Thread: Modern OEM Engine OILS - In some cases are they doing more harm than good?

I've always wondered about thinner & thinner oils being used to give better economy.
False economy if you need to replace the engine down the track !

Colin

There's a certain German who maintains that the reliability of the SD/TD V6 engines are let down by this very thing.

Quite a can of worms you're opening here, Rob. One of the contentions would be that the thinner grades of oil specified, as well as maintenance intervals, is down to the manufacturers having to chase ever more difficult emission standards. Not sure how that argument would go down at the average stealer's service department though. Or the manufacturer's warranty department either.

I watched that last night plus another earlier in the week that showed just how small the bearings are in the toymota 300 engine, i see another 3.0 type failure rate coming on.

I've always wondered about thinner & thinner oils being used to give better economy.
False economy if you need to replace the engine down the track !

Remember the manufacturer doesn't care about you or I, all they care about is getting their efficiency rebate from the US Govt and being allowed to sell their tin boxes in California. As long as most of them last past the warranty period they're happy.

Originally Posted by BradC;[URL="tel:3236170"

3236170[/URL]]Remember the manufacturer doesn't care about you or I, all they care about is getting their efficiency rebate from the US Govt and being allowed to sell their tin boxes in California. As long as most of them last past the warranty period they're happy.

Spot on, except it’s not just Cali. Although it probably is for yota.

A couple of weeks ago my sister bought an Isuzu ute with about 120 thou on it. Pretty much like new. She lives in the sticks.

A few days later she told me the oil light came on, but she kept driving to work.

It wasn't the oil light we all know well, but a 'degraded oil' warning (kinda like reduced oil pressure before the serious light comes on)............. so she puts it in for an immediate service.

The owner's handbook specifies all sorts of grades including 10-30, 10-40. I told her to go for 10-40. They put 15-40 in and the trip computer thing is still reading 8 litres per 100kms, i.e. no real difference in mileage.

DL

Originally Posted by Tins

There's a certain German who maintains that the reliability of the SD/TD V6 engines are let down by this very thing.

Quite a can of worms you're opening here, Rob. One of the contentions would be that the thinner grades of oil specified, as well as maintenance intervals, is down to the manufacturers having to chase ever more difficult emission standards. Not sure how that argument would go down at the average stealer's service department though. Or the manufacturer's warranty department either.

Yeah, I've seen those vids. German or Austrian dude with his wife. Fascinating stuff.

Still, it's nothing new now is it? We have seen it with the Rover V8 20+ years ago in their last iterations. Both the D2 and P38 had the engine run a bit too lean and thus hot at certain conditions just to meet emissions / fuel consumption and they put way thinner oil in there with a much larger maintenance interval whilst nothing had changed in the engine to warrant that.

There seem to be two schools of thought: put the lowest weight oil in the engine that gives you sufficient oil pressure or put in the highest weight oil in the engine is specified for. Guess it depends on the engine and I am sure some people will find out soon enough what will "fix" the 300's engine

-P

Also never push a synthetic oil. Unlike a mineral oil which can go on a synthetic oil had a designed life and tolerance to conditions. Once these are exceeded it breaks down into a grey sludge which as you might have guessed is not good for the engine