Today I was looking for engine oil in Halfords. Halfords have there own brand of part part synthetic 10 40w engine oil which cost £21 for five litres as I read on the back of the bottle it appears to have the same speciation's as the part synthetic 10 40w Castrol 4 litre pack which is £34. As I said the spec's seem to be the same. Are you just paying extra for the name or is there something more to it?

 

Just to add. the Halfords own brand oil specs are
ACEA A3/B3 and API SL CF


and the Castrol specs are
ACEA A3 B4 API SL


there the same aren't they?

 

Rightly or wrongly I usually use a branded part synthetic when doing an oil change and then top up between changes with the Halfords equivalent.. if that is of any help to you :-)

 

opinions differ, and allegedly the big brands update their own "named" oils with whizzo changes in technology earlier than it appears in the own-brands.


However the Jag (Ford) oil spec is quite old now, so I don't believe that other manufacturers can't produce an oil to meet it.


IMO the most important thing with oil is to change it often enough for it to be clean and fresh, and of course to use a grade which is one of those recommended by the engine maker. Brand of oil is very secondary. If a cheaper brand oil means you can afford to change it more often, good luck to you. Synthetics do have a longer life between changes, but Jaggists should be able to change it at the (relatively frequent) recommended intervals. I like my oil to be yellow, not black.


p.s.
I can never remember the Jag (Ford) oil spec, but Castrol tell me that for my car it is
5W-30 / WSS-M2C913-B (preferred)
alternatively: API SJ / EC and ACEA A1 or A3 (SJ is a very old spec now, mostly used for motorbikes with wet clutches)


Look for "Ford Oil" and you will find that the Halfords own-brand to that spec currently includes their fully synthetic on special offer at half-price.

 

Is 10W40 the right oil at all? (Need car details.)

+1 on changing it often enough (don't overdo it, simply wastes money)

 

good point.


I used 10W-40 in my old Toyota, but later cars have a thinner grade.


Look yours up on http://partsforjaguar.co.uk/download...arOilChart.pdf or search by model or regno on the Castrol website.


Castrol say
" from -30°C up to +50°C SAE 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30 (preferred)
or 5W- 40 may be used"

but no mention of 10W-40 unless perhaps you have an older car.

 

There is always a huge debate about oil whenever the question is raised on the forum - and there is never any agreement!

A few basic rules are generally accepted (with the exception of change frequency):

1. select the correct GRADE for your operating temperatures from Jaguar specifications
2. buy whatever BRAND makes you feel comfortable and then stick with it for changes and top ups
3. change oil and filter at recommended 12 Month/12,000 mile intervals (whichever comes first)

I always do an oil and filter change with every new (to me) car as soon as possible. This way I know exactly what is in it and have a definite start point for future changes.

Graham

 

I change all my oils at 5000km(filter at 10'000), The only one I use expensive stuff on is the wifes 2006 mazda3 as it is the only modern car we have. Other wise I buy what is beast price at the time.(and a bit brand choosey here too)
I bought 20 litres of Shell 15w 40 for $66($3.30/litre),that will do the Jeep twice and XJ6 once) . I do check the condition of the oil between changes and if it is dirty I do change just for fun!.
I have only had to rebuild 1 engine in 31 years. It wasn't an oil issue,more a ********(me) operator loading up the big end too much and breaking the crank on a twin cylinder motorcyle.(2 up,up hill winding it on in 4th gear) 25 years ago.

second one I rebuilt was broken when I got it.

 

Yes they are. For interests sake, codes following the API designation will always start with the letter C or S. Codes with C apply to diesel (Compression) engines and S for conventional (Spark) engines.

It's fairly common to see oils that are rated for both types of engines.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the Halfords oil and of little or no benefit in paying extra for big brands.

 

Halfords engine oils are made by Comma oils if you check out the safety spec sheets, so it is probably cheaper to by the Comma oil from your local spares shop.

 

...except perhaps on their frequent special offer days.


I also got Mobil 3000 at half-price

 

Maybe next oil change (due oct/nov) I'll just use the Halfords brand then...

 

Perhaps as regards expense goes, the way to look at it is as follows....

If an oil / filter change costs for arguements sake £130 at Jaguar / Audi / BMW etc and you can buy the corrrect OEM grade for £40 and DIY, why would you bother trying to save £4 or £5 here or there?

The bulk of the cost at the OEM is labour which you're already taking out of the equation surely.

Maybe its just me and I'm missing something?

 

For my XK:

Oil change interval = 12K Miles / 12 Months
Fuel consumption = 25 mpg
Fuel used = 480 gallons
Fuel = £1.29 / litre = £5.86 / gallon
Fuel cost = £2814.88

That's why I don't worry about the additional cost of using premium oil in my cars. Relative to the fuel cost over the same period, it is insignificant.

Graham

 

Maybe it's different in the UK, but over here the difference between dealer prices and the same product with a different label available at the equivalent of Halfords is shocking.

If there was some difference in quality, I'd support the dealer's product- but there isn't.

 

This thread seems to have turned into a bit of a warzone grin... the original enquiry was if Halfords branded oil was as suitable as the expensive branded oils for an oil change on an XJR.. as far as I can see it is up to the job.. I use it for top ups quite happily.
The main point of debate that has arisen further into the thread is should you try to save money on an oil change, other than removing the labour content of the usual cost, by doing it yourself.. and where yes I see that there is a degree of saving £4 or £5 for potential hassles by using cheaper oil, there is also the aspect that most of us change oil, oil filter, air filter, petrol filter, plugs (ahem except me - too worried I'm going to break something), cabin filter, etc all at the same time.. now when doing that saving a few quid on each item really does add up and makes it much easier to sell to your other half as reasonable to spend on the car..
I can see both sides of the debate but at the same time the debate isn't really answering the original query to which I believe, based on experience, is that Halfords oil is fine despite the price being that much cheaper..
OK.. that's my penneth :-)