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Halfords 5W/30 and Comma 5W/30 oils the same?


K100RS

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Can anybody tell me if the Halfords fully synthetic 5W-30 oil that states it  fully meets the requirements of VW & Audi 507.000 and 504.00 is actually the same oil as Comma Prolife 5W-30 fully synthetic that just says recommended for VW & Audi 507.00 and 504.00?

Magic word: fully meets and recommended, are they the same oil but branded for Halfords?

 

Asking because I will be changing the oil and filter but Halfords offered a 20% price drop on the above oil for my Yeti.

As there are so many branded oils around it seems very difficult to get hold of the information.  

Will use a MAHLE OX 388 D oil filter as the WIX one looked a lower quality filter.

 

FlyingBrick

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You're unlikely to ever get a straight answer to that question. It is generally accepted that Comma make Halfords' oils but that doesn't mean they use exactly the same formulations. It might though. Short of either a reputable source from either supplier confirming one way or the other, or an extensive laboratory comparative analysis, we'll never know.

On the subject of wording, some suppliers make a claim that says something like "meets the requirements of....." which often means they have made an internal judgement that they believe the oil meets the performance requirements of a given specification, but they haven't taken the extra step of submitting the data to the relevant OEM for validation and official approval. The only ones who can say for sure that an oil is of suitable performance to achieve VW's 504 00/507 00 specification is VW. That's what paying a little more for a fully-approved brand gets you; a proper approval rather than a judgement call.

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K100RS

Personally I would go for the Comma oil Pro-Life 5W30

I saw it on ebay a while ago at £31 free delivery.

But saying that a Specification is a specification, no matter what tub its in.

 

So whats the price difference?

HALFORDS 5W30 FULLY SYNTHETIC VW/AUDI OIL 5L EXTRA INFO

  • Oil viscosity 5W30
  • Fully Synthetic
  • It meets the requirements of VW and Audi 504 00/507 00 Long Life Service
  • 5 litre bottle with easy pour spout
  •  

NEW GENUINE VW AUDI COMMON 1.6 2.0 TDI OIL FILTER - 03L 115 562

Bay item number:

Here

121612089084    £4.99 free p/p.
Edited by Carlo diesel
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But saying that a Specification is a specification, no matter what tub its in.

But that's the point. You only know for certain if a specification has been achieved if that specification's arbiter says it has. Secondly, a performance specification is a minimum expectation... some oils sneak under the wire, others blow the spec into the weeds.

VW 504 00/507 00 is one of the toughest specs there is. I would want a copper-bottomed assurance that it has been achieved formally. An oil supplier may warrant its products' performance and offers assurance it meets the demands of XYZ spec, but if they are so confident it is good, why not get the formal approval?

I'll admit to inside knowledge and bias (which I try my best to temper with factual and objective information) but what I do is go for a reputable brand with the formal approval on the label. That way you have assurance from the oil supplier and VAG.

I also wonder at the need to save a few quid on arguably the most important component of the engine. One that works with all the other parts. On a per-mile basis, is a couple of quid saved really worth it?

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For the last 25 years I have only used Mobil1.
I will only use Mobil1 in my car and motorcycle, as said a few quid a year for something you can rely on is well worth it.

A quality oil and filter once a year in anything I own gives me confidence that can forget any lubrication problems when pushing on.

PS: in the last 25 years I have never had to top up oil between changes.
 

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For the last 25 years I have only used Mobil1.

I will only use Mobil1 in my car and motorcycle, as said a few quid a year for something you can rely on is well worth it.

A quality oil and filter once a year in anything I own gives me confidence that can forget any lubrication problems when pushing on.

PS: in the last 25 years I have never had to top up oil between changes.

 

 

You've never owned an old Land Rover then!

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You've never owned an old Land Rover then!

I used to drive a LWB diesel Land Rover with a compressor mounted under the floor that was driven by the pto.

On a hard day it would get through 4 pints easily :(

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You've never owned an old Land Rover then!

Most of that is lost via leaks. Both gearboxes, input and output shafts, both axles, swivel hub bearings,

They say, if you have a Land Rover that doesn't leak oil, then you have a Land Rover with no oil in it.

lol...

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I bought some Castrol Edge last year from these people on e-bay. It cost me £32 for a 4L with a 1L top-up free.

This not quite such a good deal, but still compares well with other products/prices at £31.50 for 4L.  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Castrol-EDGE-5W-30-FST-Fully-Synthetic-Engine-Oil-5W30-4-Litres-4L-/171759933230?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27fdb0972e

 

Colin

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TBH, if it has the correct certification on the bottle, it really matters not what brand the oil is.

To have passed the certification standard means it is a high quality oil and is suitable for the engine.

 

The rest is vanity.

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Mine came with a bolt on pack of goodies, cleaning etc and also abag containing a litre of Castrol Edge Professional Longlife lll 5W-30 - any difference, has also acreditation VW 504.....

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Perhaps I wasn't clear enough.

 

Yes, if any oil is formally approved (by VW) then it is, by definition, good enough for our engines.  However, many people will not know nor even notice the difference between "approved" and "recommended for use in..." or "meets the requirements of..." or other such weasel words.

 

Furthermore, there is still room for differentiation within the formally-approved oils, which can offer benefits above and beyond simply meeting VW's specification requirements.

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Why bother with either?

 

5 litres of genuine VAG VW 507.00 Quantum oil (5W30 Fully Synthetic / Longlife / Low Ash) can be had for £28 delivered to your door from a VW main dealer...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quantum-Longlife-3-5W-30-Fully-Synthetic-Engine-Oil-5-Litre-Bottle-/181719211433?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4f4f1da9

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Thanks to everybody for sending in such good information on the prices of oils. Managed to get Halfords at a knock down price so bought two five litres bottles. Sorry about the underlining as this only happens with my pc on the Briskoda forum. Cant understand why. Not a IT techy.

Taking off the nine bolts underneath the Yeti was fun without a lift or pit. Also having to unbolt a bracket just to replace the oil filter was a clever design from the boffins.

 

FlyingBrick

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Why bother with either?

 

5 litres of genuine VAG VW 507.00 Quantum oil (5W30 Fully Synthetic / Longlife / Low Ash) can be had for £28 delivered to your door from a VW main dealer...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quantum-Longlife-3-5W-30-Fully-Synthetic-Engine-Oil-5-Litre-Bottle-/181719211433?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4f4f1da9

Might try that?  The shape of the bottle should give a clue who makes it really.......

 

Been buying Castrol Edge FST 5w30, as VAG engines are developed hand in in hand with Castrol technicians. Hence why VAG mention Castrol on the filler cap.  Same for BMW. (Same filler caps come to that?)

 

With 4L of Edge FST costing £32 to £34 delivered to your door from Euro Car Parts (difference depending on the offers on the day) then why bother hauling all the way to Halfrauds to get own brand yourself for similar money? Perhaps for 5L but at 14 miles each way to the nearest Halfords then the fuel cost offsets a big chunk of the extra litre. Then worrying about if it really is good enough to be the most crucial component in the vehicle? After the brake fluid.

 

If ECP offers don't suit, there's always Opie Oils online shop. Prices not far off when delivery added in.

Edited by FlintstoneR1
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Hi there from deepest North Yorkshire

 

I was in Halfords at the time as my son wanted to try on crash helmets for his bicycle. So there for other things anyway. Five litres does a proper oil change with the sump plug off and leaves something for a top up if needed. At £33.00 I thought ok then this time. Had been caught out before with only four litre bottles that don't do the full job.

Have ordered many times from Opie Oils including Hypoy 90 for motorbike gearboxes and shaft drives and Millers 20-50 semi synthetic but I think postage is added to the price on the internet?

 

Getting some good places on this forum to purchase oils in the future for my four vehicles that I maintain at home. Thanks to all of you for your input on the subject. Back to the old days when I could get Castrol GTX for £5.00 in a five gallon drum having worked for them in the lab sampling chemicals. Then a smart ass purchased a job lot and sold them in the Exchange & Mart. All oil purchases for staff stopped. 

 

FlyingBrick

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  • 1 year later...

I know this thread is positively ancient but here goes.

I only use Quantum (£22.00 with free delivery from The Bay) 

or Fuchs (be careful of pronunciation) Titan GT1. sometimes also on offer.

These oils are  VW 504.00 & 507.00 are quality oils.

Get a quality filter, I use MANN.

Precautionary procedure is to change sump bolt and washer.

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TBH, if it has the correct certification on the bottle, it really matters not what brand the oil is.

To have passed the certification standard means it is a high quality oil and is suitable for the engine.

 

The rest is vanity.

 

Think that's your answer really, if it's not on the bottle then it's not to spec (or you have to assume it's not to spec)

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Similar sort of question - i noticed this in local Asda one time. At £20 for 5L it seemed a bit too good to be true, but it's rated "Meets or exceeds the requirements of the following specifications: API SN/CF, ACEA C3, MB229.31/229.51, BMW LL-04, VW502.00/505.01 PORSCHE A40, FORD WSS-M2C917-A"

 

Any comments

https://groceries.asda.com/product/oils-lubricants/fully-synthetic-oil-5l-5w40/910001476641

Edited by VWD
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