Thread: What TDV6/SDV6 engine oil are you using?

Originally Posted by Eric SDV6SE

There's other posts on here regarding DPFs. Check the VIN, the decoding will tell you if the car was issued with a DPF or not. Otherwise a quick look underneath will tell you it's quite a large can, not hard to miss.

I know for a fact that my SDV6SE MY11 did not come out with a DPF.

The big give away is the smell! A DPF fitted car is very low on odour and in fact my old D4 had a slightly sweet smell. My MY13 has no DPF and the stench is very strong on start up.

Another way to know if you have a DPF without leaving the drivers seat, is to observe the startup instrument light test. If the DPF icon illuminates during the test it has a DPF or v.v.
Attached is a generic DPF icon. The Landrover DPF icon may be similar but with a "wind gust" graphic overlayed

Originally Posted by kelvo

Are you sure you have a DPF fitted to your 2013? I was under the impression MY13 onwards did not have a DPF fitted. I know my MY14 does not have one fitted.

I called Castrol technical, who insisted that mine will have a DPF and their database did not list a Discovery 4 without a DPF at all.

Kelvo,
You are correct. I just remembered to slide under my MY2103 TDV6 to confirm and it does NOT have a DPF!
Obviously the local dealer fella was guessing or "assuming" when he told me it did have one!
I can continue to use the Penrite Enviro +C1 as it says it's suitable for DPF and non DPF.

Originally Posted by Discodicky

Kelvo,
You are correct. I just remembered to slide under my MY2103 TDV6 to confirm and it does NOT have a DPF!
Obviously the local dealer fella was guessing or "assuming" when he told me it did have one!
I can continue to use the Penrite Enviro +C1 as it says it's suitable for DPF and non DPF.

It’s true you can, though you can generally get the non-DPF version cheaper, more often.

I do lots of short trips hence change my oil and filter every 7500km

Currently using Castrol Edge Professional Long Life III 5W-30 but have been advised the Castrol Magnatec A5 5W-30 is a better oil for my purpose.

Oils aint oils Sol . . .

catrol edge.jpg catrol professional.jpg

This year I choose to buy a 2nd hand Disco 4; TDV6 Ford Lion engine, auto, with e-diff, without DPF and about 165,000k on it.

The issue of engine oil had to be resolved - the dealer who’d serviced it for years was far away and I decided to do intermediate oil changes myself at 6 month/10,000k intervals - that meant deciding on an oil.
I researched the available oils and looked at Penrite. On their Website they recommend several alternate oils depending on whether you look up ‘Ford’ or ‘Land Rover’. Remember, we are looking at the same engine and the same original specs; M2C913-B.
Working on the principle that oil technology improves over time, even though the engine remains the same, I decided to ask Penrite why they recommend both 5W-30 and 5W-40 for the same engine. By the way this evolution happened with tyres too - it’s possible to now buy good A/T tyres in 265/60-18 which were not even on the horizon when the car was new. So I wrote off to Penrite and got really quick and thoughtful response which I set out below.


Question to Penrite:
“I have a Land Rover Discovery 4 with the Ford Lion TDV6 2.7l Diesel engine. It's done 175,000k without trouble but I'm hoping to get 350,000+k So I'm looking at which oil to use and Penrite recommend different oils depending on whether you search for 'Ford' or 'Land Rover' The service agents stick to 5W-30 in whatever brand they choose to stock but if I read your oil specs carefully then the 5W-40 HPR5 seems to be a better oil?
Or is it not?
Does this 'modern' oil have superior characteristics than the original 5W-30? I imagine oil technology evolves over time, whereas the original TDV6 engine is locked in it's time.
Am I correct to choose the 5W-40 HPR5 full synthetic oil?”


Answer from Penrite:
“This engine of yours specified an oil meeting a Ford specification known as WSS-M2C913-B. This specification is for a particularly formulated 5W-30 oil, based on an industry specification known as ACEA A1/B1, which is now obsolete and replaced by ACEA A5/B5, Knowledge Centre | Penrite Oil, as well as some additional Ford tests.
This is an old specification, and has been superseded but sticking to the 913-B requirement, HPR 5 is deemed suitable for use. It does not technically meet it, purely because it is thicker (5W-40) but we have been recommending HPR 5 for these applications for ages. The 5W-40 viscosity grade, being a little thicker when hot, means that it may suit your car better, especially with the kms it has done now and the kms you wish to get to in the future, if this makes sense.”


Attached are a few screen shots of the spec sheets for both full synthetic 5W-30 and HPR5 5W40 oil. This latter oil is a modern oil and meets and exceeds the now superseded specs for the Ford TDV6 engine. Generally, the new oil is touted as superior all round. The ‘catch’ is that it’s an SAE40 and not SAE30. Is this an issue? Well, I’m in Queensland and the coldest it gets for most of the year is 20 degrees and the warmest ambient is 40 degrees. Given that the engine has done 175,000k now I think it can handle SAE40 oil without locking the slippers up on the crank.


Also: I’d run a friction modifier in an old Kia Diesel that I sold and I couldn’t believe the difference it made so I looked into friction modifiers for the TDV6 and came up with a mining industry supplier calling themselves Cost Effective Maintenance. I called them and they talked lot of sense. Their product is not available via retail outlets so I dropped into their only office in Brisbane and kicked off with Flushing Oil Concentrate and AW10 Antiwear.
To use the FOC I did a ‘double oil change’ - dropped the old oil, put in new oil, added the FOC and then dropped that and replaced it with new oil and AW10 Antiwear. A couple of months later the dipstick is decided cleaner, not ‘black’ like usual diesel oil, so I'll continue doing this every 6 months. The real test came when I dropped all the diff and transfer case oils; the addition of the AW10 Antiwear was noticeable immediately - even the faintest hint of gear noise ceased. So now I’m running 4 of their products in the Disco.


Conclusions:
I’ve decided that the Penrite HPR5 5W-40 (which I also run in an LS1 Gen3 V8) is ok in the TDV6 and that it meets the original specs, given that I’m in a hot climate with well used engine. In a cold climate I’d drop back to 5W-30. I’m also happy with my choice to use engine flushes and run AW10 friction modifier, which has no Tefflon or Ceramic additives in it either - drop the oil and you drop the friction modifier with it.
Photo of dipstick shows oil after 2 months city driving.


Hope this is of interest or value to anyone considering the issue of 5W-30 versus 5W-40 in ageing TDV6 diesel engines.

From any Ford dealer rebadged Castrol specifically for tdv6 plus OEM Mahle oil filter.

Originally Posted by SeanC

I use Valvoline Synpower FE Full Synthetic Engine Oil 5W-30.

It's what my indie used before I started doing the services myself.

I used that Valvoline in my TDV8 RRS and it was an excellent oil.
In my D4 3.0 and my sons D3 2.7 I use Penrite Enviro + C1 5W-30 although they don't have a DPF but is still ok.
I intended to use the Valvoline in both, however the Penrite is easier to get locally for my location. (via REPCO)
I'd be a bit hesitant to use a 5W-40 oil due to it not being specced by LR.