Discovery 300tdi - What Engine Oil

Sean said:

and if yer only doing a few miles a year who really cares how much the oil costs (within reason)

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well all i want to kow is...whats the best i should use ? ie best for the engine regardless of price if tractor oil is cheaper and better for the engine or what ? as ideally cheaper the better if its good for the engine ? theres tractor oil, 10/40 semi synth, and asda 5w40 all mentioned but saying change for a better one in 3k...to what ? why not now ,im still confused ,jut want to be clear in what i should go for

polsta said:

well all i want to kow is...whats the best i should use ? ie best for the engine regardless of price if tractor oil is cheaper and better for the engine or what ? as ideally cheaper the better if its good for the engine ? theres tractor oil, 10/40 semi synth, and asda 5w40 all mentioned but saying change for a better one in 3k...to what ? why not now ,im still confused ,jut want to be clear in what i should go for

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I feel like we've been here before Polsta - answering the same question several times but here goes.

When you first buy a second hand car, it makes sense to go through it mechanically and sort it out, so you have a baseline set for future servicing. Basically I've never found a 2nd hand car that has been serviced to my standards so I reckon I'm, in part, making up for lost time time.

So, regarding the engine and it's oil, the rating of oil ie 5w-30 or 10w-40 is ambient temperature dependant - but these recommendations are NOT absolutes. You need to interprete them into your own way of vehicle use and servicing.

What I can tell you for sure is that during cold weather, the lower the first number is, the better the engine will be lubricated in the first 10-15 secs of an early morning cold start. However TDi engine were not designed with 0w or 5w oils in mind.

So please just go for 10w-40 semi synth. Buy some cheap supermarket stuff for the first oilchange and treat it as an internal engine washout. After 500-1000mls (depending on how many miles you do, as you want this washout to be done quickly) then go for a branded 10w-40 semi synth and use 6,000ml service intervals. Also, always change the oil filter - they are cheap enough so why wouldn't you?

This is going to sound a bit harsh but I need to say this - stop asking endless question about the arse-end of everything and get on with the work. Your Disco will thank you for it.

Sorry, but you know we've had this before.
Dave

charlsey is 100 % correct ,tractor oils also have better detergents which helps in removing the crap ,after building hundreds of land rover engines its plain to see when you inspect cranks ,cam bearings etc ,gear boxes need dextron 2 0r 3 (atf) ,transfer boxes and axles use ep 90 .the rush to extend service times has nothing to do with the long term health of your landy,and is it surprising that oil filled for life gear boxes such as fitted to l322 rr seem to only last 60k

thebiglad said:

then go for a branded 10w-40 semi synth and use 6,000ml service intervals. Also, always change the oil filter - they are cheap enough so why wouldn't you?

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Sorry to butt in, not hijacking

If mileage is lowish, is it best to stick to 6000 mile changes or stik to 6 months regardless of miles covered??

Bit confused.

Dave

davek0974 said:

Sorry to butt in, not hijacking

If mileage is lowish, is it best to stick to 6000 mile changes or stik to 6 months regardless of miles covered??

Bit confused.

Dave

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Hi Dave, taking into account the cost of oil (being low) and the ease of an oilchange, I change ours at 6 months or 6,000mls. The reason I do this is that there is a lot of chemistry in the combustion process and this depletes the oil over time as well as mileage.

Your engine will thank you for the extra attention.

Cheers
Dave

Fair do's,

6000 or 6months it is then.

thanks

dave

geoffo said:

I read CharlesY a while ago and tried it, tractor oil is better than the rip off main stream stuff and the disco runs on it like a dream, its so cheap I change it twice a year.
I used to put Millers in 6 litres £40 plus, 15-40 tractor oil 6 litres £9.00 twice a year £18
and I pull a caravan all over for holidays, no trouble.

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i live about 4 miles from millers HQ, so i'll be bobbing down to get hold of some of this. done 5000 miles in mine since i got it (in sept) now so i'm gonna get some ready for 6000 miles.

must say this to all of you, for us who are spanners when it comes to mechanics (pun intended) thank you! seriously, you've spelt it out nice and easy!

I wouldnt use tractor universal oil in my car even if it was free I have seen how outdated the specs they all meet are and its a joke

Just get a cheap oil from a motor factors - 10w40 semi can be had for around £50 for 25L

Tuskenraider said:

I wouldnt use tractor universal oil in my car even if it was free I have seen how outdated the specs they all meet are and its a joke

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The joke is on YOU my friend!
TUOils are among the best available, and can stand abuse that most branded oils won't handle.


CharlesY

I am in agreement with CharlesY as we used to use the TUO oil in our high revving rally car (BDG escort) and never suffered a single engine problem in the 2 years of competition, but when we sold the car the guy who bought it went onto a fully synthetic oil and before his first event the engine had run its bearings

CharlesY said:

TUOils are among the best available, and can stand abuse that most branded oils won't handle.

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They why dont they meet the tougher more modern specs?

They dont meet a single ACEA spec and as a result you could see insufficient protection against oxidation with the associated deposit/lacquering problems affecting engine durability, as well as bad fuel economy. Oil consumption is also expected to be high due to the high Noack values. SUTOs also have higher ash and phosphorus contents, which is inadvisable for gasoline engines and for many light-duty diesel engines. Bottom line is that it will work for a while, but not very well…

Tractor engines are designed to run the stuff, modern car engines are not - simples. Its not about being 'sucked in' by the big oil companies, its about looking at the facts and making an educated conclusion

I am still waiting for a sample of this from someone so I can see how it actually compares to quality oils although strangley enough no one seems that forthcoming ..........

bmp42 said:

I am in agreement with CharlesY as we used to use the TUO oil in our high revving rally car (BDG escort) and never suffered a single engine problem in the 2 years of competition, but when we sold the car the guy who bought it went onto a fully synthetic oil and before his first event the engine had run its bearings

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Thats because you had been running it on treacle and then he goes and puts the lubrication equivelent of water in it

If it had been run on the synthetic from the start it would have been fine

Tuskenraider said:

They why dont they meet the tougher more modern specs?

They dont meet a single ACEA spec and as a result you could see insufficient protection against oxidation with the associated deposit/lacquering problems affecting engine durability, as well as bad fuel economy. Oil consumption is also expected to be high due to the high Noack values. SUTOs also have higher ash and phosphorus contents, which is inadvisable for gasoline engines and for many light-duty diesel engines. Bottom line is that it will work for a while, but not very well…

Tractor engines are designed to run the stuff, modern car engines are not - simples. Its not about being 'sucked in' by the big oil companies, its about looking at the facts and making an educated conclusion

I am still waiting for a sample of this from someone so I can see how it actually compares to quality oils although strangley enough no one seems that forthcoming ..........

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FFS a disco is a tractor engine..

Tuskenraider said:

Thats because you had been running it on treacle and then he goes and puts the lubrication equivelent of water in it

If it had been run on the synthetic from the start it would have been fine

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the engine was rebuilt before sale with all new bearings / pistons etc. even though non where required - purely down to the oil

bmp42 said:

I am in agreement with CharlesY as we used to use the TUO oil in our high revving rally car (BDG escort) and never suffered a single engine problem in the 2 years of competition, but when we sold the car the guy who bought it went onto a fully synthetic oil and before his first event the engine had run its bearings

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You don't think that was a consequence of previous usage do you?

thebiglad said:

You don't think that was a consequence of previous usage do you?

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see my other post - freshly rebuilt engine by Terry Hoyle (google him and you will find that he built the BDG's for most running Fords back in the late 70's and early 80's). The fully synthetic oil was Mobil 1

My SAAB 900 Turbo Aero 16v is on 140,000 miles plus, and the last 100 k miles of that is on TUO.

Just goes to prove what the man says ... TUO will wreck your engine ...

My Disco TD5 is on 80,000 miles, the last 60,000 on TUO.

Just goes to prove what the man says ... TUO will wreck your engine ...

My tractor is 30 years old, original engine (never touched) and always uses TUO.

Just goes to prove what the man says ... TUO will wreck your engine ...

Every engine that comes here for an oil change is filled with TUO, and NONE has ever had a problem in decades, cars, Landies of every sort, the lot.

Just goes to prove what the man says ... TUO will wreck your engine ...

As the man says, TUO will wreck your engine ...

I know from EXPERIENCE, whereas he knows only from THEORY and advertising hype.

CharlesY

this is interesting reading !!! i dont know what to use tbh

castrol R...................mmmmmmmmmmmmmm nice smell.

And still I havent been told why it doesnt meet any ACEA specs

If its such a wonder juice why dont all the major manufacturers recommend it?

Why dont the oil companies use it, stick it in a flashy bottle and charge £30 for 4 litres?

Use what you like, I couldnt care less. What i think is wrong is telling other people to use it as if it causes a failure i very much doubt you will be sticking your hand in your pocket and paying for a rebuild

The facts are

No Motor manufacturer recommends its use
It doesnt meeat any ACEA spec and the only API spec it meets was classed as obsolete in the 70's
Oil companies dont recommend its use in anything except agricultural equipment where one oil is used for all hydraulic systems.

If people still want to put it in their car then thats up to them


Personally i will be 'wasting my money' sticking an oil in that has been tested for the correct use and meets the latest specs