I very much doubt there is any difference in cost between own-brand pop and Coca Cola. The big difference is that Tesco works on small margins' date=' and doesn't spend anything like as much money as Coca Cola on advertising its pop. You're paying for the marketing, people!

The same is true for a lot of liquids (perfume is another good example: perfumes all cost next to nothing to produce, but the bottles are hellishly expensive, even to the manufacturers!)

Surely, as long as the oil meets the specs that the manufacturer recommends, the best thing you can do is change your oil more regularly? After all, the engineers 'sign off' engines against an oil spec: if you choose a different spec, you may hit unpredictable problems (such as oil eating gaskets, as has happened to a couple of manufacturers, when dealers started using fully synthetics...)[/quote']

Fair enough, everyone is entitled to their own view.

However knowing what I know about oil, my views are different.

Cheers

Guy.

Castrol RS is a good oil' date=' it has to be to get to those viscosity grades. However the Castrol Formula SLX 0w-30 is better as it uses superior base stocks. The Mobil 1 0w-40 is a good one though, they use a good base stock for this oil.

Cheers

Guy. [/quote']

Thanks for your help Guy

May I chip in here?

My Octy was on fixed service intervals and I ran it on the Long Life oil that met the applicable VW longlife standards. If I knew it would be having a hard couple of months I would swap it over to the Millers 10-60 (IIRC).

I had no oil related problems.

Now some history of my car for the new ones amongst you:

It was a 51 plate Octy RS, bought new at the end of Sept 2001.

It was remapped at 6,000 miles.

It had extensive mods, there is a list around somewhere on here.

It was regularly driven very hard, and I do mean very hard (to get an idea, imagine how hard you have to drive it to only get 90 miles from a full tank of fuel).

I sold it at the end of Feb this year with 141,000 on the clock :eek:

Of that 141,000 miles, IIRC it had done over 12,000 track miles.

I'd say that the standard long life oil was well up to the job, but hey, I'm not an expert!

Just look in your handbooks, look under oil and it'll tell you what spec the oil should meet. If you are the owner of a highly modded car, swap to 10k servicing and use the long life stuff.

JM2PW

Fair enough' date=' everyone is entitled to their own view.

However knowing what I know about oil, my views are different.

Cheers

Guy.[/quote']

Guy,

I am an engineer by trade ( hands on Mechanical) a design draughtsman and an enginnering salesman by profession and have been tuning cars since I was 19! I thank you for your input, yes you may have a little sales input but don't we all want to take the opportunity to make an extra buck? I bought my vRS 18 months ago and this site was what max power was in the first 5 editions, and come to think of it most other car mags, now we seeem to be lowering ourselves ( certain established members excluded) to the level of the ,modern day max power. i mean 78 posts in response to a post about oil!

with a significant number bitching about why what oil is supplied as new and why dealers do not use a particular brand.... come on chaps there are much more important things in life than greasey stuff that most of us ( excluding oilman) know little about! ( my biggest customers are shell stanlow and fuchs at stoke) ....lots of tuners plug here, yes, oil expert..... I can count on one finger on one hand......well done guy and thanks for a VERY informative and well put together post.

What oil? my finest Silkolene Pro S 5w-40. The common mistake with these V8s is to put a thick oil in it' date=' this one does not need it, it will run on a 0w oil with ease because the engine and block are just that well engineered.

Cheers

Guy.[/quote']

You don't find the oil pressure gets a bit low at tickover with a hot engine? Mine does ...

...lots of tuners plug here, yes, oil expert..... I can count on one finger on one hand......well done guy and thanks for a VERY informative and well put together post.

Seconded. And could you please check your PMs, Guy, because I need to make use of some of your expertise.

You don't find the oil pressure gets a bit low at tickover with a hot engine? Mine does ...

Not on mine however the Silkolene is the only 5w-40 ihave used in it. The pressure can get low, but pressure is measured by resistance and not flow, flow is more important.

Great car though.

Cheers

Guy.

Seconded. And could you please check your PMs, Guy, because I need to make use of some of your expertise.

Sorry chap,

Going to the PM's now.

Cheers

Guy.