Hi as a long time lurker and occasional poster on the site i just wish to thank the posters who have a lot of real world experience and knowledge for their time and input on lubrication questions.
People like Doug Hillary who bring a wealth of fleet experience to the forum are always worth listening to -- i like his attitude of not blindly following one brand only and his posts have helped open my eyes that specs and application are far more important than getting hung up on base oils and groups-- the end product is what is important.
In europe generally we do not have this strict division between synthetic/non-synthetic as more and more manufacturers go towards tailored products for their products with the onus being on emissons mpg and the demands of the fleet markets in reference to servicing down time.This means that most passenger car oils now start depending on viscosity, at group 3 and upwards.I know look at ACEA specs along with MB 229.X,BMW LL04, and GM-025 A/B to decide on which oil to use.
This has had an effect on the competition car market in the U.K.with firms such as Millers Oils,Shell,Mobil,Fuchs Silkolene and Castrol bringing out products which are better suited to the competition world with improved specs for HTHS etc, again products tailored for a specific market application.
Sorry for being long winded but it is just to get across the fact that oil specs and application are much more important than brand names / base oil make up---look at the finished product and how it performs in the real world. So thanks to the likes of Doug and Pablo etc whos knowledge over the years has educated me greatly.Best wishes gus.
People like Doug Hillary who bring a wealth of fleet experience to the forum are always worth listening to -- i like his attitude of not blindly following one brand only and his posts have helped open my eyes that specs and application are far more important than getting hung up on base oils and groups-- the end product is what is important.
In europe generally we do not have this strict division between synthetic/non-synthetic as more and more manufacturers go towards tailored products for their products with the onus being on emissons mpg and the demands of the fleet markets in reference to servicing down time.This means that most passenger car oils now start depending on viscosity, at group 3 and upwards.I know look at ACEA specs along with MB 229.X,BMW LL04, and GM-025 A/B to decide on which oil to use.
This has had an effect on the competition car market in the U.K.with firms such as Millers Oils,Shell,Mobil,Fuchs Silkolene and Castrol bringing out products which are better suited to the competition world with improved specs for HTHS etc, again products tailored for a specific market application.
Sorry for being long winded but it is just to get across the fact that oil specs and application are much more important than brand names / base oil make up---look at the finished product and how it performs in the real world. So thanks to the likes of Doug and Pablo etc whos knowledge over the years has educated me greatly.Best wishes gus.
