Belgian Castrol: Some thoughts

[Steve-O]

Thanks to you guys, I've been hunting for the green stuff, even though it may not be the best oil for my application. In the search, I came across the belgian made 5w-40. I did a search on this forum and it seems to not get the same kind of love that the german stuff gets. Anyhow after reading some of the posts, it seems that the popular idea is that the BC 5w-40 is the same as the softec TXT 5w-40 that is sold in france, belgium, and south africa. After visiting their site, I found this: http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdetailmin.do?categoryId=9000612&contentId=7000675 If that link doesn't come up, it states "Castrol TXT Softec provides excellent wear protection under all driving conditions and delivers good cold starting and oil pressure build up. TXT Softec uses fully synthetic base fluids and an advanced formulation to provide the following benefits: Maximum wear protection and deposit control assured Reduced friction allows easier cold starting and faster oil pressure build-up Engine deposits are kept to the minimum possible to preserve engine life reduce ownership costs Maximum possible drain interval intervals for standard applications " Notice it says "fully synthetic base fluids". I'm assuming this means this is a group IV oil then? It IS marketed as a synthetic in these other countries as well. Any thoughts?

 

[SJUMBA]

Good question. I am thinking of alternating the 5w - 40 seasonaly with GC. The heavier weight oil for the summer season, GC for the fall and winter. I have a 1.8T Passat and VW 502 certification will always be a concern. Apparently, both of these oils do. The 5w-40 in made in the US now.

 

[pscholte]

OH21, Stay with the GC... I, too, have some BC, just HAD to buy it, don't you see? Steve-O, the reason BC doesn't get the same expression of devotion as GC is two-fold and relates to two highly technical aspects of the composition of the two oils: (1) BC is not made by Elves; (2) it IS made by Belgians, who, as you may know, just don't do well in the Winter Olympics...there you have it...

 

[AndyH]

Hey SJUMBA Are you an SJU MBA grad? If so, hi from a fellow SJU alum!

 

[SJUMBA]

AndyH - I am indeed a St. Joe's MBA, good to hear from you.

 

[OriginHacker21]

Knowing that GC 0w30 is a heavy 30 weight - how does it compare to 5w40? Out here in California the weather tops 100F all the time (during the summer). Will my small engine 2.2L Dohc Ecotec have a hard time with BC 5w40? GC 0w30 is just perfect for it from what I can tell.