Castrol edge 5w30 use to change it once every 6 months.... but now only once a year.... because of school!

i run castrol 5w20...bit to light i think as it uses the oil and i have to top it up atleast once every 3months and i am waiting for the day i do a clutch...accutaly better change it soon

0w anything causes lifter problems in SR20's after some time, its not such a big thing with the roller rocker low port, but it will happen, rather stick to a 10w40 or 10w60, I use Castrol SLX in all my SR20's and RB's and while it does about crack the bank in half it also lasts one whole bunch longer (its the same oil as volvo and similar recomend for their 20 000km services even on their T4 and T5 turbo motors)

Just what ever you do steer WAY clear of Castrol edge, I lost two 350+wkw SR20's thanks to that rubbish before I realised how bad it foams.

Hi all, Ive used mobil 1 5w 50 snth. for the last 100,000 kms exclusively and very happy, it is an a15,slighty worked on straight lpg and often driven hard.
Cheers.

Thanks for the replies guys.
Currently the Datto is running a Mineral oil of Engen Xtreme 15W-40. My father and myself get them from Engen's depot at cost price which comes out lower than R100 ZA rand for 5 liters. The Almera is currently running Mobil1 which I think is 0W-40. It runs without problems and have been running it for the past 50 000 to 60 000km.
Think I am gonna stick with Engen Synthetic in the Almera not to mix mineral and synthetic and gonna stick with the mineral in the Datto and change on a yearly basis.

5W-40 is going to be to thin for the A series, and you'll be hearing a lot of tappet noise. For R100 a pop on Havoline 20W-50 I would even say change the oil every 6 months if you could, you'll be paying R200 for 2 oil changes, which is less than what you'll be paying for the synthetic. You don't have to change the filter every time though, every second time would be sufficient, though at R28 a pop, you might as well...

You are actually answering yourself in one of you earlier comments. The car is not being driven much, and that causes petrol and moisture to build up in the pan and system. So even if the oil might be fine, it could be contaminated enough with said elements, that it doesn't lubricate the engine properly. Only frequent longish trips would abolish enough contaminants that the oil would be restored to it's original state, which I don't se happening in you case.

Honestly, knowing you as a "worrier", I would have expected you to ask how many oil changes per year are to many...

You should also rather run at least a 10W-60 or something similar on you Almera, it must have a higher upper sealing than 40 whatever you get. Remember, the 5W-40 won't have such a high temperature tolerance as the one I mentioned, and you might find that the oil pressure starts falling on those very hot Free-State days.

Those oils are meant for very cold climates where you don't get 30-40 degree heat, and thicker oils would cause hard starting and high wear.

A little of the topic, my dad used to race oval track cars. They would rebuild the engine, fit the sump and weld the drain plug shut, for fear of it vibrating loose. I remember one time they raced a whole season without changing the oil once, simply because that would require the sump to be removed. On those old Ford Kent engines they didn't use valve stem seals either, so it used oil fast enough that they had to fill it up with about 500ml of oil after each meeting, which sort of ensured that it had a semi permanent oil change...

I guess the answer is yes you can let the oil changes go longer, but you run the risk of damaging your engine. There really is no easy meansurable way to prove either way without long term testing which is not really an option. Its just accepted wisdom from almost every manufacturer and engineer over the last few decades that leads us to this, and I trust that they have a beter understanding of the long term effects of not chnging your oil regularly.

There are plenty of stories of cars never getting an oil change in their life and they survive. I know of a VR commodore that didnt get the bonnet lifted for about 5 years straight, and it was mums taxi. Did heaps of ks and it survuived.

My dads 720 NEVER recieved a service for nearly 15 years, except when he sieezed it and we flushed the oil turned grease with diesel. It still didnt get a filter or new oil, just the secondhand stuff in the shed from my car! It still ran.. just. and he did that twice!

Put it this way. Unless you are really strapped for cash change it on sechdule and stick with the cheap mineral oil.
Thats my 2c.

We get here in ZA Synthetic called Engen Xtreme 5W-40 full synthetic.Please note that I am anyway gonna use it in my Nissan Almera as it is currently running Mobil1.
I did some research and Engen is owned by Mobil. At the back it also states that Porche approves it for their cars.
Just wanted to know if I drive less than 10 000km per year can I go over a year with the intervals.For example if I reach 10 000km in 18 months is it ok? Or must I drain at 12 months whatever the km it has done.

Hey h

As u stated earlier, u hardly use the GX.
And remember friction is the highest on starting mainly.
WHat I've done was to something like DURALUBE,PROLONG or PS 23, additives on my previous datsuns and nissans.

I do know that when u do use the GX, you really hammer it...LOL....So i would recommend u change oil every 5000 Kms,,,
I use CASTROL MAGNETEC on all my vehicles,,,, No probs

GXm, regular oil should be changed more often than once a year. Some say every three months, even if you rarely drive it. Nissan said (for the Datsun 1200) Quote: see wiki- tuneup and click the Schedule picture.

That being said, I wouldn't bother to change it but every six months.

The worst is short 1 or 2 mile trips ... it causes the oil to get lots of petrol in it.