FAQ - GC ( German Castrol )

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Originally Posted By: cientortas
How is the cleaning ability of the new Belgian 0w-30 formulation? I have a new to me 2003 BMW 540i (80K miles) that has some typical varnish under the oil filler cap. I'm worried that an introduction to BC after this car has seen extended OCIs with BMW factory oil may breakup engine varnish and screw up hydraulic lifters and other small oil passages.

I'd prefer to use BC, if I can avoid any issues from it cleaning too much too quickly.

Suggestions?

What? no more Q?
No experience yet with the BC 0w-30, have 8 qt but may blend for the next oil change in the avant.
I used both the gold and the green GC 0w-30 in the VH45DEs with good results--for whatever that is worth.
you know what the NICO varnish treatment would be....1 can of BG quik clean on a hot engine with clean sacrificial oil, run for 30+ minutes, keep the revs below 4000 and drain hot, before the varnish re-attaches. then refill with the BC 0w-30.
Edit: oh, and of course new filter after the quik clean drain.
 
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Originally Posted By: glxpassat
The 0w-30 is now made in Belgium. The 0w-40 is made in Germany. Both now contain titanium. The best deal is the 5 quart jugs of 40w at WalMart for $21.


LOL!. Here in Canada the 0W30 made in Germany is still on the shelf and the " eurospec" 0w40 is made in Belgium. Both CT & Walmart. Wouldn;t surprise me if it took at least the rest of the year to clear out the last shipment of the older stuff.

To give you some idea of how slowly premium fluids sell here, they still haven't gone through all the old Castrol ATF. There is still no Transmax for sale in the Toronto area.
 
I'm interested in running this oil in my Bimmer at the next DIY service.

Have there been any VOA's of the new BC, to compare any difference to the older GC? Or are we dealing with the same product, with updated packaging and shifted production to control production costs?

The biggest question would be if the BC still retains the mysterious magical properties the GC of old had...
 
I wish I had a dollar for everytime I have said the formulation is identical whether it's Belgium or Germany.

Pictures of engines should also take into account the fuel that is used as this has a big impact on colouration of engine parts.
 
What is the deal with Castrol Edge 0w40 made in Malaysia?

other markings on the bottle: 'with TITANIUM' 'Fluid Strength Technology'
'0W-40 A3/B4'
'API SN/CF, ACEA A3/B4, BMW Longlife-01, VW 502 00/ 505 00, Porsche A40, MB-Approval 229.3, 229.5'
'This product is not suitable for use in vehicles fitted with diesel particulate filters (DPS)'
'Manufactured by AsPac Lubricants (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a BP Group Company'
 
Is made in Malaysia the same formula as GC?
Is it still a PAO base stock?
Does anybody have any information on this oil?
 
Originally Posted By: LubeLuke
Is made in Malaysia the same formula as GC?
Is it still a PAO base stock?
Does anybody have any information on this oil?


One formulation can be used in more than one blend plant.
 
Don't forget that only in Germany it's required to have more than 50% PAO to be sold as "full synthetic." For other countries, they can make the same oil from Group III if they want to.

Malaysia doesn't have any PAO plants but they have a Petronas Group III plant formerly coowned by ExxonMobil (PDF link) and a Shell Bintulu GTL plant (PDF link).

On top of that, they do have quite a few third-party blending plants in Malaysia. See the Castrol bottles in the middle picture (link).

Is it economically viable to ship millions of barrels of PAO on large tankers to Malaysia for blending? Perhaps. The alternative is probably to do the engine tests for both Group III and IV and then to ship different products to different countries based on local marketing legislation (such as Germany not allowing Group III without at least 50% PAO to be marketed as full synthetic). The latter seems more economically viable but the former is a possibility too.

I personally wouldn't really count on German Castrol packaged and labeled for sale (only) in US as containing 50% or more PAO even if it is made in Germany.
 
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
I personally wouldn't really count on German Castrol packaged and labeled for sale (only) in US as containing 50% or more PAO even if it is made in Germany.

You need to have a healthy dose of PAO to achieve a pour point as low as Edge 0w-40 has, IMO.

Not that I think that an oil necessarily needs to have a ton of PAO in it to be a good lubricant.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
I personally wouldn't really count on German Castrol packaged and labeled for sale (only) in US as containing 50% or more PAO even if it is made in Germany.

You need to have a healthy dose of PAO to achieve a pour point as low as Edge 0w-40 has, IMO.

Not that I think that an oil necessarily needs to have a ton of PAO in it to be a good lubricant.

We will probably never know but the statement "Not for sale outside the Americas" is a strong legal statement that may be aimed at the German marketing regulations for "full synthetic."

P1000239.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
So, as far as more PAO content is concerned, Made in Belgium Castrol is probably your best bet.

Right, because it's just not possible to have it shipped anywhere else in the EU.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Right, because it's just not possible to have it shipped anywhere else in the EU.

Possible but less economically viable (more expensive, less profit).
 
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Gokhan said:
Right, because it's just not possible to have it shipped anywhere else in the EU.

Possible but less economically viable (more expensive, less profit).

Belgium is right next to Germany, and there are no import/export duties. The cost of transport can't be significant in the grand scheme of things.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
We've had this discussion before. It's actually on all Castrol bottles sold in North America, not just on German Castrol, so what does that mean?

They avoid indirectly disclosing their proprietary ingredients by making the same legal statement for also conventional oils?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Belgium is right next to Germany, and there are no import/export duties. The cost of transport can't be significant in the grand scheme of things.

I was mainly referring to the Malaysian Castrol, but it's also interesting from the Belgian Castrol perspective that there is a huge INEOS PAO plant in Belgium, in contrast to Malaysia, which has a large Petronas Group III plant and a small Shell GTL plant.
 
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
Regarding Belgium Castrol, the world's largest PAO producer INEOS (38% market share, link) has their main PAO plant near Brussels, Belgium. So, as far as more PAO content is concerned, Made in Belgium Castrol is probably your best bet.

http://www.ineos.com/businesses/ineos-oligomers/sites


Ineos bought BP Chemical in '05 (Innovene). And yes, they are now 1% more of the market than XOM, who has historically been the largest PAO producer in the world.

PAOMarket.jpg


It is indeed quite likely that if BP/Castrol is sourcing PAO, it is from their former facility and less likely to be from a direct competitor like XOM.
 
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