Greetings:
I will need to change the oil in my new Alfa Romeo 4C soon and look to the collective knowledge of the board for guidance. The car has a 1.7 litre turbocharged and direct injected petrol engine. I have modified mine with, among other things, an ECU reflash and as a result it puts out approximately 300 WHP/WTQ. I say this as background and also to indicate that, although no one has done an UOA for this car yet, I expect it to be pretty hard on oil.
The manual specs a Chrysler oil spec which essentially translates to an ACEA C3 oil. In ROW cars where the Chrysler brand does not exist the oil specced for the car is any ACEA C3 oil. I am uncomfortable with this and fear that the oil is specced for emissions control devices at the expense of actual engine protection. From my very limited knowledge, it seems odd that a low SAPS oil is specced since the car has neither a DPF nor a three way catalyst. The only thing I could think of was that perhaps it somehow better controlled the formation of intake valve deposits but my other two cars with DI engines (Porsche 911 and VW GTI) both seem to have no trouble in that arena with oils more closely aligned with the ACEA A3 spec (Porsche A40/VW 502/MB229.3/.5). I had intended to use the same oil in the Alfa Romeo as well (either M1 0w-40 or Castrol 0w-40) but though that I should probably check with someone smarter than myself first. So what do we think? Use a low Saps C3 oil or stick to the more tried and true (for high performance applications) A3 oils? All input is appreciated.
I will need to change the oil in my new Alfa Romeo 4C soon and look to the collective knowledge of the board for guidance. The car has a 1.7 litre turbocharged and direct injected petrol engine. I have modified mine with, among other things, an ECU reflash and as a result it puts out approximately 300 WHP/WTQ. I say this as background and also to indicate that, although no one has done an UOA for this car yet, I expect it to be pretty hard on oil.
The manual specs a Chrysler oil spec which essentially translates to an ACEA C3 oil. In ROW cars where the Chrysler brand does not exist the oil specced for the car is any ACEA C3 oil. I am uncomfortable with this and fear that the oil is specced for emissions control devices at the expense of actual engine protection. From my very limited knowledge, it seems odd that a low SAPS oil is specced since the car has neither a DPF nor a three way catalyst. The only thing I could think of was that perhaps it somehow better controlled the formation of intake valve deposits but my other two cars with DI engines (Porsche 911 and VW GTI) both seem to have no trouble in that arena with oils more closely aligned with the ACEA A3 spec (Porsche A40/VW 502/MB229.3/.5). I had intended to use the same oil in the Alfa Romeo as well (either M1 0w-40 or Castrol 0w-40) but though that I should probably check with someone smarter than myself first. So what do we think? Use a low Saps C3 oil or stick to the more tried and true (for high performance applications) A3 oils? All input is appreciated.