Ive just bought a new car after passing my test recently, and im a complete novice, it says in the car ....?

Question

manual that u need to use the same oil as was used previously, is this true, and do u have to use the products suggested by the car manufacturer? any advice will be appreciated

Answer 1

The oil Weight is what is important....most cars use 5W30 or 10W40.....

5W30 is better for winter. 10W40 is better for summer....
20W50 is better for engines over 100,000 miles or just a straight 30W....it's thicker and provides better engine compression.

The important thing is to change oil every 3000 miles....that's ok if you do short trips with the car, but you can get 6000 miles between oil changes if you drive for 2 hours or more per run.

Answer 2

Just chuck any ENGINE OIL in, relatively speaking.(unless you have a turbo powered vehicle... in which case, look to spend 20 quid a gallon, copulate the make.)
Most likely sae10/40w will do(check your car handbook), but try to buy oil that is recommended for either a petrol or diesel engine, depending on what your engine is, as they generally contain different detergents/additives.
If you are topping up your oil, DON'T overfill it. There will be a maximum mark on your dipstick.... try not to go over that mark...little and often is the best policy on topping oil up, as is using a funnel to eliminate spillage.
DON'T listen to any bullshit about the differing quality of oils, (unless you are using the oil in a competitive Le-mans or F1 car race) the cheap and cheerful stuff will do just fine for everyday use.(unless you have a turbo!) Mixing synthetic oil with mineral oil is generally NOT good practise!
I would, however, make sure that you get you oil and oil filter changed at fairly regular intervals (say, 6000 miles?)
My policy, when buying a car, is to give the engine an oil change anyway, no matter when it was last done, 'cos at least you know for sure when it was last changed...some garages/people do lie!
One last thing, don't use synthetic oil in an engine that has done less than 10000 miles... this practise can make your engine "burn" oil at quite an alarming rate, as all engines need to "bed in" first, and using a synthetic oil tends to impede this process.

Answer 3

A new car shouldn't need oil other than when it is changed at a service. Just keep an eye on the dipstick level and get oil with the recommneded viscosity (the two numbers on the can say 15/40) and if you plan to keep the car long term, synthetic is best. If you're going to change in a few years, the next owner will be the beneficiary.

Answer 4

If it's NEW stick to the manufacturers recommendation while under warranty. After that use and premium quality as suggested in handbook. The only real no-no is putting Castrol R in an engine that's had mineral oil before, or using gearbox oil in the motor. If it's just a routine top-up use whatever brand is available.

Answer 5

Well to be honest you can, but the dealer you bought the car from, will rip your eyes out when you buy it from them. The best thing to do with a new car is go for a hi spec oil, say semi synthetic with the same viscosity rating as recommended in your manual. They all do the same job

Answer 6

If the car is brand new from the dealer they recommend you use the same `viscosity' [05-30, 10-30, etc] oil that the factory calls for. If you have just a few miles[ under 3000] I would change to a synthethic ,or semi-synthethic oil

Answer 7

if you are referring to changing the oil no you do not have to as long as you use the correct grade which will be in you manual you should be ok castrol is a pretty good make its a good idea if its an older car to use an engine rinse to get rid of the sludge that can build up ask for advice in your local halfords or motor spares shop most of the time they will be pleased to help

Answer 8

Your local garage will be able to advise you on this one,the grade of the oil is the most important thing to select.Who makes the oil is not important as long as it complies with the manufacturers specification for use in that engine.

Answer 9

You should always use the grade (e.g. 5W40) of oil recommended by the manufacturer.
You do not need to use the same brand of oil.
Your manual will tell you the standards (SAE, BS, EN, etc.) that the oil should meet. Provided you use an oil that meets these standards, and is of the right grade, the oil is OK.

Answer 10

Unless it's a very high performance car (like mine) you do not need expensive synthetic oil.
You say it's a new car so you should have all the manufacturer's recommended fluids listed in the handbook.