What is the best engine oil to use?..
#21
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I figured I'd chime in with a "noob experience" also, reinforcing Don and Larry's 20w-50 mandate. I'm new to Jags, but not new to cars.
I'm in Minnesota, and picked up my '93 XJ40 in November. For the first oil change, I listened to the auto parts store guy (don't do this.) He was extremely confident in his impression that the car needed 5w-20, so that's what I bought. She smokes on startup quite a bit now. It's unbecoming of such a fine automobile.
I don't have many miles on this change, but I'll definitely be doing the oil again soon. I just don't trust that I'm getting the lubrication I need with oil that's this light. 20w-50, for sure. Even if the car sees winter duty, I don't think I'd go lighter than 10w-40 based on what I've seen so far.
I'm in Minnesota, and picked up my '93 XJ40 in November. For the first oil change, I listened to the auto parts store guy (don't do this.) He was extremely confident in his impression that the car needed 5w-20, so that's what I bought. She smokes on startup quite a bit now. It's unbecoming of such a fine automobile.
I don't have many miles on this change, but I'll definitely be doing the oil again soon. I just don't trust that I'm getting the lubrication I need with oil that's this light. 20w-50, for sure. Even if the car sees winter duty, I don't think I'd go lighter than 10w-40 based on what I've seen so far.
The following users liked this post:
Don B (05-12-2020)
#22
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Glad I don’t own your Jag I expect my 1965 ‘S’ to burn that sort of oil in a 1000mls but certainly would be investigating if my 1999XJR did that. Also the XJ40 is not a V8 its the AJ6 engine and maybe 2 pints/litres between oil changes would have been my experience over 14 years of driving the one I had.
91 xj40 sovereign 150k miles never burns or used oil as log verified since 3000mls. castrol 20w50
information missing
Last edited by wsv32451; 09-15-2020 at 11:36 AM.
#23
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Well this ones back from the dead, my last post being 7 years ago. Since I still own the car I’ll chime back in.
Im still using 15-40 and usually in the brand that Walmart has. Oils have improved so much since the car was built even the inexpensive stuff has to meet a standard that is higher than it was 25 years ago.
My car gets about 5k on it a year and has always burned oil especially in startup. So between changes it’s probably uses 7-8 qts in 5K.
Such is life.
Im still using 15-40 and usually in the brand that Walmart has. Oils have improved so much since the car was built even the inexpensive stuff has to meet a standard that is higher than it was 25 years ago.
My car gets about 5k on it a year and has always burned oil especially in startup. So between changes it’s probably uses 7-8 qts in 5K.
Such is life.
The following users liked this post:
Lawrence (09-15-2020)
#24
The following users liked this post:
Don B (09-15-2020)
#25
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Crossroads of America
Posts: 19,592
Received 13,255 Likes
on
6,562 Posts
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Im still using 15-40 and usually in the brand that Walmart has. Oils have improved so much since the car was built even the inexpensive stuff has to meet a standard that is higher than it was 25 years ago.
My car gets about 5k on it a year and has always burned oil especially in startup. So between changes it’s probably uses 7-8 qts in 5K.
My car gets about 5k on it a year and has always burned oil especially in startup. So between changes it’s probably uses 7-8 qts in 5K.
#26
#27
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Oil burning on startup will be from head and valves, burning 10 litres of oil in 5k is mad though, would smoke like a bad tractor and no amount of 20w-50 would improve that. I'd say you have a leak somewhere, even if its just while driving. Engine itself is relatively bullet proof and even if you driven it 5k with half the oil, it shouldn't go that bad
![Smile](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#28
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Oil burning on startup will be from head and valves, burning 10 litres of oil in 5k is mad though, would smoke like a bad tractor and no amount of 20w-50 would improve that. I'd say you have a leak somewhere, even if its just while driving. Engine itself is relatively bullet proof and even if you driven it 5k with half the oil, it shouldn't go that bad ![Smile](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif)
![Smile](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Believe it or not it only smokes on startup and just for a few seconds as I pull away in the morning or after it’s been sitting awhile. ( A little James Bond action if you will). It’s not some coal rolling diesel and leakage is minimal
I’ve had the car for 9 years from 135k to 210 and it’s been pretty consistent about the oil usage an I’m assuming it’s the typical Jag Valve seals. While I nice car on the inside the paint is bad and I can’t see putting that kind of money and time into for $40 in oil year.
I would go to a heavier oil but I think it would require a change in the fall as the temps here get pretty cold. And spinning over 50w in 20deg F temps is hard.
#29
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Seems like there is alot of debate about which weight oil to use. I decided to go with the 20w50. I would get the occasional puff of blue smoke when starting the car and since using the 20w50 the smoke issue rarely happens. If I drove the car in the winter one of the lighter weights would be better but for the summer the heavier oil works fine. Cary
I only use Castrol GTX and can't see why anyone would use anything else in one of these vehicles.
#31
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Crossroads of America
Posts: 19,592
Received 13,255 Likes
on
6,562 Posts
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
No engine oil thickens up as it gets warm/hot. The behavior of a multi-viscosity oil like 20W-50 is that its viscosity when cold is that of 20-weight, and when hot is that of 50-weight, but the viscosity of 50-weight oil when hot is still lower than that of 20-weight oil when cold, it's just not as low as that of 20-weight when hot, so it provides improved high-temperature protection for the engine. I'm sure if I took a few more minutes to recast that sentence I could make it even more unintelligible!
![Icon Wink](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I ran Castrol GTX 20W-50 exclusively in our '93 XJ40, until our son took it to college in Indiana. I then switched to 10W-40 for the Indiana winters, but changed back to 20W-50 for summer. I noticed that if I left the 10W-40 in during the summer, oil seepage and consumption seemed to increase, and switching back to 20W-50 would slow things down again.
Cheers,
Don
Last edited by Don B; 09-17-2020 at 05:27 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)