrous, surely i will flush how can i forget that.When i start my vehicle in the morning it vibrates a lot for the first say 2 minutes then it becomes smooth.Now if a switch over to synthetic oil would it reduce the vibrations.If the answer is no then how can the vibration be reduced.

tsk1979 · 19th April 2007, 18:57

SJ is fine for almost all indian cars.
If you don't want to splurge on synthetic there is castrol magnetic.
As for flush, you put flush in your existing oil, idle for 30 minutes. Then you drain, and put in new oil.

theMAG · 19th April 2007, 19:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

As for flush, you put flush in your existing oil, idle for 30 minutes.

I suppose this duration depends on the Flush brand then, since the ABRO engine flush I bought specifically says 3 mins under cold idling.

wolfinstein · 19th April 2007, 19:36

@ Ravi the Vibrations are normal for a cold engine..Any Oil will not make a difference..! Some amount of vibrations can be felt in almost all cars on cold startup.
They are little longer with a Carb Engine.

BTW your car has clocked 1,00,000 Km. You need to get the engine checked first before Engine Oil flush, Since its such an Old engine-There will be some Seals which would have become weak and are sealed with Carbon and Sludge-Getting the Oil Flush will only remove the carbon layer on them causing it to fail and Leak..!

Suggest its a risk. What do others say ?

tsk1979 · 19th April 2007, 22:17

yup. Brand matters, the one I said 30 minutes idling or 15 minutes hard driving.

Surprise · 26th April 2007, 11:24

I had switched over to Synthetic oil during last service (3.6k for 4 litres of Mobil 1 oil). Service person has told that Mobil 1 can carry for another 20000 kms. But read somewhere in this forum that its needs to be changed every 7500 kms.

Manufacturer recommendation is of at servicing 10k kms. Hence the regular mineral oil itself can carry for 10k kms. Hence I have a question whether really synthetic oil needs to be changed at 7.5k kms or it can carry till 20k kms. please clarify

vasudeva · 26th April 2007, 12:10

I used Mobil 1 (do not know which type but it cost 2900 for 4 litre) synthetic oil on my Corsa in Nov 2006, and found it to be better. I now have a Toyota Corolla which has run for close to 3000 kms. The oil change is due at 10K. Toyota service puts its own engine oil on Corolla, which they say is `developed by Toyota for Corolla'. I wanted to know if that is correct and if I use my own synthetic engine oil, whether that would be better or feasible.

nitrous · 26th April 2007, 15:31

Naga,U can run it for 15000kms .
The problem after that would be the life of the oil filter. 15,000kms is a good interval for a Swift engine with Synthetic oil.

tadukuttan · 26th April 2007, 15:40

Shifted from Mobil 1 5w-50 to Shell Helix Ultra 15w-50. That makes for a much better sounding, and performing Elantra CRDi Engine. At cold start, Shell is slightly more noisy, but only for a minute of idling, after that it is just great.

Plan to stick to Shell Helix Ultra, until Mobil Delvac 1 turns up in the market, and of course, they correct their silly price of 1000/liter.

garychopper · 26th April 2007, 16:41

i just got a palio 1.9 diesel, its done about 700 kms uptil now.
i am planning to change the filter and engine oil at about the first 1500 kms.
1. How much engine oil goes into it and of what kind?
2. which one is the best one of the lot, i have heard that the toyota engine oil and mobil is good.

thanks in advance.

nitrous · 26th April 2007, 16:46

Gary,Stick to the company oil till atleast 10,000 kms for proper run-in.

19th April 2007, 17:13	#211
Ravi Yadav BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: UP-15 Posts: 146 Thanked: 12 Times	Hi , I wish to switch to a synthetic oil for my 10 years old maruti 800 (1,00,000km) done.Which one should i go in for and what API specifications should i look out for when buying the oil. I am a bit confused with API specifications like API SF/CC ,API SM/CF etc.Can someone explains the tech. behind these alphabets.
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 17:34	#212
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,730 Thanked: 23,287 Times View My Garage	Car Bibles : The Engine Oil Bible S is for petrol, C is for diesel So API SF/CC means it meets SF for petrol and CC standards for diesel For petrol the best you can get is SM right now.
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 17:51	#213
Ravi Yadav BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: UP-15 Posts: 146 Thanked: 12 Times	Hi tsk1979, Thanks for the tech info.The shell helix ultra 15w50 has a specification stating as "Shell Helix Ultra exceeds the requirements of all major car manufacturers and industry standards API SJ/CF and ACEA A3/B3/B4-98" . Now can i use this in my vehicle .
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 18:10	#214
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 332 Times View My Garage	Ravi, dont forget to flush your engine before changing to synthetic oil.
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 18:43	#215
Ravi Yadav BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: UP-15 Posts: 146 Thanked: 12 Times	Hi Nitrous, surely i will flush how can i forget that.When i start my vehicle in the morning it vibrates a lot for the first say 2 minutes then it becomes smooth.Now if a switch over to synthetic oil would it reduce the vibrations.If the answer is no then how can the vibration be reduced.
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 18:57	#216
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,730 Thanked: 23,287 Times View My Garage	SJ is fine for almost all indian cars. If you don't want to splurge on synthetic there is castrol magnetic. As for flush, you put flush in your existing oil, idle for 30 minutes. Then you drain, and put in new oil.
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 19:36	#218
wolfinstein BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 994 Thanked: 20 Times	@ Ravi the Vibrations are normal for a cold engine..Any Oil will not make a difference..! Some amount of vibrations can be felt in almost all cars on cold startup. They are little longer with a Carb Engine. BTW your car has clocked 1,00,000 Km. You need to get the engine checked first before Engine Oil flush, Since its such an Old engine-There will be some Seals which would have become weak and are sealed with Carbon and Sludge-Getting the Oil Flush will only remove the carbon layer on them causing it to fail and Leak..! Suggest its a risk. What do others say ? Last edited by wolfinstein : 19th April 2007 at 19:40.
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 22:17	#219
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,730 Thanked: 23,287 Times View My Garage	yup. Brand matters, the one I said 30 minutes idling or 15 minutes hard driving.
	() Thanks

26th April 2007, 11:24	#220
Surprise Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 2,530 Thanked: 461 Times	I had switched over to Synthetic oil during last service (3.6k for 4 litres of Mobil 1 oil). Service person has told that Mobil 1 can carry for another 20000 kms. But read somewhere in this forum that its needs to be changed every 7500 kms. Manufacturer recommendation is of at servicing 10k kms. Hence the regular mineral oil itself can carry for 10k kms. Hence I have a question whether really synthetic oil needs to be changed at 7.5k kms or it can carry till 20k kms. please clarify
	() Thanks

26th April 2007, 12:10	#221
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,223 Thanked: 212 Times	I used Mobil 1 (do not know which type but it cost 2900 for 4 litre) synthetic oil on my Corsa in Nov 2006, and found it to be better. I now have a Toyota Corolla which has run for close to 3000 kms. The oil change is due at 10K. Toyota service puts its own engine oil on Corolla, which they say is `developed by Toyota for Corolla'. I wanted to know if that is correct and if I use my own synthetic engine oil, whether that would be better or feasible.
	() Thanks

26th April 2007, 15:31	#222
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 332 Times View My Garage	Naga,U can run it for 15000kms . The problem after that would be the life of the oil filter. 15,000kms is a good interval for a Swift engine with Synthetic oil.
	() Thanks

26th April 2007, 15:40	#223
tadukuttan BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 241 Thanked: 24 Times	Shifted from Mobil 1 5w-50 to Shell Helix Ultra 15w-50. That makes for a much better sounding, and performing Elantra CRDi Engine. At cold start, Shell is slightly more noisy, but only for a minute of idling, after that it is just great. Plan to stick to Shell Helix Ultra, until Mobil Delvac 1 turns up in the market, and of course, they correct their silly price of 1000/liter.
	() Thanks

26th April 2007, 16:41	#224
garychopper BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: delhi/milan/brussels Posts: 43 Thanked: Once	i just got a palio 1.9 diesel, its done about 700 kms uptil now. i am planning to change the filter and engine oil at about the first 1500 kms. 1. How much engine oil goes into it and of what kind? 2. which one is the best one of the lot, i have heard that the toyota engine oil and mobil is good. thanks in advance.
	() Thanks

26th April 2007, 16:46	#225
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 332 Times View My Garage	Gary,Stick to the company oil till atleast 10,000 kms for proper run-in.
	() Thanks