Wrong oil TDCi

jtraf · 08-04-2012, 09:54 AM

Well have just joined the forum and I have a question to ask.

Lasts week I bought a 2010 TDCi focus to use as a fuel efficient means of getting to and from work which is an 80kay round trip. So yesterday I went down to the local SCA and had a look in there oil book for what the right oil is for the new toy. They had a book the lists all makes and models of all the oils they sell in it. Now it listed Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40 as a suitable oil for the motor. I have used this oil in my past cars and always found it to be a great product. As I plan to keep this one for a while I decided to keep the trend going.

Now I changed the oil and filter and drove home yesterday. Now on searching the web last night I found a few threads about oils and on further investigation found out that the Shell Helix I bought yesterday is not suitable for the engine as it a motor fitted with a Particle filter.

My question is will it damage the engine having this oil in it for say 5000 Kay's or should I drop it immediately? If I have to drop it what oil do I buy in its place?

Thanks in advance James

burnz · 08-04-2012, 10:38 AM

look for an oil that meet acea C3

ultra extra meet C3, the one your using is not listed by shell.

paulgo · 14-04-2012, 10:25 PM

hi jtraf,
gone through this as well, I used Valvoline 5w40synth the first time and left it there 10.000kms. I'm using now SCA brand Calibre 5w30 C3 synthetic made by Caltex (same as Havoline fully synth C3,have verified that myself).
Make sure its ACEA A3/B4 C3 (means Stable/stay in grade oils, A3-suitable for petrol engines, B4 for diesel direct injection and C3 DPF friendly) 5w30 grade is the best for fuel efficiency. I have noticed better fuel economy and have also added german engine additive Liqui-Moly and got extra power close to 10%. Gets up and goes really well, very happy with that.

good luck in your search anyway

cheers paul

jtraf · 14-04-2012, 11:00 PM

Well after realizing it was the wrong oil I bit the bullet and changed it. Took the car for a 50kay drive and changed the oil for Shell Ultra Extra 5w-30

Have to say the oil that was only 70 Kay's old came out black again........15k is too many Kay's for a service......too boot the oil stained my hands when it came out the first time......on checking the oil now it is cleaner......will be doing full oil and filter every 7500km from now on......

Not even the oil that comes out of my Nissan Patrol Td42ti stains my hands and it has 220k on the clock.....new oil and filters every 5k for that beast....and that equates to 11lts of oil and two filters every time.....

WILDB · 14-04-2012, 11:44 PM

The incorrect oil will become discoloured very quickly and do damage to the DPF with extended use. I've had customers come in with TDCi Focus'/Mondeos that have had the DPF block and become unable to regenerate because other workshops had been putting the incorrect oil in at service time.

Replacement DPF is in the vicinity of $3.5k....

paulgo · 15-04-2012, 02:11 PM

Can you disconnect or bypass DPF?

marg99 · 15-04-2012, 02:24 PM

not legally!

Franco Cozzo · 15-04-2012, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulgo

Can you disconnect or bypass DPF?

I'm going to give it a try on my LV come tax time.

paulgo · 15-04-2012, 06:57 PM

good Big Damo, keep us posted

marg99 · 15-04-2012, 07:04 PM

Big damo, you need to ensure the two sensors are replaced in the new section of exhaust pipe when you take out the DFP otherwise the ECU gets upset. In theory an exhaust specialist will not do the job but you may be lucky to find one who will
as its not uncommon in the newer Nissan diesels because they give trouble.

paulgo · 15-04-2012, 07:11 PM

thanks marg99,

I know its illegal, just want to know if it is physically feasible.
all this polution crap supposedly lowers the toxins coming out but at the end of the day same amount of toxins goes into the atmosfere, lol

Marlboro2728 · 15-04-2012, 11:12 PM

I'm sure we have covered this in another thread but I've been told by two Ford dealers that the LV focus doesn't have a DPF. Therefore, (assuming they are correct) the first type of oil shoud have OK - I think!!

rand0mn00b · 15-04-2012, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtraf

Well after realizing it was the wrong oil I bit the bullet and changed it. Took the car for a 50kay drive and changed the oil for Shell Ultra Extra 5w-30

Have to say the oil that was only 70 Kay's old came out black again........15k is too many Kay's for a service......too boot the oil stained my hands when it came out the first time......on checking the oil now it is cleaner......will be doing full oil and filter every 7500km from now on......

Not even the oil that comes out of my Nissan Patrol Td42ti stains my hands and it has 220k on the clock.....new oil and filters every 5k for that beast....and that equates to 11lts of oil and two filters every time.....

I understand that unlike petrol engines, it is perfectly normal for diesel engines to turn the oil completely black after only a few hundred KMs

TheInterceptor · 15-04-2012, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rand0mn00b

I understand that unlike petrol engines, it is perfectly normal for diesel engines to turn the oil completely black after only a few hundred KMs

Yes, this is true. Perfectly normal for the oil to blacken quickly.

marg99 · 16-04-2012, 07:53 AM

I thought it was only the LT diesel that escaped having a PDF and there after they had them.

290v · 16-04-2012, 08:27 AM

we had one blocked in a Cruise Diesel at work the driver never done the burn off due to always doing short trips that Particular Filter costs $5,000 to replace on the Holden Cruise

paulgo · 16-04-2012, 10:23 AM

thanx 290v,
what kind of 'burn off' are we supposed to do? and how long? how often?

anybody knows?

DeKa · 16-04-2012, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulgo

thanx 290v,
what kind of 'burn off' are we supposed to do? and how long? how often?

anybody knows?

Drive at ~80km/h+ for 15-20min plus.

paulgo · 16-04-2012, 11:21 AM

easy enough

jtraf · 16-04-2012, 03:22 PM

I do agree that the oil will go black but not within a few kays. My 1994 Nissan Patrol which is not direct injection gets serviced religiously every 5000kays and gets new oil filters fitted everytime as well. When I change the oil it stay clean for about the first 500 kays and then starts to change color. Even when 5000kays old it comes out black but does not stain your hands. After dropping the wrong oil and adding new oil again the color has not gone black yet. A heavily disolored oil that stains your hands tells you that oil is at the end of it useful life and offering the internals of your engine very little protection. I would never run oil for 15k in a deisel and will evaluate whether 7500kays is too much as well when the focus gets there.

Rodge · 16-04-2012, 03:40 PM

Diesel cars fitted with a DPF require a very low ash diesel oil designed for them. In the case of M Benz this is a 229.51 spec oil.

Regular diesel oil contains a fair bit of ash which will clog up your DPF filter requiring a professional clean-out or replacement of the DPF at great cost.

DPF's go through a regeneration cycle achieved when they attain a high enough temperature, typically at least 20 minutes driving at 80 k.p.h. or more is required. Its best if this is done twice a week but once a week may possibly be enough depending on a range of factors. Make sure you give the DPF time to achieve total regeneration, (burn-off). I recommend 30 minutes on the open road at maximum allowable open road speed with air conditioning on to achieve max load on the engine, helps to build up exhuast temperature at least once per week, preferrably twice.

DPF vehicles cannot just be continuously just driven at low speeds around the city, you will get clogging problems and serious conseqential side effects.
It is disturbing that most salesmen selling diesel vehicles are either unaware of this or chose to conceal this information.

DPF removal is possible at significant cost and usually involves completly re-programming the vehicles ECU so it understands a DPF is no longer fitted. The vehicle may not meet emissions laws after removal.

If you have a DPF equipped vehicle you need to ensure its being serviced with the correct oil, (look on the oil pack for the "suitable for vehicles fitted with a DPF) and that you drive it in a manner that will achieve effective regeneration of the filter. Failure to do so is a costly excercise.
Hope this lot posted from personal experience helps you guys out.
More info of a general nature here http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/D...AQ-VW-Audi.htm or just google DPF regeneration problems, all the marques are struggling with these dreadful particulate filters.

Yellow_Festiva · 16-04-2012, 05:47 PM

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11341337

I questioned the blackness of my oil soon after a service. Thought the dealer jipped me!

Picture in the thread shows the dipstick skidmarks on the paper napkin after about 800km. Seems normal enough.

When I book my next service I will ask a few more questions... Always used a flush in my Festiva and the engine still ran like new after 200,000km and correct servicing intervals.

If the dealer just dumps and fills, I will be using a flush as well. I know many will arc up and say it's a waste, but if it doesn't do anything then at least I know I tried lol.

mik · 17-04-2012, 01:13 AM

it`s normal for diesel engine oil to go black quick, it has a high detergent content in it, probably short trips would make it go black even faster i would imagine.