Total/ELF vs. Store Brands

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AudiSport

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Quick question guys,

I've been ordering Total/ELF for a while now from a local store in N.Y. and my engine runs great with it... I have a modified Audi S4 running ~500HP and the engine has looked real healthy with this oil for some time now.

Question is, are there any brands @ Advance Auto I can buy and avoid the shipping and not really be losing much at all? If it's THAT much better, then the 14.00 or so dollars on shipping doesn't mean much, but if I can get away with German Castrol which is what I've used before Total, or something of that sort I would.

I run 5w40 through the engine as the temps get pretty hot, I have an oil cooler on the car which is a recent addition and so far it really has helped after a few pulls where the temps would hit 250 (still normal, just would rather have it lower).

Another thing, as I said I previously ran 0W-30 in the car with German Castrol which everyone knows to be great oil. Is that too light for the summer months on a car with 119K? I have a very fresh PCV system in the car, Oil catch can, etc. Engine is very healthy.

Thanks for any input.
 
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Which ELF/Total 5w40?

Mobil 1 0w40, 5w40 (TDT or D1 ESP), Rotella T6 (5w40), GC (as you mentioned), as well the other Euro and API 5w40 oils available.
 
Shell Rotella T 5w-40 or Mobil 1 10w-40 HIGH MILES.

I just picked up the M1 HM for my 2.0T It's pretty thick.

GC is too thin with those oil temps.

I would skip the M1 15w-50, but if you could find PP 15w-50, try that.

SynPower 20w-50 has some PAO and is pretty good, you can buy a bunch on oil change special and get some 10w-30 to mix it with. Advance has it and their coupons are pretty good.

Also, AutoZone has a SynPower Racing. You just missed a 1/2 price sale, afaik.


btw- I assume you have the updated oil feed lines to the turbo?
 
Doh, AJ is right, I forgot to mention M1 HM 10w40, it's A3/B4.

There's also Redline, RP, Amsoil that can be for sale at brick-and-mortar.
 
Budget - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, Mobil TDT 5W-40, Amsoil XLO 10W-40.

My Choice - Amsoil DME 15W-40 Synthetic - This is the low ash version of AME.
 
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Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Shell Rotella T 5w-40 or Mobil 1 10w-40 HIGH MILES. btw- I assume you have the updated oil feed lines to the turbo?


Thanks man, the lines to the turbos were cleaned and serviced. It's a misconception that people think they have to replace them, they can be cleaned. I've been running great for 30K with the new turbos in. They are silent still!

Originally Posted By: BobFout
Doh, AJ is right, I forgot to mention M1 HM 10w40, it's A3/B4.


What's A3/B4 mean!? Ha.. Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted By: Gene K
Budget - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, Mobil TDT 5W-40, Amsoil XLO 10W-40.

My Choice - Amsoil DME 15W-40 Synthetic - This is the low ash version of AME.


Isn't 15W too thick for a startup? Or no because of the summer?

So overall though you guys think it's just as OK to run something at the store? I still want the high quality, because TOTAL is really great stuff so it seems. Car takes nicely to it.
 
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Total Quartz 9000 5W-40 is a group III oil. It's pretty much like any other Euro or US made 5W-40. I wouldn't pay over $7.00 a quart for it.


Try Rotella T 5W-40 for a OCI. Or buy Redline 5W-40 or 0W-40 for about $10.00 a quart.
 
Originally Posted By: AudiSport
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Shell Rotella T 5w-40 or Mobil 1 10w-40 HIGH MILES. btw- I assume you have the updated oil feed lines to the turbo?


Thanks man, the lines to the turbos were cleaned and serviced. It's a misconception that people think they have to replace them, they can be cleaned. I've been running great for 30K with the new turbos in. They are silent still!

Originally Posted By: BobFout
Doh, AJ is right, I forgot to mention M1 HM 10w40, it's A3/B4.


What's A3/B4 mean!? Ha.. Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted By: Gene K
Budget - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, Mobil TDT 5W-40, Amsoil XLO 10W-40.

My Choice - Amsoil DME 15W-40 Synthetic - This is the low ash version of AME.


Isn't 15W too thick for a startup? Or no because of the summer?

So overall though you guys think it's just as OK to run something at the store? I still want the high quality, because TOTAL is really great stuff so it seems. Car takes nicely to it.


ACEA A3/B4. A3 oils of xyz visco should be mentioned in your owners manual.

http://www.lubrizol.com/EuropeanEngineOils/A3B408.html
 
Originally Posted By: Finklejag
Total Quartz 9000 5W-40 is a group III oil. It's pretty much like any other Euro or US made 5W-40. I wouldn't pay over $7.00 a quart for it.


Try Rotella T 5W-40 for a OCI. Or buy Redline 5W-40 or 0W-40 for about $10.00 a quart.


Interesting! Thanks... What is an "OCI" Sorry, I have no real knowledge in anything other than the real basics of oil, haha.. I think I'll try that Rotella. 10 dollars a quart, maybe when I build my engine next year :)

Originally Posted By: BobFout
ACEA A3/B4. A3 oils of xyz visco should be mentioned in your owners manual.

http://www.lubrizol.com/EuropeanEngineOils/A3B408.html


I see, thanks! So much to know about oil.. That's why I came here though :)
 
Originally Posted By: Finklejag
OCI = oil change interval.

The Rotella T 5W-40 is $19.50 a gallon at Wal-Mart.


Thanks.. I change my oil around 3,500 miles anyway.

Thanks for the feedback guys :). I posted my video for you guys, turn up the volume it sounds lovely.

A video of my car!
 
The w-rating (15w in this case) is a spec test done at extreme cold temps. It's not directly relevant to mild temps, but generally predicts how thick an oil is on start-up. After a while, you get a feel for knowing how thick oils are off-hand. For instance, a 10w-30 can be thinner than a 5w-40 and even thinner than GC 0w-30 at certain temp ranges.

In short, no a 15w is not too thick for mid summer. The M1 10w-40 HM is definately not. That oil is ok down to about freezing for you, a turbo needing better cold flow. The same oil in 10w-30 is thinner at the same cold temp, even with the same 10w rating, a 30 weight is thinner, even on cold (10w-30 vs 10w-40). The 10w-30 HM ( a blended-thick product) is ok down to about +20f to +15f for you. Colder than that, it gets dicey. 5w-40 is not very thin in cold, that's why 0w- Euro oils were developed. At 0f, 5w-40 is quite thick. Mid winter is time for GC, which is both thinner and thicker than Mobil 1 0w-40.


Look this chart/calc over and maybe you can use it. 5000cSt is definately the floor for cold starting. Get used to the cSt system to describe viscosities. A 30 weight is 10cSt when heated to +100c, a 40 is more like 14cSt and so on.

http://www.widman.biz/English/Calculators/Graph.html

Move the temp range down to -20c and you will see how those oils stack up, remembering what I said about 5000cSt being the floor for cold starting, 10w-30 dino is right about there,

Back to oil, try the SynPower 20w-50, Racing if possible. The 10w-30 is useful too as it gets colder.

Watch your oils temps, your cold starting temps, and learn to use the visc calc. The specs for the oils you want to compute at +40c and +100c are on the oil companies "PDS" or Product Data sheet.
 
Back to the 10w-30 SynPower...

The 10w-30 is useful too as it gets colder. That oil is good to about +10f or maybe single digits for you, but once oil temps get above +100c, it thins below the 10cSt it's rated at and it's too thin to protect your engine. 8cSt is the definately cut-off for that, and a lil higher due to the specific output of your boosted 2.7tt.

So, you can use the SunPower 10w-30 in Fall, for instance, but you have to watch the oil temps. The Mobil 1 10w-30 HM is a little thicker, 12cSt at +100c (where the labeled visc is determined "operating temp". So, that oil can get heated a little more, (maybe +110c) and stay above 10cSt. At the +140c(?) you hit, a 14cSt (40 weight) is needed to say in the safe zone.

Not so hard to understand.

Learn the visc calc!
 
^ Thanks that's awesome information and really interesting..

So out of all the oils mentioned, you think the Valvoline Synpower is the best bet? Isn't that a synthetic blend, not a true synthetic?
 
SynPower 20w-50 (R) is the thickest oil you can find, which I believe you need for mid-summer to combat the temps you report. You can mix that as needed (according to the visc calc and blending calc), maybe 1q of 10w-30 for starts. Later in the Fall, you can change that around a bit, as I described above.

I have 2 fills of SynPower lined-up for my 2.0T, one is 3q of 20w-50 and 2 10w-30 for summer, and the reverse for Fall. Winter I will run GC.

Seasonal changes are ideal for this reason. Get used to 3 or 4 changes a year, on a time schedule for the temps.

As for SynPower being a blend or whatever, the 20w-50 is one of the few otc oils that have PAO (G-IV) base oils in it.

http://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1887251&page=all
 
Well in my platform, we want at least 200*F temps the consensus is to burn off the moisture in the oil, etc.

My t-stat for the OCK doesn't flow oil to the core until 189.5*F anyway.

I don't have any overheating problems, as 250*F is taken to be normal for these engines once they have bigger turbos and running hot in the summer. I may see 250 2-3 times a summer. Usually I'm between 200-225.

I don't need to throw in super thick oil that's certainly not my problems. If I sounded as if I was overheating a bit too much sorry !
 
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Originally Posted By: AudiSport
Is Royal Purple a scam or is that pretty good oil? I certainly don't have any data myself, I'm just curious as to opinions.


Their street oil is OK (but I would still stick with everyone else's suggestions for LESS $$$).

RP's XPR race oil is VERY good, but it's not only more costly than Red Line, it's more than you were paying for the Total/Elf with shipping (at most retailers), and is close to the price of, or even more than Motul 300V, and Torco SR-5!!

BTW; by any chance, was the store in N.Y. Rapid Parts??
 
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