2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage oil question

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Owners manual calls for Castrol Synthetic 10W60, dealer claims Aston has now changed that and they are using Castrol Syntec 5W30 in the V8's and 5W40 in the V12's. It just seems like an extreme drop from 10W60 to 5W30. What would be +/- of this change?
 
Originally Posted By: Pitbull
Owners manual calls for Castrol Synthetic 10W60, dealer claims Aston has now changed that and they are using Castrol Syntec 5W30 in the V8's

Sounds like they've been reading AE Haas' writings... :)

Possibly, this engine doesn't need such thick oil unless heavily tracked. The upside of this is better MPG... not that it matters when it comes to cars like these...
 
Wow....with such a fine automobile i would be VERY sure what oil to use before I listened to anybody. MPG should have no bearing on your decision....just do what the maker says. Perhaps a phone call to them?
 
Originally Posted By: Pitbull
Owners manual calls for Castrol Synthetic 10W60, dealer claims Aston has now changed that and they are using Castrol Syntec 5W30 in the V8's and 5W40 in the V12's.

Ask for official documentation. It's plausible but you should be sure.


Originally Posted By: Pitbull
It just seems like an extreme drop from 10W60 to 5W30. What would be +/- of this change?

In theory: better cooling, better fuel economy, more power, better cold start lubrication, and lower film strength under high pressure and at high temperatures.

In practice: it depends. I don't think anyone but Aston Martin knows exactly what their reasons are for the switch.
 
I've asked the dealer to provide me documentation from Aston Martin. The service rep said he would look for it and mail it to me. Wasn't real happy with my request. He stated that they used 5W40 in the V12 engines and 5W30 in the V8's. I am under warranty and this is the dealer that would have to fix my engine if it is damaged from the oil. But I really don't want any problems. I never race the car and I don't even get close to the 7500 rpm redline. Thanks for the input
 
i am 100% with the guy who said call the MFG. a car this expensive should have the factory phone number in the manual, and i wouldn't put anything in it until i had it in writing. i would have expected something like 0w40 in the V8, so i would want it from the horse's mouth...
 
I took it to the dealer for the annual service and they put 5W30 Castrol Syntec in it, when I questioned the Aston Martin Tech and Service advisor they said that is what Aston Martin now recommends. I have now asked them for documentation that Aston said to use 5W30. I guess I don't understand why they would use 5W30 versus the 10W60 if Aston did not tell them too. The customer is the one that pays for the oil no matter what they use.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Pitbull
Owners manual calls for Castrol Synthetic 10W60, dealer claims Aston has now changed that and they are using Castrol Syntec 5W30 in the V8's

Sounds like they've been reading AE Haas' writings... :)

Possibly, this engine doesn't need such thick oil unless heavily tracked. The upside of this is better MPG... not that it matters when it comes to cars like these...


More likely: the dealer just finds it far more profitable to use a generally available Castrol SYNTEC product in the states rather than actually order the Euro stuff.

If it were mine, and I wish I could afford one
grin2.gif
--I'd consider somehow getting Quaker State synthetic 10W-60 (basically repackaged Shell Helix used by Ferrari) or asking them to use the 5W-40...

IMO
 
Then again, I think there might be a different "Castrol SYNTEC 5W-30" that is used by dealers. Isn't there a thread here where a Cadillac dealership uses Castrol even though Caddy calls for Mobil1? Supposedly the Castrol SYNTEC used by the dealership meets the GM4718 spec even though the one available in stores doesn't...
 
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All the Aston Martins I have seen, in the manuals, have specified 0W-40 Mobil 1 as the oil to use. So daily driving is certainly save with any 30 grade quality oil. I am using 0W-30 in the Enzo that specifies 10W-60 Shell Helix racing oil.

aehaas
 
Originally Posted By: AEHaas
All the Aston Martins I have seen, in the manuals, have specified 0W-40 Mobil 1 as the oil to use. So daily driving is certainly save with any 30 grade quality oil. I am using 0W-30 in the Enzo that specifies 10W-60 Shell Helix racing oil.

aehaas


I wouldn't even blink using a 0W-30 in an Enzo if I had one actually - provided it was German Castrol, Amsoil SSO, or Mobil1. But personally, I would probably use the manufacturer spec'd oil...

The wider point I'm trying to make isn't so much about oil weights, but about the brands and specifications. It's about dealerships that freely discard manufacturing recommendations to do whatever they want to increase the bottom-line. This apparently also happens at even high end performance lines using cheaper synthetic brands instead of the specific weight called for in the manual. Of course, more pedestrian lines such as Chevy, Ford, or Honda that advertise their own "OEM" lines of oil and still dealerships will use the cheapest, local bulk oil (albeit one that meets the necessary SM specs) they contractually acquire from the lowest bidder. I'd have no problem if that were Pennzoil, Castrol GTX, or Mobil5000. But I'm not sure I want Noco 5W-30 in my Mazda that calls for 5W-20.
55.gif


It almost makes Iffy-Boob look reasonable! At least they use the excellent Pennzoil products...
 
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First off, what does the owners manual say? What is the oil spec for this car?

From what I am reading, the dealer is interpreting what the Aston factory is requiring? Or are they repeating it? Good idea to get some documentation direct from AM.

10W-60? Sounds like a BMW M spec. Their M motors used to spec Castrol TWS 10W-60. Castrol Syntec 5W-40 is their VW spec oil. Who knows what's up with the 5W-30 spec. Let us know what you hear from AM.
 
Originally Posted By: AEHaas
All the Aston Martins I have seen, in the manuals, have specified 0W-40 Mobil 1 as the oil to use. So daily driving is certainly save with any 30 grade quality oil. I am using 0W-30 in the Enzo that specifies 10W-60 Shell Helix racing oil.

aehaas


My 2008 AM Vantage owners manual calls for the Castrol Edge 10W60. But you seem to think I'm ok with the dealer since they claim AM is telling them to use Castrol Syntec 5W30. What are the plus/minus for my engine using the 3W30 synthetic? Thanks everyone for the replies. I will post when I get something in writing from the dealer that they got from Aston. I don't want to call Aston and have them say oh you have 5W30 in your Vantage your warranty is toast. I figure that since the dealer put the oil in the engine if anything goes wrong I sould be covered under warranty.
 
I used to use 15/50 in my V12, but for at least the last five years I have been using 10/30 Mobil 1 instead. It runs significantly cooler with 10/30.

The dealer should be able to produce the document that authorizes you to use 30 weight oil.

IIRC, Ford developed the Aston V12 by putting two Duratec 3.0's end to end, and built the V8 from the Jaguar AJ-V8. The Jaguar AJ-V8 allows for 0/30, 5/30, 0/40, and 5/40 as the owner desires. I keep 5/30 in my wife's AJ-V8.

Congrats on the car!
 
How shear stable are those 10W-60 oils anyway?
I mean, if they shear down to 40 weights within a short time you're better off using a 40 weight that stays a 40 weight to begin with.
 
Originally Posted By: SpitfireS
How shear stable are those 10W-60 oils anyway?
I mean, if they shear down to 40 weights within a short time you're better off using a 40 weight that stays a 40 weight to begin with.


From an old post of mine:

This is my neighbor’s 2003 Ferrari Enzo with a total of 8,800 miles on the left column and my 2003 Enzo with a total of 3,000 miles on the right column. Both cars had 1,400 miles on the oil. His obviously had more break-in time. He had the oil changed by the Ferrari dealer using the required 10W60 Shell Helix Ultra Racing oil. I ran 0W30 Castrol GC.

The recommended interval is 5,000 miles, less if on the track. This is strictly off track use in town and on the highway, probably 50-50 for his car and 90 percent city for me.

His oil was tested by: http://www.youroil.net, while I got the full, total evaluation from Terry Dyson at http://www.dysonanalysis.com.
................................................................................................................

_____________Shell...GC
Iron___________ 32...11
Chromium ______ Nickel __________ 2...1
Aluminum ______11...3
lead ___________ 16...0
Copper _________25...8
Tin ____________ Silver _________ Titanium _______ Silicon _________ 7...3
Boron __________ 1...3
Sodium _________ 8...3
Potassium ______ Molybdenum ____ Phosphorus ___1026...935
Zinc ________ 1135...1228
Calcium _____ 1454...1671
Barium _______ Magnesium ___1219...526
Antimony _____ Vanadium ______ Fuel %Vol _____ Abs Oxid ______34...10
Abs Nitr _______11...8
Wtr %vol ______ Vis CS 100C __ 15.8...11.8
Vic CS 40C___not done...66
SAE Grade _____40...30
Gly test ______NEG...0.37 “not antifreeze”
TBN _________not done...7.9


aehaas

Today:
Also, I tested the Shell 5W-40 used in the Ferrari Maranello and it quickly thinned from a 40 to a 30 grade as well.

aehaas
 
Originally Posted By: Win
I used to use 15/50 in my V12, but for at least the last five years I have been using 10/30 Mobil 1 instead. It runs significantly cooler with 10/30.

The dealer should be able to produce the document that authorizes you to use 30 weight oil.

IIRC, Ford developed the Aston V12 by putting two Duratec 3.0's end to end, and built the V8 from the Jaguar AJ-V8. The Jaguar AJ-V8 allows for 0/30, 5/30, 0/40, and 5/40 as the owner desires. I keep 5/30 in my wife's AJ-V8.

Congrats on the car!


Thanks for the post you and Hass make me feel a lot better.
 
Originally Posted By: Pitbull
I never race the car and I don't even get close to the 7500 rpm redline.

Why not?

Usually high performance engines are actually more reliable under occasional hard use.
 
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