Base Vehicle Servicing - Engine Oil Specification

[Uncle Bulgaria]

I just thought I'd flag up the need to check on the oil used when having your base vehicle serviced. Modern diesel engines are now to Euro IV on emissions and increasingly fitted with an exhaust particulate filter to reduce smoke emissions. Having a filter appears to affect the specification of the engine oil to be used. I have a Renault Master base vehicle. It is the 150 dCi model with a particulate filter. The maintenance handbook stipulates engine oil to a C3 specification and SAE 5W30. Took it for servicing at my local Renault Trucks franchise who filled it with SAE 10W40 oil. It was only because I insisted on knowing what oil was used that the error came to light. Following a call to Renault technical, they replaced the recently filled oil and oil filter with the appropriate SAE 5W30 oil and a new filter.

 

The garage's "excuse" was that the VIN number simply told them what size engine was fitted, but not the extra features like the presence of the particulate filter. How prevelent this sort of problem is I don't know, but the new Sevel and Ford base vehicle engines may have a similar potential.

 

Richard.

[Usinmyknaus]

Having read your post I checked the bill for the first service on my Renault Master 120dci to see what spec oil was used. It was ELF Excellium synthetic 5W40. It must contain a proportion of gold particles as it cost £88.05 plus labour!

 

It had not occurred to me that a main Renault dealer would not know what type of oil their vehicles should use so I'll check the handbook next time I go to the van. (Mind you, they did grossly overfill the steering fluid reservoir which prompty overflowed and made quite a mess.)

 

Thanks for the warning.

 

Bob

[webbocj]

I take my Knaus Van Ti (Fiat) in tomorrow for first "short annual service" and because I am paying over £200!! YES £200 for nothing more than an oil change & new filter, worth about £70 I will certainly make sure they use the correct oil. Selinia WR 5W-40 and gold nuggetts, not dust.

 

Chris

 

[Mr. Grumpy]

Quite a coincidence this post. I have just booked my Fiat in with a main dealer for a summer service, oil change plus checks of other fluids and tyres etc. Total price £69.99 inc vat. How do they do this if the oil is over £80?

[onecal]

Hi

Keeping the oil specification is to be recommonded but a commmon mistake I have to contend with is with engine overfill. This can sometimes when you check your engine when it is hot. The oil is up around the engine and the dip stick gives the impression of a drop in oil. If you then top up to the line you now have too much oil in the engine. This will spell an end to both your exhaust converter and particulate filter.

Keep up the good work,

Regards,

Brendan.

 

[Derek Uzzell]

It's common sense that, where a motorhome's oil (and fuel) specification is involved, the advice of a vehicle's manufacturer should be adhered to strictly. I would have thought it rare that an agency for a specific make of vehicle (Fiat, Ford, Renault, etc.) would get this wrong, but mistakes could easily arise where a vehicle requires a particular type/grade of oil and servicing is being performed by an 'any make' garage.

 

Having said that, there was a letter about Volvo servicing in a recent issue of the CSMA "Motoring & Leisure" magazine. The writer said that he used to use Shell 10W-40 oil in an earlier Volvo car, but his local dealership had now advised him that, for his current (near new) Volvo, Castrol 5W-30 should be employed. He contacted another Volvo garage and was told "Yes, this is correct, but we use Castrol "Performance" 10W-40 because we consider the 5W-30 grade too thin". He then contacted Volvo's technical department who recommended Castrol Magnatec 5W-30.

 

Was the writer satisfied with this advice? Well no - not really - as, after purchasing the Castrol 5W-30 oil, when he poured some into his motor, he "was minded to think it was indeed 'too thin'", and went on to suggest that there was some sort of commercial link between Volvo, Castrol and certain Volvo dealerships (Ah - the good old conspiracy theory!) Now, it has to be admitted that 5W-30 oil is pretty thin - but that's exactly how it should be. And my own experience is that this grade is most widely available from within the Castrol Magnatec range, so that's probably why Volvo recommends that brand.

 

5W-30 oil is also recommended by Ford for many of its recent motors including that of my Transit-based motorhome. When the vehicle was due for its first service I inquired what grade oil would be used and, because there was some uncertainty, asked if the garage would be happy if I supplied the oil myself, as that way I'd be sure Ford's advice would be followed. This arrangement was agreed and that's what I've been doing since.

 

There is some evidence that Year 2000-onwards Transits are pernickety about oil grade and I've also been told that, although a very long between-service mileage interval is now specified by Ford, the oil appears to 'go off' after 10,000 miles resulting in excessive engine noise at start up. ("Rattles like a bag of nails" was the expression used.) Probably not significant for motorhomes though, as they seldom exceed 10K miles annually.

[colin]

As I've posted before, I most cases you have to assume OEM will get spec right, but this is not always the case, early Ford DOHC engines often struggled with cold oil feed to cams if using Ford spec oil, early/mid 90s Astra's often had cold running problems running on GM spec oil, in both cases it was solved by using fully synthetic oil which had better cold running performance

[webbocj]

Morning, "short"service carried out yesterday, £74 for oil (genuine) & filter, £130 labour PLUS vat = £240!!!!!! Not the cheapest quote - £190,ish but only 1mile away. Habitation/water next, £270!!! That's £10/week before it's moved off the drive.

[David B]

Regarding overfilling. My local Puegeot garage underfilled my 2005 Boxer 2.2l.

 

This came to light when I enquired about an odd thing about the dip-stick. After using the vehicle and allowing time for engine to drain when you pull out the dip-stick there is no oil on it! Put it back in and try again and low and behold there is oil at the appropriate level. It seemed to me that somehow the oil drains away from the dip-stick housing and the air-tight "bung" fitting at the top stops oil getting back in until you take out the dip-stick.

 

Any body else noticed this?

[Mr. Grumpy]

As per my previous post. Just back for a Fiat main dealer summer service which included an oil change (£40 for oil) and filter change (£16) plus a check of all other fluids, tyre check, wipers and all lights. Total £69.99 inc vat, so how you are being charged £70+ for oil I can't fathom.

[BGD]

Just a quick thought......changing the engine oil and filter is about the most straightforward job you can do yourself in the van engine bay.

 

Why not do it yourself? It's a ten minute job.

So long as you retain the receipts for the parts, this should not invalidate any manufacturer warranty, as legally in the EU you are nowadays able to have your vehicle serviced anywhere, so long as the servicer is "competent" and services to manufacturers specs.

 

I've always done this with my motorbikes and cars, whether under warranty from new, or older.

I'm a very competent DIY mechanic, but anyone can easily learn how to do basic maintenance stuff like this.

And you can be sure it's actually been done properly...not by a spotty yoof.

 

Our MH is 17 years old, so probably(!) out of warranty now...so all maintenance is done by me at home anyway!

 

 

 

[Basil]

BGD - 2008-08-03 10:47 PM

 

So long as you retain the receipts for the parts, this should not invalidate any manufacturer warranty, as legally in the EU you are nowadays able to have your vehicle serviced anywhere, so long as the servicer is "competent" and services to manufacturers specs.

 

 

I agree with your sentiments and like you I carry out my own maintenance, however I would seek clarification on your statement above as I understood it had to be a 'competant and VAT Registered' garage using all genuine manufacturers parts and that 'home' servicing was not an option when it comes to keeping your warranty valid. That is certainly the case and the wording written in my wifes Peugeot warranty information to retain her 5 year warranty.

 

Bas