Engine Oil advice

smcgiff

To make a long story short I bought €100 worth of Fully Synthetic Engine oil and the recommended oil filter from Halfords ), but the oil filter was wrong (I've since been back to Halfords and their directory is definitely wrong).

Now, I was left with an old filter and new oil... and did something I've been told has damaged my engine and compromised the new 6 litres of engine oil (have I mentioned this cost €100!). I cleaned* out the old filter with petrol :eek: and then changed the engine oil.

After much searching I've two oil filters on order from a local motor factors.

So, would ye agree I've damaged my engine and I need to change the engine oil. I'll obviously be changing the filter ASAP. The car is a '04 Saab 93 2.0 turbo.

* this involved putting the filter into a jam jar and sloshing petrol through it until it ran clear. I then shook as much petrol out of it and let it dry outside for about half an hour.

alias no.9

Halfords catalogs tend to be full of inaccuracies. I'd never trust them for filters, which even if they are the correct part, often cost more than at main dealers. Even with bulbs, I'll take the blown bulb with me rather than trust their catalog. If I were you, I'd do another oil and filter change ASAP, especially with a newer, high performance motor.

BrianD3

Who told you that cleaning the filter in petrol would damage your engine and what exactly is it supposed to do to the engine?

smcgiff

BrianD3 wrote:

Who told you that cleaning the filter in petrol would damage your engine and what exactly is it supposed to do to the engine?

Guys on a SAAB forum. They said the petrol soaked up in the filter would ruin the additives within the oil.

smcgiff

alias no.9 wrote:

Halfords catalogs tend to be full of inaccuracies.

I sent a quick email to Halfords and this is the reply I got...

Thank you for your recent email.

I am sorry to hear that the CRL was incorrect in the store.

Please return to the store and contact the store Manager so that he may
redress the situation for you.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

Halfords Customer Services

Decent enough reply, but it might not be as uncommon as I would have thought! :rolleyes:

BrianD3

I doubt it TBH - you soaked the filter in petrol and let it dry for 1/2 hour so a lot of the petrol will have evaporated. Even the stuff that's left will be a minimal volume compared to the volume of oil in the engine which will be several litres.

To be safe, maybe you could shorten the interval to the next service.

smcgiff

BrianD3 wrote:

I doubt it TBH - you soaked the filter in petrol and let it dry for 1/2 hour so a lot of the petrol will have evaporated. Even the stuff that's left will be a minimal volume compared to the volume of oil in the engine which will be several litres.

That's what I was thinking, but I'm the idiot that cleaned it out with petrol in the first place.

BrianD3 wrote:

To be safe, maybe you could shorten the interval to the next service.

The service is supposed to be 18k, and I changed it at nine and was going to let the main dealer do it after another 9k. I might leave it for the 9k (unless others advise otherwise) and let the main dealer service it then - as well as changing the Filter ASAP.

BrianD3

I think you're doing more than enough there.

IMO there is a lot of BS spouted about synthetic oils and the mysterious additives and powers that they have

To put it into perspective, my car (1.6 Laguna) has 135k miles on it now and has 18k service intervals. Up until 100k, the oil was changed every 18k miles using bog standard semi synth which cost about 20 quid for 5 litres. Now I have switched to 10k intervals as a precaution. Engine seems fine - quiet, economical, no discernable drop in power since new, no oil usage, just flew through the NCT emissions test.

Yet if you were to listen to some people you'd think need to change your oil every 3k and use the dearest full synth stuff on the market otherwise your engine will explode before it gets to 50k!

smcgiff

BrianD3 wrote:

Yet if you were to listen to some people you'd think need to change your oil every 3k

I've come across some SAABers that suggest this or every 6 months whichever comes sooner. I think they just miss playing with their dinkies!

galwaytt

first of all........is your car worth more than Eur100? If so, start again. And what were you thinking trying to save pppp by rinsing a filter ???? :rolleyes:

- they're right about the adhesive, btw...........the petrol will evaporate, but the glue, if softened, may shed a few particles...........

And SAAB's need their oil, being slightly inclined to using a bit. I'm not convinced of the merits of fully synth on cars not originally designed to run on it, especially at medium to high miles. Semi-synth, or dino is fine, and on the SAAB, to mind the turbo's, I'd change it around the 6k mark. And not the €100 stuff.

smcgiff

galwaytt wrote:

first of all........is your car worth more than Eur100? If so, start again. And what were you thinking trying to save pppp by rinsing a filter ???? :rolleyes:

Tried in Vain to get a filter, and eventually had to order it. It's not that I was trying to save on a €6 filter but trying to get the new oil in ASAP - I didn't realise my error until later. Actually, if I were being honest I was physced up about changing the oil myself and would probably have put water into the engine if I'd not had oil!

bushy...

I have seen a racebike loose ALL its water and continue on happily for a fair bit , I'm sure the fully synth helped it survive , it melted cam chain guides and fractured the pistons but didn't seize or pick up anywhere .
No water = no reading on the temp gauge.

cpoh1

BrianD3 wrote:

Yet if you were to listen to some people you'd think need to change your oil every 3k and use the dearest full synth stuff on the market otherwise your engine will explode before it gets to 50k!

I change my oil on the skyline every 3k miles. Have done on all my cars to be honest. If you drive a bog standard everyday car like a laguna it wont make feck all difference but if you have a performance car that sees 8k rpm most weeks and hits oil temps of over 130 degrees regularily then its vital that you have fresh oil in the car.

BrianD3

cpoh1 wrote:

I change my oil on the skyline every 3k miles. Have done on all my cars to be honest. If you drive a bog standard everyday car like a laguna it wont make feck all difference but if you have a performance car that sees 8k rpm most weeks and hits oil temps of over 130 degrees regularily then its vital that you have fresh oil in the car.

I'd tend to agree but how do you know that 3k is the magic number. What does the manufacturer have to say about oil change intervals. Presumably, Nissan designed the Skyline to rev to 8k and has also specified what oil is needed.

Wibbs

cpoh1 wrote:

I change my oil on the skyline every 3k miles. Have done on all my cars to be honest. If you drive a bog standard everyday car like a laguna it wont make feck all difference but if you have a performance car that sees 8k rpm most weeks and hits oil temps of over 130 degrees regularily then its vital that you have fresh oil in the car.

Agree here. The high performance, high revving yokes should be looked after with very regular oil changes. I do mine every 5K. The engine will last longer if you do.

The manufacturers are looking at convenience and what the average lifespan of the car is to the average punter. Also they may recommend oil because of a deal they have with an oil company.

People who have really high record breaking mileages(into the millions) all have one thing in common. They change the oil far more the the maker's recommended.

The fact is any oil breaks down. the fully synthetic breaks down slower, but it still breaks down. Add to the fact that most so called fully synthetics aren't fully synthetic, then you can see why changing the oil very regularly is a good thing. If the manufacturer says you should change the oils at 10K surely you can see that the oil is less broken down and protecting the engine better if you dump it at 5K?

unkel

Wibbs wrote:

People who have really high record breaking mileages(into the millions) all have one thing in common. They change the oil far more the the maker's recommended

You've a good point there. Irv Gordon has changed the oil in his Volvo more than 700 times in - wait for it - 4,000,000 kilometers. The car still has the original engine :eek:

He recommends changing the oil every 3,500 miles

JHMEG

To the OP, if you have ever used Bardahl's or other engine flush you'll note that it's by and large petroleum spirits, ie petrol. I put a 300ml can of it into my oil every now and again and it does a good job of cleaning the valve train: I can see quite a difference.

Now, I'm adding 300ml to about 3 litres of oil (engine capacity is 3.3 litres -- I have to drain a bit of oil to get the Bardahl's in), which is a 10% mix. Then I drive about 100 miles, as per the instructions.

You have added probably max 20ml of petrol into maybe just over 4 litres of oil (a 2.0 couldn't take 6 litres?), which less than a 0.5% mix. So I don't think you have anything really to worry about when it comes to the oil.

OTOH the oil filter was not designed to have petrol run through it, and I would be mildly concerned about it. The oil would by now have greatly diluted the petrol tho, and you didn't leave it overnight soaking in petrol or anything.

Finally wtf is the story with that oil? That's the damn dearest oil I've ever heard of. My wife's car takes 0W20 fully synthetic, and it cost me 4.50 per litre (the yanks pay about 3 euro a litre for the extact same stuff:mad:) from a Honda dealer. Did you price the right oil from a SAAB dealer?

smcgiff

JHMEG wrote:

You have added probably max 20ml of petrol into maybe just over 4 litres of oil (a 2.0 couldn't take 6 litres?), which less than a 0.5% mix.

Finally wtf is the story with that oil? That's the damn dearest oil I've ever heard of. My wife's car takes 0W20 fully synthetic, and it cost me 4.50 per litre (the yanks pay about 3 euro a litre for the extact same stuff:mad:) from a Honda dealer. Did you price the right oil from a SAAB dealer?

JHMEG, You've quite simply made my day, dammit my entire week!!!:D

6 litres it is - I only wish it were 4! Oil filter has been changed (Wix Filter)

So, you ship over the oil and I'll start selling it wholesale I've no doubt it's a complete rip off price. It's €60 for 4 litres and of course for a single litre it's more expensive - €20 in Halfords. Ho Hum - Rip off Ireland!!!

BrianD3

GalwayTT makes the point that the petrol could have degraded the adhesive in the oil filter. I have no idea what sort of adhesive there is in a filter and I guess it could possibly degrade if soaked in petrol. However as the filter is designed for use in a harsh enviroment (hot oil being pumped through under pressure) I'd say degradation is not that likely.

JHMEG

smcgiff wrote:

It's €60 for 4 litres and of course for a single litre it's more expensive - €20 in Halfords. Ho Hum - Rip off Ireland!!!

How much is it from a SAAB dealer?