Hi, i have a 1998 Fiat Punto Sporting (1.2 16v) and while checking the oil level recently, i discovered it was very low. I\'m not sure what grade of oil i need and what make is the best.
Any help much appreciated.
John
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I do not know which grade you require, but a friend of mine works for the oil industry and told me never to buy a cheap brand of oil, always buy a known brand: castrol,duckhams,silkolene etc as the cheap brands are not blended in the same way as quality oil and it will also cost you more in petrol, less fuel economy. I always buy the best I can afford, it is false economy not to.
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Look in the drivers handbook under oil.
VD5D.
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I would if I had the handbook!
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If you go to your nearest Halfords and look on the oil section, you will find they have a guide which lists the correct oil for all cars.
I use Halfords fully synth in my Rover Turbo. I doubt you could go wrong with this choice.
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I would if I had the handbook!
Then why not buy one from a Fiat dealer - about £6.
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Any good 10w 40 semi synthetic or 5w 30 synthetic should do the trick. Try Castrol Magnatec.
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The oil specified for your car is 15w/40. Any good motor factor can supply this.
Hope this helps
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You might be right but 15W/40 sounds rather thick for a car of this age with a multivalve engine.
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John - as Fiat recommend their own Selenia oil (if you intend to stick to the specified 12K change cycle) for standard Puntos I am sure they would do so for Sporting models. I don't know what it is, presumably a semi-syn of some sort. Why not phone a Fiat dealer and ask?
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Sorry, but the question of "which oil" is really not the point. If you are using oil it is either a leak, or your engine is worn. You could be lucky and find an easy answer but if it's not a leak which can be cured, fill it up and sell the car on a caveat emptor basis. changing brands is just messing about. You have to do that BEFORE the problem, not AFTER.
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To a certain extent, I agree, Richard. I think most people, myself included, got caught up in the debate over the grade, rather than looking at the underlying issue.
Of course, that assumes that the car has been serviced frequently. A car with a 5 litre sump could go through all its oil over 10k at a rate of 1l/2000 miles, which is on the high side but hardly startling. If John means by "very low" that it was only just over the minimum level on the dipstick, and it's been 5,000 miles since the last service, then there is no problem at all.
Even so, it would be good to know how much mileage has been covered since the last oil change, and how much oil is still left.
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