who uses what engine oil

[Cent]

Started off with Castrol Edge Sport 5w30 but now have changed to Edge 10w60 find it a bit better when hot. Everyone should change their oil and filter every 5,000km or lower if you care about your car, its not hard to drop the oil and spin a filter if you cant do it come see me its my profession

[SuperMazdaKart]

Might want to blame Castrol for that? Mobil tried to sue Castrol for false advertising or rather as they started using mineral base stocks while advertising their full synthetics as full synthetics. Castrol won, & since then Mobil were left a bit bitter & started doing the same.

Apparently BP Visco synthetic was also a very highly regarded oil, but havn't seen the oil in servos for some time. Maybe it's to do with the BP congolmerate having some ownership into Castrol (look on the back of any recent Castrol oil product, "part of the BP group").

[MxJadeMonkey]

I also use the Castrol Magnatec,

I have tried the Motul and Mobil 1, but because my car has a lot of klms on it, it just blew white smoke, cos piston rings getting a bit tired now, have been using the magnatec for 6 years now. track days, dyno and everything in between. I don't love it that much but my NA6 does.

[davekmoore]

So if I'm doing 50,000 kms a year do I still need to change the oil and filter at 5,000 kms (i.e; every 5 weeks)?

And do I still need to use fully synthetic (the motor's running 14 psi/170+ rwkw)?

Is it worth saving a few dollars by using non-OEM filters?

Can I get a better deal by buying oil and filters in bulk?

Are there any ways to make life easier and/or more cost effective by making the oil filter more accessible or making it easier for a non-mechanical person like me to do the work myself (and if I do, how on earth do I dispose of the old oil?)?

[SuperMazdaKart]

I would certainly recommend the 5000k (or up to 6000k as I sometimes do on my engine) oil change interval for turbo versions of these engines. I'd feel a bit uneasy with doing changes at 10,000ks even with full synthetic.

It's up to you whether the extra cost of synthetic is worth it, in my opinion mineral oils are certainly well up to the job for that interval, just get an oil thats rated for turbos/superchargers (& also compatible with diesel too for extra cleansing detergents).

I now use 15w40 Gulf Western engine oil. Inexpensive at $26 for 5L, rated for turbos/superchargers, compatible with diesel/lpg/petrol, Australian owned & made. As far as I know Penrite import their base stocks.

Oil filters, I havn't noticed any difference from Mazda OEMs, Valvolines, Rycos, Wesfil Coopers. Don't start the car for a day or two, take off the filter & theres practically no spillage of oil out. So the oil gets past the anti-drainback valve & drains out to the engine on all of them. I don't really understand all the hype for the Mazda OEM Japanese made filters by Toki Roki.

You could spend some money on an oil filter relocation kit if you want as well as a oil drain plug tap. Can be a bit costly but makes things quick. Can do the oil filter each 10,000ks ie every second oil change. Also using a smaller oil filter can make changing them easier (particularly from the top of the engine bay), I use Ryco size Z436 instead of the bigger filter Z79A thats catalogue listed for this engine.

Now before anyone yaps on about the Z436 being a lesser filter because of it's size & associated application in Mazda 121s/Ford Festivas, it is also listed for use in the Mazda RX-7 FD twin turboes The Z436 is the same physical size as the Mazda OEM & costs about $2 more then the Z79A...

Sometimes convenience costs more.

[Sailor]

I use Castrol Edge 0-40.

Castrol recommends 5-30 however Castrol Tech had advised that the 0-40 is perfectly suitable for my NC and will offer a higher level of protection under extreme conditions like trackdays.
Filters are Ryco change both at 10,000km although first change was at 5,000 after switching to laboil from dino.

[Charlie Brown]

Mazda Premium

Mazda speak for Castrol GTX-2.


I use Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40 full synthetic. I don't need a 0W oil for cold start up because we don't get all that cold here in Sydney and I prefer the 40 for protection at high temperatures on the track.

I just changed the oil & filter. This is the first time I went to 10,000 klms rather than 5,000 as I haven't had a track day in 4 months.
It was black, as expected, but when pouring it from my collection tray back into a spare oil container I found that the last 200ml was a gluggy lump.

So from now on it's back to 5,000 intervals. After all it's cheap engine insurance.

[Guran]

I did my first engine oil and filter (Ryco Z79A) change at 163,891km with Mobil 1 5W50 ($77 from Autobahn). By my second or third track day, I was starting to get an occasional tappety noise, and needed to top up with ~0.5L every track day thereafter. I think it was a bit too thin for my use.

I recently did an oil and filter change (167,988km ... 4097km including 7 track days [4 at Wakefield, 1 each at Marulan, Eastern Creek, Oran Park GP]), and this time I'm trying Castrol Edge Sport 10W60 ($60 from Repco). Already I've noticed a smoother start-up. I figure the higher temperature will be more suitable for track days, and I don't really need the cold-start benefit.

[Szemen]

I've switched from Penrite 10w50, to Elf 10w50 back to Penrite 10w50. Got HLA chatter. A week ago, I switched to Castrol 20w50 and the chatter is gone.

[davekmoore]

Nulon 5W30 done by local garage today. Dunno whether it's better or worse than other oil. It's just oil to me and I certainly haven't noticed any difference. Reckon I need to start getting my hands dirty though as it took me off the road for half a day and cost $189.71 altogether. As I do about 1,000kms a week this would work out at nearly a grand a year - just for engine oil! And although it was promised as a while-you-wait job it took them nearly three hours which made me late for a customer appointment which may have cost me a sale.

I'm not a mechanic but do have a decent sized garage, a few tools and an oil drain can.

Currently planning to get a filter relocation kit, a pair of drive-on ramps, to keep an eye out for bulk buys on oil and filters, and to keep trying to get Aeroquip to reply to my request to quote for a valve to fit in place of the drainplug (female part goes in the sump, male part goes on end of pipe, pipe goes into oil drain can).

What else will I need?

Anyone got any other/better ideas on how I can make the job easier and/or more cost effective?

[rascal]

...... but now have changed to Edge 10w60 find it a bit better when hot.

Edge 10w60 for me now too. Changed approx every 600-800kms.

[rossint]

I've done nearly 3000kms in the 2 years I've had my car, about to do my 3rd oil change in that time. My cars mainly tracked and I change it when it starts to look a bit dark. I'm going back to Motul after trying Nulon, the car seems to like to drink the Nulon stuff a little.

[bruce]

Edge 10w60 for me now too. Changed approx every 600-800kms.

Six hundred kilometres! Do you mean six thousand? If not, can I have your used oil as it will be perfectly fine at that mileage.

[rodent]

Anyone tried the new Shell Helix HX7? Not sure how different it is from their old Helix range, but their 10w-40 seems to be a bit thinner than the old Shell Helix Plus 10w-40..? (If my OPG is any indication)

[rascal]

Six hundred kilometres! Do you mean six thousand? If not, can I have your used oil as it will be perfectly fine at that mileage.

No I meant 600. Its a track car and does somewhere between 150 or 200 km per meeting.
Oil gets changed every 3 to 4 meetings.