Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   On modifying a car (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifying-car/)

-   -   ARTICLE: Synthetic oil vs Mineral oil (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifying-car/17917-article-synthetic-oil-vs-mineral-oil-400.html)

Seller Amsoil by Joram in Amazon. They are the authorized distributors. Amsoil is imported by Greaves.

Been reading this and a bunch of other threads and am thoroughly confused so please bear with me.

Our 2004 Alto LXI has done 1.3L kms. We gave it a paint job and changed wheels and brakes and so on a year ago, post the pandemic. The engine has been untouched. I’ve never paid attention to engine oils in the past to be honest and just trusted and went with whatever the service centres put in before. Apparently I was naive.

After the overhaul the car didn’t seem to pull as it used to and was rather noisier than I remembered, albeit the fact that it had been standing out in the rain for that year and a half or so. It has since opened up nicely and is doing better (guess just driving it has helped) but now I’m paying more attention to the oils and so on.

The service center was going to use Shell 5W30 but I stopped them. This just seems the standard oil they stock.

What oil can I use. I know what was recommended was 20w40 mineral but it seems hard to come by these days.

Should I switch to semi synthetic or synthetic now at this time? What grade? Do I need to do the flush? I’m happy to pay the price for a smoother engine but I’ve read that the flush and subsequent synthetic oil usage could cause leaks and so on in older cars. Should I still go ahead with the flush and switch? If so what brand and grade? We live in Bangalore and this isn’t our primary car so peak summer heat performance doesn’t have to be as critical as say, in Delhi.

Advice please? Thanks in advance.

Your car is in pristine condition and there seem to be no overhaul of any parts which are critical for performance.

As it was not used for sometime, you need to free it up a little bit and then change the fluids, spark plugs and filters.

You can go for 5w30 grade oil first and see if your car is consuming oil. If it is not, continue using it, otherwise go for 5w40 oil (any oil, synthetic or semi synthetic can be used)

5w30 oil in the market today are equivalent or even better than the Servo 15w40 oil which used to come 20 years ago. These oils can be used for 10k kms easily, while those oils were recommended for max 5k kms.

There is no need for flush. However, I will suggest you warm up the engine, take the car for a spin at high rpms and then change the oil and oil filter. May be fuel filter and air filter too, if they were not changed in 20k odd kms.

Thank you so much for the speedy response! The service Center has Shell HX5 AZ 5W30. The car is actually in there right now and I’m getting all the filters changed anyway. Taking it for a spin and bringing it back to them now in order to change the oil might be challenging. But from what you say, I won’t be too badly off just going with their 5W30 oil at the moment? I just checked my records and I never realised the douchebags at Mandovi had filled 0W20 after the last service :Frustrati Anyway the engine indeed seems to have opened up over the last couple of months and we’re getting all the plugs changed too. So am I correct in thinking even if I shift to synth now, I don’t need to flush? This car is never going to see more than 5k a year (maybe even half that) so I’m not too fussed about either cost or longevity of oil as long as it just keeps it chugging along nicely and smoothly. We’re sentimental about it and this is the one car we'll never part with if we can help it.

Thanks again

Was really surprised to read that 20W40 mineral oil is not freely available.
It is readily available at most Lube shops and even BPCL and IOCL petrol pumps.Since the car is about 18years old you can think of using 20W50 oil (Servo or Max or Castrol GTX)

Sorry, I should’ve clarified. I meant from Shell. The petrol bunks don’t seem to all be carrying it. Can’t seem to find Castrol online but that may be a decent alternative. Will head to a shop. Thank you for the response.

Since the car isn't going to be used much, stick to mineral or semi-synthetics. We have a 2008 Alto which had seen a lot of cheap oils and as a result, there was too much gunk left behind by those oils. Last year, changed the oil to Shell Helix HX5 15W40 and the engine seems to have cleaned a bit. We have a similar usage pattern as yours and the car hardly sees anything more than 5k/year.

I would recommend you to stick with 40-grade engine oils and that is what the manual recommends. If you want the cheapest option you can go with MGO 20W40(Made by Shell/Castrol) which is available at Maruti Spare Parts outlets. The next recommendation would be Shell Helix HX-5 15W40 (Don't get the Diesel one) and the last would be Shell Helix HX-7 10W40. (The recommendations have been made in increasing order of price and quality) If you want you can go with Shell Helix Ultra as well. Castrol equivalent should work fine too.

Flush isn't required. Since your car had 0W20, drain it off as soon as possible and put in some cheap oil (MGO 20W40 or Shell HX5) and drain it after 2-3k kms. That should take care of everything.

Abhishek

No need of that - run the oil till it lasts. Then switch to a good synthetic or semi synthetic 5w30

You don't need a synth with this low usage.
If I were you, I will let service centre fill whatever oil is available, even 0w20.
If your car's engine didn't consume/burn 0w20, there is no need for any thicker grade. Fill whatever is available at MASS.
Filling with thinner oils will also help the engine start quickly, after long uneventful months.

What would you advise for a 2001 Alto LX, which does NOT even do say 3K/year? I do NOT have the manual for the same, and wouldn't know what grade to buy, if I get this serviced in FNG.

I agree with the part that the oil will circulate quickly and OP doesn't need fully syntheitc, but there have been many users who reported excessive blowby and harshness from their F8D engines when 0W20 was used. Maruti I guess, still recommends 5W30 oil for this engine whereas 0W20 and 0W16 is for K series engines. :)



If you want the cheapest option, then go with MGO(Maruti Genuine Oil) 20W40 which is available at MGP store. Else you can order Shell Helix HX-5 15W40 from Amazon. Be sure not to buy the diesel one.

Thank you guys so much for the prompt responses! Phew, so basically I don’t need to panic at the crap that’s happened which is a relief. Ironic I suppose considering I’m waking up after all these years. I’m going to see what’s readily available to change at the mo (something which is 40 grade probably, but nothing less than 30 as one does sometimes get stuck in nightmarish Bangalore ring road and Whitefield traffic) and then plan better and swap it out with something really good in a few months. Maybe I’ll try semi synth first before going to synth. And I’ll avoid the engine flush.

Cheers guys!

For your low usage Castrol Magnatec 5w30 or Shell Helix Taxi 5w30 are good part (aka semi) synthetic oils. The difference between synthetic and semi synthetic for a single can of oil - enough for Alto - is a few hundred rupees max, so won’t hurt to buy synthetic itself.

Cross posting from the Maruti genuine Parts thread:

"My 2009 model Alto Lxi 800 went to MSM for service today. I told them specifically to use Mobil 1 0W40 engine oil, but I see that the bill mentions "Synthetic Oil Mobil 1 (0W20)". The part number shown is 99999MS0W40-MOB. Can someone confirm what spec oil this actually is?

I was not present during service, car was taken for service and delivered home.

If it is actually 0W20 I will tell them to change it again".

In response member @Klub Klass has downloaded and posted the part reference and it shows as Mobil1 0W40. What shall I do? Get it changed or take a chance and let it be? In case it actually happens to be 0w20, what kind of damage can happen in the next one year/<5000 km?

Nothing very much if you are not putting your Alto's engine through its paces all the time, pedal to the metal driving, heavy loads in the boot and what not.

Just keep a regular check on your oil and if the engine starts to sound rough or the oil goes black, change it out.