Hi all,
I’m hoping someone can guide me on whether it’s ok to use an oil that is slightly out of the spec to what the vehicle manufacturer states? The reason for asking is that I’m struggling to find the right spec oil in any of brands available here in Qatar, Middle East at a reasonable price.
I imported a 2016 Land Rover 110 TD4 Hardtop into Qatar, Middle East from the UK late last year. Land Rover specifies 5w-30 Ford WSS-M2C-913-B (or C) standard oil for non-DPF Defenders. 5w-30 Ford WSS-M2C-934-B is used for DPF models, which I could use as well. My Defender has had the DPF removed, as the vehicle is now not in the UK or EU. Note Land Rover put in a Ford dura torque 2.2l turbo Diesel engine, commonly used in Ford Transit vans, hence the reference to Ford in the spec.
I can access Castrol Edge 5w-30 from the Land Rover dealership here that apparently is in spec (though I haven’t seen the bottle) but they’re going to charge me four times the price compared to Castrol Edge 5w-30 A3/B3 found at the local auto store. Also, they only sell the oil in one-litre bottles.
Looking at another brand, Liqui-Moly has a Special Tec 5w-30 AA (Ford WSS-M2C-946-A or B1) or LL (ACEA A3/B4). However, I need Special Tec 5w-30 (Ford WSS-M2C-913A or B, ACEA A1/B1) or Special Tec F 5w-30 (Ford WSS-M2C-913A or B, ACEA A5).
There are many other brands here (Motul, Shell, Eni etc…) but again, no luck with the right spec.
I had a search in the UAE as well but it looks like they have pretty much the same oils available. The majority of oils here are similar to the what’s available in the American market.
What would I expect from using an oil that isn’t to spec? Poor fuel economy? greater engine wear? A major failure at some point?
Am I overthinking it here and I should not have any issues with using 5w-30 oil that doesn’t meet the spec? Or should I just take the exorbitant price from the stealership, as the wrong spec oil could lead to engine problems?
Cheers,
Tim