Vauxhall 1.6 8v - 10w40 or 5w30?

[beko1987]

To fix one of the oil leaks on the meriva, I need to change the sump plug, which means giving it an oil change for obvious reasons (and it's due)

 

Euro car farts recommends 5w30 based on the reg, but I did some extensive googling a while ago and have 10w40 semi synth written on a post-it note stuck to my calendar?

 

Anyone offer any advise other than scrap it this morning so I can pop past on my way back from the MOT? Probably gonna go with the 10w40 unless it'll kill lots of nuns and kittens in the engine...

[Guest Lord Sward]

Just buy the 5 litres of GM's own 10w/40 from any Vauxhall dealership.  They are the cheapest for oil via their Trade Club.

[colino]

I'm surprised that anything other than 5w30 is specced for it.  5w30 is the modern day 20/50.  It goes in everything from a Fiesta to a Jag.

Edited November 1, 2014 by colino

[beko1987]

Think I found it on migweb or vauxgeeks or whatever the big forum is, buried in a very beardy discussion about engine oil

 

Bought 10w40, lets see what happens! Will it be any thicker than 5w30 or the same? Was cheaper than 5w30 anyway!

[twosmoke300]

You need a fully syn regardless of viscosity to go the distance of the service intervals . Very few 10w40s are more than semi syn . Using underspec oil is the main reason for ecotecs sludging up and gumming rings/ burning oil.

[beko1987]

Ah don't want it gumming up anymore than it already bloody does! Cancelled that reservation, and made another one with Shell Helix Ultra fully synth 5w30 instead, £10 more though!

 

I don't run to the full service intervals anyway, I aim to change every 5-6k, but due to the amount the thing has leaked over the year I think it's gone 9k, but with fairly fresh Tesco oil in of some description!

[nacho man]

I think that fully syn 5w30 is a bit overboard for a Meriva and I bet that she'll stuff is pricey. I know ecp are shit but they do there triple Qx 5w-30 cheap and you can normally get a free oil filter when they ain't running them 50% off deals which are just the same price as car parts for less but anyhow get that deal its a oil change for like 15 quid 20 max. And it's free delivery to your door!

[beko1987]

As per the grumpy thread, I didn't swing past and pick up my order in the end. It can keep sucking on tossco oil for now until fixed/sold/set on fire...

[lisbon_road]

ECP sold 20 litres of 10/40 semi synthetic today for £27. 

 

Change it often enough, sure it'll be ok.  Mind, I have no idea what semi synthetic is - mineral with a teaspoon of synthetic in it perhaps?

[greengartside]

I shove 10/40 in my Astra which doesn't seem to do it any harm. Taps like a bastard, mind.

[r.welfare]

20 litres for £27! Costco are ripping me off.

[twosmoke300]

The basic engine looks the same as the old astra but its quite different inside. Shorter skirt pistons with different rings , different crankcase breather system , egr and if course higher output . All this gives the oil a harder time and if course longer service intervals don't help.

Seen loads of them fucked and always on cars with poor service history and wrong oil

[lisbon_road]

I run my Mk3 Astra on ECP 5/40 synthetic and the tappets are slightly quieter than they were with their 10/40 semi.

[New POD]

You need a fully syn regardless of viscosity to go the distance of the service intervals . Very few 10w40s are more than semi syn . Using underspec oil is the main reason for ecotecs sludging up and gumming rings/ burning oil.

 

It's an 8V isn't it ?  All my previous 8V astras were serviced with Castrol 10W40 (8 litres for £22 in Costco now) or GM 10W40 (£20 litres for £15 with trade club way back when it was cheaper) .

 

I have enough in my garage for 2 servicings of the MX5 which takes the same.

[lisbon_road]

Do these have the 20K servicing then? 

 

Always seems crazy to me.  I change it at 5K regardless of the engine.  Might leave the synthetic a bit longer perhaps.

[Hendry]

I don't think it makes a massive difference, my 1.6 8v mk3 Astra (X16SZR) and mk4 Astra 1.6 16v (Z16XE) were recommended to be ran on 10w40 by Vauxhall but my mk5 Astra 1.8 16v (Z18XE) was 5w30 despite the same engine being used in the mk3/4 Astra and Vectras, Merivas etc with 10w40 recommended.

 

Only thing I'd say is on a car which leaks oil (which is most Vauxhalls tbh, if it hasn't burned it all first) the 10w40 won't leak as much.