Oil top up

Chonaic

Excuse me here, im new to cars and stuff.

The oil in the car is just about on the bare minimum (99 ford focus 1.4 lx). The owners guide recommendeds 5w30 (or 10w40/5w40) but i could only get my hands on texaco havoline 15w40, but im having reservations about putting this in.
Will it be okay for the moment as a service is due in the next few months??

Any reply appreciated..................

Darragh29

Chonaic wrote:

Excuse me here, im new to cars and stuff.

The oil in the car is just about on the bare minimum (99 ford focus 1.4 lx). The owners guide recommendeds 5w30 (or 10w40/5w40) but i could only get my hands on texaco havoline 15w40, but im having reservations about putting this in.
Will it be okay for the moment as a service is due in the next few months??

Any reply appreciated..................

You should put in 10W40, it should be easy to find this in any service station.

zapata

Ford recommend synthetic engine oil in the Zetec. In the Series One Zetec, you have to use 5W30 grade or better, because the cylinder heads suffered from sticking valves if the incorrect grade of oil were used. The later Zetecs are not as prone to the sticky inlet/exhaust valve problems associated with early cars, but you should still use 5W30 or better.

Also from http://www.btinternet.com/~madmole/Reference/Idle.html

Wrong Oil
If you have used too thick a grade of oil (Such as 15W/40) then this could effect the hydraulic valves, causing them to be sluggish until warm which could give a rough cold idle. This is what people think of as the "Sticking Valves Problem" a quick oil change to the correct viscosity oil will fix this. I've always used Mobil1 and would recommend it to anyone. Symptoms are valve rattle noises on start up which go when warm. If you don't cure this the the valves will wear and you'll have a permanent rattle.

Best prevention is to use the correct grade oil. Ford say that you should use a min of 5W winter rated oil (so 10W is bad). If you have put in the wrong oil or don't know what is in there then do an oil change using Halfords synthetic 5W-30 oil, leave this in for a couple of weeks to spread round and dissolve/pick up the gunk and then change again to your main oil (I'd recommend Mobil 1), don't forget to change the oil filters whenever you change the oil

mike65

Ford are very very picky about oils on thier modern engines, I'd put in exactly what they specify. I've read of all sorts of nastiness resulting from heavier grade oils being used. The Zetec engines are known for sticking valves blocked oilways etc.

Oops what /\ he /\ said! (must be quicker)

Mike.

daedalus2097

Wow, 15W-40 is actually less common these days than the less viscous stuff... Like everyone else is saying, go with what the manual recommends for warmer weather (there's usually a table in the manual that gives the temperature ranges for the different oils). Any petrol station should have bottles of 10W-40 at least, and probably 5W-30 in the bigger ones. Failing that any Ford dealer will have them stocked (and will probably be well cheaper than any forecourt).

MercMad

Will it be okay for the moment as a service is due in the next few months??

Ehhh........no !

Top it up, first chance you get with the correct oil, and check it more regularly otherwise you'll be buying a new engine !!!

padir_de_roiste

i agree with all the above but if you have nothing else and the oil light is on then PUT it in DONT Drive with out oil but i wouldnt wait months or even weeks for a change id be talking days.......

atlantean

Chonaic wrote:

The owners guide recommendeds 5w30

That's what should go in - do not use 15W/40!

crosstownk

Any oil is better than no oil - but if you have put in the incorrect grade then just bring the service forward and have it done at your earliest convenience. Ask the garage doing the service if they could supply and extra 2 litres of oil and leave it in the boot. Then you'll be grand for future top ups.

JHMEG

The oils you've listed are all usually semi synthetic. 15w40 usually is not.

I don't think any modern car really should have 15w40 in it.