Which oil is best?

kluivert

My Astra needs an oil change and i want to do it myself but am not sure what oil grade to use does it make a difference or is it a perference thing.

Does anyone know what is needed for oil change on the Astra 1999 1.4 16v.

Oil - Which one?
Oil Filter
Sump washer
Anything else am missing....

And i thoguht id throw in something i found on the net from the "oil bible".

A quick guide to the different grades of oil.
Fully Synthetic Characteristics

0W-30
0W-40
5W-40

Fuel economy savings
Enhances engine performance and power
Ensures engine is protected from wear and deposit build-up
Ensures good cold starting and quick circulation in freezing temperatures
Gets to moving parts of the engine quickly

Semi-synthetic Characteristics

5W-30
10W-40
15W-40
Better protection
Good protection within the first 10 minutes after starting out
Roughly three times better at reducing engine wear
Increased oil change intervals - don't need to change it quite so often

Mineral Characteristics

10W-40
15W-40

Basic protection for a variety of engines
Oil needs to be changed more often

I hope this gives some people ideas of oil types as i know some people question which type of oil to buy when topping up.

Seth Brundle

Personally, I would go with a decent SS 10W40.
What does your owners manual suggest?
What is in it currently?

I mentioned this recently - may also be a help to you:-
www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/engineoil_bible.html

kluivert

Recommends fully syth. 10w40.

The car manual also recommends service intervals of 12k which i think is too much. Every 6k is probably better.

Thats the website i was looking at its very good for oil advice.

I think after doing a bit of readin on it ill be using pure syth. 10w40.

unkel

kluivert wrote:

I think after doing a bit of readin on it ill be using pure syth. 10w40.

Might not be a good idea to put in FS if your car has been using mineral oil so far. Also would FS not be a complete waste of money for an Opel Astra?

Seth Brundle

Im just surprised the manual suggests FS

MercMad

The multivalve Opels have always used fully synth. It doesn't cost the manufacturers any more really at production stage, us mugs foot the cost afterwards when we buy it in small quantities !

Just buy a decent brand and you'll be fine, but shop around for good prices !

12,000 miles is a perfect interval for an Astra with synth, as modern emmissions complient engines produce much less carbon so you have less of a build up in the oil !

Borzoi

And if you start using synth and semi synths, don't buy more than you need at one go. These oil types are highly deliquecent - they absorb moisture from the air - once you open the container, use it or lose it*

* It will be fine for a few days or a week, but don't come back to the same container in three months

kluivert

Thanks for that last bit of advice i have some oil in the container left over from a top up that i was going to use but not now.

I rang the Opel Garage and they said they use Castrol GTX Matnec 10W40. And thats what i have been topping up with so ill stick with that i think.

Is there really a noticeable difference in full and semi.

BrianD3

GTX Magnatec is a semi synthetic oil.

I have an owners manual for a 04 corsa around here somewhere and will check it when I get a chance. IIRC, the service intervals are something like 20k or 1 year for petrol engines and 30k or 2 years for diesel engines. Can't remember whether it said anything about using synthetic oils.

BTW everyone has their own "favourite" oil. You'll find people will swear that brand X is great and brand Y is sh1t, someone else will then swear the opposite. A lot of it is due to anedoctal evidence which gets passed around and marketing also plays its part. Personally, I was always impressed by Castrol's "Liquid Engineering" ads, esp. the one with the Jag XJ220

kluivert

Thats true, it is semi.

Just goes to show even the opel dealer gets wrong every now and again. They said it was a fully synth.

Am still a bit confused though, which is perferred. Semi or Full, never mind what the manual says.

As for the manuals, i have an Opel manual and a haynes manual. The haynes manual says ignore the oil change intervals advised in the Owners manual to ensure longevity and reduced wear and tear.

It also states to change the air filter every two years???

So am taking the best points from each of them.

BrianD3

My advice is follow the owners handbook. it will give info on
-oil change intervals
-oil grade and spec (10W 40, ACEA A3 etc.)
-it may specify synthetic or semi synth or it may say nothing at all about the type of oil.

If it doesn't specify synthetic, then use semi. Change it more frequently than the handbook says if you so wish, use the correct grade and viscosity and check you oil levels frequently. Remember that overfilling is nearly as bad as underfilling.

CJhaughey

Borzoi wrote:

And if you start using synth and semi synths, don't buy more than you need at one go. These oil types are highly deliquecent - they absorb moisture from the air - once you open the container, use it or lose it*

* It will be fine for a few days or a week, but don't come back to the same container in three months

deliquecent? I know brake fluid is Hygroscopic ie absorbs moisture from the air , but I have never heard of Deliquecent..
Please elaborate on how oils absorb water from the atmosphere...

opto

Borzoi wrote:

And if you start using synth and semi synths, don't buy more than you need at one go. These oil types are highly deliquecent - they absorb moisture from the air - once you open the container, use it or lose it*

* It will be fine for a few days or a week, but don't come back to the same container in three months

Never heard that one before! did you mean hygroscopic?
What about the oil when the car is parked? i'ts not in a vacuum.
The only oil/water problems I've ever encountered were cooling leaks and very short runs

Borzoi

CJhaughey wrote:

deliquecent? I know brake fluid is Hygroscopic ie absorbs moisture from the air , but I have never heard of Deliquecent.....

My bad - meant hydroscopic (or hygroscopic for that matter)

CJhaughey wrote:

Please elaborate on how oils absorb water from the atmosphere...

Damit I'm an engineer, not a chemist!

Mineral oils, btw, are much less prone to this

paddyponchero

I was using magnetec and was advised by a guy that works in whitegate refinery in cork to check the API rating and just get a cheap oil with the same rating, as it turns out the stuff that statoil, maxol etc. sell has the same sl/cf rating as magnetec. I got the estuary branded stuff and can't find any difference in quality between changes.

MercMad

I think the Magnetech comes in both semi and full synth ! The latter is a different colour can !

I was using magnetec and was advised by a guy that works in whitegate refinery in cork to check the API rating and just get a cheap oil with the same rating, as it turns out the stuff that statoil, maxol etc. sell has the same sl/cf rating as magnetec. I got the estuary branded stuff and can't find any difference in quality between changes

This is actually quite true, however its always better to keep using exactly the same oil and if you buy a well known brand you will still be a ble to find it in a few years whereas with a yellow pacxk brand you may not. The ratings may be the same but there may well be smaller differences e.g cleaning agents etc..

Silvera

I gave my '03 Astra an oil change last Saturday.

I used (as I always do) Duckhams Q (Semi-Synthetic) ....and a Genuine Opel oil filter.

The Opel "Storeman" gave me the wrong sump washer, a copper one. Mine has a rubber washer (which sits into the sump bung).
You will also need a Torx adapter to open the bung (Opel have a habit of using Torx bolt heads, etc. on their cars. Perhaps in the vain hope that the average DIY mechanic will go to his main dealer to get all his servicing done :rolleyes: )

I bought my car c.5 weeks ago and the previous owner had it serviced every 10k by a main dealer (as per the manual).

IMO, this is too long. I will be servicing it every 5k (New oil and filter).


Silvera.
(Ex-Panel Beater).

kluivert

Silvera...nice car same colour and model as mine.

It yours a 1.4 16v ecotec.

I didnt realise the 1.4 ectec is a DOHC.

Is it a rubber washer that you use and not a copper i have to get the parts for an oil change to night and give her a clean out on Sunday.

Doing 80mph yesterday from Dundalk to Dublin, i have never seen the petrol gauage go down so quick. The car is hard to accelerate after coming down from from continous high speed travelling. Any one else have this problem.

Maybe its just my imagination.

As for the oil change am going to go for the semi syth.

Silvera

Cheers.
Yes, mines also a 1.4 16V Ecotec.

You will need a rubber washer for the sump bung, not a copper washer.
I also added an engine flush additive (Wynns Oil Treatment) before I drained the old oil. (N.B. might not be reccommended for cars with high mileage. Mine has 29k)

I'm still 'getting the feel' of how the Astra handles. It's not as agile as my previous car ('97 Civic 1.4i) but it is much quieter and more 'solid' on the road.
I do however find the accelerator pedal a bit 'light' i.e. your foot/ankle might get a bit tired on a long journey.
(I'll be doing my first long trip in her this weekend - down to 'The Rebel County' ! )

Another tip, buy the original Wiper Blades when replacing yours. I bought Champion blades and they don't have the little 'spoiler' on the drivers side wiper, and they have a tendency to squeak (Apparently original spec Opel wipers don't).

I'll prob get an OE wiper set for mine in a few thousand miles when I buy a Timing Belt Kit from OTTO in Ranelagh.

Check out this Astra site -

www.astra-sport.co.uk (Great Forum and Info!)

Lucifer

I work in an opel main dealer and the copper/rubber washer is a common mistake as the earlier models of the astra g had a 19 sump bung and used the copper. newer ones are T45 sump bung and rubber washer.

kluivert

Lucifier

When you say early g models does that include the 1999 do you know.

I got a couple of quid to spend i think i might throw her into opel and get them to look at a few things.

The engine itself is shaking like a mad thing when idle, it never use to do that....Engine mounts?????

The Astra is a slow starter but its very nippy once it gets going.

I hope mine will last to December. Doing four trips a week to Dublin from Dundalk till the beginning of December, on the motorway doing about 80mph there and back and i think the engine is starting to feel the strain now after two weeks and or maybe its my imagination. But it doesnt run as smooth as before i started going up. 500 miles a week.

Any tips for keeping her running smoothly.