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156 Oil type



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 8th 04, 11:36 AM
Stuart Powell
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Default 156 Oil type

I know a lot of questions have been posted and answered about Alfa oil types
& recommendations but I have another one! Its coming up to oil change time
but this is the first time I have changed the oil since i bought the car.
Ive had it just under a year and done about 6-7000 miles. It is a 2000 156
2.0 Selespeed. I bought it privately and even now the oil is still very
clean and the level has dropped little but i dont know what type of oil is
in it - standard, semi or fully synthetic. I know fully synthetic is
recommended and that is what i want to use but i have heard that if you
change from non synthetic to synthetic then deposit can dislodge from the
engine because of the new type of oil. Is this true and Is there any way to
find out what oil is in it?

Any help would be appreciated

Stuart


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  #2  
Old June 8th 04, 12:51 PM
David C
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Default

"Stuart Powell" > wrote in message
.. .
> I know a lot of questions have been posted and answered about Alfa oil

types
> & recommendations but I have another one! Its coming up to oil change

time
> but this is the first time I have changed the oil since i bought the car.
> Ive had it just under a year and done about 6-7000 miles. It is a 2000 156
> 2.0 Selespeed. I bought it privately and even now the oil is still very
> clean and the level has dropped little but i dont know what type of oil is
> in it - standard, semi or fully synthetic. I know fully synthetic is
> recommended and that is what i want to use but i have heard that if you
> change from non synthetic to synthetic then deposit can dislodge from the
> engine because of the new type of oil. Is this true and Is there any way

to
> find out what oil is in it?
>
> Any help would be appreciated
>
> Stuart



Hi Stuart,
it is fine to change from Semi-Synthetic to Full-Synthetic oil.
10W60 Full Synthetic is what you want (as I'm sure you have already read!)
But not easy to find on the high street.
www.castrolclassicoils.co.uk is the cheapest place I've found Castrol RS
10W60
£27.99 /4L or £99.96 for 4x 4L, with free delivery on orders over £30.
--
David C
156 Selespeed sp3 + Brembo conversion


  #3  
Old June 8th 04, 01:38 PM
Stuart Powell
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Default

Why is good oil so hard to find? I expect retailers assume that everyone
will be happy with Hypergrade or GTX, both of which i have used in previous
cars with no problems.


  #4  
Old June 8th 04, 02:21 PM
Pete
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Default

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 13:38:55 +0100, "Stuart Powell"
>, wrote:

>Why is good oil so hard to find? I expect retailers assume that everyone
>will be happy with Hypergrade or GTX, both of which i have used in previous
>cars with no problems.
>

Quantum Syntha Gold - from the VW Group dealers is a 5W40
Fully Synthetic. Only dealer in my locale is a Skoda garage and this golden
bottle with a black label is a gem.

Pete
--
>
156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso (his)
147 2.0 TS (2002) - Gem Green (her's)
  #5  
Old June 8th 04, 02:51 PM
David C
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Default

"Stuart Powell" > wrote...
> Why is good oil so hard to find? I expect retailers assume that everyone
> will be happy with Hypergrade or GTX, both of which i have used in

previous
> cars with no problems.


Halfords used to stock Castrol RS 10W60 but they stopped soon after the 0W40
version came out.
(Average kiddy boy racer wants 0W40 or lower oils to gain that last extra
0.5bhp!!)
Until I discovered the www.CastrolClassicOils.co.uk website I had been
getting my Castrol RS 10W60 supply from www.Demon-Tweeks.co.uk
--
David C
156 Selespeed sp3 + Brembo conversion


  #6  
Old June 8th 04, 03:17 PM
Simon
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Default

"Stuart Powell" > wrote in message > ...
> I know a lot of questions have been posted and answered about Alfa oil types
> & recommendations but I have another one! Its coming up to oil change time
> but this is the first time I have changed the oil since i bought the car.
> Ive had it just under a year and done about 6-7000 miles. It is a 2000 156
> 2.0 Selespeed. I bought it privately and even now the oil is still very
> clean and the level has dropped little but i dont know what type of oil is
> in it - standard, semi or fully synthetic. I know fully synthetic is
> recommended and that is what i want to use but i have heard that if you
> change from non synthetic to synthetic then deposit can dislodge from the
> engine because of the new type of oil. Is this true and Is there any way to
> find out what oil is in it?
>
> Any help would be appreciated
>
> Stuart


I think the deposits that can be freed is more of an issue with
mineral oil being changed to synthetic/semi synthetic. As long as
you've got semi synthetic you should be fine. The plate in your engine
bay should recommend Selenia 20K semi synthetic oil - I think this is
10W40. Some people recommend 10W60 which is only available from
castrol classic oils or Brett Oils (if I remember correctly). My
garage (Lyles in Newcastle) who I would trust with my life put in Agip
5W40 fully synthetic in my 156 V6.

I wouldn't get too worried unless you live in a very cold climate/very
hot one, especially as you're going to replace every 7000 miles.
Modern oils will still be in pretty good shape then. Semi should be
fine, but if you like to live in the red zone maybe the fully
synthetic would be better.

As for finding out what oil is in it - don't know, but my garage use a
flushing agent after draining the sump which should remove all the old
oil - you could ask for one to be done, that way it shouldn't matter
what is there now. Good sign that it's clear though!

Hope this helps, and any oil engineers can freely point out any
mistakes I've made.
  #7  
Old June 8th 04, 05:09 PM
Stuart Powell
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Default

Pardon my ignorance but how can an oil give you extra bhp? Whats the
difference between 10W60 and 0W40? As i understand it the 0W is thinner at
ambient temp but ive heard that thin oils can cause rattling?


  #8  
Old June 8th 04, 05:12 PM
Stuart Powell
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I think you're right about the mineral deposits. Surely noone would use
that oil in an Alfa!? The engine flush seems like the best option as well.
With that being the case i think i'll take it to a garage to get it done - i
was thinking of doing it myself but i'm not that hot with engines!


  #9  
Old June 8th 04, 06:31 PM
David C
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Default

"Stuart Powell" > wrote...
> Pardon my ignorance but how can an oil give you extra bhp? Whats the
> difference between 10W60 and 0W40? As i understand it the 0W is thinner

at
> ambient temp but ive heard that thin oils can cause rattling?


It all depends on what grade of oil the engine was designed to use.
There has been a trend towards thinner and thinner oils to reduce drag
(increasing power very slightly) and apparently to reduce emissions too.
However this has backfired in some cases, most notably BMW M3 & M5 (I know,
I'm sorry but it is a very public example!) they were shipped with 5W30 full
synthetic (Castrol SLX longlife).
After many, many cases of excessive oil consumption and failed crankshafts
every single one was recalled, oil drained refilled with 10W60 full
synthetic (Castrol RS 10W60, also called Castrol TWS) and all under bonnet
markings changed to show the requirement for the new oil spec.

Current Alfa engines were originally spec'd with 10W40 Semi-Synthetic (cheap
for 1st fill) with a performance option of 10W60 Full Synthetic.
The cheaper 10W40 Semi-Synthetic option has now been dropped.
--
David C
156 Selespeed sp3 + Brembo conversion


  #10  
Old June 8th 04, 07:28 PM
Stuart Powell
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Default

Thanks for the info David. I never drive flat out but I shall seek out the
10W60!

p.s. what happened with the BMW's?


 




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