oilman

Hi With a lot of the cars involved, the C spec is irrelevant, to an extent. ACEA C specs are only relevant to the very latest catalytic converters, not the majority, they are mainly about the oil being compatible with DPFs. For a 2002 LS430, the required spec is API SH/SJ 5W-30, there is no mention of ACEA specifications. API SH/SJ 5W-30 is a pretty basic oil that would be exceeded by an ACEA C spec oil, but there is no need to have the C spec oil. I've just checked my data and I can't see any Lexus LS that is listed as needing an oil that meets an ACEA C spec. A lot of suitable oils (0w-20, 0w-30, 5w-30) will meet various ACEA specifications, but they are not a necessity. Cheers Tim

People always like to have a dig at the big boys and I've heard a lot of comments like yours, but with no evidence of why they are so poor. Castrol do a lot more R&N than most oil companies. To me, most of the Edge oils are best used for modern road cars, but there are plenty of people using it for harder use, like track and race use. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you don't like a product, fair enough, but it's only fair to back it up with reasons. I'm not sure what you mean by it feels worse, but fair enough, that's your opinion. My car came with a FSH with 140k on the clock, all of those using Castrol oils. I used it with Castrol for a year, then changed to Fuchs, Shell and Millers over the years since, just because I had cans of those there when the car was being serviced. I would have had no hesitation in using the Castrol if that is what I had at the time. I haven't noticed any difference in the feel of the car at any time with the different oils, all I can say is that now I've started using the Millers EE, I've gained 3mpg. Cheers Tim

It's a good oil. If it was as bad as mentioned above, Castrol would have closed down years ago. We sell a massive amount of it and never have any problems with it at all. Cheers Tim

Hi I think the Sintopoid FE will be back in about a week. Yes, a 75w-90 is another good option. https://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-673-75w-90-mtfs-manual-transmission-fluid.aspx The Fuchs Syn 5, Millers CRX, Red Line 75w-90 GL5, Motul Gear 300, Amsoil Severe Gear and Gulf Competition are ideal for the diff. The Fuchs Sintopoid, Castrol Syntrax Longlife, Millers TRX, Motul Motylgear, Mobil SHC and Gulf Syngear are also good choices. Cheers Tim

They also say 5w-30. There are reasons to change grade, such as higher engine temps (caused by modifications or high ambient temperatures) or wear leading to high oil consumption. An then there are the practical considerations of price and availability, 0w-20 is more expensive and harder to get hold of than 5w-30. Cheers Tim

Hi We have 75w-85 GL5 oils, the Fuchs Sintopoid is a well proven option https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-982-fuchs-titan-sintopoid-fe-sae-75w-85-fully-synthetic-gear-oil.aspx The Millers ATF SPIII and Fuchs ATF 4400 are good options for the gearbox. https://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-1432-atf-automatic-transmission-fluid-for-cars.aspx Cheers

Hi You might find a fuel economy benefit with 0w-20, but you might find that it will burn more oil with 0w-20 than 5w-30. It takes good ingredients to make a good oil that is also quite thin, so 0w-20 will always be synthetic. 5w-30s are generally synthetic, but there are occasional semis. Cheers Tim

The best fluids for the brakes and clutch are the Castrol SRF, Motul RBF660 and Gulf RF1000. The Motul RBF600, Gulf RF800, Millers 300 Plus and Fuchs Pro Race are close to those, but don't have quite as high boiling points. In reality, they are overkill for road use though. The next step down (in performance terms), but still an upgrade over standard are the Motul DOT 5.1, Fuchs Maintain DOT 5.1, Millers 5.1, Pentosin Super DOT 4/Super DOT 4 Plus and Castrol React Performance. Any of the other DOT4 fluids we have are fine to use as a standard choice. http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-450-brake-fluid-clutch-fluid.aspx Cheers Tim

What year is your car? Cheers Tim

It's less likely to burn oil with the thicker grade, so I would think it's the valve seals. The oil will be under more pressure as it's thicker, so that can help it to get past seals. Cheers Tim

What oil did you use for the service? Cheers Tim

The Opie Oils Warehouse Clearance is here! It's simple, use voucher code WH15 to get 15% off anything and everything at www.opieoils.co.uk - Be quick, it won't be around for long! To give you an idea on the deals to be had, below you will find a list with links to some of our most popular oils and fluids - simply follow the link for further information and specifications: ENGINE OILS - Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5w-40: 5 litres WAS £44.95 NOW £38.21 - Millers Oils Nanodrive CFS 5w-40 NT: 5 litres WAS £54.49 NOW £46.32 - Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30: 5 litres WAS £36.95 NOW £31.41 - Shell Helix Ultra 5w-40: 5 litres WAS £29.95 NOW £25.46 - Castrol Edge Titanium 5w-30 LL FST: 4 litres WAS £31.99 NOW £27.19 GEARBOX/DIFF OILS - Millers Oils CRX 75w-90 NT+: 1 litre WAS £17.95 NOW £15.26 - Motul Gear 300 75w-90: 1 litre WAS £14.95 NOW £12.71 - Fuchs Titan Sintofluid 75W-80: 1 litre WAS £9.95 NOW £8.46 - Castrol Syntrax Limited Slip 75w-140: 1 litre WAS £15.95 NOW £13.56 - Red Line MT90 75w-90 GL4: 1 quart WAS £18.95 NOW £16.11 BRAKE FLUIDS - Motul RBF 600: 500ml WAS £11.95 NOW £10.16 - Motul RBF 660: 500ml WAS £13.99 NOW £11.89 - Castrol DOT 4 Fully Synthetic Brake Fluid: 1 litre WAS £8.95 NOW £7.61 - Gulf Competition RF1000: 500ml WAS £11.95 NOW £10.16 Not just oils & fluids..... It's not just oils we sell, come take a look at the huge range of products now available at Opie Oils, you may be surprised! To make it easier to find everything we offer, we have recently re-designed our navigation bar in to the following headings: Oil, Car Parts, Bike Parts, Accessories & Styling, Maintenance, Travel & Touring, Roof Bars, Tools & Workplace, Brands and offers. If you should need any further information or advice on the correct items for your vehicle, give us a call on 01209 202 949 or drop us an email to sales@opieoils.co.uk and we will be happy to provide a free and impartial recommendation for you tailored to your particular vehicle, its level of modification and the use it is getting. Until next time! -Oilman

Fair enough, it's a decent oil.

The XTR with the members 10% off is about £16 from us.

Thanks for the order. Cheers Tim