Jump to content
The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Engine Oils Labelled As Suitable For Both Petrol & Diesel Engines - Opinions Please.


pedrosixfour

Recommended Posts

Hi all.

 

I want to do a quick service on my sister's 06 Hyundai Coupe 1.6 at the weekend.

 

I went to my local motor factor's to pick up filters, plugs and 5 litres of semi synthetic oil for a petrol engine, as I have done on a regular basis since she bought the car new.

 

I've always used Castrol Magnatec 10w40 oil in it with no complaints and I saw no reason to change today.

 

Except that now Castrol doesn't seem to be available in anything other than a type which the manufacturer claims is suitable for both petrol and diesel engines. I tried two other motor factors and got the same pitch from the staff "It'll be fine, it says so on the sticker".

 

My knowledge of oils and their properties is limited to say the least but I was always under the impression that oil suitable for a diesel had detergent in it and to use such oil in a petrol engine (which has always been filled with an oil for petrol engines only) would lead to engine damage.

 

From what I've gathered if the engine had been filled with petrol/diesel engine oil from the first service there would be no problem as the cleaning properties of the oil would have kept the engine cleaner from the start. But to introduce such an oil now would flush carbon deposits into areas where it could do serious harm.

 

Am I misinformed?

 

I've no problem switching to a different brand if it is clearly suitable.

 

Thank you for any guidance.

 

Regards,

Damien.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your input Ian.

 

I was a little wide of the mark myself when I claimed that the oil I had used previously had been for petrol engines only. I thought ACEA A3/B3 was a petrol spec as the label on the can never claimed it for use in a diesel engine, unlike the ACEA A3/B4 which is suitable for both petrol & diesel.

 

When I checked the standard's website A3/B4 is suitable for use in place of A3/B3 which is a dual engine grade. That would mean that the oil I had used previously had all the properties of this new oil, including its suitability for diesel engines. So as far as I can tell any oil I put in the engine before had as much detergent in it as this new stuff so all is well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. You might also be interested in our Guidelines, Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.