Engine Oil & The ATF Trick

BMW used to recommend / use Castrol .. the oil filler cap is stamped with it ... but they have since gone to using Mobil .... a changeable environment !

My experience from industry has been that whilst the base grade can be the same for different brands the additive package is what the engine / equipment manufacturers `go by` in determining which brand to recommend / use.

To this end I have used a competitors brand as the equipment warranty depended on it ... the additive package was different to our own.

Remember Duckhams ... that had that green `tint`, that was exactly the same base grade as another brand... was just run through a slightly different finishing / additive process.

 

An update - just bought some ATF. Its Fuchs Titan ATF3000. I was chatting to my neighbour about the ATF Trick, and he commented on whether both the ATF and my engine oil were the same type (ie. synthetic, semi-syn etc.) Does this make a difference? I can't imagine 500ml would affect it.

Also, in GSF, I asked for Quantum Syntra, and they pointed to Fuchs 15W40. I asked again for Quantum Syntra, and he said this is for my car. By that point I was tired and stressed so I bought it. I'm assuming this is not Quantum Syntra?

Thanks, Dan

 

They've stopped selling it... I haven't used it myself, but other people seem happy with the Fuchs stuff

You can still buy Synta Silver at VW Dealers, and VW's chain of 'Trade Parts Specialists'. Not sure if they're meant to sell to joe public, but others have managed it. I think I'll buy a big drum of it!

 

Thanks Mike. I think I'll keep it for the next oil change then. Lets hope it doesn't burn away quite so quickly.

With regards to the ATF. What do you reckon? Ok to use?

 

yeah the atf will be fine...just bung it in

 

mine is on about 167-168k now, ive had it in there about 3-4 times, cleans off varnish nicely and it completely degunked a clio my brother had that hadnt had an oil change for 60k miles.

unlike other engine flush stuff, it dissolves crud as opposed to just dislodges it, so is less likely to block the oil pump screen.

i definately recommend it. at almost 170k miles, my tappets are silent

 

i'm going to do the ATF trick when i change the oil in a few weeks, definitely better than the 'flushing' oil stuff.

any ideas what a good oil is for a mk2 2.0 8v? not running a silly cam.

My local Vw dealers sells all the quantam stuff, so i can get it from there, but i'm not going to ask them their advice!

Block is on 100k, head is brand new refurb job

 

The silver will do it fine.

 

I had 800ml of ATF in my sump for a few days and 180 gentle miles last week, so just did an oil change with Silver Synta this weekend.

Engine is on 170,000 miles, and seems to be quieter than before - no adverse effects from the ATF either it seems, so it's worth giving it a try. Was just the cheap own-brand ATF from Halfords.

 

I kept the oil with the ATF in it when I drained it from my BMW and this will be put in the golf for 200 miles or so, just for the hell of it really.

the mk2 will hit 170k next week and there is no real sign of any problems but I figure that I might as well put this through as a flush seeing as I have already trashed 5 litres of perfectly good magnatec with ATF already

 

just a thought for all those ****gig off magnatec, its possiable the reason ur experiencin smoking & oil usage with it is because its lubricatin the engine & gettin to the parts that the other oils aren't.

 

If it's burning it, then it's getting to the parts of the engine where you don't want it...

 

It's because it's fully synthetic and too thin when hot and passes the rings designed for multigrade/syntra oil..

 

I've just done done my oil change after 200miles with some ATF in. I can't believe the difference. I can't even hear my tappets now! Great stuff. I'm well impressed.

 

glad it worked mate

inside the oil filler, does it look cleaner also?

 

It does look a little cleaner. Will check again tomorrow to see if the oil needs topping up. But I'm very pleased about the tappets. They were quite noisy before. Now the engine just purrs! Love it!

I also did a coolant flush and replaced the spark plugs so she is pretty healthy all round.

 

and when its due a change again, do the same thing, itll make it better still

 

I drink a pint of ATF most mornings mixed with 6 raw eggs. Gets me my protein, and also saves wasting money on colonic irrigation. Run 200 gentle miles, then sht it out.

 

can you run higher boost tsc?

 

Yeah, but my clamp is a bit loose. So sometimes I bust a pipe, and you DON'T want to see the results.