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MG MGF Technical - is mineral oil OK?

I've just booked in for a 16000 mile (mid service) oil change at the local dealer. They told me they use Elf mineral oil - is that OK or should I insist on something more advanced? - I currently do 120 miles a day.

Martin
martin scott

Many owners swear by Mobil 1 - a fully synthetic oil and I would say that with your mileage it would be worth it - it aint cheap.

Ted
Ted Newman

I've used a number of dealers in the time I have had my car, and they have all used the MG recommended Mobil 1 fully synthetic engine oil. Therefore I am surprised that they are thinking of mineral oil- especially odd if you read the applications suitable for various oil types- performance 16v engines invariably employ fully synthetics.

In your position, I would insist on a fully synthetic oil- be it Mobil or one of its competitors.

Rob
Rob Bell

Martin..i wonder if your oil heat as much as mine. If i had mineral oil i would have melted down the engine already! I use Mobil1 0w40 Trisynthetic and i change both oil and filter every 5000km ;+/- 3000Miles.
Bruno V.

Hi,

Martin, are you using a Rover dealer? They are contracted to use Castrol, I believe. There are a range of 10W-40 oils recommended in the MG handbook (mine isn't here so I don't know if and what Elf oil is recommended). The list also includes Mobil 1 and despite its cost this is what I would use, especially if you stick to the 12,000 service intervals (which you obviously don't!). The engine will run perfectly well on any of the recommended oils, but synthetics will retain their superior characteristics far longer than petroleum oils.

Regards, Kes.
Kes

It all depends on what is on the side of the oil can. The oil spec is shown there and as long as it meets the set engine spec requirments then it is fine to use.

The following is a direct lift from the current manual regarding oil specs...

"Use oil meeting specification RES.22.OL.G4 or the
requirements of CCMC G4, and having a viscosity
band recommended for the temperature range of
your locality. Where oils to these Rover and
European specifications are not available, well
known brands of oils meeting API SG, SH or SG/CD
quality should be used."

There follows a table which lists viscosity ranges for different temp bands which will be found in handbooks for those who want to read up on this. The common viscosity is 10w40 range.

Rog
Roger Parker

Hi,

Rover is truly conservative, not to say out of touch, with its recommendations. Even Halfords bottom of the range Standard oil, which I use in my daughter's Escort when I feel sorry for it, is SH/CF. The rest of Halford's range, and all the branded oils I've seen for modern engines, are SJ/CF, and it would be difficult to find a quality oil that wasn't. SJ is the latest, and highest, specification and covers both petroleum and synthetic oils (although the manufacturers of synthetics may say that their oils far exceed it). Don't use any lower spec.

Dino oils are far better than they were some years ago, as shown by their ability to go 12,000 miles between changes without serious degradation. I think that the new Rover 25/45s have a 15,000 mile service interval: I don't know what oils are recommended but I bet it's the same range as usual. In the end there's no reason why you and your car shouldn't be perfectly happy with one of the recommended oils at the correct grade. If Elf is 10W-40 and SJ/CF then that will be fine. Mobil 1 is an excellent oil, but whether it's worth the extra cost depends on how much of the advertising you want to believe.

I think that Bruno's 3000 mile changes are excessive, even with his high oil temperatures, but again that's his choice and I won't try to persuade him otherwise!

Regards, Kes.
Kes

This thread was discussed between 05/04/2000 and 07/04/2000

MG MGF Technical index

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