samir101ng: Nice thread. Subscribing to it.

@Topic,

Good, engine oil is a critical factor of car maintenance and engine long-life. I have a couple of questions:

1.Can you expand more on the use of synthetic and petroluem based engine oils ? Am an ardent user of Mobil 1 products and most automotive users agree on the superior qualities that synthetics have over crude based oils.

[I'll disagree with you on that but you did say most. None of my inner circle of car Guys waste synthetic oil on mundane engines that are not built to appreciate it. A good quality dino oil coupled with a quality filter and when chagned regularly will offer the same protection, in my opinion.]

2.Secondly, the use of oil filters. Does the use of extended performance filters help make engine oil last longer and cleaner ?

[This is personal opinion and not based on any scientific test other than me cutting open Mobil1 filters at 3,000, 5,000 and 7,000 miles.

Based on that personal test on my 04 Discovery, I am confident in going to 7,500 miles but I will always chicken out and replace at most at 5,000 since it is cheap insurance.]

3.Which is better for a car engine ? Higher viscosity or lower viscosity ?

[The best oil is what the car manufacturer recommends for the engine tolerances and of course the weather condition that it will operate in.

As an example I use lower visc oil in winter and higher visc in summer. I follow the range of chart provided in the owners manual.]

4.Honda & Toyota are the most widely used brand of cars in Nigeria in my opinion, what engine oil rating do you think applies to them for use in Nigeria ?

[I cannot speak in confidence yet about Nigeria but what I did was include boxes of 10W40 and 20W50 as well as factory oil filters inside the truck I just shipped.]

Thanks !!!

samir101ng: @somorin,

The range of engine oils commercially available in the Nigerian market is limited, which is why i mentioned the major brand names earlier. Mobil is currently regarded as the best. Though as you mentioned earlier, to each his preference and engine manufacturer requirement. On the use of synthetics, i am all for it. If it gives me enhanced performance and longer engine life, does it matter the type of car i put it in if its rated for it ? Will appreciate it if you can respond to my earlier raised questions. Thanks.

Putting M1 in a Honda Civic is a wasteful and fruitless effort

Does Nigeria have recycling centers for used oil or how do you folks dispose off your used oil?

Ikenna351: Op,

I disagreed with some of your positions. I donot understand what you mean by 92% of engine oil in Nigeria are underrated or fake.

I dont know the brands of cars you used as yardstick for your analysis, but i do know that TOTAL have various engine oils grade recommended by Peugeot for all their cars, ranging from Mineral, semi-synthetic & fully synthetic oil grades. The only 3 missing are 10W 40, 5W 30 & 0W 40. But for modern or newer petrol Peugeot engines, they recommended 15W 50 (semi-synthetic) & 5W 40 (fully synthetic), which are very much available in TOTAL outlets: Quartz 7000 & Quartz 9000. TOTAL also has a special oil for SUVs & Trucks known as 15W 50 4x4 (semi-synthetic). Or are you saying TOTAL engine oils in Nigeria are low quality? I have been using TOTAL since i started handling my dads car back in the days till i started owning mine, i never had engine failure. I can vouch for TOTAL engine oil for Peugeot engines.

Funny enough, about an hour ago, i bought 5W 40 & 15W 50. The 5W 40 is for my ES9J4S, while the 15W 50 is for my ZN3J. I plan to change the 2 cars oil tomorrow, being Saturday.

Probably, you meant Japanese cars or other brands of cars recommended engine oil are not available in Nigeria or the ones available are fake. But genuine manufacturer recommended engine oil grades for Lions are very much available.

My position.

Ikenna

Somorin#1:


Answers inside the thread.

Somorin#1:


Answers inside the thread.

Somorin#1:


Answers inside the thread.

AutoQuint:


I have taken pains to attach a pdf elaboration. please read carefully and pass round perhaps this is the time to correct this anomalies. I am suppose to be working with NAC (National Automotive Council)but, for their bureaucracy I don't think I am cut for inactive exercises. We can do it, pass information out let people know the odds. i bet you don't know a fink about the ATF, Gear Oil, Brake fluid etc. Nigeria is in trouble with these stuffs. Enjoy the pdf write up and pass it round. May be sometime, we may be able to organize a live forum and I will shock everybody.

Ikenna351:

It appears you are new in Car Talk, otherwise you should have known that not all active members in car Talk that one can decieve with journalist crap.

Your PDF write up is full of false information. I dont even know where to start. If i were you, i would remove or modify it before another member reads it. So you are telling me that Lagos is hotter than Abuja, abi? Oh I forgot, Lagos state has a boundary with Desert.

By the way, i hope your intention for creating this thread is not to market your business/service?

Ikenna.

Somorin#1:
"For details of obsolete oil write to autoclinicservices@gmail.com we do not sell oil, we are purely automotive consultants.

OP did say he does not sell oil though.

Just wanted to point out that the gasoline also seems to kill the cat and o2. Have others also found this to be true?

samir101ng: I second that opinion too on using a grade of oil as specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle. Here's where my head keeps turning. You buy a vehicle imported from America (Honda Accord 07) to Nigeria. Honda specified an engine oil of 5W-20. Where i am currently based (Yola, Adamawa State) it is perpetually almost hot all year round. Average temps reach as high as 48' Degrees. Now the 07 Honda Accord has a 4cyl. 2.4Liter VTEC Naturally Aspirated engine. Can you still use the same engine oil as rated by the manufacturer considering the harsh environment your in ?

Somorin#1:
IMHO you can and I would. The difference in viscosity is slight and only at the hot end of the spectrum.

So both oils will protect at the bottom range but the W30 will continue to function suitably at a higher end.

What I wouldn't do, as an example is use say 20W50, the 20 being the culprit. Most of these newer cars are designed with such tight tolerances in the engine design that you need a free flowing oil at startup.

sultaan:

Based on tolerance of newer cars its better to use oils with low weight so there is good flow at start up and consistency of 20/30 weight at operating temp.

Doing 6000 rpm with a 50w at operating temp will mess up seals