Mobil 1 Grades??
Discussion
I went out this weekend to get a can of oil for the Griff. The Manual says 5W50 (I think) but in all the places I looked I could only find 0W40 or 15W50.
Now, I'm clueless as to what the numbers mean... something to do with viscosity(sp) or runnyness in my terms... I think.
Either way can you still get 5W50?? if not which one should I buy?????
Now, I'm clueless as to what the numbers mean... something to do with viscosity(sp) or runnyness in my terms... I think.
Either way can you still get 5W50?? if not which one should I buy?????
Fernhurst use Valvoline 5W40. This is slightly thicker than the 0W40 Mobil 1 which is too thin for TVRs. I have noticed that oil consumption is much better with the 5W40 too.
I couldn't get hold of the Valvoline for top ups so am using Halfords 5W40 fully synthetic - this is probably made by Valvoline anyway!
I couldn't get hold of the Valvoline for top ups so am using Halfords 5W40 fully synthetic - this is probably made by Valvoline anyway!
TVR have revised their documentation to recommend 0W40 Mobil 1 for all models. I've used it for over a year and it's been fine (and certainly not too thin). The oil pressure holds up well at around 52/53 psi @ 3000 rpm, 42/3 psi @ 2000rpm and 30 psi at 850 idle all after a very hard thrash on my 27,000 mile old 4.5 Cerbera. The pressure gauge is very accurate having been calibrated against a standard test gauge. Oil consumption is around 1300 miles/litre.
regards
John
regards
John
Now this is all from old memory so forgive me if I get the odd point wrong.
In a multi-viscosity oil such as the 5-50 in your example, the oil acts like a 5 weight (ie, thinner) when the car is cold, and like a 50 weight (thicker) when it is warm. This does _not_ mean that the oil actually gets thicker as the car gets hotter. The 5-50 oil would simply not thin as much as a straight 5 weight oil. And of course the converse is also true -- when cold, the 5-50 oil would not get as thick as a straight 50 weight.
Hope this helps
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Tuesday 5th March 16:25
>> Edited by plotloss on Tuesday 5th March 16:39
In a multi-viscosity oil such as the 5-50 in your example, the oil acts like a 5 weight (ie, thinner) when the car is cold, and like a 50 weight (thicker) when it is warm. This does _not_ mean that the oil actually gets thicker as the car gets hotter. The 5-50 oil would simply not thin as much as a straight 5 weight oil. And of course the converse is also true -- when cold, the 5-50 oil would not get as thick as a straight 50 weight.
Hope this helps
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Tuesday 5th March 16:25
>> Edited by plotloss on Tuesday 5th March 16:39
quote:
Can someone please in laymans terms explain what the upper and lower figures relate to? i.e. is a 0-40 thinner or thicker than a 5-50 etc. Cheers Rich...
Broadly speaking, the numbers tell you how thick (viscous) the oil is (the higher the number, the thicker the oil). The first number tells you how viscous the oil is around 0C (the lower the better) and the second number tells you how viscous the oil is around 100C (the higher the better). With a tradition old unigrade oil these two numbers would be the same. Within reason, the further apart these two numbers are the better.
The numbers actually identify the SAE standards that the oil complies with. These standards cover various things like chemical stability as well as the viscosity. There are two sets of standards, the normal standards cover the hot behaviour and the cold (W or Winter) standards cover both the cold and hot behaviour. Hence the Winter standards are more stringent. I think the SAE web site covers this in depth if you want more details.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
Glad you brought that up dan.I went to halfords today to get some oil 5W50 like it says and ended up confused and walked around with the 15W50 for 10 minutes thinking prehaps i'd read it wrong.
In the end i left empty handed to refer to PH and hey presto,theres a forum just come up.
Cheers guys
In the end i left empty handed to refer to PH and hey presto,theres a forum just come up.
Cheers guys
I had the same oil dilemma when I bought my Chim last July. After looking at past threads and phoning a couple of dealers, I could not find a definative answer.
I use Mobil 1 0W40 as I was told it was the replacement for the original recommended 5W50.
I'm sure we would all agree it would be excellent to have some recommendations from TVR themselves.
I use Mobil 1 0W40 as I was told it was the replacement for the original recommended 5W50.
I'm sure we would all agree it would be excellent to have some recommendations from TVR themselves.
quote:
Glad you brought that up dan.I went to halfords today to get some oil 5W50 like it says and ended up confused and walked around with the 15W50 for 10 minutes thinking prehaps i'd read it wrong.
In the end i left empty handed to refer to PH and hey presto,theres a forum just come up.
Cheers guys
sipow
Glad to be of help
By the way how are you getting on with the Yellow monster??
Cheers Dan
I could have done with this thread a couple of weeks back!!!! There are several very useful threads about this already.
I needed recently to top up the oil on my 1998 Griff and was uncertain what to use.......aware of TVR recommendation to use Mobil One 0W-40 but this was inconsistent with car's original handbook. Checked with servicing TVR main dealer (April 2001)who advised fully synthetic 5W-40. TVR factory themselves recommended Mobil One 0W-40.....odder and odder, I thought. It turns out that TVR dealer didn't actually use Mobil One but Valvoline 5W-40. 5W-40 didn't seem to be widely available although local motor factors had 'obscure' makes such as Comma and Miller of this grade. Ended up using Castrol R4 5W-40 which seems to have been fine and chosen because it was an oil brand I recognised.
My advice would be to note what the servicing team put in the car when you have it serviced and get some off them or at least make a note of it. I would certainly never now assume that Mobil One 0W-40 is in the car just because TVR themselves have some commercial tie up with them. A leading and very popular independent servicing guy suggested I disregard the Mobil One link with TVR altogether as nothing more than a business deal and to accept that there are other perfectly sound oils out there for our cars. That said it's worth looking om the Mobil One website for more info. on this (0W-40) and if you must use it then I understand it is available at Esso fuel stations.
Just changing tack slightly I am now running the car on Optimax (first tank full so no verdict yet but does seem to go well). Not many Shell stations around me in Essex but its worth looking at the Shell website and going to the Optimax section.....it lists Shell stations that supply it and even have helpful maps you can use to find them...so it should be possible to plan longer journeys with a bit more certainty.
I could have done with this thread a couple of weeks back!!!! There are several very useful threads about this already.
I needed recently to top up the oil on my 1998 Griff and was uncertain what to use.......aware of TVR recommendation to use Mobil One 0W-40 but this was inconsistent with car's original handbook. Checked with servicing TVR main dealer (April 2001)who advised fully synthetic 5W-40. TVR factory themselves recommended Mobil One 0W-40.....odder and odder, I thought. It turns out that TVR dealer didn't actually use Mobil One but Valvoline 5W-40. 5W-40 didn't seem to be widely available although local motor factors had 'obscure' makes such as Comma and Miller of this grade. Ended up using Castrol R4 5W-40 which seems to have been fine and chosen because it was an oil brand I recognised.
My advice would be to note what the servicing team put in the car when you have it serviced and get some off them or at least make a note of it. I would certainly never now assume that Mobil One 0W-40 is in the car just because TVR themselves have some commercial tie up with them. A leading and very popular independent servicing guy suggested I disregard the Mobil One link with TVR altogether as nothing more than a business deal and to accept that there are other perfectly sound oils out there for our cars. That said it's worth looking om the Mobil One website for more info. on this (0W-40) and if you must use it then I understand it is available at Esso fuel stations.
Just changing tack slightly I am now running the car on Optimax (first tank full so no verdict yet but does seem to go well). Not many Shell stations around me in Essex but its worth looking at the Shell website and going to the Optimax section.....it lists Shell stations that supply it and even have helpful maps you can use to find them...so it should be possible to plan longer journeys with a bit more certainty.
Dan,the yellow monster is oooooooohhhhhhh so goood.
I'm gutted about getting rid of the S3(great car)but boy oh boy am i having more fun.
God knows what them lads that have up it to a Cebera,Tuscan,or Tamora feel like from doing from the Chimeara/Griffith.
Simon
Ps Dont Know yet but hopefully c u at the meet on the 24
>> Edited by sipow on Thursday 7th March 00:00
I'm gutted about getting rid of the S3(great car)but boy oh boy am i having more fun.
God knows what them lads that have up it to a Cebera,Tuscan,or Tamora feel like from doing from the Chimeara/Griffith.
Simon
Ps Dont Know yet but hopefully c u at the meet on the 24
>> Edited by sipow on Thursday 7th March 00:00
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