2003 Fiat Punto and 1998 Seat Cordoba

[EWPE]

1. What kind of vehicle you have
2003 Fiat Punto 1.2 8 valve 60 hp FIRE engine

2. What your owner's manual says

https://flic.kr/p/vNmNem

3. Where you live
Poland. Even -25 Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit) in the coldest winter mornings, up to 40 Celsius (about 100 Fahrenheit) in the hot summer days.

4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
rather easy

5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
Mostly short city trips (up to 10-15 km = about 5-10 miles), but sometimes (once a month?) higway trips with up to 3-4 hours with constant 140 km/h = about 85 mph at 4000 rpm

6. Whether your car has any known problems
None, at 178 000 km = about 110 000 miles no problems, no oil consumption.




1. What kind of vehicle you have
1998 Seat Cordoba 1.4 60 hp (codename AEX) VW group engine

2. What your owner's manual says

https://flic.kr/p/vNpA9o (A is for synthetics, B for non-synthetics)

3. Where you live
as above

4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
rather easy

5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
Car is very rarely driven, but mainly as above (rather without higway trips).

6. Whether your car has any known problems
None. Since 1998 has been used Aral 0W40 and 5W40 oil, than Mobil 1 5W50, already Mobil 2000 10W40 (for few years, but only few thousand kilometers - since 2008 car was sometimes driven even less than once a month)



I'm thinking about new Amsoil Signature Series 0W40 for Punto and SS 5W30 for Cordoba. Is it a good choice?

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: EWPE

I'm thinking about new Amsoil Signature Series 0W40 for Punto and SS 5W30 for Cordoba. Is it a good choice?


yes, except for it sounds like overkill for those old cars. i assume rust a big issue where you live, right?
my father just "retired" a fiat uno with only 120,000 km, but full of rust.

 

[EWPE]

Fiat Uno had been designed for Italian climate and rust was a major issue in this vehicle. Fiat did it well for the first time with facelifting of Punto II in 2003, using fully galvanised steel. After 12 years I have no problems with rust at all and I think that there's not going to appear any in next 12 years. Seat Cordoba also (like Uno) is not galvanised, but I have problems, just like in Punto (maybe because of good quality of paintwork).

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: EWPE
Fiat did it well for the first time with facelifting of Punto II in 2003, using fully galvanised steel. After 12 years I have no problems with rust at all and I think that there's not going to appear any in next 12 years.


good to know, thanks. the only advantage of amsoil SS is extended intervals, ie 25,000 miles in one year. i considered it for my wife's prius (she is currently doing 30,000 miles a year), but Mobile 1EP is actually cheaper every 15,000 miles.

 

[EWPE]

OK, I bought Amsoil SS 0W40 for Punto, but I don't know what's the best choice for Cordoba - 5W30 or 0W40? Both grades are accepted by manufacturer. Because oil was changed for the last time in May 2012 (at 186 500 km - about 2000 km = 1200 miles ago) and I'm not going to use this vehicle frequently (a few hundred kilometers a year). I'm looking for something cheaper than Amsoil. Mobil 1 New Life 0W40 (specs looks very similiar to American Mobil 1, but I think that's not the same formulation). Another good looking oil is Shell Helix Ultra 0W40 (or 5W30). Is it a good choice? 5W30 or 0W40?

 

[chrisri]

FIAT started to galvanise cars with Tipo in 88, but Uno never received the treatment. Polish ones were particularly bad. Amsoil is great, but really an overkill for a 8 valve FIRE. I would use Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 for Fiat, and a Valvoline Maxlife 5w40 for Cordoba to slower the oil consumption.