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Castrol Oils

Service time again, so yesterday popped down to the local factors for a set of filters. Noted they now had Castrol oils, as I wanted some GTD Magnetec, thought that would save me a trip elsewhere. But hold on, the range has been revamped, and its all in 4 litre cans. Now I can't remember whether they used to be 4.5 or 5 litre, whichever a full one brought the car just to max on the dipstick. No way am I buying a 4L and rip-off price 1L to finish the job.

Off the Halfords, again mostly the new range in 4L, but a couple of older cans still one the shelf, a 4.5L GTD magnetec and a 5L of normal GTD. Anyway, Halfords own fully synth diesel oil was 1/3 off at £22 / 5L, so I got that instead.

Anyone know whether Castrol oils used to be all 4.5L or 5L?

They lost me as a customer with that "marketing" tactic of 4L cans.

Reply to
Steven Briggs
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There are two flavours of GTD Magnatec: 5W-40 and 10W-40. As late as last month (from my own record), both were available in 4.5L cans at £34.49 (delivered free) and £25.99 (+ £4.99 delivery) respectively from Castrol, UK. Apparently, they are still available on-line (see link below). Now Halfords do not offer the 5W-40, but the 10W-40 at £24.99 for a 4L can.

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Halfords own brand engine oils are in fact rebranded Comma oils, which in turn are rebranded ExxonMobil (Esso) oils (or Halfords directly from the world's largest company -- or second largest, a ring down from Walmart.). Comma is 100% owned by ExxonMobil. Tesco oils are also from Esso.

By the way, the Castrol oil is Magnatec, not Magnetec, "magna" from Latin meaning great, as in Magna Carta (Great Charter).

Reply to
Lin Chung

I note some of those older oils (plain GTX/GTD) are in 5L. That list must be out of date too, the latest stuff I saw at both the factors and Halfords in the new branding was all 4L.

Good or bad then? Anyway, Halfords fully synth is a 1/3 off at the moment £21.32 for 5L, so thats what I used.

Reply to
Steven Briggs

Essentially, that depends on which brand in the ExxonMobil/Esso range the Comma/Halfords is a derivative of. Most of the ExxonMobil/Esso brands are unsurprisingly API *licensed*, that is by a broad agreement regarded as safe for your engine, or "good" in your question, but which one? We are however not party to such commercial knowledge.

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Undaunted, we poke around! You too may like to scan down the licensed product lists from ExxonMobil in the USA and Standard Oil in Canada; the other sources from Mexico, Egypt or Japan are unlikely.
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a match in specifications for the Comma brand for diesel engines, inthe safety fact sheets here and elsewhere:
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the only one I have looked into, Comma Syner-Z 5W-30 (for petrolengines), currently at £32 for a 5L can , there was no match. In short, I don't have the answer.

Reply to
Lin Chung

God knows. As I've said before, just buy whatever meets manufacturers specs. In most cases it's around £10 - £15 for 5L of oil that meets all the long spec numbers it's supposed do, without any expensive ad campaigns to be paid for.

Reply to
Doki

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