Cheap vs expensive oil

Caporegime
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
26,255
Location
Here
Is there a specific logo or test for an oil to be officially approved BMW LL04?
Only GM require a logo on front label at the moment.

BMW have their own tests based on several engine tests including the B48, one of the most challenging specifications in the industry right now to be honest.
 
Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
37,804
Location
block 16, cell 12
Doesn’t mean it does either, why wouldn’t they pay the money to get the official approval?

Also I’d question why is Porsche or MB testing on Porsche / MB hardware relevant to a GM engine? I’d argue GM is actually one of the more challenging specifications to be honest

Well if an oil spec meets or exceeds porsche / mb standards and dexos 2 I'm going to bet its higher grade than just an oil that meets dexos 2...

But thats not even considering the kinematic viscosity at 100c, the shear point or the pour temperature...all of which I look at before buying.
 
Associate
Joined
26 Oct 2007
Posts
1,278
Well if an oil spec meets or exceeds porsche / mb standards and dexos 2 I'm going to bet its higher grade than just an oil that meets dexos 2...

But thats not even considering the kinematic viscosity at 100c, the shear point or the pour temperature...all of which I look at before buying.
If you live in the uk, when are you going to hit temperatures cold enough to notice the difference between -45 and -48 pour points?
Also if you have a look at the viscosity index of the oil, you'll see if they've skimped on the VI improver adds.
The shear point will be irrelevant if you leave the oil a long time between changes às well.

If you have a dpf fitted you might also want to have a look at the saps level in the specs, especially if the wording "lower" ash is used.
New spec changes that came into force last year reduced the ash levels to 0.3? From the previous 0.5 level.
Obviously not every car needs it to be this low but like the wording "meets spec", lower ash is a sneaky way of making you think your buying the best stuff.
Do you check the HTHS and TBN values as well?
 
Associate
Joined
18 Apr 2020
Posts
779
Only the Shell oil has a GM dexos 2 approval. The ASDA oil is claiming meets requirements of several specs, it also doesn't carry the dexos logo on the front label nor a dexos license number, both requirements of properly approved oils.

TIL. TBH neither would be going into my car by me as I get Vauxhall to change the oil at it's annual service. Complex business oils.
 
Associate
Joined
26 Oct 2007
Posts
1,278
Here's a comparison tool for engine oils for different manufacturers specs.
It shows the different levels of some adds that are used in each spec.
Some overlap each other while others are wildly difference in dosage.

If an oil claims a dexos 2 spec for instance, thenit has to be within limits of each component or it can't be.
This tool is for cars only
https://online.lubrizol.com/relperftool/pc.html
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Dec 2004
Posts
18,869
Location
Telford
When the Astra K came out the 1.4T versions started suffering with LSPI (Low Speed Pre ignition) which was damaging engines. I had one that from new had this issue and at only 500 miles the car needed a new engine. The fix was to change the originally recommended Dexos 2 oil for the newer Dexos 1 Gen 2 oil which resolved the problem. It’s now been modified that all Petrol GM engines inc GDi use Dexos 1 Gen 2 to prevent LSPI.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
26,255
Location
Here
When the Astra K came out the 1.4T versions started suffering with LSPI (Low Speed Pre ignition) which was damaging engines. I had one that from new had this issue and at only 500 miles the car needed a new engine. The fix was to change the originally recommended Dexos 2 oil for the newer Dexos 1 Gen 2 oil which resolved the problem. It’s now been modified that all Petrol GM engines inc GDi use Dexos 1 Gen 2 to prevent LSPI.

Indeed, since Opel split from GM they have now superseded this in the UK with their new Opel OVEO DG specification which covers LSPI too, detergent level and type is critical for these high boosted downsized engines to avoid LSPI and its becoming part of many OEM specifications. API SP recently released also now includes an LSPI test
 
Caporegime
Joined
26 Aug 2003
Posts
37,506
Location
Leafy Cheshire
You gotta love this forum. :rolleyes:

And I would assume being in Antarctica you wouldn't be running ASDA's own label and you would be using the engine manufacturers oil spec and advised oil brand. But... I could be wrong.
Are you suggesting I should have told him he was right because its “current year” and nobody is allowed to be wrong about anything?

Nice selective quote by the way, it’s not like I didn’t explain WHY he was wrong.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Jul 2005
Posts
19,426
Location
Midlands
2002 Corsa 1.2 sxi, ran eurocarparts triple qx 5w40 fully synthetic after about 1500miles of use when hard driving high revs or motorway runs when come to idle engine made rattling noise like its lost oil pressure or oils got overly thin.
Changed to shell 5w40 fully and it went the full 6k interval without making rattling sounds.
So for this car brand of oil made massive difference.
I only stick to big names now. Shell castrol mobil etc. No Tesco asda or triple qx for me
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Aug 2009
Posts
2,931
2002 Corsa 1.2 sxi, ran eurocarparts triple qx 5w40 fully synthetic after about 1500miles of use when hard driving high revs or motorway runs when come to idle engine made rattling noise like its lost oil pressure or oils got overly thin.
Changed to shell 5w40 fully and it went the full 6k interval without making rattling sounds.
So for this car brand of oil made massive difference.
I only stick to big names now. Shell castrol mobil etc. No Tesco asda or triple qx for me

Triple qx oil is fully approved from most/all car manufacturer's.

But depending on the vehicle, I have the same mentally (use the good stuff)
 

Jez

Jez

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
33,073
2002 Corsa 1.2 sxi, ran eurocarparts triple qx 5w40 fully synthetic after about 1500miles of use when hard driving high revs or motorway runs when come to idle engine made rattling noise like its lost oil pressure or oils got overly thin.
Changed to shell 5w40 fully and it went the full 6k interval without making rattling sounds.
So for this car brand of oil made massive difference.
I only stick to big names now. Shell castrol mobil etc. No Tesco asda or triple qx for me
I ran TripleQX oil for years on a few of my cheap cars, a couple of them for many tens of thousands of miles too. On my better cars i stick to OEM from the main dealers, for the sake of the SH more than anything, but i doubt that the oil is actually any better.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Jul 2005
Posts
19,426
Location
Midlands
Triple qx oil is fully approved from most/all car manufacturer's.

But depending on the vehicle, I have the same mentally (use the good stuff)

Look closer at those approvals. You will find depending which triple qx oil it is it wont actually say it has the approvals but will say it "meets the requirements of".
Also the acea approval is actually a self certification so its done in house.
Your car your choice but im my application it was naff.
 
Back
Top Bottom