Oil (synthetics) 5W30 in our country is widespread. Why do many motorists prefer it and should they start up the engine of their own car? To obtain an objective assessment, appropriate tests were conducted.
Lubricant Testing at Ford Focus
The best tests on the quality of a particular oil will be conducted by independent tests. For this, experts select several types of lubricating fluid, subject them to various tests, derive and analyze the results, and then compare them with each other, determining the best brand of oil.
Such a test, it was decided to conduct on cars Ford Focus. All cars had a range of ten thousand kilometers, an engine displacement of 1.6 liters, which has 100 horsepower. The motor belongs to an inexpensive, modern gasoline units, without complex related mechanisms. Its device includes a boiler manifold, a timing belt in the timing drive and four valves for each of the cylinders.
Oil brands
Among other things, the experimenters were interested in which 5W30 oil is better: synthetics or semi-synthetics. Therefore, the following brands were selected with both bases:
- semi-synthetic - Total Quartz 9000 Future and Mobil Super FE Special;
- on synthetic - Motul 8100 Eco Energy, Castrol Magnetic A1, Zic XQLS, Shell Helix Ultra Extra, G Energy F Synth EC and THK Magnum Professional C3.
All specified lubricating fluids were tested in the laboratory before testing.
The essence of the test
A test was carried out at a hundred degrees for engine oil. 5W30 synthetics and semi-synthetics showed different results, although the gap was small. The thickest was Shell lubricant, and the most fluid was G-Energy. Additives on some samples were very different. All calcium oils contained 2000 mg / kg and zinc and phosphorus 1000 mg / kg each. At the same time, Shell only had 1350 mg / kg of calcium, while G-Energy had even less, only 750 mg / kg. Therefore, the first group had a high alkali content with a large proportion of detergents and antioxidants. Castrol was the highest in alkali, and Shell was the lowest.
The tests were carried out in a cyclic order, each of which lasted for an hour. The weather conditions for all cars were the same. Cars moved at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour at six thousand revolutions. This regimen was followed for half a week.
A separate test consisted of idling for three hours, after which they drove a couple of kilometers and stood again for an hour with the engine turned on.
As a result of the nine-week test, it turned out that the cars traveled 10,000 kilometers, ran the engine 45 times cold and 72 times hot. The motors worked for a hundred hours in a load of 6000 rpm and 54 hours idle.
Thus, a very difficult regime was obtained. Therefore, instead of the twenty thousand kilometers laid down by the maintenance manual, the travel time was reduced to 10,000 kilometers.
Individual Test Results
Darkening of all lubricating fluids was observed after two and a half thousand kilometers. This indicates the good washing qualities of all samples - under the valve covers, cleanliness has been preserved. The difference was significant when operating at low temperatures. In frosts over twenty degrees, liquid from the dipstick dripped easily on all brands except Castrol. Launching problems did not arise in any sample even at temperatures dropping below 27 degrees.
The costs were as follows. The first refill was required for the Mobil semi-synthetics after 4.8 thousand kilometers, and after 8 thousand kilometers - again. Other semi-synthetics “Total” also did not lag much behind it. It took about two liters for each oil to top up. Synthetics 5W30 showed fumes much lower. The Castrol and Zeke brands took 1.4 liters, the Shell - 1.23 liters, and the Total - 1.9 liters. This result suggests that mileage on synthetics may be greater than on semi-synthetics.
All vehicles were refueled at one station and only with high-quality gasoline. Fuel consumption was almost the same. But the most economical results were shown by oil (synthetics) 5W30 G-Energy, and wasteful by Shell. The difference nevertheless was very minimal, up to 3%.
The main thing is that all oils had a good wear-resistant effect. Even after driving at the highest speeds, the chromed piston rings (which undergo the greatest wear) did not release chrome into the oil at all. The content of other metals did not exceed the permissible threshold.
Which oil is better?
Summarizing the results obtained, we find that the best was 5W30 automotive oil synthetic brands "TNK", "Castrol" and "Motul". Outsiders here were Shell, G-Energy, and Zeke.
But it is worth noting that all lubricating fluids continued to show detergent qualities, even approaching the final threshold. Indicators of high temperature viscosity also remained within normal limits.
Semisynthetics, in turn, was enviably stable: the viscosity decreased by only 3 square mm / s, that is, the same as with synthetic-based lubricants.
Conclusion
According to all the important characteristics, all the samples proved to be working for 20 thousand kilometers under normal conditions and 10 thousand kilometers for severe ones. Which oil to choose 5W30? Synthetics (reviews and objective test results confirm this) with a high alkaline number, which include Castrol, TNK and Motul samples, are especially suitable for the inhabitants of the depths, where the fuel quality leaves much to be desired. From semi-synthetics, Mobile can be attributed to them.
But, on the other hand, semisynthetics are experiencing the greatest waste, which is why low cost will not be beneficial in the end.
But the 5W30 (synthetic) Shell and Zeke engine oils, which were traditionally considered elite, were actually not of the highest performance. Therefore, it is worth seriously thinking about whether to purchase them, having weighed all the parameters that they showed. On the one hand, they had the lowest waste, excellent additives and an oil base, but on the other hand, constant refueling with sour fuel may not lead to the best results.
In addition to the fact that gasoline should be filled exclusively at proven gas stations, after the end of the factory warranty it is better to use lubricants called Low SAPS, which have a reduced alkaline content. Their load on the converter will be ten times lower than the effect exerted by the increased sulfur content in gasoline.
The best option is to purchase inexpensive synthetics, which should be changed more often, that is, once every 15 thousand kilometers.