Castrol GTX 5W-30 engine oil Part or fully synthetic?

[Cosworth750]

Hi everyone.

Can't find a definite answer to this so thought I'd ask here. Is this http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estor...okiesDetect...

Part or fully synthetic oil? Seen it in ASDA for £12.00 and it was next to a bottle of 10W40 GTX oil with "part synthetic oil" written on the front but the 5w30 oil just says "A1 B1 grade" on the back.

Anyone know?

Cheers

[CampDavid]

1 litre Edge 5w-30?

That'll be fully synth

[McSam]

GTX in 5W/30 A1 will be part-synthetic, Edge and Magnatec will be fully synthetic.

[Cosworth750]

McSam said:

GTX in 5W/30 A1 will be part-synthetic, Edge and Magnatec will be fully synthetic.

Cheers mate.

[McSam]

Following not correct!

Actually, I just checked, it seems they don't do any 5W/30 specs in GTX, only Magnatec and Edge now - so any Castrol 5W/30 A1 you buy will be fully synthetic.

No worries

Edited by McSam on Wednesday 26th December 19:40

[Cosworth750]

Heres the one in ASDA. I also checked the site and it never came up in 5W30 so it's a tad confusing lol

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/scoobydoo99...

[McSam]

See, I thought I remembered it, that's why I put it in my first post! But I haven't sold oil for a year now so I thought they might have stopped doing it. Very odd. In that case, my original comment stands!

[Cosworth750]

I'll come to you for any future oil advice Sam, cheers

[s m]

McSam said:

Actually, I just checked, it seems they don't do any 5W/30 specs in GTX, only Magnatec and Edge now - so any Castrol 5W/30 A1 you buy will be fully synthetic.

No worries

Here's the Castrol spec sheet


http://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/FusionPDS.nsf/Fi...

[g3org3y]

McSam said:

GTX in 5W/30 A1 will be part-synthetic, Edge and Magnatec will be fully synthetic.

Quite sure Magnatec is semi synth.

[Deva Link]

s m said:

Here's the Castrol spec sheet


http://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/FusionPDS.nsf/Fi...

I *think* the "professional" stuff is what's supplied to garages and is different to what's sold in retail.

Castrol got into trouble a few years ago with their "synthetic engineering" branding on oil that wasn't actually synthetic.


I've often seen Vauxhall dealers recomended as selling very reasonably priced fully synth oil.

Edited by Deva Link on Wednesday 26th December 22:15

[s m]

g3org3y said:

McSam said:

GTX in 5W/30 A1 will be part-synthetic, Edge and Magnatec will be fully synthetic.

Quite sure Magnatec is semi synth.

I always thought they were mineral based but with a certain proportion of specially refined or 'hydrocracked' mineral oil so could be termed as having synthetic technology.

To me, fully synthetic means it is a chemical from a lab built by a scientist ( Ester type ).

I think they can sell mineral based oils as fully/semi synth if they contain a certain percentage of the 'extra refined/hydro cracked' base oils though.

Any chemists ITH?

[McSam]

Not all Magnatec oils are sold as such, but the 5W/30 (the A1 at least, can't remember about A3/B4 etc) is labelled as "fully synthetic".

This, I imagine, means it meets the definition as well anything else from the likes of Mobil or Comma, so for the sake of comparison with other oils, it's a fully synthetic as opposed to a part synthetic. Whether it's actually mineral-based or not, in some capacity, is another question! It's increasingly hard to get reliable information on such things.

[s m]

McSam said:

Not all Magnatec oils are sold as such, but the 5W/30 (the A1 at least, can't remember about A3/B4 etc) is labelled as "fully synthetic".

This, I imagine, means it meets the definition as well anything else from the likes of Mobil or Comma, so for the sake of comparison with other oils, it's a fully synthetic as opposed to a part synthetic. Whether it's actually mineral-based or not, in some capacity, is another question! It's increasingly hard to get reliable information on such things.

Yes, they certainly label the 5w/30 A1 Magnatec as 'Fully synthetic'



I did notice the ordinary Castrol GTX 5W/30 A1 though and they don't seem to make the same claim on the packaging



As you say, it's hard to obtain reliable info on the claims - a lot more oils seemed to become synthetic since the court case over naming standards.

[PlayersNo6]

Deva Link said:

I *think* the "professional" stuff is what's supplied to garages and is different to what's sold in retail.

Castrol got into trouble a few years ago with their "synthetic engineering" branding on oil that wasn't actually synthetic.


I've often seen Vauxhall dealers recomended as selling very reasonably priced fully synth oil.

Edited by Deva Link on Wednesday 26th December 22:15

+1. I get my GM LL fully synth oil here :

http://www.autovaux.co.uk/LoadPortal.aspx?cnum=72&...

Meets various specs I gather. Recommended.

[g3org3y]

s m said:

Yes, they certainly label the 5w/30 A1 Magnatec as 'Fully synthetic'



I did notice the ordinary Castrol GTX 5W/30 A1 though and they don't seem to make the same claim on the packaging



As you say, it's hard to obtain reliable info on the claims - a lot more oils seemed to become synthetic since the court case over naming standards.

The stuff I use (10W/40) is labelled as 'part synthetic'

(excuse the other service items!)

[s m]

g3org3y said:

s m said:

Yes, they certainly label the 5w/30 A1 Magnatec as 'Fully synthetic'



I did notice the ordinary Castrol GTX 5W/30 A1 though and they don't seem to make the same claim on the packaging



As you say, it's hard to obtain reliable info on the claims - a lot more oils seemed to become synthetic since the court case over naming standards.

The stuff I use (10W/40) is labelled as 'part synthetic'

(excuse the other service items!)

I would presume the 10W-40 Magnatec and 5W-30 Magnatec are both based on mineral oils but contain varying amounts of special formula/hydrocracked mineral oil by proportion. The 5W-30 contains enough to meet the criteria for 'fully synthetic' whereas the 10W-40 grade contains a lesser amount so can only be legally sold/labelled as 'part synthetic'?
These are different from proper chemical lubricants such as ester based 'oils' that are also 'fully synthetic'

[g3org3y]

s m said:

I would presume the 10W-40 Magnatec and 5W-30 Magnatec are both based on mineral oils but contain varying amounts of special formula/hydrocracked mineral oil by proportion. The 5W-30 contains enough to meet the criteria for 'fully synthetic' whereas the 10W-40 grade contains a lesser amount so can only be legally sold/labelled as 'part synthetic'?

I suspect that is correct.