[audioholic]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

And using the thicker oil in newer engines (LF) leads to sluggishness and reduction in mileage.

Not only reduction of mileage, but as Shashi has explained, it will also affect the engine in the longrun. The thicker oil will make things worse for the engine which was built to have less friction. Hence, its much worse than just reduced mileage and performance.

For BS6, I think petrol engines dont get much of a change in engine oil whereas diesel engines with DPF will get different engine oil which is compatible with DPF. These oils have lesser Sulphur levels and another compound which would otherwise result in blockage of the DPF and mess up the DPF itself.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Not only reduction of mileage, but as Shashi has explained, it will also affect the engine in the longrun. The thicker oil will make things worse for the engine which was built to have less friction. Hence, its much worse than just reduced mileage and performance.

Thanks for clarifying - Some additional questions (for a better understanding):

1. Can you elaborate a little more on how the Higher viscosity oil such as a 5W-30 or a 5W-40 may potentially harm a recent K Series engine which is mapped to 0W-20?

2. Some people seem to believe, Chennai is hot and North India is colder, so does it make sense for people to use a different oil based on location within India? Would a 5W-30 be recommended anywhere in India due to temperature situation of the place?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Thanks for clarifying - Some additional questions (for a better understanding):

1. Can you elaborate a little more on how the Higher viscosity oil such as a 5W-30 or a 5W-40 may potentially harm a recent K Series engine which is mapped to 0W-20?

2. Some people seem to believe, Chennai is hot and North India is colder, so does it make sense for people to use a different oil based on location within India? Would a 5W-30 be recommended anywhere in India due to temperature situation of the place?

As engine development has evolved over the years, the following things have changed:
1. Lower tolerances between parts.
2. Components like piston rings and cylinder walls are given coatings to reduce friction.
3. Smaller engines which would run at relatively higher RPMs.
4. Higher compression ratios

In the same lines, manufacturers have moved from 20W40 to 5W30 to 0W20 and now the latest K15 engines from Maruti are running on 0W16. Which basically means, they want to run thinner oils inside the engine for its ideal performance. Thinner the engine oil, easier the flow. Hence, components like the oil flow lines, oil pump, jets are designed for handling lesser viscosity. And since the tolerances are low, for oil to really occupy the fine gaps between moving components, its viscosity should be lower. Say the piston rings. If they are having really low tolerance, then we need a thinner oil to be able to lubricate the cylinder wall and pison rings.

In this setup, if you use a thicker oil, whatever I said above goes for a toss. As to how thicker would be dangerous, I am not an expert to answer. Perhaps a 5W30 in the K15 might not immediately damage the engine, but say a mechanic uses 20W40, thats going to be bad in no time. But on a relative scale, you would end up causing issues with the oil flow, since the thicker oil would need a stronger oil pump and would take more time to flow across the engine. In addition to this, it would not easily reach small tolerance gaps, and where it can penetrate, increase resistance. This is why Shashi had mentioned about premature piston ring wear. Thicker oil will take time to reach the rings, and when it reaches, it would make things difficult for the piston rings to move freely within the tolerance.

Thats the reason over time, manufacturers have changed two things in the engine oil recommendation. One is to reduce viscosity, and the second is to also limit the viscosity grades you could use with the engine. Unfortunately, I have not got a chance to come across the latest engine oil recommendation by any manufacturer. But to my best knowledge, the dependence on ambient temperature to decide the oil viscosity has been reduced, and due to the oils coming in mostly synthetic blends, there is no longer a need to use thicker oils for places with higher ambient temperature. At the same time, engines have come a long way in thermal management. Be it Jaipur or Shimla, your coolant temperature still stays in the 90-95 deg levels. The only difference would be during cold starts. But with such thin oils, it isnt a big deal to send it around the engine irrespective of the cold temperature. So, it shouldnt be a worry anymore.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by audioholic

now the latest K15 engines from Maruti are running on 0W16.

Not only K15, I guess every K series engine now uses 0W16. I remember seeing it for K12 also and am pretty sure that's the case with K10 too.

Also I personally know of a case where a mechanic had put 20w50 in a new gen Swift. While the mistake was detected quickly, the erring workshop had to rebuild the entire engine from scratch for free as a lot of components had signs of minor/major damage within 200 odd kilometers the car was driven. Most of the components which sustained damage looked oil starved.

Regards,
Shashi

[setuniket]

The 40k service of CIAZ 1.5 Petrol was done yesterday at Nexa, Delhi. I just checked in the bill, the engine oil used is 0W40-IOCL while the owners manual recommends 0W16. The SA said 0W40 has been recommended by MSIL even when 0W16 is mentioned in the manual. I have taken up with MSIL/Nexa about this issue.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Because oil grade is decided after considering many factors like clearances, pressure etc. 0W40 is almost double the thickness of 0W20 when the engine is at its optimum working temperature.

A friend of mine has a 2018 Maruti WagonR, which went for its 28k km service few days back. The service was done in a dealer run service center. They used 5W40 grade engine oil, whereas the manual recommends to use 0W20 engine oil. My friend did ask for an explanation. The SA told him that for BS6 norms, Maruti has changed the engine oil grade .

I of course didn't believe in what the SA told my friend, so asked him to write a mail to Maruti customer care explaining everything in detail. He wrote an e-mail to Maruti customer care. Next day he first received an e-mail (from Territory Service Manager, Guwahati region) that his matter has been forwarded to the concerned department.

After that he received a call from the same person, that guy told him that they are allowed to use 5W40 grade oil as well, despite what the manual says. I always thought Maruti customer care was best, now it seems it's not the case. A service center filling more expensive oil is common, but I was expecting a better explanation from Maruti customer care. What would you suggest we do? The car in question is still under extended warranty.

Service in progress:



The Engine oil they used:



The Engine oil grade that the manual specifies:



The final bill:



The mail my friend sent:



The reply he got:

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

After that he received a call from the same person, that guy told him that they are allowed to use 5W40 grade oil as well, despite what the manual says. I always thought Maruti customer care was best, now it seems it's not the case. A service center filling more expensive oil is common, but I was expecting a better explanation from Maruti customer care.

If you aren't happy with the oil and reply, reply to him in clear words that you aren't happy with the resolution provided, and that you see it as a clear case of inflating the bill without consumer consent. Also write in mail that you would like this to be escalated to his RSM(Regional service manager) and except putting correct grade of oil, there is no solution which will be acceptable. Be firm yet polite.

TSM is the first stage of seniority and you can always escalate it to RSM and beyond.

Regards,
Shashi

[straight6]

On Sunday I went for my 2nd check up to thanawala motors in thane and they confirmed that they will use 0w16 for the 1 yr service and even showed me empty cans of ecstar they had used. The service advisor was shocked at how the co was even allowing the service centers to get away with using wrong grades.

[Satishtv]

Guys, got my Baleno petrol bs4 serviced outside (not MASS), they put Shell 10W40 engine oil, I am checking the manual now and it says 0w20. I don't know the difference and if I can use this oil or get it changed immediately. Please help!

[ankitsharma]

Can someone suggest a good fully synthetic oil for my Swift Dzire Diesel. It is up for 70k service. First 2 services ASC filled their regular MGDO oil and then I had changed it to fully synthetic Shell Helix Ultra in the ASC itself.

But during the last service I was not available and my Dad took the car to a newer ASC. These guys again filled it with MGDO (The regular semi synthetic or mineral). Car NVH levels has obviously increased.

I want to switch back to Fully Synthetic. Any suggestions ?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by ankitsharma

Can someone suggest a good fully synthetic oil for my Swift Dzire Diesel. It is up for 70k service. First 2 services ASC filled their regular MGDO oil and then I had changed it to fully synthetic Shell Helix Ultra in the ASC itself.

But during the last service I was not available and my Dad took the car to a newer ASC. These guys again filled it with MGDO (The regular semi synthetic or mineral). Car NVH levels has obviously increased.

I want to switch back to Fully Synthetic. Any suggestions ?

What is the grade and specification of the engine oil by Maruti for your Swift diesel? Should be mentioned in your user manual. Based on that we can recommend

[ankitsharma]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

What is the grade and specification of the engine oil by Maruti for your Swift diesel? Should be mentioned in your user manual. Based on that we can recommend

Thanks for the help in advance. The manual says 5w30 for swift dzire diesel.

[ankitsharma]

Completed the service today.

Got the following poured in:

1. Engine Oil: Castrol Magnetic 5w30 fully synthetic A5/B5
2. Transmission Oil: Mobil 1 Mobilube GX 80W90

[RshE19]

Hello fellow team bhpians,

I have been using my dad's 2010 SX4 zxi vvt for a few years now. It has clocked 60k km on the odometer and has been running on mineral oil always. I am thinking of switching to synthetic oil with the next oil change but my mechanic suggested that there will not be much difference since the car has been serviced regularly. I still think synthetic would give smoother engine performance. Can someone please advise me on this? Also, which synthetic oil should I go for if I plan to go synthetic this time?

Thanks a lot in advance.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by RshE19

Hello fellow team bhpians,

I have been using my dad's 2010 SX4 zxi vvt for a few years now. It has clocked 60k km on the odometer and has been running on mineral oil always. I am thinking of switching to synthetic oil with the next oil change but my mechanic suggested that there will not be much difference since the car has been serviced regularly. I still think synthetic would give smoother engine performance. Can someone please advise me on this? Also, which synthetic oil should I go for if I plan to go synthetic this time?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Highly recommend getting Amsoil's Signature 5w30 oil for your SX4.