SWMBOs trusty Leon needs a service shortly and so far it has always had semi-synth oil. Looking at euro car parts and Opie oils websites they both come up with fully synthetic oils when I search and don't even offer semi synth.

I'm jut wondering whether changing from semi to fully snyth is going to potentially cause problems. The car only does about 5000 miles a year, mainly short journeys - it's a 1.6 petrol 16v engine as used in the golf.

With modern synthetic seals that don't absorb oil, I'd think probably not. The historical leak problems you're remembering were all with rope or cork seals that soaked up mineral oil and expanded, but didn't soak up synthetic oil so shrunk again leaving gaps.

Or ask Opie for their opinion?

SWMBOs trusty Leon needs a service shortly and so far it has always had semi-synth oil. Looking at euro car parts and Opie oils websites they both come up with fully synthetic oils when I search and don't even offer semi synth.

I'm jut wondering whether changing from semi to fully snyth is going to potentially cause problems. The car only does about 5000 miles a year, mainly short journeys - it's a 1.6 petrol 16v engine as used in the golf.

does it not have a reputation for loosening crud? perhaps depends on total milage and how long it's been doing 5k/yr

Edited 8 September, 201114 yr by cheshire cat

does it not have a reputation for loosening crud? perhaps depends on total milage and how long it's been doing 5k/yr

I think I had heard that before and was probably in the back of my mind.

The easiest thing might just be to grab some semi synth oil from GSF. When I rang them for prices on the bits for the service they offered my semi synth oil, the bloke said it's not like it's a high performance car.

Personally I would use semi synthetic oil in that engine, which is what the specified manufacturers oil is on those iirc.

Personally I would use semi synthetic oil in that engine, which is what the specified manufacturers oil is on those iirc.

Thanks for that, I got some semi synth and did the service yesterday. Just need to fix the exhaust bracket now, off to halfords for some big jubilee clips later.